There are many directions you can take with this one. Clearly the easy way to do it, thanks to modern metallurgy (or even ancient metallurgy, it's still crucible steel) is to make a Damascus blade. A combination of high-carbon steels, maybe some low-carbon steels, one acid etch later, boom. Veined steel.
Too easy, and a cop-out for this blog. Let's get necromantic on this one to sweeten the deal, however. This time, I'm taking inspiration from science fiction thanks to the video game franchise Dead Space. Minor spoiler to follow. I'll keep actual story elements out, but if you're getting bent out of shape over mechanics for a franchise that started in 2008, then you need more help than apologies from a weblog writer.
The main enemy in this game is the twisted monster known as the necromorph, named such by the method by which the monster is formed. The necromorph is formed by taking a dead person and recombining their biological structure to be something decidedly more dangerous than what they were during its life. It doesn't matter what your stance is or how you identify (I identify as a heat seeking missile) the motive force will kill you and rip your DNA apart for its purposes. Further, there are creatures that move around to find new corpses to infect, while the baseline form creates more corpses. Pretty gruesome. Guess what the baseline form is called.
I'll save you the time to look it up off site, but the baseline form is called a slasher. (Follow links at your own risk.) To sum up, the slasher's bones quickly recombine to form three foot bone blades sticking out from the monster's palm. As the slasher has little use for much else but the slashing weapon, the fingers limply dangle from what's left of its hand.
Yes, they are undead. No, a bullet to the brainpan doesn't put them down. The franchise flips the zombie hunt thing on its head and subverts your expectations. Decapitation only makes them slash wildly. Dismemberment, however? That is what it takes to put necromorph down. If the monster no longer has a way to kill you, why continue to exist?
This is what got me to thinking, why not have a necromancer do this exact thing? Weave a spell on a corpse, punch your hand into the nearest hollow cavity, and draw out a sword. For the less-than-adventurous, this will immediately unsettle and cause the bile to rise. Moments like this can give said spellcaster the time he needs to run you through and make more bodies for her "research."
Let's make this into a spell with an associated weapon, shall we?
Spell, Tremaine's Bone Blade, 3rd Level spell. School of necromancy. Components are Verbal, Somatic gestures, and Material Required material: One recently deceased and undefiled humanoid, within six hours of death, which is defiled upon casting. Casting time: 2 actions. First action to cast the spell, second action to draw the weapon. Duration is as long as the caster wills the blade to exist, no concentration check required.
The death of the necromancer does not destroy the blade, but renders it effectively useless for any but him. Like the druid's shillelagh spell, the bone blade cannot be passed on to another creature, and the original spell ends if this is cast again. The blade does 1d8 of damage using the spellcaster's ability as opposed to Strength modifiers for damage. On drawing the blade, observers in a 30 foot radius need to make a Constitution save against the spellcaster's save modifier or be sickened for one minute. Pass or fail, adventurers cannot be affected by this again over the next 24 hours. It is quite jarring to watch a man thrust his hand into a corpse's chest and then draws something out. Using a higher level spell slot incurs no further benefit.
And if you think only men are capable of such disgusting and evil acts, you've been quite sheltered and I pray you never know otherwise. Tremaine is a woman's name, and was one nasty customer in the lore of my game world.
