Item
Rune of Vengeance
The weaker the master, the stronger the weapon awakens
The rune feeds on its master's blood. Rare and difficult to engrave, dwarves consider it less a gift than a pact: the weapon reaches its full strength only as its bearer approaches death.
For every 10% of maximum HP the bearer is missing, the weapon gains:
- +10% damage, and
- +10% to the attacker's Reflex check in the contest against a dodge or parry.
At 50% HP, the bearer therefore strikes 50% harder and becomes significantly harder to avoid. At 10% HP, the weapon reaches its peak at +90%, while its master stands two blows from death.
Healing takes back what it gives. The weapon immediately falls to the corresponding threshold. A bearer who refuses a potion to remain dangerous does exactly what the rune wants, which is how most of its wielders die.