True-Ice Shards (Dagger)
Melee Weapon, artifact (requires attunement)
Note
This item is paired with True-Ice Shards (Rapier)
Crafted from the very glacier in which he was imprisoned, the True-Ice Shards are a rapier and parrying dagger (main gauche) pair used by Levistus. They exemplify his time spent in the glacier, augmenting telepathy, divination, and defense. Due to his control over ice, Levistus can conjure the True-Ice Shards from anywhere, including if they were destroyed.
When using the magic dagger, you gain a +3 bonus to your AC, as long as it is used as your offhand weapon, and it does 1d6 cold damage instead of its regular damage.
Because Levistus conjures the True-Ice Shards at will, he often rewards a copy of the artifact to his most loyal followers. The copies are identical to the original with one exception: Levistus can destroy or retrieve a copy at any time.
Random Properties
The True-Ice Shards have the following random properties:
- 2 major beneficial properties
- 2 minor detrimental properties
- 1 major detrimental property
Sub-Zero
Cold damage dealt with the shards ignores resistances and immunities. Creatures vulnerable to cold damage take triple damage from the True-Ice Shards, rather than double.
After you damage a creature with the shards, you may use a bonus action to force the creature to make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature that took the damage becomes vulnerable to cold damage for 24 hours. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until after you have finished a long rest.
Mental Command
While attuned to the True-Ice Shards, you can use an action to cast the Detect Thoughts spell (save DC 20), targeting any creature you have previously met. If the targeted creature is on a different plane of existence, the spell fails.
As long as you maintain concentration, you can use a bonus action to send a telepathic message to the focused creature. It can reply—using a bonus action to do so—as long as the focus and concentration continue.
Omniscient
You can use the True-Ice Shards to cast a variety of divination spells. Locate Animals or Plants, Locate Creature, and Locate Object may be cast at will, and don’t have a maximum range. Other limitations of the spells still apply, and they can’t detect subjects on other planes of existence.
Additionally, you may cast Scrying (with a spell save DC of 20) and Find the Path. Once either spell is cast, you must finish a long rest before casting either of them again.
Destroying the Shards
While Levistus still lives, destroying the True-Ice Shards serves little purpose, as he is capable of recreating them at will. That aside, the shards can be destroyed when subjected to a sufficient source of heat. A few such sources include the inside of an active volcano, a continuous source of Hellfire, or a powerful fire spell cast at 9th level.
Source: Chains of Asmodeus p. 275