Variable Length Sword (5e Equipment)

This content deviates from 5e standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the 5e rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

This item introduces an idea called 'progressive attunement' which adds complexity. Please consider whether the complexity is worth it before using this item in your game. Given the complexity, it may be better to have this sword available for purchase than found as treasure.

Weapon, rare (requires attunement) The sword changes length based on the space available to wield it, from dagger to greatsword. Description. The sword is silver with a black brown or red leather hilt. It comes in a small exquisitely constructed black velvet lined non-magical wooden box. It is about 1 foot long and glows with faint magic in its boxed dagger form. Upon first taking it out of its box it immediately lengthens to great sword length if there is space. It glows with faint magic while in its box so a simple DC 10 arcane check is all that's needed to know if it’s magic.

Automatic Length and Form Change. The Variable Length Sword changes its length as needed by the space available. It also changes into a standard 'sword' of that length.

• When in a narrow hallway its length is as a dagger.
• In a larger hallway or room, it may be a short sword or long sword.
• With considerable open space, it lengthens out to be a great sword.
• The sword shortens as it passes by a tree or a pillar or something inanimate not worn or carried.
• The sword shortens down when you press it against its box, wall, flat inanimate surface, or black velvet.
• The length of the hilt changes to fit the size of the hands of the wielder.

Controlled Length and Form

Attribute	Great sword	Long sword 2 handed	Long sword 1 handed	Short sword	Dagger	In Box
Wielding	2 handed	2 handed	1 handed	1 handed	1 handed	N/A
Damage	2d6 slashing	1d10 slashing	1d8 slashing	1d6 piercing	1d4 piercing	1 piercing
Size Class	heavy	medium	medium	light	light	light
Blade Length	4 feet	3.5 feet	3 feet	2 feet	1 foot	6 inches
Weight	5 lbs.	4 lbs.	3 lbs.	2 lbs.	1 lb.	half lb.
Properties	or 1d10 bludgeon	versatile	versatile	finesse	finesse	magic glow
Historic Example	claymore	schwert	half-sword	gladius	dirk	art knife
Possible Feat +	Great Weapon Master	Defensive Duelist	Defensive Duelist	Savage Attack	Dual Wielder	none

+ see progressive attunement table below.

Progressive Attunement. If you use this as your main weapon, you gain one 'attunement level' each time you advance in level. The level at which you first attune to the sword is attuned at 'zero' attunement levels.

• Length changes prevent standard dual wielding. You may dual wield again upon reaching three attunement levels.
• This table includes five feats only when using the sword. To balance this, four of those feats are only usable when the sword is in one of its forms, and you must keep using bonus actions to maintain its form.

Progressive Attunement Effects Table

Levels Attuned	Attack Bonus	Type	Benefit	Forms When Wielding	Benefit Description
zero	-1	Feature	Magic attack	automatic	Attacks as a magic weapon.
one	0	Feature	Form control	any form	Control the sword length/form for one round using a bonus action each turn. It is still magical.
two	1	Sword Feat	Weapon Master	unboxed forms	Greatsword, Long Sword, Short Sword, and Dagger proficiency, and +1 str or dex.
three	2	Feature	Dual wielding	light forms	able to use this 'sword' while dual wielding.
four	2	Sword Feat	Dual Wielder	+ dagger	+1 AC, draw 2 weapons, other weapon can be heavier.
five	3	Style	Protection style	+ non-heavy	lengthens to force disadvantage on one attack on a creature within 5 ft as a reaction.
six	3	Sword Feat	Savage Attack	+ short sword	gain advantage on three attacks per day.
seven	3	Feature	Damage +1	+ non-dagger	+1 bonus to damage.
eight	3	Sword Feat	Defensive Duelist	+ longsword	add proficiency to your AC when hit by a weapon.
nine	4	Maneuver +1d6	Lunging attack	+ short sword	lengthens to long sword on attack to lunge with an extra 5 feet reach and +3 damage once per day.
ten	4	Sword Feat	Great Weapon Master	+ greatsword	+10 damage when -5 to attack, criticals or hits on an opponent to 0 HP awards a bonus attack.
Level 20	4	All above	All benefits	as fighter, ranger, or paladin	Zero through ten above

+ Requires the use of a bonus action each turn to keep the sword in this form to be able to use the benefit. This makes the sword less overpowered and less complicated.

Caveats.

• The sword's length reverts to setting its length base on the space available at your next turn unless you must use a bonus action to control its length.
• Sword in dagger form may not be successfully thrown and will probably land 30 feet away as in greatsword form.
• If you do not use this weapon as your main weapon for a level you do not gain a level attuned, but you don’t lose one.
• Armor and shields worn/wielded by creatures do not affect the sword’s length, but they are not worn/ wielded they do.
• At first, you may not use dual wielding. After three levels of attunement, you can dual wield again.

NPC Attunement.

• Tier 1 NPCs have one level of attunement, having +0 and allowing control the size of the sword as a bonus action. (this could be a wiki formatted table)
• Tier 2 NPCs have three levels of attunement, having +2, dual wielding, and proficiency with all of the sword's forms.
• Tier 3 NPCs have seven levels of attunement, having +3 on attacks, dual wielder feat as a dagger, savage attack feat as a short sword (3x adv), protection style (react) and +1 damage.
• Tier 4 NPCs have all ten levels of attunement, having +4 on attacks, Defensive Duelist feat, Lunging attack maneuver, and Great Weapon Master feat.

Rarity. It makes sense to have this magic item in four places in your random tables, one for each NPC tier.

• Tier 1 uncommon.
• Tier 2 rare.
• Tier 3 very rare.
• Tier 4 legendary.

Things Not Shown by Identify.

• An identify spell will reveal most of the information in this writeup.
• Creation of this item usually requires a collaboration between an artificer and a wizard.
• 10% of the time the sword is sentient. If it is sentient, it speaks only dwarvish or gnomish the native language of its creator(s).
• 1% of the time the sword is cursed.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Equipment → Magic Weapons