TEXT: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Compatibility Logo, D&D, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2, DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, 
  MONSTER MANUAL, MONSTER MANUAL 2, and ADVENTURER’S VAULT are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries and are used with permission. 
  Certain materials, including 4E References in this publication, D&D core rules mechanics, and all D&D characters and their distinctive likenesses, are property of Wizards of the Coast, 
  and are used with permission under the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License. All 4E References are listed in the 4E System Reference Document, available at 
  www.wizards.com/d20. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, written by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt; DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, 
  written by James Wyatt; and MONSTER MANUAL, written by Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert and James Wyatt; PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2, written by Jeremy Crawford, Mike 
  Mearls, and James Wyatt; MONSTER MANUAL 2, written by Rob Heinsoo, and Chris Sims; ADVENTURER’S VAULT, D&D 4E Game System License ©2008, 2009 Wizards of the 
  Coast page 3 of 7 written by Logan Bonner, Eytan Bernstein, and Chris Sims. © 2008, 2009 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved.
  •  Sabre of the Horselords  •
  Azagar’s 
  Artifacts
  Written and Created by
  Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel
  Editing/Proofreading
  John Ball
  Playtesting
  Erik Nowak, Jeremy Nowak,  
  Samantha Styles, Christopher Vasey
  Illustrations
  Jesse Mohn
  Graphic Design & Layout
  Erik Nowak
   AZAGAR’S ARTIFACTS: SABRE OF THE HORSELORDS 
  Published by Blackdirge Publishing, ©2009
  Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a 
  challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material.  
  Blackdirge Publishing and the Blackdirge Publishing logo are 
  trademarks of Aeryn Rudel. All rights reserved.  
  All illustrations are ©2009 Jesse Mohn. All rights reserved.
  
  2
  I sure as hellﬁre didn’t want to be humiliated like that again, so 
  I was forced to sink so low as to turn to a goblin for counsel. As it 
  turned out, the captain of the goblin wolf-riders was a savvy little 
  runt, and when we met the Drugari again, he and his boys were 
  ready. Gods, those goblins and their wolves ripped into the Drugari 
  like camp mutts chasing after scraps, pulling down the humans’ 
  horses and giving the Drugari a taste of their own medicine with 
  ﬂights of black-feathered goblin arrows. 
  It was a good, old-fashioned slaughter. And since the Drugari 
  Khan was dumb enough to ride with his warriors in the front line, 
  the whole damn war ended right there. The goblin wolf-rider 
  captain awarded me with the Khan’s magic saber, a perfect weapon 
  for a mounted warrior, which is why it’s probably doing little more 
  than collecting dust in my treasure vault. 
  SABRE OF THE 
  HORSELORDS
  The Sabre of the Horselords is appropriate for character is the 
  middle of the heroic tier and upward.
  AZAGAR’S NOTES
  There are a lot of tales of hobgoblins riding giant wolves and other such 
  nonsense, mostly perpetrated by the elves to make us seem ﬁercer then 
  we actually are, probably so they don’t feel so bad when we knock the 
  hell out of them. Well, let me tell you, I hate riding anything – well, 
  except an ornery hobgoblin wench from time to time – and I certainly 
  wouldn’t degrade myself by clinging to the nape of some great, ﬁlthy 
  beast. Hobgoblins live and die with the infantry, and if we need cavalry, 
  well, it turns out goblins are actually good for something. 
  On one campaign into the steppes of Izull, I was given a force of 
  two thousand goblin auxiliaries, wolf-riders every one. I admit I was 
  less than perky about having to drag a horde of unorganized, three-
  foot-tall hero-fodder into battle with me. But thank the bloody 
  gods I’ve learned to follow orders, even ones that look like idiocy  
  at ﬁrst glance. 
  The steppes of Izull are home to the Drugari, a nomadic bunch 
  of humans that travel around in great hordes; hordes made even 
  bigger by all the damned horses they bring along with them. See, 
  that’s the thing with the Drugari, they are born into the saddle,  
  and if there are better horseman in the world, I’ve yet to see them. 
  The Drugari had been making a lot of noise on our northern 
  border, and it looked like some Khan of theirs had united a bunch 
  of their little tribes into a fairly sizable army. Well, that didn’t  
  sit right with his Imperial Majesty, and I was sent, along with ﬁve 
  thousand legionnaires, to take the ﬁght out of our neighbors to the 
  north. We understood that the Drugari army was primarily light 
  cavalry, and that they were hell on horseback with those powerful 
  little bows they favored. So the goblins and their wolves were sent 
  along to give us a hand if things got sticky. And by the Horned 
  God’s scrotum, did they ever.
  Like a damned fool, I had our goblin wolf-riders bring up  
  the vanguard, and the ﬁrst time my legionnaires ran afoul of the 
  Drugari horseman, they shot us to pieces, riding into bow range, 
  letting ﬂy, and then retreating. My boys simply couldn’t catch the 
  miserable bastards in their heavy kit, and we were forced to retreat.
  Azagar’s Artifacts: Sabre of the Horselords
  Sabre of the Horselords 
  Heroic Level
  The Sabre of the Horselords was once the weapon of Obari 
  Khan, the feared Drugari warlord that united his people 
  into a single devastating army. It is imbued with the Khan’s 
  indomitable spirit, skill at arms, and mastery of all things 
  related to mounted combat. 
  The Sabre of the Horselords is a +2 doomrider scimitar.
  Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +2d6 damage, or +2d8 damage while mounted
  Property: While mounted you receive a +1 item bonus to all defenses. 
  Property: While mounted, you gain an extra 2 damage on  
  melee attacks against enemies on foot. This increases to 3  
  extra damage when you charge.  
  Power (At-Will): Immediate Reaction. When your mount is the 
  target of a melee attack, you may roll a saving throw, and if 
  successful, you negate the hit on your mount.  
  Power (At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon): Standard Action.  
  While mounted, you may use sure strike (ﬁghter 1). 
  Power (Daily): Minor Action: You may add +2 to the speed  
  of any mount you are riding until the end of the encounter. 
  Power (Daily ✦ Charm): Standard Action: You may attempt to 
  charm any beast or magical beast with fewer levels than you with 
  the mount key word: Level +3 vs. Will, the target is charmed. If 
  successful, the beast or magical beast serves you as a mount for  
  one day. At the end of this time, the beast or magical beast bears 
  you no ill will, but it cannot be charmed again for 24 hours
  
  3
  CONCORDANCE
  Starting Score
  5
  Owner gains a level
  +1d10
  Owner rides a mount of his level or higher
  +2
  Owner defeats an enemy of his level or 
  higher while mounted (maximum 1/day)
  +1
  Owner defeats a hobgoblin of his level or 
  higher (maximum 1/day)
  +1
  Owner defeats an enemy of his level or 
  higher while on foot (maximum 1/day)
  -2
  Owner is forcefully dismounted while  
  in combat
  -1
  PLEASED (16-20)
  “The great Khan would be pleased by our victories.”
  The Sabre of the Horselords is thrilled to have an owner that is 
  both a powerful warrior and a master equestrian. 
  Property: You receive a +1 item bonus to all defenses even while 
  on foot. When mounted, the bonuses increase to a +2 item bonus 
  to all defenses. This supercedes the normal bonuses granted by 
  the artifact. 
  Power (Daily): Minor Action. While mounted, you call forth an 
  aura of fear (aura 2) that lasts until the end of your next turn. All 
  enemies within the aura suffer a –1 penalty attack and damage 
  rolls against you. Enemies on foot suffer a -2 penalty to attack 
  and damage rolls.
  SATISFIED (12-15)
  “They shall ﬂee before us!”
  The Sabre is happy with its owner’s skill at mounted combat. 
  It urges him on to greater endeavors by expending more of its 
  energy to keep him in the saddle. 
  Property: You receive a +5 bonus to saving throws to avoid being 
  knocked prone while mounted (forcefully dismounted). 
  NORMAL (5-11)
  “Many enemies await the taste of steel and the horror of pounding hooves.”
  The Sabre urges its wielder to seek out enemies worthy of 
  ﬁghting, especially other mounted warriors or hobgoblins. 
  UNSATISFIED (1-4)
  “This may be too ﬁne a weapon for one such as I.”
  The Sabre is unhappy with its current owner, who is likely 
  spending too much time afoot or acting in a cowardly manner.
  Special: Enemies on foot gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage 
  rolls against you. 
  APPEARANCE
  The Sabre of the Horselords is styled in the fashion of the 
  Drugari horselords. Its blade is narrow, single-edged, and 
  tapers delicately to a sharp, thrusting point. Its hilt is wrapped 
  in silver wire and features a spiked knuckle guard of brass and 
  iron. The Sabre sheds no light, but does bear the sigil of 
  Ruadran, the Drugari god of horses.
  SABRE OF THE  
  HORSELORDS LORE
  History DC 18: The Sabre of the Horselords was once the 
  weapon of Obari Khan, the feared Drugari warlord that united 
  his people into a single devastating army. Obari, however, 
  underestimated his neighbors to the south, the hobgoblin 
  Imperial Horde, and began a series of probing raids along the 
  border between the two nations. The hobgoblins quickly tired 
  of Obari’s antagonizing and sent a large force of hobgoblin 
  legionnaires, accompanied by two thousand goblin wolf-riders 
  to confront the Khan. After taking the brunt of a series of hit 
  and run skirmishes, the hobgoblins eventually cornered Obari 
  and smashed his army, killing the Khan in the process. 
  GOALS OF THE SABRE  
  OF THE HORSELORDS
   
  • Attach itself to a hero renowned for his skill  
   
   
  at mounted warfare.
   
  • Prove itself against other mounted warriors.
   
  • Slay hobgoblins. 
  ROLEPLAYING THE SABRE  
  OF THE HORSELORDS 
  The Sabre of the Horselords exists to slaughter foes from the  
  back of a charging mount. It is only satisﬁed when its wielder  
  is ﬂourishing it in the midst of a cavalry charge, or cutting  
  down enemies on foot as they ﬂee before its wielder’s mount.  
  In addition, due to its long interment with the hobgoblin 
  warmaster Azagar, the Sabre has an abiding hatred of all 
  hobgoblins and urges its wielder to attack them whenever 
  possible. The Sabre communicates with its wielder in only the 
  simplest emotional urges, usually nothing more that raw anger 
  or childish elation. 
  Azagar’s Artifacts: Sabre of the Horselords
  
  4
  ANGERED (0 OR LOWER)
  “The great Khan laughs at my failure from the afterlife.”
  The Sabre’s wielder is entirely unsuitable, and the sword will 
  not tolerate such an unworthy master for long. 
  Enhancement: The artifact’s enhancement bonuses drops to +1
  Critical: +1d6 damage, or +1d8 damage while mounted
  Special: Enemies on foot gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage 
  rolls against you.
  MOVING ON
  “The horselords shall sing songs of our exploits.”
  The Sabre of the Horselords has seen its owner slaughter many 
  powerful enemies and display near peerless skill at mounted 
  combat. It recognizes that other warriors may grow just as 
  great by the beneﬁt of its powers. When its wielder next gains 
  a level, Saddlescourge disappears, and its sentience and powers 
  appear in a distant land for another skilled equestrian to ﬁnd. 
  If the sword is at least satisﬁed, it leaves in its place a +3 
  doomrider scimitar for its former owner to wield in its place. 
  THE SABRE OF THE 
  HORSELORDS IN YOUR GAME
  Below are two adventure hooks involving the Sabre of the 
  Horselords. Both are appropriate for PCs in the middle of the 
  heroic tier.  
  The Robber Knight: Sir Navar Blacktree is a hedge 
  knight of surpassing martial skill who possesses little of  
  the qualities that make a knight a knight. He is cruel and 
  wicked, and when unable to attach himself to a noble house 
  in need of competent soldiers, he happily turns brigand. 
  Recently, Sir Navar attacked and killed a group of Drugari 
  horsemen while they slept beside the road. Little did Sir 
  Navar know that one of the Drugari he killed was Zota 
  Khan, a powerful Drugari warlord, travelling in secret to  
  the lands of his cousin in the east. Zota carried his birthright, 
  the powerful sword the Sabre, which has been passed down 
  by the horselords in his family for centuries. 
  Already an accomplished rider, the Sabre has transformed 
  Sir Navar into a mounted terror, and he has been challenging 
  those he meets to a knightly duel on horseback. Those who 
  refuse Sir Navar’s challenge are killed out of hand and 
  robbed. To date, those who have accepted the challenge have 
  been no match for Sir Navar and the Sabre. 
  Growing bolder with each murder, Sir Navar has gathered 
  a small group of brigands and is quickly on his way to 
  becoming a true brigand lord. That is, unless, a group of 
  heroes can put an end to the robber knight’s predations...
  Doomrider Weapon 
  Level 7+
  This weapon is the scourge of enemies on foot.
  Lvl 7 
  +2 2,600 gp 
  Lvl 22 +5 
  325,000 gp
  Lvl 12 +3 13,000 gp 
  Lvl 27 +6 
  1,625,000 gp
  Lvl 17 +4 65,000 gp
  Weapon: Light Blade, Heavy Blade
  Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d6 damage per plus, or +1d8 damage per plus  
  while mounted
  Property: When riding a creature with an ability with the  
  mount keyword, you may access that ability as if you were  
  2 levels higher. 
  Power (Encounter): Standard Action. While mounted, you may 
  move up to your mount’s full speed and make one melee basic 
  attack at any point during that movement. You don’t provoke 
  opportunity attacks when moving away from the target of the 
  attack. If you use this power on an unmounted foe, you deal  
  an additional 1d8 damage on a successful hit.  
  Level 12 or 17: 2d8 extra damage. 
  Level 22 or 27: 3d8 extra damage.
  Sword of Peace: After years of war, a peace accord has ﬁnally 
  been reached between the Kingdom of Othria and the ﬁerce 
  horselords of the Drugari. As a gesture of friendship, the King of 
  Othria is returning a prized Drugari artifact taken from the body 
  of Zota Khan, the leading horselord among the Drugari, in the 
  last great battle between the two nations. The artifact, the magical  
  Sabre of the Horselords, is a symbol of leadership among the 
  Drugari, and its return would go a long way in repairing the 
  strained relations between Othria and the Drugari. 
  To make certain that the Sabre reaches the Drugari lands, 
  the king of Othria has hired a group of noble and skilled 
  heroes to bring the weapon safely home. Unfortnately, not all 
  within the Kingdom of Othria wish to see the war with the 
  Drugari end. The Silent Knives, a powerful thieves’ guild, have 
  been able to run their criminal enterprises without interference 
  since the majority of those who enforce the law have been 
  called away to ﬁght the Drugari. The Silent Knives have no 
  wish to see the freedom they have recently enjoyed end, and 
  are planning a daring raid to steal the Sabre while it is in 
  transit to the Drugari lands. If the Kingdom of Othria were to 
  lose the precious sword, it would be seen as grave insult by the 
  Drugari, and hostilities between the two nations would almost 
  certainly resume.   
  Azagar’s Artifacts: Sabre of the Horselords
  
  Sabre of the Horselords: Player Reference Sheet
  CONCORDANCE SCORE _______
  PLEASED (16-20)
  “The great Khan would be pleased by our victories.”
  The Sabre of the Horselords is thrilled to have an owner that is 
  both a powerful warrior and a master equestrian. 
  Property: You receive a +1 item bonus to all defenses even while 
  on foot. When mounted, the bonuses increase to a +2 item bonus 
  to all defenses. This supercedes the normal bonuses granted by 
  the artifact. 
  Power (Daily): Minor Action. While mounted, you call forth an 
  aura of fear (aura 2) that lasts until the end of your next turn. All 
  enemies within the aura suffer a –1 penalty attack and damage 
  rolls against you. Enemies on foot suffer a -2 penalty to attack 
  and damage rolls.
  SATISFIED (12-15)
  “They shall ﬂee before us!”
  The Sabre is happy with its owner’s skill at mounted combat. 
  It urges him on to greater endeavors by expending more of its 
  energy to keep him in the saddle. 
  Property: You receive a +5 bonus to saving throws to avoid being 
  knocked prone while mounted (forcefully dismounted). 
  NORMAL (5-11)
  “Many enemies await the taste of steel and the horror of pounding hooves.”
  The Sabre urges its wielder to seek out enemies worthy of 
  ﬁghting, especially other mounted warriors or hobgoblins. 
  UNSATISFIED (1-4)
  “This may be too ﬁne a weapon for one such as I.”
  The Sabre is unhappy with its current owner, who is likely 
  spending too much time afoot or acting in a cowardly manner.
  Special: Enemies on foot gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage 
  rolls against you. 
  ANGERED (0 OR LOWER)
  “The great Khan laughs at my failure from the afterlife.”
  The Sabre’s wielder is entirely unsuitable, and the sword will 
  not tolerate such an unworthy master for long. 
  Enhancement: The artifact’s enhancement bonuses drops to +1
  Critical: +1d6 damage, or +1d8 damage while mounted
  Special: Enemies on foot gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage 
  rolls against you.
  Doomrider Weapon 
  Level 7+
  This weapon is the scourge of enemies on foot.
  Lvl 7 
  +2 2,600 gp 
  Lvl 22 +5 
  325,000 gp
  Lvl 12 +3 13,000 gp 
  Lvl 27 +6 
  1,625,000 gp
  Lvl 17 +4 65,000 gp
  Weapon: Light Blade, Heavy Blade
  Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d6 damage per plus, or +1d8 damage per plus  
  while mounted
  Property: When riding a creature with an ability with the  
  mount keyword, you may access that ability as if you were  
  2 levels higher. 
  Power (Encounter): Standard Action. While mounted, you may 
  move up to your mount’s full speed and make one melee basic 
  attack at any point during that movement. You don’t provoke 
  opportunity attacks when moving away from the target of the 
  attack. If you use this power on an unmounted foe, you deal  
  an additional 1d8 damage on a successful hit.  
  Level 12 or 17: 2d8 extra damage. 
  Level 22 or 27: 3d8 extra damage.
  Sabre of the Horselords 
  Heroic Level
  The Sabre of the Horselords was once the weapon of Obari 
  Khan, the feared Drugari warlord that united his people 
  into a single devastating army. It is imbued with the Khan’s 
  indomitable spirit, skill at arms, and mastery of all things 
  related to mounted combat. 
  The Sabre of the Horselords is a +2 doomrider scimitar.
  Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +2d6 damage, or +2d8 damage while mounted
  Property: While mounted you receive a +1 item bonus to all defenses. 
  Property: While mounted, you gain an extra 2 damage on  
  melee attacks against enemies on foot. This increases to 3  
  extra damage when you charge.  
  Power (At-Will): Immediate Reaction. When your mount is the 
  target of a melee attack, you may roll a saving throw, and if 
  successful, you negate the hit on your mount.  
  Power (At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon): Standard Action.  
  While mounted, you may use sure strike (ﬁghter 1). 
  Power (Daily): Minor Action: You may add +2 to the speed  
  of any mount you are riding until the end of the encounter. 
  Power (Daily ✦ Charm): Standard Action: You may attempt to 
  charm any beast or magical beast with fewer levels than you with 
  the mount key word: Level +3 vs. Will, the target is charmed. If 
  successful, the beast or magical beast serves you as a mount for  
  one day. At the end of this time, the beast or magical beast bears 
  you no ill will, but it cannot be charmed again for 24 hours
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Party/4th Edition/Blackdirge Publishing/Azagars Artifacts - Sabre of the Horse Lords.pdf