Nine Lives Stealer (Handaxe)
D&D 5e · 2024·Weapons·Very Rare·Requires attunement
Base weapon damage before your ability modifier. Use the calculator to include hit chance and critical hits.
Damage calculator
Hit chance
65%
Expected damage / attack
5.7
Attack bonus
+7
Average normal hit: 8.5 · Average critical hit: 12 · Critical chance: 5%.
- Category
- Simple weapon
- Damage type
- Slashing
- Reach
- 5 ft.
- Magic attack bonus
- +2
- Weight
- 2 lb
- Attunement
- Required
- Rarity
- Very Rare
- Price
- Not specified
Magic: Displayed damage includes the default magic bonus, before applicable ability modifiers.
Calculator assumptions & rules
One attack against a creature. Natural 1 misses; natural 20 hits and doubles damage dice, not flat modifiers. Expected damage includes misses and critical hits. Advantage uses the higher of two d20s; Disadvantage uses the lower. Magic bonuses shown on the item are counted once.
Uses only the weapon’s ordinary hit and the listed on-hit extra dice, when enabled. Class features, Sneak Attack, fighting styles, mastery effects, damage on a miss, special critical-hit effects, ongoing damage, resistance and immunity are excluded. Check the full rules below for additional effects.
Changing calculator inputs does not change the item’s rules or create a new page URL.
What Nine Lives Stealer does
- Strength can drive this simple weapon’s attack and damage rolls. Add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll only if you are proficient.
- The base 1d6 +2 weapon damage averages 5.5 before your ability modifier and extra effects. Hit chance matters too: compare expected damage per attack rather than the die alone.
- The normal range is 20 feet and the maximum is 60 feet; attacks beyond normal range have Disadvantage. The calculator lets you model the attack mode separately.
- This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Life Stealing. The weapon has 1d8 + 1 charges. When you attack a creature that has fewer than 100 Hit Points with this weapon and roll a 20 on the d20 for the attack roll, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be slain instantly as the sword tears its life force from its body. Constructs and Undead succeed on the save automatically. The weapon loses 1 charge if the creature is slain. When the weapon has no charges remaining, it loses this property. This is the Handaxe variant.
Full item details & properties
Magic properties
- Activation
- Make attacks using this weapon.
- Consumable
- No
- Attack Rolls
- +2. With attacks made using this weapon
- Damage Rolls
- +2. Included once in the displayed default damage; add applicable ability modifiers separately.
- Life Stealing trigger
- Target has fewer than 100 Hit Points when attacked; roll 20 on the attack d20; requires a remaining charge.
- Life Stealing save
- DC 15 Constitution or slain instantly. Construct and Undead automatically succeed.
- Initial charges
- 1d8 + 1 (2–9); roll for this instance.
- Charge expenditure
- 1 only when a creature is slain by the life stealing property.
- Charge recovery
- No recharge specified
- At zero charges
- Only Life Stealing is lost; the weapon retains its +2 attack and damage bonuses
- Conditions & limits
- Displayed damage includes the default magic bonus, before applicable ability modifiers. Life Stealing requires remaining charges, a target with fewer than 100 Hit Points when attacked, and a 20 on the attack roll's d20. An expanded Critical Hit range alone does not trigger it. The target makes a DC 15 Constitution save or is slain instantly. Constructs and Undead automatically succeed. A charge is spent only if this property slays the creature. Initial charges are rolled as 1d8 + 1, not fixed at nine. The entry provides no recharge. At zero charges only Life Stealing is lost; the +2 magic bonuses remain.
Weapon details
- Damage
- 1d6 + 2 slashing
- Weapon class
- Simple Melee
- Range
- 20 / 60 ft. (normal / long)
Properties
Light
When you take the Attack action on your turn and attack with a Light weapon, you can make one extra attack as a Bonus Action later on the same turn. That extra attack must be made with a different Light weapon, and you don't add your ability modifier to the extra attack's damage unless that modifier is negative.
Thrown(Range 20/60)
If a weapon has the Thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack, and you can draw that weapon as part of the attack. If the weapon is a Melee weapon, use the same ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls that you use for a melee attack with that weapon.
Weapon mastery
Vex
If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to the creature, you have Advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.
You need a feature, such as Weapon Mastery, that unlocks this property for you.
Tags & related references
Compare alternatives
Same edition, using your calculator inputs above. Special properties and character features can change the choice.
Same base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Handaxe (+3)6.83 expected damage / attack70% hit chance1d6 +3 slashing · +3 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 2 lbSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Nine Lives Stealer (Battleaxe)6.4 expected damage / attack65% hit chance1d8 +2 slashing · +2 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 4 lbUses the same attack ability; compare handling and damage
Nine Lives Stealer (Club)5 expected damage / attack65% hit chance1d4 +2 bludgeoning · +2 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 2 lbUses the same attack ability; compare handling and damage
Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.
Nine Lives Stealer FAQ
Does Nine Lives Stealer require attunement?
Yes. You need to attune to this item to use the properties that require attunement.
Is the listed price a guaranteed purchase price?
The source does not specify a price for this entry. Ask your GM about availability and cost.