The music of Magic Sword reminds me of my earliest days of playing Dungeons & Dragons. These memories are echoed by the story behind their music: a simple but powerful tale of hope and heroism. When I had an opportunity to run the Magic Sword: Shadow Marches campaign for the band (along with Satine Phoenix and Damion Poitier), I naturally saw how I’d adapt this concept to my world of Eberron—but the core idea has a place in any world.Whenever a champion prepares to fight a hopeless battle against evil, there is a chance that the Magic Sword will appear, giving them the strength to battle the darkness. This provides a clear, concrete direction for adventure: there is a battle that must be fought, and your adventurers are the only ones who can fight it. Who will bear the Magic Sword? 

This is the principle behind Magic Sword: An Eberron Story Seed, my latest PDF on the DM’s Guild. The Magic Sword is a powerful weapon that can appear to a chosen champion when there is a battle that must be fought. One character must wield the Magic Sword, but they cannot stand alone. The immortals who tend the Sword will guide this champion, either by directly manifesting in the world or by imbuing mortal vessels with their power. In this, the Magic Sword provides a clear purpose—highlighting a darkness that must be fought—while giving every adventurer involved a unique gift to strengthen them in the struggle that lies ahead.

Magic Sword: An Eberron Story Seed includes statistics for the Magic Sword and a set of supernatural gifts reflecting the powers of the immortals. It includes four campaign hooks tied to the world of Eberron. But it also discusses ways that the Sword could drive a campaign or adventure in any setting. It can be the focus of a full campaign, as the champions fight their way closer to the darkness that must be defeated. But it can also be used in a single adventure, providing adventurers with an unexpected surge and a battle that must be won.

You can see this material in play in the most recent session of Magic Sword: Shadow Marches, or check out the preview of the product on the DM’s Guild. Who will take up the Magic Sword?

I’m about to join forces with the band Magic Sword and gamers Damion Poitier and Satine Phoenix to tell a tale set in the Shadow Marches of Eberron. As I write this, the game is just a few hours away—starting at 4 PM Pacific time, streaming here. However, if you miss the live stream, it should still be available to view after the fact!

Preparing for this game has kept me busy, so my next article will be slightly delayed. Last month’s Patreon poll ended in a tie, and while I thought I was going to write about nobility, because of reasons the next article will be about Riedra in Fifth Edition. But don’t worry, Nobility fans, I’ll write that article as soon as I can.

I hope you can join me and Magic Sword as we explore the Marches! And thanks as always to my Patreon supporters!