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Sword of Sharpness 5e: The Limb Roll, the 2024 Exhaustion Hit and the Math
A Sword of Sharpness in 5e is a very rare slashing sword that requires attunement. It does two things. When you hit an object, your weapon damage dice are maximized. When you roll a natural 20 against a creature, the target takes extra slashing damage: 4d6 in the 2014 rules, followed by a second d20 that severs a limb on another 20; in the 2024 rules, a flat 14 damage plus 1 Exhaustion level. Neither version adds anything to attack or damage rolls. The verdict: a famous name with a modest effect. A +3 weapon at the same rarity deals more damage, so take the Sword of Sharpness for the story, or for a campaign that needs a lot of things cut open.
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Sword of Sharpness Rules Text
Sword of Sharpness
2014 rules
Weapon (any sword that deals slashing damage), very rare (requires attunement)
Very RareRequires attunement
When you attack an object with this magic sword and hit, maximize your weapon damage dice against the target.
When you attack a creature with this weapon and roll a 20 on the attack roll, that target takes an extra 4d6 slashing damage. Then roll another d20. If you roll a 20, you lop off one of the target's limbs, with the effect of such loss determined by the GM. If the creature has no limb to sever, you lop off a portion of its body instead.
In addition, you can speak the sword's command word to cause the blade to shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Speaking the command word again or sheathing the sword puts out the light.
Weapon (Glaive, Greatsword, Longsword, or Scimitar), Very Rare (Requires Attunement)
Very RareRequires attunement
When you attack an object with this magic weapon and hit, maximize your weapon damage dice against the target.
When you attack a creature with this weapon and roll a 20 on the d20 for the attack roll, that target takes an extra 14 Slashing damage and gains 1 Exhaustion level.
The 2014 card allows any sword that deals slashing damage: the greatsword, longsword or scimitar. The 2024 card names the Glaive, Greatsword, Longsword and Scimitar, so a glaive wielder can have one too.
Against objects
Hit an object and your weapon damage dice count as their maximum. A greatsword deals 12 plus your Strength modifier, a longsword 8, a scimitar 6. Your modifier still adds on top.
Maximized damage matters against objects with a damage threshold, which both SRDs use for big objects like castle walls and gates: an object with a threshold ignores any single hit that doesn't reach it. A Strength +4 greatsword deals exactly 16 every hit, so you know before you swing whether it gets through. Against smaller objects, the SRD's suggested hit points for a resilient Medium object (a barrel, a chandelier) are 18, which this sword cuts in two hits.
Both SRDs let the GM decide that some damage types work better than others against an object, with bludgeoning given as the example that's good for smashing and not cutting. A sword called Sharpness is a fair reason to let slashing cut rope, cloth and wooden doors at full effect.
A natural 20 against a creature
The trigger is rolling a 20 on the d20, not just scoring a Critical Hit. A Champion fighter's Improved Critical (crits on 19 or 20) doesn't trigger it on a 19. Advantage helps: the chance of at least one 20 goes from 5 percent to 9.75 percent.
2014: the target takes an extra 4d6 slashing damage. Because a natural 20 is a Critical Hit, the extra dice are rolled twice (8d6, 28 on average) on top of the doubled weapon dice. A Strength +4 greatsword crit totals 12d6 + 4, or 46 on average. Then you roll a second d20; on another 20, you cut off one of the target's limbs.
2024: the target takes an extra 14 slashing damage and gains 1 Exhaustion level. The 14 is a flat number, not dice, so the Critical Hit doesn't double it. A Strength +4 greatsword crit totals 4d6 + 4 + 14, or 32 on average.
The limb roll (2014)
The second 20 has to follow a first 20, so a lopped limb happens on 1 attack in 400 (0.25 percent). The item text hands the effect of the loss to the GM, and if the creature has no limb (an ooze, a snake), you cut off "a portion of its body" instead.
DM ruling: a lost arm drops whatever it held and can't be used for attacks; a lost leg halves the creature's speed and knocks it prone; a portion of a limbless body deals another 4d6 slashing damage. Settle on effects like these when the sword enters the game, because the moment it happens is the worst time to invent them.
Exhaustion (2024)
Each level of Exhaustion gives -2 to every D20 Test and -5 feet of Speed in 2024, and the levels stack. A boss hit by two natural 20s has -4 on its attacks and saving throws for the rest of the fight, and a long rest only removes one level. That's the real value of the 2024 sword against tough single targets.
A creature with immunity to the Exhaustion condition just takes the damage. In the 2024 SRD that covers most undead (the Zombie, Skeleton and Lich, though not vampires), nearly every construct, such as the Iron Golem, and many elementals.
The light (2014 only)
The 2014 sword can shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light 10 feet further when you speak its command word, and goes dark when you speak it again or sheathe the sword. The 2024 version has no light at all.
Sword of Sharpness: 2014 vs 2024
2014 (SRD 5.1)
2024 (SRD 5.2.1)
Rarity / attunement
Very rare, requires attunement
Very Rare, requires attunement
Weapon
Any sword that deals slashing damage
Glaive, Greatsword, Longsword or Scimitar
Against objects
Maximize weapon damage dice
Same
Natural 20 vs. a creature
+4d6 slashing (doubled by the crit), then a d20: on a 20, a limb is cut off
+14 slashing and 1 Exhaustion level
Light
10 ft bright, 10 ft dim on a command word
None
Value
No price in the SRD
40,000 GP plus the weapon's price
The 2024 sword trades a big, rare effect for a smaller, reliable one. The 2014 extra damage is twice as large (28 vs 14 on average), but the 2024 Exhaustion level hurts a boss for the whole fight and is far more likely than the 1-in-400 limb.
Is the Sword of Sharpness Worth It?
Measured by damage, no. A +3 weapon, also very rare, adds 3 damage to every hit and 3 to every attack roll. The Sword of Sharpness adds nothing on most swings: on average, its natural-20 bonus is worth about 1.4 damage per attack in 2014 (5 percent of 28) and 0.7 in 2024 (5 percent of 14). Compare:
Who gets value from it: a 2024 character with Advantage on most attacks (a Barbarian using Reckless Attack, or anyone fighting a Prone or Restrained target), since that nearly doubles how often the Exhaustion lands. In 2014, the limb roll is a story effect, not a tactic.
Its real strengths are against objects and against bosses in long 2024 fights. If the party keeps hitting locked gates, chained prisoners and damage thresholds, the guaranteed maximum damage is useful.
Sword of Sharpness for DMs
Where it turns up. As a very rare weapon, it belongs in a high-level hoard or with a legendary swordsman. It's an easy item to place because it barely changes the power curve: you can hand it out earlier than other very rare weapons.
What it changes. Mostly the stories. The 2014 text leaves a severed limb's effect to you, so decide ahead of time what it means for a dragon that loses a wing or a giant that loses a hand. In 2024 games, expect bosses to end long fights with an Exhaustion level or two.
Pricing. The 2024 SRD values very rare items at 40,000 GP; add the base weapon (Greatsword 50 GP, so 40,050 GP). The 2014 SRD has no prices. If 40,000 GP feels steep for what it does, the magic item rarity calculator shows what else that rarity buys, and the magic item generator can build a stand-in.
Hooks.
•A hydra-hunter's sword hangs in a guildhall, with the hunter's own severed hand still on the hilt.
•A city's oldest gate has never been breached. The defenders know a Sword of Sharpness was stolen last week.
•A legendary duelist promises the sword to anyone who beats her. She's never lost, and she always fights with it.
The limb, who lost it and in which session, is exactly the detail a campaign forgets. Loreify records the game and keeps those moments in the recap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Sword of Sharpness cut off limbs in 5e 2024?
No. The 2024 version deals an extra 14 slashing damage and 1 Exhaustion level on a natural 20. Only the 2014 version has the second d20 roll that lops off a limb.
What are the odds of cutting off a limb with a Sword of Sharpness?
In the 2014 rules you need a 20 on the attack roll and then a 20 on a second d20: 1 in 400 per attack, or 0.25 percent. Advantage on the attack raises it to about 0.5 percent.
Does the Sword of Sharpness have a +3 bonus?
No. Neither version gives any bonus to attack or damage rolls. It's a magic weapon whose only effects are maximized damage against objects and its natural-20 bonus.
Does the extra damage double on a critical hit?
In 2014, yes: the extra 4d6 are damage dice of the attack, so a crit rolls them twice. In 2024, no: the extra 14 is a flat number, and critical hits only double dice.
How much is a Sword of Sharpness worth?
40,000 GP plus the base weapon under the 2024 SRD (40,050 GP for a greatsword). The 2014 SRD lists no magic item prices.
Item text: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Analysis, rulings and ideas are Loreify's own.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.