Bow of Nylea

The shortbow called Ephixix is the signature weapon of Nylea, the Therosian god of the hunt. As ruler of the wild aspects of nature, Nylea also serves as the god of natural cycles, such as the cycle of life or the changing of the seasons, and metamorphosis and rebirth. As Nylea protects the natural cycle of life, her bow is capable of giving life as easily as it brings death.    Occasions of Nylea gifting the use of Ephixis to mortals are rare, but not unknown, and many of the most famous Setessian myths involve legendary heroes proving their worth, and being granted the bow in honor of their achievements. Nylea most often gifts Ephixis to warriors and hunters, those most likely to benefit from its status as a weapon. But she has, in times of peace, given it to druids or cultivators of nature, in recognition of their contributions to the bounty of the world.    Magic Weapon The shortbow Exphixis is a magic weapon that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.     Random Properties Ephixix has the following randomly determined properties; 

• 1 major beneficial property 
• 1 major detrimental property 
• 1 minor beneficial property 
• 1 minor detrimental property 

  Cycle of Rebirth If you are killed while attuned to Ephixis, you automatically become affected by the reincarnate spell. The spell takes 1 hour to create a new body for you, which appears in the nearest unoccupied space to where you died. If the bow determines that location to be unsafe, your new body instead appears in a safe location of its choice, usually surrounded by nature, and Ephixis immediately teleports to the same location.    Hunter's Guide Ephixis has 6 charges. While yielding it, you can use an action to expend a charge and cast one of the following spells as a 3rd-level spell: conjure barrage, cure wounds (self only), enhance ability, hunter's mark, lighting arrow, or plant growth. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom. The bow regains 1d6 charges each day at dawn, as long as it is both outside and within 100 feet of a wild plant.    Touch of Death Damage dealt by attacks made with Ephixis reduces a creature's minimum hit points by an amount equal to the damage dealt by attacks made with Ephixis reduced a creature's maximum hit points b an amount equal to the damage dealt. If a creature's maximum hit points are reduced to 0 in this way, it automatically dies. This reduction ends after a long rest, or if the creature receives healing from a spell cast using the bow.    Touch of Life While wielding Ephixis, you can cast the cure wounds spell at will, mass cure wounds three times per long rest, and resurrection once per long rest, without expending a spell slot. If you attempt to cast the resurrection spell on a creature that has been dead for longer than one year, a conflict immediately occurs between you and the bow. If Ephixix wins the conflict, it prevents you from casting the spell. If you win the conflict, you can continue to cast the spell, and after doing so you suffer the spell's normal after effect, except that you can't cast any spells using the bow until the end of your next long rest. While on any plane other than Theros, you can not use Ephixix to cast resurrection. The spellcasting ability for these spells is Ephixix' Wisdom score or your own, whichever is higher.    Sentience Ephixix is a sentient neutral good weapon with an Intelligence of 15, a Wisdom of 20, and a Charisma of 18. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. The weapon can speak, read, and understand Common, Druidic, and Sylvan. It prefers to speak in Sylvan, with a calm but stern voice. While on any plane other than Theros, Ephixix loses its sentience and regains it when it returns to Theros.    Personality As the favored weapon of Nylea, Ephixix does all it can to maintain the natural balance of the world and challenge the encroachment of civilization onto natural places. It prefers time spent in areas of nature, and will often take opportunities to point out animals or plants that it finds particularly beautiful. If its wilder goes directly against an order from Nylea or one of her priests, damages a natural location without reason, or is reincarnated by Ephixix more than once per long rest, a conflict occurs between the bow and its wielder. If Ephixix wins a conflict against its wielder, it can choose to automatically return to Nylea's possession, vanishing immediately and automatically breaking the attunement of its wielder.