I've spent some time working on npcs and bosses but I have significantly less experience and therefore confidence in creating magic items. I've already fallen into traps of making things too weak as well as poorly wording effects of magic items. So with that, as I move into making high level magic items I want to first bring up one to the community to ensure I'm not missing anything. So the question is:
Is this homebrew artifact written properly as an artifact and are its abilities balanced as an artifact?
Primarily I'm concerned about it being written well because artifacts have a very broad spectrum of power levels. However, I want to make sure that I'm not going too light on this artifact because of my own cautiousness. Nevertheless, the Artifact in question.
Ich'Thar'ys
Weapon (glaive), artifact (requires attunement)
The scythe is a magic glaive that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. In the hands of one attuned to it, the wielder is considered proficient with it even if they lack proficiency with martial weapons.
Random Properties
Ich'Thar'ys has the following random properties:
- 3 minor beneficial properties
- 2 major beneficial properties
- 1 minor detrimental property
A Blade to Cut Through Fate
Created with specific intent, Ich'Thar'ys has the ability to remain unaffected by magic altering affects. This weapon is unaffected by spells such as antimagic field or other magic cancelling affects. Additionally, when you attack a creature with this weapon and roll a 20 on the attack roll, you can choose to cut it from the Weave of Fate. A creature that is severed from the Weave of Fate1 dies and can be restored to life only by a wish spell. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to slashing damage, doesn't have or need a soul to survive, or has legendary actions.
Spells
While the scythe is on your person, you can use an action to cast one of the following spells (save DC 18) from it: disintegrate, fear, or spirit shroud (necrotic only). Once you use the scythe to cast a spell, you can’t cast that spell again from it until the next dawn.
Curse
The scythe bears a curse that affects anyone that becomes attuned to it. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the scythe, keeping it within reach at all times. You also have disadvantage on attack rolls with weapons other than this one, unless no foe is within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.
Whenever a hostile creature damages you with fire damage you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. While frightened, you must spend your action to move as your speed allows away from the creature that damaged you. At the end of your turn, you can repeat the saving throw ending the effect on a success.
Destroying the Scythe
Ich'Thar'ys can be destroyed by journeying to The Weaver's domain atop the Diamond Spire of the Astral Plane and weaving it into fate over the course of 1 year.
For some additional information, this artifact was created by a rival god to the god of fate with the intention of breaking fate and killing those who are chosen by fate. The entire idea of the artifact is based off a certain currently running media property involving a spider and the curse represents that spider's disdain for fire.
1I'm using a homebrew world with different lore than the Forgotten Realms. Magic does not come from The Weave. The Weave of Fate controls all things that were, are, and may be in my world. Cutting someone from The Weave is removing their thread, which is why they die. The scythe also ignores magic cancelling effects because the Chosen of Fate often use magic to prevent their demise through nullifying magic items, or spells. All this to say, I'm not using the Forgotten Realms lore and The Weave does not refer to the FR thing