10 Amazing Video Game Powers That Come At An Equally Great Cost
4. Sword Of Khaine - Total War: Warhammer III
The fantasy strategy game Total War: Warhammer III features a lot of powerful items to boost your generals and heroes, but none of them offers quite as much battle power as the legendary Sword of Khaine.
The cursed blade named after the Warhammer’s god of murder can be obtained by restoring its shrine on the north of the island of Ulthuan or by defeating its current wielder in battle.
The sword gives its user huge boosts to their damage resistances, attack power, and many other attributes, as well as access to a special spell that spawns a bloody whirlpool capable of wiping out hundreds of enemy soldiers in one cast.
Its downsides? Well, upon accepting the Sword of Khaine, the player receives penalties that lower the stability in their own provinces, and they only grow bigger the longer the weapon is in their possession.
For this reason, obtaining the blade is basically a choice between turning your character into a one-man army on the battlefield or running a stable kingdom.
The former choice might be fun short-term, but unless you’re not willing to deal with rebels every single turn, it’s probably better to let the sword fall into someone else’s hands.