Bracers of the blinding strike

Bracers of the blinding strike were a pair of magical bracers worn on the wrists.

"Attack swiftly and your enemy will be so overwhelmed that the battle will be yours."

- Wesic of the the Order of the Radiant Heart

Description
Bracers of the blinding strike looked either like a pair of wrist guards or arm guards.

The bracers weighed 1 lb (0.45 kg).

Powers
In addition to serving as bracers of armor +6, the bracers gave the wearer excellent reaction time in battle and allowed them to attack more swiftly and more often. Originally, the latter two abilities were only usable by people with warrior training, with the acceleration power usable only three times per day. By 1372 DR, the bracers were improved to confer the abilities to anybody and the acceleration was permanent.

History
Bracers of the blinding strike were magic items associated with the drow.

One of the most notable mentions of the bracers of the blinding strike came from the story of a young student of the Monastery of the Dark Moon named Beyl Van Yoren. Her faith in Shar was shaken and she abandoned her studies with the influence of a transmuter named Vergol. As a punishment for her desertion, the elders of the order tasked a group of their best students with tracking her down. They were outfitted with bracers of the blinding strike to counter Beyl's masterful use of the haste spell. The elders did not realize, however, that Beyl was proficient in slow and other hindering spells. The students outfitted with these bracers were never seen ever since.

Notable Owners

 * Dantrag Baenre: In 1357 DR, the drow weapon master Dantrag Baenre of Menzoberranzan wore bracers of the blinding strike. However, owing to the speed they imparted, Dantrag was unable to improvise during combat. The drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden was able to exploit Dantrag's weakness, forcing him to stick to rote and practiced combinations, which allowed Drizzt to gain the upper hand.


 * Drizzt Do'Urden: In 1358 DR, Drizzt wore the bracers over his wrists to increase his attack speed, but due to the sudden lunging of his lightning-quick attacks, he soon realized they restricted and hampered his ability to adapt and improvise during any particular strike or defensive block, whereas normally he could change the direction, speed and angle mid-movement. Since he could not maneuver during any particular strike or defensive block, he moved the bracers to his legs to balance out his agile reflexes.


 * Wesic: a knight from the Order of the Radiant Heart whose saying about striking fast and winning the battle became a popular aphorism. He was leading by example while using the bracers of the blinding strike. Wesic activated the bracers's magic and rushed into battle, often ending it within seconds.


 * Dayne Lynneth: a merchant from Neverwinter's Blacklake District had a pair of the bracers of the blinding strike in her inventory circa 1374 DR.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Starless Night &bull; Siege of Darkness
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn &bull; Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide &bull; Neverwinter Nights 2