Upon casting this spell, the wizard brings into being a shimmering, swordlike
plane of force. The spellcaster is able to mentally wield this weapon (to the
exclusion of all activities other than movement), causing it to move and strike
as if it were being used by a fighter. The basic chance for Mordenkainen’s
sword to hit is the same as the chance for a sword wielded by a fighter of half the
level of the spellcaster. For example, if cast by a 14th-level wizard, the
weapon has the same hit probability as a sword wielded by a 7th-level fighter.

The sword has no magical attack bonuses, but it can hit nearly any sort of
opponent, even those normally struck only by +3 weapons or those who are astral,
ethereal, or out of phase. It hits any Armor Class on a roll of 19 or 20. It
inflicts 5d4 points of damage to opponents of man size or smaller, and 5d6 points
of damage to opponents larger than man size. It lasts until the spell duration
expires, a dispel magic is used successfully upon it, or its caster no longer desires it.

The material component is a miniature platinum sword with a grip and pommel of
copper and zinc, which costs 500 gp to construct, and which disappears after
the spell’s completion.