Frostbrand

Every swing throws a frost bolt that punches through more than one target and freezes whatever it touches, slowing the enemy for a few seconds. The bolt stops dead at terrain, so it is a weapon for open caverns and arenas, not for shooting through walls.

The bolt runs on its own timer independent of your swing speed. Attack speed bonuses make the projectile fly faster and let you swing more, but they will not produce more bolts, so past a point the extra speed only helps the blade itself. Treat the ranged half as a steady drip of chip damage on top of the melee.

It comes out of the same ice caves where you will be fighting things that resist a slow approach, and both the swing and the projectile glow brightly enough to light your own path. That is a real convenience while tunneling through unlit snow caverns. It is the natural step up from the Ice Blade, and it borrows its projectile art from the Frost Staff.