Back to Work

I want to start out by revisiting the abilities of the frost battle axe. I think that what is there works well, but want to add a feature. My thinking is this: what about this magic item makes it more useful in a fight, particularly what makes it a tangible threat to a dragon, and what makes it desirable for dragon cultists?
As it is, it's useful against a red dragon because it is a glorified frost brand weapon. I tweaked it with a pair of spells and hamstrung it with a threat of destruction. But there isn't anything in the description as it stands that makes it particularly useful in a dragon fight, or all that threatening to the dragon's allies. So I'm adding a feature similar to superiority dice. The battle axe has 6 charges, and can use them as a bonus action to give inspiration to an ally in the form of a 1d6 bonus that can be added to attack rolls or ability checks.
This feature will give the wielder command over the battlefield, with the ability to direct attacks and influence them beneficially. I think this answers the charges I made above, giving the item a useful power that would be effective against a powerful ally by allowing one creature to guide the fight for all of their allies, and, as a result, would be considered with distaste by the dragon and the dragon cult. The threat to the dragon is more subtle, but I think it is still effective. The power of the wielder to direct attacks can coordinate a party's action in a big way (provided they choose wisely and the dice reward them).
I know that these types of inspiration often apply to other rolls, such as saving throws and ability checks, but I think those are out of line with the intent here. The weapon is granting the wielder a leadership role, and the ability to direct the fight, to direct attacks. I don't see them being able to anticipate a saving throw. Ability checks can have more leeway since the direction can be to take an action that might require one, like, "jump that chasm and attack it from behind." In that case, using the inspiration to ensure the success of the ability check feels justified.
I think another aspect to this that is becoming clearer is that the inspiration needs to be used in the round that it is given, and I think should also involve a literal direction (like the example above). In that way, the inspiration becomes like a Command spell, carrying the power of compulsion with it. Perhaps, that should be literal as well, with the target having the option of automatic success for allies, and the option of making a saving throw to shrug off the suggestion and act on their own. Doing this would cause them to take 1d6 psychic/cold damage.
The item recovers 1d6 expended charges each morning at dawn.
Now, we have an item worthy of a group of dragon cultists hiring a ranger to track down and destroy...