Calpurnias 101 Lesser Magical Items

Calpurnia’s 101 Lesser Magical Items

A Collection of Magical Items for Fifth Edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents..............................................................2 About This Document.......................................................3

Required Material...........................................................................................3 Finalisation.......................................................................................................3

Using Magic Items.............................................................3

Item Variants...................................................................................................3 Modifying Magical Items..............................................................................3

Magic Items A-Z................................................................4

Ablative Shield................................................................................................4 Apparatus of Atherton...................................................................................4 Arcane-Tipped Staff.......................................................................................5 Astral Orb.........................................................................................................6 Autonomous Armour.....................................................................................6 Ballistic Weapon..............................................................................................7 Belt of Jostling..................................................................................................7 Bifurcating Weapon........................................................................................7 Blindfold of Truesight....................................................................................8 Boots of Sound Mind......................................................................................8 Boots of Steady Steps......................................................................................8 Bracers of the Outnumbered.........................................................................8 Caliginous Cowl...............................................................................................9 Cenobite Headband........................................................................................9 Circadian Weapon..........................................................................................9 Circlet of Mental Shielding.........................................................................10 Circlet of Nociception...................................................................................10 Clairvoyant Glass Eyes................................................................................10 Cloak of Autotomy.........................................................................................11 Cloak of Colours.............................................................................................11 Contumelious Weapon.................................................................................11 Crystal Assistant............................................................................................12 Debilitating Dart............................................................................................12 Disguised Weapon.........................................................................................13 Ekbom’s Boots................................................................................................13 Elemental Focus.............................................................................................13 Feralia’s Ferula..............................................................................................14 Flagellating Weapon.....................................................................................14 Fragment of Divinity....................................................................................14 Ghost Weapon................................................................................................15 Ghoul-touch Weapon...................................................................................15 Harness of Beast’s Refuge............................................................................15 Heartseeker.....................................................................................................16 Helm of the Decanus.....................................................................................16 Holy Symbol of Salus....................................................................................16 Holy Symbol of Vejovis................................................................................17 Hypnopompic Gloves...................................................................................17 Icy Blade..........................................................................................................17 Illuminating Ammunition...........................................................................17 Incendiary Ammunition..............................................................................18 Instrument Of Major Scales........................................................................18 Instrument Of Minor Scales........................................................................18 Item Of Competent Ability..........................................................................18 Mage-Crusher................................................................................................19 Masque of Intimidation................................................................................19 Meken’s Osmotic Blade................................................................................19 Mercurial Oil.................................................................................................20 Net of Lightning............................................................................................20

Net of Strangulation.....................................................................................20 Nibani’s Tricky Pouches..............................................................................20 Orb Of Caelus.................................................................................................21 Orbs of Weather Control..............................................................................21 Orichalcum Armour.....................................................................................22 Periapt of Animal Form...............................................................................22 Periapt of Animal Senses.............................................................................23 Periapt of Contumancy................................................................................23 Periapt of Impromptu Energy Protection................................................23 Periapt of Mediocrity...................................................................................23 Periapt of Plenary Betterment...................................................................23 Periapt of Spell Scattering..........................................................................24 Periapt of Stony Sanctum...........................................................................24 Periapt of Wild Shape..................................................................................24 Poison of Mageslaying.................................................................................25 Potion of Cresting Luck................................................................................25 Potion of Exhausting Speed........................................................................25 Potion of Vengeance.....................................................................................26 Protean Weapon............................................................................................26 Pullulating Armour......................................................................................27 Puncturing Weapon......................................................................................27 Radiator Shield..............................................................................................27 Razor Seeds....................................................................................................28 Repeating Crossbow.....................................................................................28 Restraining Ammunition............................................................................28 Ring of Bilateral Duplication......................................................................29 Ring of Careful Casting................................................................................29 Ring of Celerity..............................................................................................29 Ring of Desultory Resurgence....................................................................29 Ring of Exemplars.........................................................................................29 Ring of Holding.............................................................................................30 Ring of Iron Lungs........................................................................................30 Ring of Mirror Image...................................................................................30 Ring of Mutual Misty Step..........................................................................30 Ring of Produce Flame..................................................................................31 Ring of Reciprocal Shielding.......................................................................31 Ring of Recovery............................................................................................31 Ring of Utility.................................................................................................31 Ring of Vital Signs........................................................................................32 Robe of Pacifism............................................................................................33 Robe of Retaliation.......................................................................................33 Robe of the Outnumbered...........................................................................33 Rod of Concentration...................................................................................33 Rod of Portable Cover..................................................................................34 Self-Playing Instrument.............................................................................34 Shadow Blade................................................................................................34 Shield of Energy Protection........................................................................34 Spear of Lightning.........................................................................................35 Spell-eating Weapon....................................................................................35 Urticating Armour........................................................................................35 Versatile Ammunition.................................................................................35 Wand of Honing............................................................................................36 Weapon of Mimicry......................................................................................36 Wunderkind’s Focus.....................................................................................37

Acknowledgements.........................................................38 Original Content...........................................................................................38 The Author......................................................................................................38 Art....................................................................................................................38 Fonts................................................................................................................38 Legal.................................................................................................................38

2

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Magic items are like heroes: we know of the mighty ones spoken of

in legend, but rarely remember the more humble ones who pass through our communities every day. This is natural enough, I suppose, but it’s a phenomenon I intend to fight in my own small way. In this book I describe 101 magical items that, for the most part, are simply not powerful enough to have made their way into legends. It is my hope that this catalogue enters hands of artificers, artifact dealers and adventurers alike, leading to greater awareness of modest magical items. I will consider my work a success if it enables just one smalltown hero to get his or her hands on an item that would otherwise have been overlooked. After all, it is the lesser heroes with whom we interact with every day. They protect our crops and livelihoods, put local bullies in their place, and inspire us to do better. Lesser heroes make the world a place worth saving by the greater heroes. – Archmage Calpurnia Askew

USING MAGIC ITEMS

The items listed in this document use rules, conventions and terminology from the Dungeon Master’s Guide, particularly Chapter 7, Magic Items.

ITEM VARIANTS

Many magic items listed in this document have a number of optional variants. These can alter the item in one or more ways, often changing its potency or how it can be used. Using Variants. Variants on an item are intended to be something chosen by the DM at the time of adding the item to an adventure. During play an item might gain or lose variants, but this should only happen after extensive work or extraordinary events. Some variants alter an item’s rarity. Make sure you consider this when evaluating an item’s general power level. Combining Variants. Many variants will work together and can be combined. Some won’t make sense combined. It’s down to DM discretion to pick combinations that work. You may find that combining certain variants will drive the item’s rarity level above Legendary. That doesn’t mean you can’t combine these variants, but be mindful that it will likely be a powerful item. It may even be worth classing it as an artifact. Variant Names. Variants names can generally be added to the magic item’s name for quick identification. For example, an item “Ring of Magic” with variants “Magician’s” and “Supernatural” could be called a “Magician’s Supernatural Ring of Magic”. This doesn’t always work: DMs and players should carefully note down variant information in cases when this naming convention could be ambiguous. Cursed Variants. Some items have cursed variants. These follow the rules for cursed items as laid out in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Pay close attention to the wording of a curse – many curses persist even if an item is discarded. A cursed item still performs the functions of the regular item, unless otherwise specified.

MODIFYING MAGICAL ITEMS REQUIRED MATERIAL

This document describes magical items designed to work with the Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition rules. You will need the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide and (to a lesser extent) the Monster Manual. For more information about Dungeons and Dragons, visit dungeonsanddragons.com.

FINALISATION

This document is complete. Further changes are likely to only include corrections. It was last edited 23 July 2018.

DMs are encouraged to modify magical items in this document, as explained in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Chapter 9, Creating a Magic Item. At Higher Levels. Most of the items in this document are suitable for lower-level characters. You are encouraged to make them more useful for higher-level characters (and increase their rarity) by adding properties from “basic” items from the Dungeon Master’s Guide: • Armour, +1, +2, or +3 • Ammunition, +1, +2, or +3 • Shield, +1, +2, or +3 • Weapon, +1, +2, or +3

3

MAGIC ITEMS A-Z ABLATIVE SHIELD Shield, common

When you take damage while holding this shield, you can use your reaction and speak its command word to gain temporary hit points equal to 1d8 per your character level. You gain the temporary hit points before the triggering damage is applied to you, and they last until the start of your next turn. When you use the shield in this way it crumbles to dust and is destroyed. Most ablative shields were originally nonmagical shields enchanted

APPARATUS OF ATHERTON Wondrous item, uncommon

The apparatus of Atherton is complex bundle of rods and joints weighing 30 pounds. It can be assembled into a Small object. Assembling the apparatus is difficult: it takes a number of turns equal to 10 – your Dexterity ability modifier – your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1 turn). As part of assembly you must choose a direction for the apparatus to face. You must also equip the apparatus with a weapon (hand crossbow, light crossbow or shortbow only) and ammunition, which it uses to attack. You can supply a magic weapon or magic ammunition if it doesn’t require attunement. (Weapons shown in the stat block below are examples only.)

with sigils or patterns from special inks or paints. These markings glow

APPARATUS OF ATHERTON

brightly when the shield is activated, briefly protecting the wielder in a

Small construct, unaligned

shimmering field but burning the shield itself to ash in the process.

Armour Class 10 Hit Points 13 (3d8) Speed 0 ft.

to have this particular protective property, usually by daubing their face

An artificer will often brew a large amount of this mixture and go about offering to enchant the shields of soldiers, adventurers or mercenaries. Some will even sell the mixture itself, along with instructions on its use – it’s a simple enough procedure if one has a good brush-stroke and a basic knowledge of the arcane. Poorer adventurers will generally enchant simple shields bought from the local weaponsmith, reasoning that it would be wasteful to destroy anything decent. Richer adventurers may offer quality shields, or

STR 6 (-2)

DEX 12 (+1)

CON 10 (+0)

INT 3 (-4)

WIS 3 (-4)

CHA 1 (-5)

Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses blindsight 60ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 6 Languages – Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

even ones with proper enchantments, reasoning that it’s better to lose their shield than lose their life. Before you ask, the ablative shield enchantment won’t work on shields made from exotic materials, or carrying very powerful enchantments. You’ll need to find other ways to destroy that evil artifact.

Antimagic Susceptibility. The apparatus is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the apparatus must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute. Immobile. The apparatus can only see in a cone in front of it, and it cannot change which way it faces. It cannot attack if prone and cannot recover from the prone condition.

ACTIONS Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, ranged 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage. Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage. Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage.

The assembled apparatus features an on/off switch which can be toggled as a bonus action. A recently-assembled apparatus is off. While the switch is on, the apparatus attacks creatures it can see that aren’t constructs and are within weapon range. Roll initiative for the apparatus, which has its own turns. It

4

prioritises nearby targets; if multiple targets are at equal range it will randomly select one each turn. You can right a toppled apparatus and change its facing as a bonus action if you are within 5 feet of it. If the apparatus drops to 0 hit points it disassembles. It can be re-assembled. At the DM’s discretion, excessive or repeat damage may render the apparatus less effective or even unusable until it is repaired using smith’s tools or tinker’s tools. In many cases apparatuses of Atherton come with several brooches. The DM chooses a number of brooches, or rolls 1d10-2. The apparatus can sense creatures with such a brooch on their person and will ignore them as potential targets. Variant: Alarm. The apparatus is fitted with a bell. When it attempts to attack a creature it rings the bell. An unarmed apparatus will ring the bell if it sees a creature without a brooch. This variant is simple enough to make with tinker’s tools and a bell or similar noise-making device. Variant: Arcane. The apparatus can use wands. Variant: Light. The apparatus weighs 20 pounds. When assembled, it has 9 (2d8) hit points. It can only wield a hand crossbow. Variant: Heavy. The apparatus weighs 40 pounds. When assembled, it has 18 (4d8) hit points. It can wield a heavy crossbow in addition to its other weapons. Variant: Farseeing. Instead of blindsight, the apparatus has normal vision with no range limitation. Variant: Illuminating. The apparatus is fitted with a bullseye or hooded lantern. The lantern must be manually lit. This variant is simple enough to make with tinker’s tools and a lantern. Variant: Obedient. You can attune to the apparatus, in which case it will ignore you as a potential target and follow your verbal commands. If you don’t give it any commands, it acts as normal. Variant: Rangefinding. The apparatus features a dial. As a bonus action you can set the dial can to a value between 10 and 600 feet. The apparatus won’t attempt to attack creatures beyond this range. Variant: Rapid-fire. The apparatus has multiattack. It can make two ranged attacks on its turn, provided the weapon it is using does not have the loading property. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Rotating. The vision of the apparatus is no longer limited to a cone in front of it. Ellen Atherton was a skilled tinkerer and wizard who specialised in constructs. Instead of using her tinkering talents to enhance alreadymighty golems and guardians, she used it to lessen the magic needed to animate relatively simple creations. After all, well-designed machines are easier to move both manually and magically. The results were constructs that were durable, re-usable, and relatively easy to create. This particular item was her most popular

assembled relatively quickly to create an autonomous archer or sentry. (It does look strange though. Like a squat, headless, skeletal archer made of metal rods and hinges.) In keeping with her design principles of modularity, Atherton purposely left the weapon up to the owner to supply. It would be truly something to see her design fitted with a potent magical weapon. These devices were often distributed with special brooches which prevent their wearers from being attacked. I do not know whether the brooches are keyed to certain individual apparatuses or whether they work with any.

ARCANE-TIPPED STAFF

Weapon (quarterstaff), uncommon (requires attunement)

This staff has charges equal to your Intelligence modifier. It regains all charges at dawn. While you hold this staff you can expend a charge as a bonus action to cause a blade or spike made of magical energy to appear at its tip. This lasts as long you concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell) and continue to hold the staff. While the effect lasts, the staff behaves as a different weapon. Each arcane-tipped staff acts as a different weapon, depending on the shape of the energy it produces. The DM chooses the type or determines randomly. d6

Weapon Type

1-2

glaive

3

pike

4

spear

5

trident

6

halberd

The staff takes on the properties of its new weapon, except that: • The weapon’s weight doesn’t change. • This weapon doesn’t have the Heavy property, even if it would normally. • This weapon deals force damage instead of its normal type. • You are proficient with this weapon if you are proficient with quarterstaves. While the effect lasts, the staff sheds bright light in a 10foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. This staff can be used as an arcane focus. Variant: Variable. The staff has many weapon types. The DM chooses which types, or rolls 1d4+1 times on the table ignoring duplicates. You choose which type it uses each time you use the bonus action to activate it. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Unlimited. The staff no longer requires charges. This variant increases the rarity by two categories.

invention. Highly portable when disassembled, this device could be

5

ASTRAL ORB

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard)

This orb extends the set of spells you have prepared while you hold it. For each spell listed below, if you can cast spells of that level, you have that spell prepared and it does not count against the number of spells you have prepared. Creatures that don’t sleep, such as elves, cannot attune to this item. This item can be used as an arcane focus even by those not attuned to it. Spell Level

Spell

1

sleep

2

phantasmal force

3

fear

4

phantasmal killer

5

dream

9

astral projection

Variant: Cursed. Some astral orbs are cursed. 1d4 days after attuning to the item you begin to have vivid nightmares any time you try to sleep. The effect is as per the terrifying messenger variant of the dream spell, and the DC is your own spell save DC. The message relayed by the messenger purposefully avoids indicating that the astral orb is the source of the nightmares. Instead, it either relays random nonsensical messages, or it purposefully tries to suggest that something else in your life is the cause. (The message is determined by the DM.) Parting with the orb doesn’t break the curse, but it does help. If the orb remains more than 500 feet away from you while you sleep, you gain advantage on the dream saving throw. Astral orbs are clear glass globes, a few inches in diameter, whose interior contains slowly swirling clouds of grey, silver and while. When taken to the Astral Plane the orb becomes clear but loses no effectiveness.

animation ends early if the armour drops to 0 hit points, or if the creature that spoke the command word repeats that command word. The armour cannot be animated again until the next dawn. If you are wearing the armour when it animates, it acts on your turn. Otherwise roll initiative for the armour, which has its own turns. If you are wearing the armour, only one creature – you or the armour – can be “in control” at a time. If you or the armour acquiesce control the other can act freely. Otherwise, both make a contested Strength check at the beginning of your turns. The loser is incapacitated for that turn. The victor has control but is hampered: its speed is halved and it has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws. Until the beginning of your next turn, only the victor can be targeted by attacks or harmful spells, including by area effects. The animated armour does not regain hit points between animation uses unless it is repaired with smith’s tools or similar. If the animated armour is reduced to 0 hit points it cannot be worn or activated unless repaired. Variant: Stabilising. When the armour is animated, the creature wearing it becomes stable if it has 0 hit points. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Channelling. The animated armour gains the spellcasting abilities of any creature wearing it. It uses the creature’s spell slots, spell save DC and spell attack modifier. Since it cannot speak it cannot cast spells with somatic components unless the wearer purposefully co-operates. Variant: Enduring. The armour’s animation duration extends to 1 hour, or 8 hours. This variant increases the rarity by one or two categories respectively. Variant: Greater. The animated armour has better statistics, as per the DM’s design. This makes the item more useful to higher-level adventurers. This will likely increase the rarity. Variant: Cursed. Some autonomous armours are cursed. Cursed armour ignores orders of the creature that spoke its command word, and attacks it instead. At the DM’s discretion, the cursed armour may also animate spontaneously, either at random, opportunistically at the worst moment, or when a certain condition is met. Autonomous armour can make for a useful disposable soldier, if

AUTONOMOUS ARMOUR

you’re willing to carry about an empty suit of plate mail armour.

A creature within 60 feet of this armour can speak its command word as a bonus action to cause the armour to animate as an animated armour. See the Monster Manual for statistics. The armour is proficient with all weapons (its proficiency bonus is +2). The armour understands and obeys any verbal commands given by the creature that spoke the command word. If given no commands it defends itself but takes no other actions. The armour remains animated for 10 minutes. The

If terrible circumstances arise – paralysed by a ghoul, charmed by a

Armour (plate), rare

More commonly adventurers wear this as their main suit of armour. dryad, or just beaten unconscious by an orc – a comrade can shout the command word. The armour can then be ordered to help win the fight, or to march off with the fallen soldier safely encased inside. A warning – be careful who you trust with the command word. This is not something you want your enemies to know.

6

BALLISTIC WEAPON

Weapon (any crossbow, any bow, or sling), uncommon (requires attunement)

This weapon has charges equal to your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. While holding this weapon you can expend one or more charges to launch ammunition high in the air. Choose a target for each piece of ammunition. You expend one charge per piece of ammunition launched. Crossbows can launch only one piece of ammunition in this way; bows and slings can launch up to three. At the end of your next turn each piece of ammunition falls onto its target, if that target is within the maximum range of the weapon. Make an attack roll with advantage for each piece of ammunition, ignoring disadvantage imposed by long range. The targets can benefit from cover, but consider that the attacks are originating from above. You cannot use Sneak Attack with these attacks. This action can only be used when there’s enough clearance for high-arcing attacks. You need space above you equal to the maximum range of the weapon. At the DM’s discretion this action may be impossible or less effective in certain situations. Ballistic weapons can imbue high-flung projectiles with a weak kind of homing ability. As they fall they steer themselves toward the target. These arcing attacks can be put to good use by a creative archer.

BIFURCATING WEAPON Weapon (varies), uncommon

While you hold this weapon in both hands you can use a bonus action to speak a command word and magically separate the weapon into two different weapons, holding one in each hand. You can also use a bonus action and speak the same command word to reverse the process, joining the two smaller weapons back into the larger one. The forms the weapon takes when split or joined depend on the particular type of bifurcating weapon, shown in the table below. The DM chooses the type or determines randomly. d12

Joined Form

Split Form

1

battleaxe

handaxe

2

greataxe

battleaxe

3

greatclub

club

4

greatsword

longsword

5-6

longsword

shortsword

7

maul

mace

8

pike

spear

9

scimitar

sickle

10

shortsword

dagger

11

spear

javelin

12

warhammer

light hammer

Most obviously, it allows an archer to shoot over barriers. Less obviously, an archer can fire arcing shots, then shoot more directly, causing the target to be struck many times in short succession. A skilled archer could pepper a victim with six projectiles in as many seconds.

BELT OF JOSTLING

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This belt has charges equal to your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. While you wear this belt and it has charges, you can move through other creatures as if they were difficult terrain. 1 charge is expended each time you move through a creature’s space that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to move through (i.e. hostile creatures within one size category of you). If you use this belt to end your turn in another creature’s space, you are moved to the last unoccupied space you travelled through. The belt offers no special protection against any harmful effects of moving through a creature’s space, such as with a gelatinous cube’s Engulf ability.

The weapon cannot be split or joined while it is badly damaged. Repairing the damage restores this ability. Variant: Silent. A command word is no longer necessary to split or join the weapon. Variant: Asymmetric. The weapon splits into two different weapon types as determined by the DM. For instance, a longsword might split into a shortsword and dagger. When splitting the weapon, you can choose which hand holds which weapon. Variant: Knight’s. The weapon splits into a weapon and a shield, as determined by the DM. For instance, a greatsword might split into a longsword and a shield. When splitting the weapon, you can choose which hand holds which weapon. Adventurers that find one half of a bifurcating weapon should consider hunting around for the other half. Purchase a scroll of locate object if you must. If you can’t find the other half, keep an eye out for anyone selling halves from another set. They’re probably sold cheap, and surprisingly often, they’ll be compatible. It’s not unusual for artifact makers to be creative with bifurcating weapons by adding extra magical enhancements. Sadly, they can often not resist “clever” paired names like “Thunder” and “Lightning” or “Hope” and “Faith”, with each weapon having different properties related to its gaudy name that combine in some way when joined.

7

BLINDFOLD OF TRUESIGHT Wondrous item, rare

You can wear or remove this blindfold as an action. While wearing this blindfold you lose your normal vision, but gain truesight out to 30 feet. You gain this vision even if you are blinded. Upon removing the blindfold you are blinded until you take a short or long rest, or your sight is restored by magic such as lesser restoration or heal. Variant: Cursed. Some blindfolds of truesight are cursed. The blindness inflicted on removing the blindfold is not ended by a short or long rest. Variant: Active. You only gain truesight while wearing this blindfold while you concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell). The item does not blind you when removed. This variant of the item requires attunement. Variant: Perceptive. The range of truesight is no longer 30 feet. Instead, it is 15 feet x your Wisdom modifier. If your Wisdom modifier is zero or less you do not gain truesight. Variant: Great. The range of truesight provided by this item doubles. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Greater. The range of truesight provided by this item is multiplied by 4. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. Blindfolds of truesight have a perverse nature that is as contradictory as the name. Wear one, and your vision will unhampered by darkness, illusions, invisibility and even the barrier between our plane and the Ethereal. But the range of your vision will be severely curtailed. For those of us living ordinary lives on the surface world, this is an unacceptable trade-off. Imagine not being to see to the end of the street, let alone see the sky? It’s more useful to adventurers, especially those underground. If your vision is going to be limited by darkness – and this is true even for races such as dwarves – then why not sacrifice a bit of range for a lot of clarity? Being nothing more than an (enchanted) strip of cloth, a blindfold of truesight is extremely portable. If you have one, there’s very little reason not to carry it in a pocket, just in case you bump into an invisible foe or illusionary wall. The drawback? Temporary blindness. It can be a tough call whether to wear one. It might be extremely useful in the moment to see the invisible monster attacking you, but you’ll be stuck with that rangelimited vision until you have a quiet moment to let your eyes recover from the lingering enchantment.

BOOTS OF SOUND MIND

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear these boots, your speed is reduced to 0 while you are charmed or frightened. You speed is also reduced to 0 while you are affected by any spell that cannot affect

creatures that can’t be charmed (such as compulsion, enthrall or suggestion). If you can’t keep control over your own mind you may as well limit the damage you can do while you don’t have control. Boots of sound mind will root you to the spot any time you aren’t compos mentis, for better or worse.

BOOTS OF STEADY STEPS

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

While you wear these boots: • If an effect moves you against your will along the ground, you can use your reaction to reduce the distance you are moved by 10 feet. • If you are knocked prone, you can use your reaction to instead not be knocked prone. • You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Variant: Cursed. Some boots of steady steps are cursed. Once you put on cursed boots, you cannot remove them unless you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. While wearing cursed boots, all positive benefits are suppressed, but negative effects remain. Cursed boots often have the Heavy variant, below. Variant: Heavy. Though they actually weigh the same as normal boots, these boots feel cumbersome and heavy when worn, as if weighted. While you wear the boots: • Your speed is reduced by 10 feet. If your Strength score is 13 or more, this speed reduction is 5 feet instead. If your Strength score is 15 or more, your speed is not reduced. • Your high jump and standing long jump distances are halved. • You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. • You have disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) checks where weighted boots would be an impediment (including climbing, jumping, swimming and running). This variant decreases the rarity by one category. Variant: Unstoppable. While wearing the boots, you are not slowed down by difficult terrain while you have not taken the Dash action in your current turn or your previous turn. This variant increases the rarity by one category.

BRACERS OF THE OUTNUMBERED Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

Each time you are hit by an attack while you wear these bracers, you gain a cumulative +1 bonus to AC against subsequent attacks. An attack only causes this effect if it does damage to you or otherwise harms you. The bonus to AC resets to zero at the start of your turn.

8

CALIGINOUS COWL

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you have this cowl pulled over your head it magically reduces light around you. Nearby light is reduced: bright light becomes dim light, and dim light becomes darkness. On activating the cowl you choose the radius of this effect, up to a number of feet equal to your Wisdom modifier x 5 feet (minimum 5 feet). The cowl’s magic is suppressed while its area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or higher. When the cowl’s magic has been used for a total of 10 minutes, its magic ceases to function until the next dawn.

CENOBITE HEADBAND

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a monk)

You must be a monk of 2nd level or higher to attune to this item. While wearing this headband, if you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike you regain 1 ki point up to your normal maximum. At the DM’s discretion you do not regain ki points when striking creatures that do not pose a significant danger to you. Variant: Cursed. Some cenobite headbands are cursed. Once you put on a cursed headband, you cannot remove it unless you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. While wearing a cursed headband critical hits you score with unarmed strikes or weapons become normal hits instead. Variant: Martial. Weapon critical hits also regain ki as described. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of Second Wind. You only regain ki points if you have expended all your ki points. This variant decreases the rarity by two categories.

Cenobite headbands don’t have to be worn around the head. It’s enough for the item to be visible, so they can be worn as handwraps, looped around belts, tied into hair, etc. Some aren’t even headbands at all, but some other lightweight adornment that serves a decorative purpose at least as much as a practical one. Whatever their form, they usually sport symbols or phrases relevant to a monk’s training.

CIRCADIAN WEAPON Weapon (any), uncommon

This weapon behaves differently depending on whether it is in bright light, dim light, or darkness. The DM determines which properties the weapon has, or rolls 1d4 times on the below table ignoring duplicates. d6

Property

Active In

1-2

nocturnal

darkness

3-4

crepuscular

dim light

5-6

diurnal

bright light

The weapon is considered active if it is in the associated lighting level. For example, a weapon that is nocturnal and crepuscular would be active in darkness and in dim light. While active, the weapon has a +1 bonus to damage rolls. While inactive, the weapon’s magic is suppressed and it counts as nonmagical for the purposes of damage resistances and immunities. Variant: Greater. Instead of dealing 1 bonus damage, the weapon deals a bonus 1d4, 1d6 or 1d8 damage. This increases the rarity by one, two or three categories respectively. Variant: Elemental. When active, the weapon does a different type of damage: necrotic damage for nocturnal weapons, cold damage for crepuscular weapons, and radiant damage for diurnal weapons. The DM chooses whether this applies to just the bonus damage, or the weapon’s normal damage as well. It’s often possible to visually identify when a circadian weapon is “active”. For instance, a diurnal weapon might glow with a warm light, a crepuscular weapon could have a faint ghostly blue aura, and a nocturnal weapon might appear pitch-black even to eyes unimpeded by the dark. It’s not uncommon to find circadian weapons with other enchantments on them. But usually even these other enchantments will stop working in the wrong lighting conditions. A diurnal vorpal greatsword is a mighty weapon to take into a dungeon... while your lantern oil doesn’t run out! You may be tempted to put your nocturnal mace in a hemp sack to keep it in the dark. Nice idea, but it won’t work: these items need to “drink in” the ambient lighting conditions and will simply deactivate if covered or smothered.

9

CIRCLET OF MENTAL SHIELDING

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear this circlet, you can spend an action to gain temporary hit points equal to 1 + the number of temporary hit points you already have from this circlet, up to a maximum equal to your Wisdom modifier. All temporary hit points are lost if you remove the circlet. Variant: Greater. The maximum temporary hit points increases to your Wisdom modifier + your character level. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. Variant: Effortless. A bonus action is required instead of an action to gain temporary hit points from the circlet. This variant increases the rarity by one category. One can create a protective barrier with a circlet of mental shielding

This movement might be noticed by observant creatures. Variant: Cursed. Some clairvoyant glass eyes are cursed. Using the eyes to cast the clairvoyance spell extends the curse to you. While you are cursed, you are blinded. However, you can still cast clairvoyance with the eyes, and can cast it as a bonus action with no limit to its duration. While you are cursed only you can use the eyes. Variant: Cursed (Lesser). As the Cursed variant above, but the clairvoyance spell cast using the eyes no longer requires concentration. Variant: Farsighted. The clairvoyance spell cast using this item no longer has a range, though the other eye must be on the same plane of existence. This variant increases the rarity by two categories.

simply by focusing mental energy on it. The process is dreadfully slow, however, so it’s more useful to prepare this barrier before combat rather than during it.

CIRCLET OF NOCICEPTION

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear this circlet, you can use your reaction when you take a Wisdom saving throw to gain a +2 bonus on that saving throw. You can wait until after you roll the d20 before deciding to use the reaction, but you must decide before the DM says the saving throw succeeds or fails. The bonus to the Wisdom saving throw is doubled if you are vulnerable to psychic damage, halved if you are resistant to psychic damage, or reduced to zero if you are immune to psychic damage. When you use the reaction described above you take psychic damage equal to your character level – your Wisdom modifier (minimum 0 damage). You also take this damage at the end of every turn if you wear this circlet, are a barbarian, and are raging. Variant: Greater. The bonus to Wisdom saving throws is doubled, as is the psychic damage. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Nothing focuses a confused or dulled mind like a short, sharp spike of pain. A circlet of nociception can deliver it when you most need it.

CLAIRVOYANT GLASS EYES Wondrous item, rare

Clairvoyant glass eyes come in pairs. While touching one of the eyes, you can cast the clairvoyance spell with the following changes: • You must choose the seeing variant of the spell. You cannot switch to hearing. • The spell does not create a sensor. Instead, you see through the other eye in the pair. If the eye moves out of the spell’s range the spell ends. • The eye rotates as you look in different directions.

I’ve several unrelated, but hopefully interesting, titbits of information about clairvoyant glass eyes. If you happen across a single clairvoyant glass eye you can use it to try to find its missing pair. Obviously the visual surroundings will give you a strong clue, but don’t forget to also make use of its limited range (if it has one) to narrow down the search area. I’ve heard mention of a clairaudiant equivalent of this item (hearing, as opposed to seeing) that takes the form of a hearing trumpet. I’ve often wondered if it would be possible for a sinister creature with an enthralling gaze – a vampire for example – to purposefully “misplace” one eye of a pair and wait for hapless adventurers to peer through it. Speaking of malicious use, these eyes are sometimes cursed to cause users to lose their natural eyesight and be forced to use the glass eyes to see. A nasty curse, to be certain, but one that can be partially mitigated if you keep both eyes close at hand. You may wish to mount one of the eyes on a helmet. There are stories of people using these glass eyes as actual glass eyes. This may make some amount of sense if you use such items anyway – why not have magical pair than can actually help you see, and can be optionally removed for a bit of spying?

10

CLOAK OF AUTOTOMY

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

If you are wearing this cloak, or if it is unattended and not in a container, you can speak its command word as a bonus action to animate it. If worn, the cloak automatically detaches from your person. The cloak appears in the nearest unoccupied space. Alternatively, you can speak its command word while you throw the cloak up to 15 feet as an action. If you throw it at an enemy creature, the cloak can immediately make an attack against that creature. The cloak appears in the nearest unoccupied space to where it was thrown. An animated cloak fights for you. Roll initiative for the cloak, which has its own turns. The cloak is friendly to you and your companions. It innately knows who your enemies are and will attack the nearest enemy without any sense of self-preservation, moving on only once that enemy is incapacitated. The cloak’s animating magic will end when it drops to 0 hit points, it cannot see any more enemies, or after 10 minutes.

The cloak retains any damage taken to it. At the DM’s discretion, you can repair the cloak with weaver’s tools or similar. A cloak that drops to 0 hit points is destroyed and becomes nonmagical. Variant: Cursed. Some cloaks of autotomy are cursed. Cursed cloaks attack you when animated rather than your enemies. Variant: Ornamented. The cloak is ornamented with sharp metal pieces. Its Lash action now does 1d4 slashing damage instead of 1 bludgeoning damage. Variant: Replaceable. The cloak’s magic is stored in its clasp; the cloak itself is replaceable. You can no longer animate the cloak if it is not worn by you. When you speak the cloak’s command word to animate it, it detaches from the clasp, and the clasp remains worn by you. The clasp can be fastened to a new cloak using a weaver’s kit, and that cloak can be likewise animated. This variant increases the rarity by one category. A cloak of autotomy lacks the killing power to turn the tide in most stand-up fights. But it does tenaciously wrap around its victims’ arms and legs, hampering them at best and annoying them at worst. This

CLOAK OF AUTOTOMY

makes it useful to snare an escaping foe, or as a distraction when attempting to flee.

Small construct, unaligned

CLOAK OF COLOURS

Armour Class 13 Hit Points 13 (3d8) Speed 30 ft. STR 10 (+0)

DEX 16 (+3)

Wondrous item, common CON 10 (+0)

INT 3 (-4)

WIS 3 (-4)

CHA 1 (-5)

Damage Vulnerabilities fire, slashing Damage Resistances bludgeoning Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses blindsight 60ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 6 Languages – Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Antimagic Susceptibility. The cloak is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the cloak must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute. Damage Transfer. While it is grappling a creature, the cloak takes only half the damage dealt to it, and the creature grappled by the cloak takes the other half. Entangling Grappler. The cloak’s speed becomes 0 when it is grappling a creature.

ACTIONS Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 1 bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC10) Until this grapple ends, the cloak can lash only the grappled creature and has advantage on attack rolls to do so.

While you have this cloak on your person you can speak its command word as an action to change the colour of the cloak. If you specify a colour or simple pattern after the command word, it will change in appearance to match that colour as best as it can. You might say a colour, like “red” or “cyan”, or specify a pattern like “tartan”, “woodland camouflage” or “yellow stars and crescent moons on a dark blue blackground”. Alternatively, you can touch a cloth item and have the cloak match its pattern and general texture. A cloak of colours can be handy for any adventurer that wants to sneak about unseen. It also makes for an excellent signalling device: wave it like a flag or tell your comrades to come to your aid if they see you wearing red. Some merchants will sell cloaks of colours with little “books” of cloth which can be used to choose various patterns and texture.

CONTUMELIOUS WEAPON Weapon (any melee), rare

While you hold this weapon, you can use an action to have the weapon cast the vicious mockery spell (save DC 13). Sentience. A contumelious weapon is a sentient item with an Intelligence of 10, a Wisdom of 10, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and normal vision out to 60 feet. The weapon can speak, read and understand Common and

11

Thieves’ Cant. Its voice does not sound supernatural or otherworldly; indeed it has the strong accent and vocabulary of a street-wise charlatan. A contumelious weapon has the following skills: Deception +5, Insight +2, Intimidation +5, Perception +2, Persuasion +5. Personality. A contumelious weapon houses the soul of a scoundrel with a razor-sharp wit. It is crude, boorish, and illeducated as well as cunning, street-smart and worldly. A contumelious weapon seeks entertainment. Luckily, it is fairly easily entertained by things violent, criminal, obscene, bawdy or raucous. It greatly fears being abandoned or hidden away, as that would be extremely boring. It tries to keep these fears secret as it knows many wielders would use this information to punish or force compliance. A contumelious weapon is generally fairly co-operative to wielders it favours. Its street-smart knowledge can be useful, especially for cities or regions it knows well. It will try to make life difficult and unpleasant for wielders it dislikes. Wielders it despises it will actively plot against, feigning co-operation until an opportunity for treachery presents itself. A contumelious weapon can never take anything fully seriously. It loves making jokes and teasing its wielder and anyone else it can see. At best, this is annoying. At worst, its sharp critiques will get under the skin of all but the most stoic adventurer. Variant: Guiding. If a contumelious weapon is on your person, you can allow it to speak with your voice. It can also attempt to do this without your permission if you fail a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. You can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of your turns. If your saving throw is successful, the weapon’s control over your voice ends and it cannot control your voice against your will for 24 hours.

devoid of emotional intelligence. Variant: Second-Hand. A crystal assistant with one or more previous owners could be loaded with useful knowledge. Or it could be filled with lies and misinformation. This could alter the rarity of the item. Variant: Telepathic. You can communicate telepathically with the crystal if you are attuned to it. While you are attuned to it, the crystal knows and understands any language you know. Variant: Personality. The crystal’s Charisma score is raised, and it possesses personality more like a normal person. Usually this personality is designed to improve the crystal’s usefulness as a tool, perhaps giving it the proactive mind of a dedicated servant or wise advisor. But any sort of personality is possible. This could alter the rarity of the item.

CRYSTAL ASSISTANT

personalities. If true, it’s unethical. It also seems bizarre: why taint such

A crystal assistant is a magical tool designed to assist in organising knowledge. It takes the form of a crystal arcane focus, and can be used as one. Sentience. Crystal assistants are a sentient items with an Intelligence of 20, a Wisdom of 10, and a Charisma of 1. They have hearing and normal vision out to 30 feet. Crystals can speak, read and understand one language (usually that of its creator). Crystals have flat, monotone voices whose pitch and speed varies from crystal to crystal. Personality. Crystal assistants have extremely dry personalities, not dissimilar to the obedient personalities found in magical constructs. A crystal has no motivations or desires of its own and simply follows orders of anyone it hears, though it will prioritise the orders of the creature currently attuned to it. Crystal assistants have faultless memory and a perfect internal sense of time. Their phenomenal Intelligence score allows them to think with lightning speed and without error. However, their abysmal Charisma score renders them utterly

DEBILITATING DART

Wondrous item, rare

I could not part with my crystal assistant. It has its trivial uses, like reminding me of appointments and helping me remember potion ingredients. But more importantly it is useful as a sort of librarian. It has memorised literally thousands of hours of my dictation. It can do basic things, like reading back my notes on dissecting a carrion crawler. Yet I can also ask it questions that require analysis, such as “did I find similar digestive tracts in both the grick and the carrion crawler?” Yet I can’t ask it which set of formal robes best compliment my eyes, or what gift to bring to a colleague’s dinner party. Not without teaching it some kind of rules system about that first, at least. Several of my students have objected to applying the term “sentient” to this item. At the most dull, pedantic level they are probably correct. I’ve heard rumours of wizards using the imprisonment spell to store souls in crystal assistants as a means to give them more “authentic” a useful servant with such foibles?

Weapon (dart), uncommon

If you succeed with an attack roll against a creature with this dart, that creature is affected by one of the spells below, chosen at random. No concentration is required to maintain the spell. The spell’s save DC is 13. d8

Spell

1

Blindness/Deafness (blinded)

2

Blindness/Deafness (deafened)

3

Confusion

4

Enlarge/Reduce (as reduce)

5

Hold Person

6

Ray of Enfeeblement

7

Ray of Sickness

8

Slow

12

This dart comes in a small holder that can be affixed to a belt, harness or other similar item. The dart disappears after it has been used in an attack roll (hit or miss) or if it is removed from its holder for more than 10 minutes. A disappeared dart has a 50% chance of reappearing in its holder each day at dawn. Dead-Eye’s. The spell save DC is no longer 13. Instead, it is equal to 10 + the amount your attack roll exceeded the creature’s AC.

DISGUISED WEAPON

Weapon (any melee), uncommon

This weapon has a particular illusionary disguised appearance, as decided by the DM. The illusionary form should be the rough size and shape of the actual weapon. While you hold this weapon, you can speak the command word as an action to activate or deactivate the illusion. If you drop the weapon it activates its illusionary form. If you use the weapon to attack, or otherwise treat it roughly, the illusion deactivates. The illusion does not hold up to physical inspection. Anyone interacting with the weapon can feel its real physical form under the illusion. A creature can discern that the weapon is disguised by using its action to inspect it and succeeding on a DC13 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Powerless. The weapon is treated as a non-magical weapon for the purposes of damage resistances and immunities. This variant decreases the rarity by one category. Disguised weapons are useful to anyone who wants to smuggle in weapons where they are normally not allowed. I’ve seen spears passing as fishing rods, daggers as rolling pins, and even a greataxe as a chittarone.

EKBOM’S BOOTS

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear these boots, your speed is increased by 10 feet, provided you did not move, swim, climb, fly, hover or become prone since the beginning of your previous turn. Let me clear up a common misconception about Ekbom’s boots. They let you move faster if you don’t move for a while. In this context, “don’t move” means not walking, running etc. It doesn’t mean standing still like a statue. You can even shift your feet about as long as you don’t go anywhere.

ELEMENTAL FOCUS

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This item takes the form of an arcane focus, a druidic focus, or a holy symbol. You can only attune to an elemental focus if you can use that kind of spellcasting focus. This item comes in different types, as shown on the table below. The DM chooses the type or determines randomly. d8

Type

Bonus

Penalty

1

Pyromancer’s

fire

cold

2

Cryomancer’s

cold

fire

3

Necromancer’s

necrotic

radiant

4

Saviour’s

radiant

necrotic

5

Keeper’s

acid, poison

force, psychic

6

Stormcaller’s

lightning, thunder

acid, poison

7

Evoker’s

force, psychic

acid, poison

8

Conjurer’s

bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

cold, fire, lightning

While you have the elemental focus on your person in a manner where you can use it as a spellcasting focus (e.g. holding an arcane focus, or wearing a holy symbol), spells you cast gain a damage bonus or penalty. Consult the table above. Any time your spell does damage of a type listed in the Bonus column, increase the damage by 1. Any time your spell does damage of a type listed in the Penalty column, decrease the damage by 1. Multiple bonuses or penalties can stack if a spell does several types of damage. An elemental focus can be used as a spellcasting focus even by those not attuned to it. Variant: Greater. Instead of the Bonus and Penalty being 1 damage, the Bonus and Penalty becomes 1d4, 1d6 or 1d8 damage. This variant increases the rarity by one, two and three categories respectively. Variant: Melee. While you hold this focus, any melee weapon you hold deals 1 extra damage (or 1d4, 1d6 or 1d8 if the Greater variant is also applied). This extra damage is of a type listed in the Bonus column above. If multiple types of damage are listed, you choose one when you attune to the item, and you can change your selection after a long or short rest. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some elemental focuses are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed focus extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, your spells cannot do more than 1 damage if the damage type is in the Penalty column. While attuned to this focus, if you use a focus other than this one to cast a spell, you have disadvantage on spell attack rolls and your spell targets have advantage on spell saving throws. Elemental focuses take all sorts of forms and are made by all sorts of artificers. Often their appearance belies their type: a pyromancer’s wand might be made of blackened wood, a saviour’s holy symbol might be gilded and glow faintly with golden light, and a keeper’s druidic focus might be decorated with the fangs of venomous creatures.

13

FERALIA’S FERULA

may make up for the reduced lethality of your own blows.

While you have the fragment of divinity on your person, you can expend a charge to gain advantage on a saving throw against being frightened. When you use the fragment of divinity as a holy symbol to Channel Divinity, you can expend a charge to cause enemies to have disadvantage on any Wisdom saving throws related to that use of Channel Divinity. If you are a druid and you are holding the fragment of divinity, you can expend charges as an action to regain expended spell slots. The spell slots have a combined level equal to the number of charges expended. You are limited in the number of charges you can expend in this way: the limit is equal to your druid level; this limit resets at dawn. Variant: Authentic. The fragment’s magic is not suppressed by antimagic fields. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some fragments of divinity are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed fragment extends the curse to you. The curse does not take effect immediately, but strikes at a moment when you have cause to doubt yourself or your abilities, as determined by the DM. The curse amplifies and nourishes these doubts. After the curse takes effect you must make a Wisdom saving throw whenever you cast a spell or Channel Divinity. The DC is equal to 5, plus the level of the spell cast (if casting a spell). On failure the spell or Channel Divinity fails. The DC increases by 1 every time you take a long rest. You are aware that self-doubt is causing the problem, but you aren’t automatically aware that it is caused by a curse.

FLAGELLATING WEAPON

a weapon used by a once-mortal god. A hunk of bark from the “world

Weapon (club), uncommon (requires attunement)

If you are attuned to this weapon, it is a finesse weapon for you. When you roll maximum on a damage or sneak attack die on an attack you make with this weapon, ignore that die for the purposes of counting damage. If you ignored at least one die in this manner, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. The DC is equal to 10 + your Strength ability modifier. On a failed save, the target is stunned for a number of rounds equal to the number of ignored die in the attack. A stunned target must repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, and every time it takes damage (not including the attack that caused the stunned condition). On a successful save, the stunning effect ends. A ferula is a rod-like implement used for discipline, and Feralia’s Ferula fits this, being enchanted to enhance the “side effects” of damage – pain and discombobulation – rather than the damage itself. At first blush, it may seem like Feralia’s Ferula is for pacifists or hemophobes unwilling to plunge a knife into a foe’s vitals. There could be some truth in that – the name traces back to certain traditions respecting the dead. That said, don’t underestimate this weapon’s combat potential. A foe staggered by pain and wracked by concussion is easy to strike, and can’t strike back! If you’re fighting with friends, the extra hits they land

Weapon (flail or whip), very rare (requires attunement)

If you roll the maximum possible when rolling damage dice with this weapon, roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time as extra damage. If that die also rolls its maximum, add another die in the same fashion, repeating until you don’t roll maximum. Flagellating weapons turn solid hits into devastating ones as the weapon forms extra lashes, or flails, mid-way through a swing. These extra parts have a ghostly appearance, but they hit just as hard! Some of my colleagues believe that it would be possible to strike down a dragon or giant with a single, lucky blow from such a weapon. My reply to them is that I’ll pay for the weapon if they’ll perform the experiment in person. So far I’ve not had any takers.

FRAGMENT OF DIVINITY

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This item takes the form of a druidic focus or a holy symbol. You can only attune to a fragment of divinity if you can use that kind of spellcasting focus. The fragment has charges equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. It regains all charges at dawn.

You’ve likely seen this kind of thing peddled before. A splinter from tree”. The tooth of a long-dead saint. It’s rare that these fragments exist bare and unadorned. For starters, many would be too vulnerable, and need to be protected in boxes or fixed solidly to something durable. They also need to be portable and so are fashioned into amulets, emblems, staves – typical forms for druidic and holy symbols. Finally they often (but not always) will need to look fancy – rare metals, gems, ornate craftsmanship – because having such a holy item isn’t enough if other people’s eyes aren’t drawn to it! Much of the time, these things are frauds. But they often work anyway. Partly this is due to the sheer power of belief. But importantly, many of these items do actually have considerable magic bound up in them; sometimes from rituals when they were fashioned into a holy or druidic symbol, sometimes from a pedigree of past owners. When they aren’t frauds, they can often serve an additional purpose: the material component for powerful divine magic such as holy aura. Astute readers may be asking, “what’s the difference between a fragment of divinity and a regular druidic or holy symbol?” Excellent question. Both often boast being made from some “powerful” source material. Fragments, in theory, should be uniquely rare. A fuzzy definition that, unfortunately, allows for overlap and confusion.

14

GHOST WEAPON

Weapon (any), uncommon

This weapon glows with a faint blue light. Any creature in the Border Ethereal that is within 30 feet of the weapon appears as a translucent, ghostly image of itself. While the weapon itself is in the Border Ethereal, it and anyone wielding it appears as a ghostly visage on the overlapping plane. The weapon can be used to attack creatures across planes – from the Border Ethereal to an overlapping plane or vice versa. The weapon’s magic is suppressed if it is not in the Ethereal Plane or on another plane that overlaps the Ethereal Plane. While suppressed, the weapon counts as nonmagical for the purposes of damage resistances and immunities.

weapons are light – shortswords are common – which means an adventurer can carry something else as her main weapon. It’s not uncommon to run across badly-enchanted ghoul-touch weapons that also paralyse their wielders. Such blades can be useful. Elves or undead might be able to wield them without worry. If not, they can always be thrown.

HARNESS OF BEAST’S REFUGE Wondrous item, rare

These enchanted leather straps can be adjusted to form a harness for a Large, Medium or Small animal. The harness only functions if worn by a beast with an Intelligence of 3 or less; it is nonfunctional otherwise. If you speak the command word within 60 feet of the harness, it transports the beast and all items it carries to the Ethereal Plane as per the etherealness spell. Assuming the beast does successfully enter the Ethereal Plane, it enters a state of suspended animation: it is unconscious, does not need food or air, and doesn’t age. There is no maximum duration on the etherealness or the suspended animation: they both persist until the command word is repeated, the harness is removed, or the creature drops to 0 hit points. After the harness has been used to send or recall an animal to or from the Ethereal Plane it can’t do so again for 10 minutes. Variant: Cursed. The command word to return the creature from the Ethereal Plane fails to work. At the DM’s discretion this could happen on the first use, it could happen randomly, or it could happen after a certain number of uses. A harness of beast’s refuge is a useful item for any adventurer with a

GHOUL-TOUCH WEAPON

steed, pack animal, or pet that they don’t want to take into dangerous

This weapon has 5 charges. It regains 1d4 charges at dawn. When you hit a creature with it weapon while it has charges, a charge is expended, and the struck creature must succeed on a DC10 Constitution saving throw or be paralysed until the end of its next turn. Elf and undead creatures are immune to the paralysing effect. Variant: Jink. Elves are no longer immune to the paralysing effect. Variant: Cursed. Some ghoultouch weapons are cursed. While you hold the weapon and it has charges, when you strike a creature with the weapon you must succeed on a DC10 Constitution saving throw or be paralysed until the end of your next turn.

with its saddle-bags), and recover it when you get back. Just make sure

Weapon (any), rare

situations. Park your mule outside the dungeon, send it away (along you remember where you left it, otherwise you might need to trek back to town for a see invisibility scroll. If you are leaving your animal while going into danger, you might keep a note on your person with the command word. If you die, your animal might be saved by a future adventurer discovering your bones. While the Ethereal Plane may be free of orcs, bandits and hungry wolves it is not always a safe place! Ghosts are a threat to be mindful of. There’s also the small chance that some traveller using the Ethereal Plane will stumble across your animal. The harness is humane. The animal is unconscious during its time in the Ethereal Plane, and the transportation process causes no more stress than the etherealness spell.

Ghoul-touch weapons are so named because they mimic a ghoul’s

A final tip: don’t try using this item to banish dangerous creatures.

paralysing touch. Well, many do. Some seem to work slightly differently,

These harnesses need to be securely-fitted. It’s theoretically possible

as elves aren’t immune; but I’ve never had such a weapon to study.

you could hold down a giant scorpion long enough to fit the harness

These weapons are very powerful in combat, but their paralysing effect is unavoidably released on striking. Luckily, most ghoul-touch

and speak the command word. But if you could do that, why not just restrain it and kill it?

15

HEARTSEEKER

Weapon (any), rare (requires attunement)

While you hold this weapon, you can spend an action to begin concentrating on a creature (as if concentrating on a spell). You can only concentrate on a creature if it is not a construct, elemental, ooze, plant or undead. While you are not deafened, attacks with this weapon against the creature being concentrated on score a critical hit on a 19 or 20. Variant: Limited. The weapon has a number of charges equal to your Wisdom modifier. If you are proficient in the Perception skill you can add your proficiency bonus to the number of charges. You must expend a charge when you begin concentrating on a creature. The weapon regains a charge when you score a critical hit with it. This variant decreases the rarity by one category. I’m told that wielders of Heartseeker can hear the blood pumping in the bodies of their foes. As they move to attack, these sounds grow louder and more intense if the blow is likely to connect with an artery or the heart itself. By heeding these prompts, a warrior can improve their chances of a devastating blow. This makes me suspect Heartseeker is somewhat pre-cognisant and desirous of blood. It creates these “sounds” (which I doubt are actually noises, but more of an audible figment) to assist its wielder make bloody strikes. I’m not actually sure what Heartseeker is, though I would bet it must be some slicing or piercing weapon given its proclivities. Perhaps out there is a crushing variant called Skullcrusher or some-such, tempting its user with the sound of breaking bones.

HELM OF THE DECANUS

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

You can only attune to this helm if you have at least one superiority die (associated with combat maneuvers and the Battle Master archetype of the fighter class). While you wear this helm, you gain the Rally maneuver if you did not already have it. In addition, you gain extra superiority die equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 0 superiority die). However, you can only use these extra superiority die on the Rally maneuver. Variant: Of the Commander. You also gain the Commander’s Strike maneuver while you wear this helm, if you did not already have it. The extra superiority die can also be used on the Commander’s Strike maneuver. This variant increases the rarity by one category.

HOLY SYMBOL OF SALUS

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a cleric or paladin)

While this holy symbol is on your person: • When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you gain temporary hit points equal to the level of the spell slot used. • When you use your Channel Divinity class ability, you gain temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. All temporary hit points granted by this item are lost if you remove the item from your person. This item can be used as a holy symbol even by those not attuned to it. Variant: Flamen’s. Any time the holy symbol grants you temporary hit points, increase the amount gained by a value equal to your character level. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. Variant: Cursed. Some holy symbols of Salus are cursed. Becoming attuned to the holy symbol extends the curse to you. While you are cursed, the holy symbol does not grant any temporary hit points but instead causes you to take an equal amount of necrotic damage. Many of these holy symbols are named after gods of some longforgotten religion. Nowadays the same holy symbols are made with a different god’s name and design; usually one with a similar portfolio.

Helms of the Decanus represent the unifying presence of lesser officers in an infantry formation. As such, they often sport decorations such as colourful plumes so the wearer is easily located in the confusion of combat by his or her comrades.

16

HOLY SYMBOL OF VEJOVIS

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a cleric or paladin)

While this holy symbol is on your person, you can potentially improve your spells that restore hit points to a creature, if the number of hit points restored is determined by a die roll. You can change a single die’s result to a value equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. This item can be used as a holy symbol even by those not attuned to it. Variant: Greater. Instead of being limited to changing a single die, you can change any or all dice. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. Variant: Cursed. Some holy symbols of Vejovis are cursed. Becoming attuned to the holy symbol extends the curse to you. While you are cursed the holy symbol’s die-altering power functions for you whether you wear it or not, and you must use this power to minimise hit points restored by your spells.

HYPNOPOMPIC GLOVES

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

These gloves will take control of your arm and attempt to slap you awake in the event that you fall asleep. While you wear these gloves, at the beginning of your turn when you are asleep, make a DC 10 Strength check. On success, the gloves slap you awake and you are incapacitated until the end of your turn. On failure, your arm moves clumsily and fails to wake you. The gloves can’t operate if both of your arms are restrained. While you wear the gloves, you can spend an action to instruct the gloves to suppress their magic until one or more criteria are met. These criteria must be fairly simple and must be based on the passage of time (e.g. “until 8 hours pass”) or visible and audible cues (e.g. “until the sun rises” or “until an intruder approaches the camp”). The gloves have normal vision and hearing with passive Perception 10. The DM determines how the instructions are interpreted. The gloves forget all instructions any time you awaken from sleep. For adventurers, hypnopompic gloves offer some protection against sleep spells and similar magic. They are also used to keep watch over the camp at night. Adventurers are the sort to sleep with gloves on, and new owners of these gloves will very quickly learn to remove them or suppress them before sleep! Civilians can use these gloves to set a wake-up schedule. One that’s decidedly difficult to ignore.

ICY BLADE

Weapon (dagger, shortsword, longsword or greatsword), uncommon

This weapon’s blade is made from magical ice. It deals an extra 1 cold damage to any target it hits. If you take fire damage or thunder damage while holding this weapon, make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken. On failure, the blade is destroyed, leaving only the hilt. A destroyed blade can be reformed by submerging or burying the hilt in freezing cold water, ice or snow. It will reform in 1d4 hours. Removing the blade early pauses the reformation, but a partially-reformed blade is extremely fragile – any damage, moderate heat, or forceful impact will destroy it, removing all progress. Variant: Greater. Instead of dealing an extra 1 cold damage, the weapon deals an extra 1d4, 1d6 or 1d8 cold damage. This increases the rarity by one, two and three categories respectively. The weapon now requires attunement. Variant: Protective. You have resistance to cold damage while you hold this weapon. The weapon now requires attunement. This variant increases the rarity by one category.

ILLUMINATING AMMUNITION Weapon (any ammunition), common

If you speak a command word while making a ranged attack with this ammunition it becomes luminous. For 1 minute it sheds bright white light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. It then becomes nonmagical. Variant: Coloured. Instead of white light, the ammunition has been crafted to shed light of a different colour. To allow for easy identification, the ammunition itself is usually coloured in some way. Variant: Faerie Fire. If the ammunition strikes a creature that creature begins to glow as if caught in the faerie fire spell (save DC 13). The colour of the glow is the same colour as the ammunition glows. Concentration is not required to maintain this effect. If the creature fails its saving throw the ammunition immediately becomes nonmagical and stops shedding light. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Feather Fall. If the ammunition reaches its maximum range without striking anything its descent is automatically slowed as if affected by the feather fall spell. Concentration is not required to maintain this effect. Illuminating ammunition is useful for any dungeon-delving adventurer. Illuminate distant, dark corners of a dungeon. Send colourcoded signals to distant allies. Or, in a pinch, purposefully shoot it at the floor, pick it up, and use it as a replacement for the light spell.

17

INCENDIARY AMMUNITION

INSTRUMENT OF MINOR SCALES

If you speak a command word while making a ranged attack with this ammunition it catches alight. It deals 1 extra fire damage. A flammable object hit by this projectile ignites if it isn't being worn or carried. After being used in an attack, incendiary ammunition becomes nonmagical.

This instrument has charges equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. While playing the instrument, you gain the following benefits: • You can expend a charge to increase the size of one of your Bardic Inspiration die as if you were 5 bard levels higher, provided the die is used to hinder or harm an enemy. • You can expend a charge when casting vicious mockery to increase your damage as if you were 5 levels higher. • You can expend a charge to double your proficiency bonus on ability checks using Performance if you play a tune that is mournful, ominous or oppressive.

Weapon (any ammunition), common

Incendiary ammunition may seem an extravagance: why use magic for something that can be done mundanely? There are a few reasons. Firstly, regular flaming ammunition is slow to ready and inaccurate when fired. That’s assuming the ammunition type can be set alight at all: a slinger isn’t going to want to spin a flaming bullet in a sling! Secondly, regular flaming ammunition is impossible to light in the rain or other damp conditions. Finally, the incendiary ammunition is cheap and simple to make. Novice artificers can generally prepare batches within their first week.

INSTRUMENT OF MAJOR SCALES

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a bard)

This instrument has charges equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. While playing the instrument, you gain the following benefits: • You can expend a charge to increase the size of one of your Bardic Inspiration die as if you were 5 bard levels higher, provided the die is used to assist yourself or an ally. • You can expend a charge when using Song of Rest to add your Charisma modifier to the amount healed. • You can expend a charge to double your proficiency bonus on ability checks using Performance if you play a tune that is cheerful, inspiring or uplifting.

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a bard)

ITEM OF COMPETENT ABILITY

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This item comes in various types, as shown in the table below. While you wear this item, your listed ability score is 12, if it isn’t higher already. d6

Type

Ability Score

1

Bracers

Strength

2

Boots

Dexterity

3

Belt

Constitution

4

Circlet

Intelligence

5

Amulet

Wisdom

6

Ring

Charisma

Variant: Of Adequate Ability. The item potentially adjusts your ability score to 10 instead of 12. This decreases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of Capable Ability. The item potentially adjusts your ability score to 14 instead of 12. This increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of Exceptional Ability. The item potentially adjusts your ability score to 16 instead of 12. This increases the rarity by two categories. Variant: Of Consummate Ability. The item potentially adjusts your ability score to 18 instead of 12. This increases the rarity by three categories. Variant: Cursed. Some items of competent ability are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed item extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, your ability score associated with this item is 8, if it wasn’t lower already.

18

MAGE-CRUSHER

Weapon (any bludgeoning), rare

This weapon has charges equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. You can expend 1 charge as part of an attack roll to gain advantage against any creature that is concentrating on a spell. A creature that takes damage from this weapon has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration. If you are a spellcaster, your spell save DC and spell attack modifier are both reduced by 1 while this weapon is on your person. The artificers of this weapon should be ashamed of themselves, having used their talents to forge a tool that can be used against them. Despite the idiocy of such a weapon, I can’t help but admire it.

Variant: Routing. While frightened by the helm’s power, a creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it cannot willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If it has nowhere it can move, the creature can use the Dodge action. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some masques of intimidation are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed helm extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the helm, wearing it at all times, removing it only when absolutely necessary to eat and drink. While attuned to the helm you communicate brusquely; you have disadvantage to checks involving Deception, Performance or Persuasion. A masque of intimidation covers the user’s face with that of a grotesque one. They are usually crafted as full helmets but it’s not

Magic that disrupts magic is not easy to make. There’s a reason why

uncommon to find variants that look more like costume or masquerade

antimagic field is not a spell for novices.

masks.

MEKEN’S OSMOTIC BLADE Weapon (dagger), uncommon

The blade of this dagger is enchanted to absorb a small quantity of liquid, releasing it gradually when needed. Poison applied to this dagger lasts indefinitely until the dagger is used in a successful attack, or otherwise used to stab or cut. After that point, any poison remains potent for 10 minutes. At the DM’s discretion, the dagger can deposit its carried poison onto or into an object as an action. For example, you might swirl the blade in a pitcher of ale, or wipe the blade against a slice of cheese. Such a deliberate action removes all poison from the dagger. The dagger can only hold one poison at a time. Powerless. The weapon is treated as a non-magical weapon for the purposes of damage resistances and immunities. This variant decreases the rarity by one category. A useful tool for any assassin. It obviates the need to smuggle in

MASQUE OF INTIMIDATION

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This helm has charges equal to your Strength modifier + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. While wearing this helm, you can use an action to let forth a fierce roar. Target one or many creatures within 60 feet of you that you can see. Each target requires and consumes a charge of the helm. If the target can hear you it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1d4+1 rounds. The DC is the same as your passive Charisma (Intimidation) score. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

vials, or worry about potency times. While this dagger was designed with poison use in mind, the absorbing blade doesn’t discriminate. It you use it to stab a foe, you’ll find it leaking small quantities of blood. If you go swimming with it, it will drip water. If you use it to spread honey on your slice of bread, you’ll find it tastes of honey for a while afterward. Generally the quantities involved are too small to matter much – no more than a teaspoon or two – so this dagger can’t replace your waterskin.

19

MERCURIAL OIL Potion, uncommon

This oil can cover one weapon. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. For 1 hour, when you make an attack with this weapon and you hit, compare the attack roll with your damage roll, including any modifiers for each. If the attack roll is a multiple of the damage roll you can immediately roll an extra attack on the same creature with the same weapon. This extra attack can cause more extra attacks in the same manner. At the DM’s discretion, mercurial oil may not be compatible with some magical weapons. This should be apparent early in the coating process so that the oil isn’t wasted. The oil is silvery, like liquid mercury, but is as viscous as honey. Weapons coated with it take on the silvery sheen. Variant: Concentrated. The mercurial oil’s effect is permanent. If applied to a nonmagical weapon, that weapon becomes magical. This increases the rarity by three categories. Mercurial oil grants intermittent supernatural bursts of speed to anyone wielding a weapon coated in it. No-one has been able to distinguish a pattern behind these rapid strikes, save that it appears faster weapons tend to cause the effect more often. I once saw an experiment with a blowgun produce amazing results. Skilled alchemists sometimes collect large quantities of mercurial oil to distil down to a concentrated form that is permanent. I estimate that such a concentrate would require somewhere between five and twenty normal doses of the oil. Anyone foolish enough to drink mercurial oil will find it has a similar effect to a potion of exhausting speed (see further below), except that it cannot be ended at will and must be endured for 10 minutes.

Variant: Nonlethal. Damage caused by the net cannot reduce a creature below 0 hit points. If the net reduces a creature to 0 hit points the creature becomes unconscious and stable and the net deactivates. Variant: Greater. Increase the damage to 2d6, 3d6 or 4d6. This variant increases the rarity by one, two or three categories respectively.

NET OF STRANGULATION Weapon (net), uncommon

The Strength check to free a creature from this net is DC13 instead of the net’s usual DC10. Any time this Strength check fails, the restrained creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage as the net retaliates with constricting force. If the net is destroyed by slashing damage there is a 20% chance it will immediately wither into brittle, useless fibres. Otherwise it is capable of magically reforming and regenerating if more than half of its remains are collected together and left undisturbed for 8 hours. The net can be completely destroyed by fire damage. Unlike slashing damage this will also damage any creature restrained by it. Variant: Acidic. The net oozes acidic liquids when disturbed. Instead of doing 2d6 bludgeoning damage, the net does 1d6 bludgeoning damage and 1d6 acid damage. Variant: Barbed. The net bristles with barbs or spikes. Instead of doing 2d6 bludgeoning damage, the net does 1d6 bludgeoning damage and 1d6 piercing damage. Variant: Toxic. The net oozes acidic liquids when disturbed. Instead of doing 2d6 bludgeoning damage, the net does 1d6 bludgeoning damage and 1d6 poison damage. Variant: Resilient. It takes 20 damage to destroy the net instead of 5. Its AC increases from 10 to 12. Nets of strangulation look organic, appearing to consist of things

NET OF LIGHTNING Weapon (net), uncommon

This net has 12 charges. It regains 1d4 charges at dawn. If the net has any charges left, it becomes active when thrown, crackling and sparking with electricity. While the net is active and has charges, any creature restrained in the net, or attempting to free that restrained creature using a Strength check, takes 1d6 lightning damage. The same creature cannot be harmed by the net more than once per round. Each time damage is rolled against a creature, the net expends 1 charge. The net deactivates if it runs out of charges, if the restrained creature becomes free, or if the creature that attacked with the net speaks its command word. The net is made from metal wire and so is resistant to damage. It has has an AC of 14 and requires 10 slashing damage to be destroyed. At the DM’s discretion, a destroyed net of lightning can be repaired with appropriate artisan’s tools.

like vines, tendons, tentacles or snakes. More disgusting variants will ooze blood, sap or other gunk. Many of these nets will wriggle or writhe when left alone, and will flinch or twitch when touched. It is, of course, this very reaction to stimuli that kicks into overdrive when the net is used offensively. Stories tell of reclusive elf druids cultivating particularly nasty creeping plants which grow nets of strangulation like a vine might grow grapes. These are then supplied as standard issue to rangers to use on anyone daring to enter their forest.

NIBANI’S TRICKY POUCHES Wondrous item, uncommon

These grey leather pouches are made to fit on a belt. Each pouch has 1 charge, but when multiple pouches are worn together the charges are pooled. All charges are regained at dawn. Each pouch contains a certain type of item. The DM chooses which pouch or pouches are found or determines it

20

randomly by rolling on the table below 1d6 times, discarding duplicates. d12

Pouch Item

1-2

acid (vial)

3

alchemist’s fire (flask)

4-6

ball bearings (bag of 1,000)

7-9

caltrops (bag of 20)

10-12

oil (flask)

choose to cast a spell as if you were outdoors even if you are not. Once used, this power of the orb cannot be used again until next dawn. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some orbs of Caelus are cursed. A cursed orb misrepresents the state of the sky. It does so with devious cunning, patient enough to wait for an opportunity where it won’t be easily be caught out. Orbs of Caelus allow dungeon delvers to keep track of the time while they are deep underground.

While a pouch has charges, you can reach inside and take the listed item from it. Taking an item in this manner expends a charge. The item will disappear after 10 minutes. A pouch weighs 1 pound whether it has charges or not. It’s possible to put items into a pouch, but the pouch’s magic is suppressed and its weight becomes normal until the item is removed. Variant: Random. This pouch doesn’t always contain the same item. Roll on the table above each time you take an item to determine what it is. You don’t know what the item is until it is removed fully from the pouch. Variant: Uncatchable. As a part of performing a Dash or Disengage action you can expend 1 charge to deposit the contents of a pouch on the ground anywhere along your path. This applies only to ball bearing, caltrop and oil pouches.

ORB OF CAELUS

Wondrous item, uncommon

This glass orb weighs 3 pounds and can be held in one hand. It glows to match the sky’s light and colour. A bright day will cause it to shed dim light in a 20-foot radius. At night it becomes dark. As an action, you can hold the orb to your eye to perceive the sky as if you were standing on the surface with an unobscured view. On planes of existence with no sky the orb loses its glow and becomes clear and glassy. This item can be used as an arcane focus. Variant: Bead. The item is a small glass bead instead of a larger orb. It weighs as much as a coin. It can no longer be used as an arcane focus and it only sheds dim light up to 10 feet. Variant: Of The Day. While you hold this orb and it is daytime, when you cast a spell that does radiant damage to a creature it takes extra radiant damage equal to your spell attack modifier. You must be attuned to the orb to use this feature. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of The Night. While you hold this orb and it is night-time, when you cast a spell that does cold damage to a creature it takes extra cold damage equal to your spell attack modifier. You must be attuned to the orb to use this feature. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Conductive. While you hold this orb, you can

ORBS OF WEATHER CONTROL Wondrous item, uncommon

These are decorated metallic spheres measuring three inches in diameter and weighing a 1/2 pound each. Each is inlaid with a gem to denote its type (see below). Multiple orbs are usually kept together in an ornate case. Roll 1d4 for each type of orb to determine how many are present. An orb can be twisted open to activate. Luminous energy the colour of the associated gem appears inside the orb, shedding dim light in a 10-foot radius. It remains active for 8 hours, after which time it becomes non-magical. While an active orb has a clear view of the sky it alters the weather as per the control weather spell (no concentration required). The effect of each orb is listed below. It’s possible to activate multiple orbs of the same or different types to achieve a greater effect (or even to negate the effect of other orbs). Gem

Effect

Pearl

Alter precipitation by 1 stage (less precipitation).

Jet

Alter precipitation by 1 stage (more precipitation).

Garnet

Alter temperature by 1 stage (hotter).

Tourmaline

Alter temperature by 1 stage (colder).

Amber

Alter wind by 1 stage (calmer).

Jade

Alter wind by 1 stage (stronger).

21

Amber and jade orbs have directional arrows marked on their surface. If all active amber and jade orbs are set to face in the same direction, the wind will change to blow in that direction. These orbs change weather conditions gradually, stageby-stage, as per the control weather spell. Used orbs can still fetch a decent price because of the inlaid gemstone. Truly powerful wizards do not bother themselves with things as mundane as weather, so orbs of weather control tend to be made by lesser artificers for more trivial concerns. A king might want a sunny day for his daughter’s wedding. A rich merchant captain may carry some in case he sails into a dangerous storm. Orbs of weather control contain elemental energies. In some cases

Unlike the rest of your equipment, the periapt can not meld into your new form. Instead, it changes shape and size to fit your new form. If removed, the shapechange ends. Each periapt of animal form is associated with a particular beast as per the table below. The periapt will only shapechange you into that form. Moreover, the beast has a specific appearance. For example, a periapt associated with a cat might transform its user into a ginger tabby with black stripes, and never any other type of cat. The DM chooses the associated beast or determines it randomly. Each type of periapt of animal form is associated with an ability score, as per the table below. Your modifier for that ability determines the number of charges the item has. You cannot attune to the periapt if your associated ability score modifier is zero or less. The periapt regains 1 charge at dawn.

this is an actual imprisoned elemental that is consumed and destroyed

d10

Beast

Ability Score

to power the orb’s use. Improper use of such an orb can set the

1

badger

Strength

2

cat

Charisma

3

crab

Strength

4

frog

Intelligence

5

hyena

Constitution

6

jackal

Wisdom

7

lizard

Intelligence

8

mastiff

Wisdom

9

rat

Constitution

10

weasel

Dexterity

imprisoned elemental free.

ORICHALCUM ARMOUR

Armour (medium or heavy, but not hide), uncommon

Orichalcum is lighter and stronger than steel. Orichalcum armour weighs 20% less than normal armour of the same type. If the armour has a Strength requirement, that requirement is reduced by 1. Orichalcum items are immune to acid damage. Orichalcum means “mountain copper” in some long-forgotten language. It’s a metal with a golden-bronze hue. Lighter and stronger than steel, but not by much; it is not in the same league as mithral or adamantine. It is, however, extremely resistant to corrosion. Orichalcum is not a common metal. Its secret may be a metallurgic one, perhaps just a case of finding the right alloy mix of metals and additives. Indeed, some old stories speak of requiring soil from some long-lost coastline. Or maybe it is smelted from a special ore which has long been exhausted. The longevity of orichalcum items means that any civilisation that cracked the metal’s mysteries is liable to be a treasure trove of the stuff. Weapons and armour from millennia ago are perfectly usable after replacing the soft padding and straps. More prosaic orichalcum items,

Variant: Alternative Creature. Replace the type of beast with one not listed. Beasts with high challenge ratings, or with swimming or flying speeds, probably warrant an increased rarity. Variant: Cursed. Some periapts of animal form are cursed. The periapt’s shapechange power becomes permanent and you can no longer end the spell early. You can end the shapechange with the remove curse spell or similar magic. You can also end the shapechange by dropping to 0 hit points and reverting to your normal form, but in doing so your normal form will also drops to 0 hit points and you are dying. Periapts of animal form can come in varieties different from those

like pots and pans, are still valuable as they can be melted down and

listed above. Small changes aren’t uncommon: a toad instead of a frog,

reforged.

or a medium-sized dog instead of a jackal.

PERIAPT OF ANIMAL FORM

and so are designed with this in mind. While neck-worn periapts are the

Periapts of animal form must stay comfortably on the animal form

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

While wearing this periapt, you can speak its command word and expend 1 charge as an action to cast shapechange on yourself, transforming into a beast. You do not need to concentrate to maintain the effect. You can end the shapechange early with a bonus action.

most common, there are other variants such as arm-bands or harnesses. That said, not all creators share the same idea about what form the periapt should suit. Some periapts are like jewellery, looking fine on a person, but odd on an animal. Others are made as collars or harnesses that look fine on an animal but unusual on a person. A few talented creators manage to create periapts that suit both forms.

22

PERIAPT OF ANIMAL SENSES

PERIAPT OF IMPROMPTU ENERGY PROTECTION

While wearing this periapt, your natural senses are improved to the level of certain animals. The senses that are improved depend on the type of periapt, as shown in the table below. The DM chooses the type or determines it randomly. You gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on improved senses. A sense can only be improved if you have it to begin with.

This periapt has 1 charge. It regains all charges at dawn. While wearing this periapt, you can expend 1 charge and use your reaction when you take acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage to gain resistance to that damage type. The resistance protects against the triggering damage and lasts for ten minutes or until you remove the periapt. Variant: Delayed. The periapt’s effect does not provide resistance against the damage or effect that triggered it. It still provides resistance for 10 minutes afterward. This variant decreases the rarity by one category. Variant: Arcanist’s. Instead of acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage; this periapt protects against force or psychic damage. Variant: Necromancer’s. Instead of acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage; this periapt protects against necrotic, poison or radiant damage. Variant: Automatic. When you attune to this periapt you choose an amount of damage (e.g. 10), and you can adjust this number any time you take a long rest. You can no longer use your reaction to activate the periapt. Instead, it triggers automatically if you are wearing the periapt and you take equal to or more than the specified amount of acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage from an attack or effect. If a single attack or effect consists of multiple eligible damage types, choose one at random. Variant: Recuperating. The periapt no longer regains charges at dawn. Instead, it regains all charges when you take a short rest while attuned to it. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Greater. The periapt has 3 or 5 charges. This variant increases the rarity by one or two categories respectively. When the periapt is triggered, it cannot be triggered again until the resistance it provides ends.

Wondrous item, rarity varies (requires attunement)

d10

Type

Improved Senses

Rarity

1-2

hawk

sight

uncommon

3-4

bat

hearing

uncommon

5-6

hound

smell

uncommon

7

cat

sight and hearing

rare

8

shark

sight and smell

rare

9

rat

hearing and smell

rare

10

wolf

sight, hearing and smell

very rare

Variant: Cursed. Some periapts of animal senses are cursed. Once you put on a cursed periapt, you cannot remove it unless you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. Instead of having advantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on the periapt’s improved senses, you have disadvantage. Variant: Darkvision. While wearing this periapt, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Periapts of animal senses have sparked debates for as long as they’ve existed. Artificers will argue over which animal best represents a set of senses. “The cat represents all senses better than a wolf,” or “bats actually have excellent senses of smell.” It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. It’s true that these periapts are usually made with enchanted remains of the animal in question (such as a tooth, claw or bone) but it’s the nature of the enchantment that matters a lot more. With good enough magic you could probably make a periapt that enhances all senses out of a snail’s shell.

PERIAPT OF CONTUMANCY

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

The item has a number of charges equal to the sum of your six ability modifiers (minimum zero charges). It regains all charges at dawn. While wearing this periapt, you can expend 1 charge and use your reaction when you fail a saving throw to double your proficiency bonus for that saving throw, possibly causing the saving throw to succeed instead.

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

PERIAPT OF MEDIOCRITY

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a humanoid)

While you wear this periapt, all of your ability scores are 8 unless they were already 8 or higher. While periapts of mediocrity could be useful to some adventurers, they are more often used by royalty and nobility to compensate for physical or mental shortcomings. Frail queens become moderately healthy, idiot prince-generals become somewhat competent, and clumsy husbands are given a modicum of grace.

PERIAPT OF PLENARY BETTERMENT Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear this periapt, all of your ability scores increase by 1 to a maximum of 20.

23

PERIAPT OF SPELL SCATTERING Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

While wearing this periapt, when a spell targets only you not with an area of effect, roll on this table:

A periapt of stony sanctum can be useful to protect against permanent petrification when going up against medusae and basilisks. More generally, however, it is used as a last-ditch survival tool. When your enemies encircle you and your comrades have perished (or fled)

d6

Effect

being stone is a better fate than being stone cold dead. Maybe someone

1-2

You are targeted by the spell as normal. In addition, the periapt’s magic ceases to function until you complete a long rest.

will be able to rescue you. Hopefully before you are vandalised.

3-4

The spell has no effect.

5-6

The spell instead targets a randomly-determined creature other than you that is Tiny or larger within 1d6 x 10 feet of you, using the slot level, spell save DC, attack bonus and spellcasting ability of the caster. If no such creature exists, you are the target of the spell.

The periapt works against all spells in the same way whether the caster is an enemy, a friend, or even yourself. The periapt must be clean of dirt and grime and worn visibly to work. While it is dirty or not worn visibly you always roll 1 on the table above. If you remove the periapt, its magic ceases to function until you complete a long rest. Periapts of spell scattering tend to feature large, finely cut clear gems. The sparkle-factor is necessary for the enchantment to work. Unfortunately this often gets them confused as expensive, if mundane, jewellery – they can end up being worn by some ostentatious noble who has no clue of their power.

Periapts of stony sactum are often sold alongside scrolls of greater restoration.

PERIAPT OF WILD SHAPE

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a druid)

You can affix to this periapt small pieces from the remains of any beast (e.g. a tooth, a claw, a small bone, a cured ear, a feather). The remains of up to three distinct types of creature can be fitted to the periapt. Exceeding this limit will suppress the magic of the amulet. While you wear this periapt, requirements for Wild Shape are altered, but only for transforming into beasts whose remains are affixed to the periapt. You can transform into a beast affixed to the periapt even if you haven’t seen it before. In addition, your challenge rating limit for Wild Shape either increases by 1, or it doubles; whichever provides the lower result. If the periapt is removed while you are in Wild Shape form and you would be unable to achieve that form without the periapt, you automatically revert to your normal form.

PERIAPT OF STONY SANCTUM

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While wearing this pendant, you can speak its command word and expend 1 charge as an action to cast flesh to stone on yourself. The spell reaches its full duration without need of concentration. You can choose to automatically fail the saving throws associated with this spell. The periapt has 1 charge. It regains all charges when buried in earth for at least 24 hours. It must be buried at least 5 feet deep. It can be buried on its own or in a container. Variant: Rapid. Only one failed saving throw is needed to turn the wearer to stone, instead of the normal three as specified by the flesh to stone spell. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Petrification Reversing. While you are wearing this pendant you are protected from permanent petrification. Make a DC5 Constitution saving throw after you have been subjected to the petrification condition for a full hour. On failure, the petrification effect ends. Repeat the saving throw every hour, increasing the DC by 1. Variant: Remote Activation. Anyone within 60 feet can spend an action to speak the command word. Doing so activates the pendant as if the wearer had spoken the command word.

Variant: Of The Fin. You can ignore Wild Shape restrictions for swimming speed when transforming into any beast affixed to the periapt. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of The Wing. You can ignore Wild Shape restrictions for flying speed when transforming into any beast affixed to the periapt. This variant increases the rarity by one category.

24

Variant: Of The Claw. You can only affix the claws of beasts to this periapt; other types of remains have no special effect. While you are transformed into a type of beast affixed to the periapt you gain a +1 bonus to claw attack and damage rolls and your claw attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of The Tooth. You can only affix the teeth of beasts to this periapt; other types of remains have no special effect. While you are transformed into a type of beast affixed to the periapt you gain a +1 bonus to bite attack and damage rolls and your bite attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Of The Ooze. You can only affix the remains of oozes to the periapt, perhaps as samples in small vials. You can ignore the fact that the affixed types of oozes are not beasts for purposes of using Wild Shape. Variant: Of The Plant. You can only affix the remains of plant-type creatures to the periapt. You can ignore the fact that the affixed types of plants are not beasts for purposes of using Wild Shape. Variant: Of the Feral. If you Wild Shape into a beast affixed to this periapt there is no longer a maximum time duration for staying in that form. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Outsider’s. All classes can attune to this periapt, not just druids. If you do not already have the Wild Shape class ability, you gain it as if you were a level 2 druid (without any druid circle features), which is then further enhanced by the periapt’s normal powers. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. Variant: Cursed. Some periapts of wild shape are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed periapt extends the curse to you. While cursed, your Wild Shape has no time limit. You cannot voluntarily end Wild Shape, and it doesn’t end if you fall unconscious or remove the periapt. If you revert to your normal form as a result of dropping to 0 hit points your normal form also drops to 0 hit points and you are dying. Master druid crafters, knowing that items merged into a druid’s Wild Shape form become inactive, usually craft periapts of wild shape as adjustable collars, arm-bands or even head-gear. Druid Circles have been known to use these periapts as a means to expose distant peers to new types of animals. For example, jungledwelling druids may send the teeth of tigers or the bones of giant constrictor snakes to desert druids so they may attach them to a periapt of wild shape and experience the forms for themselves. Can a druid learn to be a tiger by seeing a fellow druid transform into one? It’s not widely known. It if is possible it only increases the value of this trade in animal parts. An adventurer finding a periapt of wild shape is likely to find it

already has some remains attached to it. Lucky adventurers may find the remains include exotic beasts that would otherwise be difficult (or impossible) to find.

POISON OF MAGESLAYING Wondrous item, uncommon

You can use the poison in this vial to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or up to three pieces of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1 minute before drying. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or lose one spell slot of the lowest level it has remaining. Exotic poisons are not easy to come by at the best of times, but you try asking for “mageslaying poison” when you are a wizard yourself. No sane person is going to admit to that and risk being turned to a centipede. This means I’ve not been able to acquire a sample to investigate. I’m not certain if this poison is magical – a sort-of antimagic field in a bottle, if you will – or simply some sort of mind-altering drug that hampers one’s ability to do anything mentally taxing.

POTION OF CRESTING LUCK Potion, very rare

After you drink this potion, you have advantage on all ability checks, saving throws and attack rolls. In addition, the targets of your spells have disadvantage on their saving throws. The potion’s effect ends if you fail an ability check, saving throw, or attack roll; or if a target of your spell succeeds at its saving throw. A faintly luminous white blob swims through this potion’s dull grey liquid. Variant: Crashing. When the potion’s effect ends, you are left with a debilitating comedown effect. You have disadvantage on all ability checks, saving throws and attack rolls. In addition, the targets of your spells have advantage on their saving throws. This lasts until you take a short or long rest, or are targeted by a remove curse spell or similar magic. This variant decreases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. As per the Crashing variant, except a short or long rest doesn’t end the debilitating effect.

POTION OF EXHAUSTING SPEED Potion, uncommon

When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the haste spell (no concentration is required). The effect persists until you choose to end it or you become unconscious. You can end the effect at the beginning of any of your turns: you don’t need to spend an action to do so, but you will succumb to the lethargy described in the spell description. At the end of every turn while the effect is active you must

25

take a Constitution saving throw. On failure, you suffer one level of exhaustion. The saving throw DC starts at 10 and increases by 2 for each subsequent turn the effect is active. The potion’s orange fluid is streaked with black. It swirls on its own. Good alchemists will warn buyers of potions of exhausting speed to be careful. The effect can be exhilarating, but over-use can lead to death – quite literally! Users are advised to slow down and succumb to the

Cleaver

Clubber

Cutter

Piercer

Shanker

Smasher

sickle

club

dagger

dagger

javelin

light hammer

handaxe

quarter staff

scimitar

short sword

spear

mace

battleaxe great club

long sword

rapier

pike

war hammer

greataxe

great sword

long sword

lance

maul

lethargic after-effect before causing serious exhaustion.

POTION OF VENGEANCE Potion, uncommon

For 1 hour after drinking this potion you do not become unconscious when you drop to 0 hit points. You must still make death saving throws as normal. The potion’s black fluid seems to contain a cloudy red suspension that never quite settles. Potions of vengeance allow an adventurer to continue fighting even

great sword

A protean weapon has two command words: one to increase size and one to decrease size. You can use a bonus action and speak one of the command words to have the weapon increase or decrease by one size as per the table above. If there isn’t enough room for the weapon’s new form the transformation cancels. The weapon cannot change size more than once per round. A protean weapon’s default form is shown in the first row of the table above. If the weapon is not attuned to a creature, or if it is not worn or carried by its attuned creature, it reduces to its default size at the rate of one size category per hour. Variant: of Random Access. Instead of commands words to increase and decrease the weapon’s size, there exists a separate command word for each size. The weapon transforms directly into the corresponding size. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Miniature. There exists a special “miniature size” category, smaller than the default size. In this form the weapon is only a few inches in length; far too small to be used as a weapon but useful for smuggling or travelling light. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Limited. Some weapon sizes listed in the table above are not available. For instance, you might remove the “rapier” form from a Protean Piercer. This variant might reduce the rarity by one category, if severe enough. The concept of protean weapons is not unique to one creator. Many

have independently arrived at the same idea. Simple protean weapons have the form of a fairly standard weapon.

when they are mortally wounded. This, of course, is an extremely risky

They keep their same appearance, but just vary in size. The most basic

proposition: by fighting on one invites further attacks, any of which

scale uniformly, but the slightly more advanced ones will size grips and

could be fatal. For this reason, this potion is generally reserved for

handles to fit humanoid hands.

situations where death is preferable to defeat, and is often part of a cocktail of other potions and spells designed to give any edge.

PROTEAN WEAPON

Weapon (varies), rare (requires attunement)

Protean weapons come in several types, as shown as column headers in the table below. The DM chooses the type or determines it randomly.

Protean weapons born from primal sources tend to be roughly shaped (though no less effective). A protean clubber clipped from an enchanted tree might be a wooden branch in all its forms. A fiendish protean cleaver might look like a nightmarish claw, growing organically at its master’s whim. Other protean weapons are mechanical more than magic. Some of the more limited specimens are wholly mechanical, without any magic to them. Others combine mechanics and magic. These protean weapons often look like little machines in and of themselves, and have moving parts that fold, swing and stretch during transformation.

26

PULLULATING ARMOUR

Pullulating armour is cherished by active adventurers who like to swim, climb, jump, sneak, or do any other activity that could be

Armour (chain shirt, ring mail, or chain mail), rare (requires attunement)

hampered by armour. It also makes getting dressed in the mornings

If you are within 60 feet of this armour you can speak its command word as a bonus action to cause it to fly apart into a swarm of component pieces (chain links or rings). This swarm will magically fly to your position and float around you. You can repeat the command word for the armour to reform on your body as if you had donned it normally. The swarm is not harmful and does not offer any protection. It can move up to 120 feet per turn; if it can’t keep up with you it follows you as best it can. If it is more than 300 feet from you it reforms into armour and falls to the ground. The swarm can move through small openings and even liquids, but can be stopped by solid physical barriers. It cannot pass through regions of strong wind (at least 20 miles per hour) unless travelling in the same direction as the wind. Variant: Of Swarming. This variant of the armour can attack and be attacked while in swarm form. Use the statistic block below. The swarm acts on your turn. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands it will attempt to occupy your space and move with you. The armour retains any hit point damage it takes while in swarm form. If you have suitable tools, you can restore 10 hit points per hour of work. If the armour is reduced to 0 hit points it reforms into armour and falls to the ground. At the DM’s discretion armour that falls to 0 hit points may require extensive repairs or even be destroyed.

Small swarm of Tiny constructs, unaligned Armour Class (as per armour type) Hit Points 18 (4d8) Speed 0 ft, fly 60 ft. DEX 11 (+0)

CON 10 (+0)

INT 1 (–5)

WIS 7 (–2)

PUNCTURING WEAPON

Weapon (any finesse), rare (requires attunement)

The weapon has a number of charges equal to your Dexterity modifier. If you are proficient in the Sleight of Hand skill you can add your proficiency bonus to the number of charges. It regains all charges at dawn. When you attack with this weapon you can expend one or more charges. For that attack, you score a critical if you roll equal to or greater than 20 – the number of charges spent. For example, if you expend 3 charges, you will score a critical hit on a roll of 17, 18, 19 or 20. You must decide on the number of charges before rolling the attack. I spoke with an owner of a puncturing weapon in order to understand how it works. Unfortunately he did not quite appreciate the importance of my research and gave me vague, imprecise answers. I’m fairly sure he also stole my coin-purse. Supposedly the weapon can be willed to reveal weak-points on one’s enemy. This information comes in the form of brief flashes of insight that appear right at the last moment, so one must possess a certain nimbleness to best capitalise on it.

RADIATOR SHIELD

Armour (shield), uncommon (requires attunement)

PULLULATING SWARM

STR 3 (–4)

easier.

CHA 1 (–5)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses blindsight 60ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8 Languages – Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

ACTIONS Metal Storm. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0ft., one target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage, or 3 (1d4) bludgeoning damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

While holding this shield you can use your reaction to absorb a spell of 4th level or lower that is targeting only you and not with an area of effect. The absorbed spell’s effect is cancelled, and the shield glows red-hot for 1 minute. Any creature carrying the red-hot shield at the start of its turn suffers 1d8 fire damage per level of the absorbed spell, or 1d6 fire damage if the spell was a cantrip. If the absorbed spell was not a cantrip, this reaction can’t be used again for as many hours as the absorbed spell’s level. Variant: Greater Incandescence. The shield can now absorb spells up to 8th level. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Overheat. There is no longer a time limit between uses of the reaction. However, the fire damage simply builds up: durations overlap and damages stack. If the shield is ever hot enough to inflict 60 or more fire damage in a round (before resistances and immunities) it melts into liquid metal and is destroyed. This variant increases the rarity by one category. The radiator shield is possibly the only shield that is intended to be dropped. What’s better? Fight for a while without a shield, or eat a polymorph spell?

27

RAZOR SEEDS

REPEATING CROSSBOW

Stored in a non-magical pouch are 1d4+1 hard, woody seeds, each about the size of an acorn. You can plant a seed in any soil that supports plant life. It rapidly grows into a plant, reaching maturity in 2d4 hours. If harvested before maturity, the plant will wither and die within minutes. The seeds grow into short saplings with a crown of razorsharp leaves. With some simple tools and an hour’s work a new plant can be pruned to function as a handaxe, sickle, battle-axe, morningstar or war pick. An unpruned plant can only serve as an improvised weapon. Even when harvested and pruned these plants magically live on, often providing useful powers. Roll on the table below to determine a plant’s property when it reaches maturity:

This crossbow has been designed for easy reloading. It loses the loading property, but you can no longer load ammunition as part of an attack. Instead, as an action or bonus action, you can load or unload a bolt into or out of this crossbow. The crossbow can be loaded with up to 7 bolts which it will fire one at a time. It fires bolts in the order they were loaded. If you unload a bolt from the crossbow, you must unload the most recently loaded bolt first. Variant: Malfunctioning. When you roll a 1 on at attack roll with this crossbow it malfunctions. The crossbow doesn’t fire. In addition, roll on the table below. This variant decreases the rarity by one category.

Wondrous item, uncommon

d8

Property

1

None. No extra properties.

2

Regenerating foliage. If planted in the ground, the plant will re-grow full foliage in 1d4 hours, allowing it to be pruned into a different weapon.

3

Serrated leaves. +1 bonus to damage rolls made with this weapon.

4

Toxic leaves. You deal an extra 1 poison damage to any target you hit with this weapon.

5

Acidic leaves. You deal an extra 1 acid damage to any target you hit with this weapon.

6

Bioluminescent. The plant sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

7

Berries. At dawn each day the plant grows 1d4 berries with properties as per the goodberry spell.

8

Hybrid. This plant may have multiple properties. Each time you roll this result, roll twice again. If you roll a property the plant already has, that roll grants no extra property.

The trunk and branches are as tough as mature oak, and the leaves as strong as iron. That said, harvested plants aren’t any tougher than normal weapons. They die when they suffer a serious break. Fire can also kill them. Even when treated well, a plant doesn’t live more than 1d4 years. A dead plant becomes brittle and useless in a matter of hours. Razor seeds don’t produce seeds of their own, which raises the question: where do they come from? One theory is that they come from a rare tree deep in the Feywild. Another theory is that razor seeds are actually capable of producing their own seeds, but only if raised in certain conditions. No-one has discovered what these conditions are, if

Weapon (any crossbow), rare

d4

Malfunction

1

Misalignment. You must spend 1 action fixing the malfunction before you can fire the crossbow again.

2

Spillage. Any loaded ammunition spills out of the crossbow onto the ground.

3

Jammed. You must remove all loaded ammunition from the crossbow before you can fire it again.

4

Broken. You must spend 10 minutes fixing the malfunction using tinker’s tools (or similar) before you can fire the crossbow again.

Variant: Kickback. If you attack with this weapon more than once in your turn, the second and all subsequent attacks have a -2 penalty to attack rolls. This variant decreases the rarity by one category. Repeating crossbows are sometimes magical, sometimes mechanical, and often a mixture of both. Reload time is reduced but not eliminated: the operator might need to crank a lever, or wait for the next bolt to teleport into position. Repeating crossbows are only faster to fire while they have ammunition loaded. Anyone using a repeating crossbow is advised to load it to capacity before combat, and to top it up with more ammunition any time there is a spare moment during battle.

RESTRAINING AMMUNITION Weapon (any ammunition), common

This ammunition magically transforms into a net moments before impact. Instead of doing damage, it restrains creatures that are hit in the same way as a net. The net disintegrates in 1 minute. Saying that restraining ammunition transforms into a “net” is an

they even exist, though anyone able to figure it out would be able to

approximation. Certainly, the restraints that appear may be sliced

harvest quite a crop!

through or thrown off much like a rope net, but few artificers put effort into making the restraints look like plain old rope. It’s more likely that the “net” instead takes the form of a luminous grid of energy, a silvery woven web, or a shadowy tangle of wriggling cords.

28

RING OF BILATERAL DUPLICATION

RING OF CELERITY

The ring has 3 charges. It regains all charges at dawn. While you wear this ring you can expend 1 charge as a bonus action to create a duplicate of an object you hold in one hand in your other hand, provided there is enough space for it. If the hand receiving the duplicate is already holding an object, that object disappears and is held in a pocket dimension, ready to re-appear in your hand as soon as you no longer hold the duplicate. If there is not enough space for the object to re-appear, it appears in the nearest unoccupied space. The duplicate remains while you concentrate on it (as if concentrating on a spell). If you stop concentrating, the duplicate disappears. If the duplicate or any sizable piece of it leaves your hand it disappears immediately. If the duplicate is a magical item, while it exists one charge is expended at the end of each of your turns. If you have no charges at the end of your turn, the duplicate disappears. A duplicate magical item with charges or other limited powers requires and consumes these from the original. Creatures cannot be duplicated. A duplicate created by this ring can not be duplicated. At the DM’s discretion, artefacts, sentient weapons and other powerful magical items may also be impossible to duplicate. Variant: Dexterous. Instead of 3 charges, the ring has as many charges as your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1 charge).

This ring has 3 charges. It regains all charges at dawn. While wearing this ring, you can expend 1 charge as an action to gain an additional action on your next turn. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action. Variant: Dexterous. Instead of 3 charges, the ring has as many charges as your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1 charge).

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

A ring of bilateral duplication is mostly useful for two-weapon melee fighting. Creative owners may find a few other niche uses: showing two invitations instead of one might admit an extra guest to an event, provided the door staff don’t try to take the ticket.

RING OF CAREFUL CASTING Ring, rare (requires attunement)

Rings of careful casting come in sets of at least two. When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, anyone wearing and attuned to another ring of the set gains advantage on the saving throw. Your own ring does not grant you protection from spells you cast. Variant: Unattuned Effect. A creature does not have to be attuned to the ring it wears to gain advantage on the saving throw if the spell is 3rd level or lower. Variant: Reactive. Any creature eligible to gain advantage on the saving throw can instead take a reaction to automatically succeed on that saving throw. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. “Friendly fire – isn’t.” If a wizard comrade offers you a ring of careful casting, think carefully before accepting it.

Ring, common (requires attunement)

RING OF DESULTORY RESURGENCE Ring, uncommon

While you wear this ring, you regain 1 hit point when you make a death saving throw and the d20 roll is a multiple of 3. When you regain a hit point in this manner the ring crumbles to dust and is destroyed. Variant: Reusable. The ring now requires attunement. It is no longer destroyed on activation. Instead, your attunement to the item ends and you are unable to attune to this individual ring again. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some rings of desultory resurgence are cursed. Instead of regaining 1 hit point on activation you automatically fail the death saving throw that was rolled. When this occurs, the ring crumbles to dust and is destroyed.

RING OF EXEMPLARS Ring, uncommon

Rings of exemplars come in sets of two. The rings are effective only when both are being worn by different creatures, and both creatures are on the same plane of existence. Determine the highest ability score of the creature wearing the other ring. Your same ability score improves by 2, though it cannot increase above the score of the other ring wearer. If the other creature has two or more equal highest ability scores you choose the one to apply, and you cannot change your choice until you complete a short or long rest. When you determine the highest ability score of the creature wearing the other ring, you include anything modifying the ability scores except increases provided by rings from this set. If the other creature’s highest ability score changes, the bonus granted by your ring can change immediately. Variant: Cursed. Some rings of exemplars are cursed. Both rings in a set might be cursed, or just one. The curse extends to you the moment the ring would normally increase your ability score. Instead of increasing, it decreases by 2, and remains decreased while you are cursed. A cursed ring never grants an ability score increase to its owner, though it may grant one to the wearer of the other ring if it too isn’t cursed. Rings of exemplars can enhance your abilities, which is great, but don’t overlook they fact that, unlike many magical items, they can be

29

passed about and used by different people with ease. These rings are best found in pairs, but don’t discount one found on its own. For all you know, the other ring may belong to a distant adventurer who is, like you, hoping to gain benefits from this item. Alas, some rings are cursed. Don’t be hasty to throw away a pair where only one ring is cursed – it can still benefit one person! Just don’t pass the cursed one about unless you have the remove curse spell handy. It’s been theorised that these rings could be used for communication at a distance. It’s possible, perhaps, but I’m not too certain the average person is proprioceptive enough to realise they’ve lost muscle power but become more charming.

information about this. Variant: Greater. The weight limit for stored items increases to 5 lbs. Variant: Multiple. Instead of a single storage space, the ring has several. Each storage space is accessed by a different command word. This may increase the item’s rarity. Variant: Cursed. Some rings of holding are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed ring extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you cannot summon a stored item. In addition, while you remain cursed, removing the ring no longer ejects stored items.

RING OF IRON LUNGS

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear this ring, you do not drop to 0 hit points or start dying as a result of suffocating. Instead, you lose 1 hit point at the end of each of your turns until you can breathe again. Don’t be tempted to use a ring of iron lungs as a poor man’s cap of water breathing. While it staves off the ill effects of suffocation it does nothing to ease the discomfort. Discomfort is preferable to death, so by all means use it as a contingency against drowning, but don’t think it will allow you to explore the oceans. Deplorable sorts have been known to use rings of iron lungs as torture devices, forcing them on their victims and subjecting them to long minutes of suffocating agony.

RING OF HOLDING

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

A ring of holding allows you to store one object in extradimensional space. You can take a bonus action to speak the ring’s command word to either store or summon an object. To store an object you must be holding it in the hand that wears the ring. The item must weigh 2lb or less and it must be able to fit inside a cube with 5-foot sides. You can store containers, such as a pouch of coins or a full waterskin, but you cannot store loose collections of objects. You cannot store more than one object at once. A stored item appears to vanish. To summon an item your hand that wears the ring must be free and there must be enough space for the item to appear. The item appears in your hand, held in a manner of your choice (for instance, you would probably want to grab a dagger by the hilt). If you stop wearing the ring any object it stores appears in the nearest unoccupied space. Placing the ring inside an extradimensional space created by another magic item can be catastrophic, destroying both items and creating a portal to the Astral Plane. See the entry for bag of holding in the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more

RING OF MIRROR IMAGE

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

This ring has charges equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains one charge at dawn. While wearing this ring, you can speak a command word to cast mirror image. One charge is expended for each duplicate created; there are distinct command words for creating one, two or three duplicates. After using the ring to cast mirror image it cannot be used again for 1 minute. Variant: Reactionary. While wearing the ring you can use your reaction to speak the command word and activate the ring. You can do this when you are hit by an attack, potentially causing that attack to target a duplicate. This variant increases the rarity by one category.

RING OF MUTUAL MISTY STEP Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

Rings of mutual misty step come in sets of at least two. Each ring has 1 charge. All charges are regained at dawn. While wearing this ring, you can speak the command word to expend 1 charge, targeting another creature wearing a ring from this set within 30 feet that you can see. You and the target are briefly surrounded by a silvery mist as you swap places by teleportation.

30

Expending a charge takes a bonus action, or a reaction when you are hit by attack (the swap occurs before the triggering attack roll is applied). If you or the creature you are swapping with cannot fit in their destination space the swap does not happen and the charge is wasted. If the creature you are swapping with is unwilling, it can make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On success, the swap does not happen and the charge is wasted. You must be attuned to the ring to use a charge, but you need not be attuned to the ring to be teleported by it. Variant: Random. Instead of choosing a creature to swap places with, you determine one randomly from all creatures wearing a ring from this set within 30 feet that you can see (excluding yourself). This variant is only useful if there are at least 3 rings in the set.

RING OF PRODUCE FLAME Ring, uncommon

While wearing this ring, you can cast the produce flame spell at will, but you can only attack with the spell if you are also attuned to the ring. Variant: Master’s. The damage of the produce flame spell increases based on your character level as per the spell description. This variant increases the rarity by one category.

RING OF RECIPROCAL SHIELDING Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

Rings of reciprocal shielding come in sets of at least two. Each ring has 1 charge. All charges are regained at dawn. You can target a creature within 120 feet that you can see that is wearing and attuned to another ring of this set. You can do this as a bonus action, or as a reaction when the target takes damage. This expends 1 charge, but you can choose whether the charge comes from your ring or the target’s ring. The target gains temporary hit points equal to your level + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 temporary hit point). These last until the start of your next turn, or the start of the target’s next turn; whichever occurs later. When used as a reaction, the temporary hit points are granted before the triggering damage is applied. Variant: Generous. Each ring has 3 charges instead of 1. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Potent. The amount of temporary hit points granted is doubled. This variant increases the rarity by one category. These are the “prisoner’s dilemma” of magical items. If everyone cooperates, rings of reciprocal shielding can be put to good use. But there’s always that temptation to be selfish, to hesitate in protecting others so that there are more charges available to protect you should you need them.

RING OF RECOVERY

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

This ring has 1 charge. It regains all charges at dawn. While it has charges and while you wear the ring, at the beginning each of your turns, roll 1d6 on the below table. If you are afflicted by the condition listed, that condition ends on you. If the ring removes a condition in this manner it expends a charge. d6

Condition Removed

1

(no condition removed)

2

blinded

3

deafened

4

paralysed

5

poisoned

6

stunned

At the DM’s discretion, you need not roll every turn: • Don’t bother rolling against the table if you don’t have one of the listed conditions. • Apply common-sense shortcuts when time isn’t critical. For instance, if you are poisoned and blinded, the ring will eventually cure one of these conditions, each with a 50% chance of being cured first. Variant: Mental Recovery. Instead of rolling 1d6 on the table, roll 1d8. Add the rows below to the end of the table. This variant increases the rarity by one category. 7

charmed

8

frightened

Variant: Greater. The ring has 3 charges instead of 1. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Enduring. The ring no longer has charges. Instead, it is constantly in effect. This variant increases the rarity by two categories.

RING OF UTILITY

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

A ring of utility is associated with a single tool kit, gaming set or musical instrument. In order to attune yourself with a ring of utility, you must be proficient with the associated item. While wearing this ring, you can take an action to speak the command word followed by the name of an object associated with the ring that you wish to summon. For example, if you had a ring of utility associated with cook’s utensils, you might say “frying pan” or “wooden spoon”. If it were associated with a drum you could say “drum” or “drumsticks”. That object appears in the hand on which you wear the ring, if it is free. You can summon as many items as you can

31

hold, but any items that leave your hands vanish immediately. Consumables are exempt from this: they do not vanish (e.g. pepper from cook’s utensils or paint from painter’s supplies). Your supply of summonable items is limited to a typical supply, as determined by the DM. Any items that are damaged or destroyed will remain in that state, even if resummoned. At the dawn of each day the supply of items is restocked and any broken or damaged items are restored. Variant: Fine. The items summoned by the ring are of exceptional quality, granting you a bonus to ability checks using them. The bonus is +1, +2 or +3 depending on the quality of the ring. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Novice. You can always attune to this ring regardless of your proficiencies. In addition, when using items from this ring, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounding down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Expert. When using items from this ring you can double your proficiency bonus for any ability check you make where your proficiency bonus isn’t already doubled. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Versatile. The ring is associated with more than one tool kit, gaming set or musical instrument. You must be proficient in at least one of these to be able to attune yourself to the ring. You can only summon items belonging to associations you are proficient with. This variant increases the rarity by one category per additional association.

Colour Condition clear

The ring is not attuned to a creature.

white

The creature attuned to the ring is on another plane of existence.

red

The creature attuned to the ring is at 0 hit points, isn’t stable, and isn’t a construct or undead.

grey

The creature attuned to the ring is petrified or paralysed.

teal

The creature attuned to the ring is poisoned.

violet

The creature attuned to the ring is diseased.

pink

The creature attuned to the ring is charmed.

yellow

The creature attuned to the ring is frightened.

orange The creature attuned to the ring has current hit points less than half of their maximum. blue

The creature attuned to the ring is unconscious or asleep.

green

No other conditions above were met.

Attunement to the ring does not end if you are distant from the ring. You can end attunement to this ring voluntarily during a short rest without having the ring in your possession. Variant: Colour Sets. Not all rings of vital signs have the full range of colours. The table below lists variants and the colours that they have. When determining the ring stone’s colour, assume any missing colours are absent from the table above. d6

Variant Name Colours

Rarity

1

Complete

all

rare

2

Life

clear, white, red and green

uncommon

3

Injury

clear, white, red, orange and green

uncommon

4

Blood

clear, white, teal, violet and green

uncommon

5

Sound Mind

clear, white, pink and green

uncommon

6

Lucid

clear, white, pink, yellow, blue and green

uncommon

Variant: Cursed. Some rings of vital signs are cursed. 1d4 days after attuning to a creature, a cursed ring can start to show inaccurate information when it is distant from its attuned creature. The exact nature of this deception is determined by the DM: it could be random, it could follow a pattern, or it might be intelligently lying in a way that causes maximum chaos.

RING OF VITAL SIGNS Ring, rare (requires attunement)

This ring features a gemstone that changes colour based on your well-being. To determine the colour, run down the following list from top to bottom and select the colour of the first condition that holds true.

Adventurers like to use rings of vital signs to keep an eye on certain party members who like to split up or sneak ahead. They have use in civil society, as well. Knowing if a person is charmed can be important when making important deals, or sharing secrets. Detecting poison and disease can help diagnose medical problems.

32

ROBE OF PACIFISM

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wear this robe, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws. If you make an attack or cast a spell that effects an enemy creature, the bonus is suppressed for 10 minutes. Variant: Greater. The AC and saving throw bonus increases to +2, or +3. This variant increases the rarity by one or two categories, respectively.

attacks as well as melee attacks. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Greater. The robe is no longer limited to spells of up to 3rd level. Instead, it is limited to spells of up to 5th, 7th or 9th level. This variant increases the rarity by one, two, or three categories respectively.

ROBE OF THE OUTNUMBERED

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

Each time you fail a saving throw from a spell while wearing this robe, you gain a cumulative +1 bonus to subsequent saving throws. A spell only causes this effect if it does damage to you or otherwise hinders you. The bonus to saving throws resets to zero at the start of your turn.

ROD OF CONCENTRATION

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard)

ROBE OF RETALIATION

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard)

Choose a spell you have prepared of at least 1st level and up to 3rd level with no material components and no need for concentration. You can choose a spell with a range of Self only if it has a cone, line or area of effect originating from you and doesn’t effect you in any way. You can change the chosen spell when you take a long rest. When a melee attack hits you while you wear this robe, you can use your reaction to immediately cast the chosen spell using a spell slot of your choice. You ignore any verbal and somatic requirements. If the spell selects targets, the attacker is targeted if it is valid. If it is not a valid target the spell fails. Spells that can target the same creature multiple times (such as magic missile) target the attacker as many times as permitted. If the spell specifies a point of origin, that point of origin is centred on the attacker. If the spell is a cone, line or area extending from you, it must be aimed squarely at the attacker. Variant: Focused. You can select spells that require material components, provided the material components do not have a listed cost. You must be holding the components, or an appropriate spell focus, to be able to take the reaction. Variant: Ranged. The reaction can be used on ranged

While you hold this rod and cast a spell that requires concentration, you gain temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. The temporary hit points are lost when you stop concentrating on that spell. This item can be used as an arcane focus even by those not attuned to it. Variant: Replenishing. In addition to gaining temporary hit points when you cast a spell requiring concentration, you also gain the same amount of temporary hit points at the beginning of your turn while you are still concentrating on the spell. These temporary hit points are lost when you stop concentrating on that spell. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Archmage’s. Any time the rod grants you temporary hit points, increase the amount granted by a value equal to the level of the spell slot used to power the spell you are concentrating on, if that spell is not a cantrip. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some rods of concentration are cursed. Becoming attuned to a cursed rod extends the curse to you. While you are cursed, the rod does not grant any temporary hit points but instead causes you to take an equal amount of force damage. This damage can break concentration in the usual manner. It’s possible to purchase rods of concentration in the form of other foci, such as wands or orbs. They even exist in variants usable by other casters, such as holy symbols and druidic foci. Buyers should be aware of a subtle point: this rod will help keep you alive while you are concentrating on a spell, but won’t help you maintain that concentration in the face of damage. A blow to the face will hurt less, or maybe even not at all; but you’re just as likely to lose concentration.

33

ROD OF PORTABLE COVER Wondrous item, rare

This rod is shaped like a triangular prism. One side of the prism has several switches, and at one end is a large button. While this rod rests on a surface, you can push the button to cause a barrier of magical energy to spring up from it, perpendicular to the surface on which it lies. Pushing the button again causes the barrier to disappear. It will also disappear if it is lifted off the surface on which it lies. The switches control the shape of the barrier. Switch Effect 1

Controls the width of the barrier: 5 feet or 10 feet.

2

Controls the height of the barrier: 2½ feet, 5 feet, or 10 feet.

3

If this switch is on, and the barrier is at least 5 feet in height, the barrier will have gaps in it. These gaps are sized and positioned to serve as excellent arrow slits. There will be one gap per five feet of width, and they are evenly spaced along the barrier’s width.

4

If this switch is on, the barrier is opaque. It is translucent otherwise.

There must be enough open space for the barrier to activate or change size. If there isn’t, the barrier deactivates. The barrier is physically solid and nothing can pass through it. It has 50 hit points, an AC of 10, vulnerability to force damage, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. The barrier retains its hit point count between uses. It regains 10 hit points daily at dawn. While the barrier has 0 hit points it cannot be activated. If the barrier is a target of a dispel magic or disintegrate spell, it drops to 0 hit points. It also drops to 0 hit points if it has been active for a total of 10 minutes since the last dawn. Variant: Disposable. The barrier no longer regains hit points at dawn. When the barrier reaches 0 hit points the rod becomes non-magical. This variant decreases the rarity by two categories. Variant: Custom. Alter the barrier’s hit points, hit point recovery at dawn, AC, resistances, immunities, vulnerabilities, time-limit, or add a damage threshold. This variant could alter the rarity. Rods of portable cover are easily customised. For example, adventurers facing off against a red dragon may wish to purchase a rod specialised for blocking fire, even if it means the rod cannot block ordinary arrows and swords.

SELF-PLAYING INSTRUMENT Wondrous item, uncommon

This instrument has 1 charge. It regains all charges at dawn. You can speak its command word and expend a charge as an action to cast unseen servant. The servant appears in the nearest unoccupied space to

this instrument. This unseen servant cannot perform simple tasks other than to carry, clean, or maintain this instrument. The servant can also play this instrument. It has a +2 to Charisma (Performance) checks, and can play tunes of moderate difficulty. The servant’s repertoire consists of songs appropriate to the instrument type and the time and culture of the instrument’s creator. As a performer, the servant is technically solid but lacking in creative flair. If you are a bard, you can attune to this instrument. If you are attuned, the unseen servant will accompany any music you play, unless ordered not to. This grants you a +2 bonus to Performance checks. It also increases your spell save DC by 2 any time you use an instrument as a focus. If you are attuned to the instrument, you can specify who can and cannot make use of its command word. In addition, the number of charges changes to equal your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 charge). Tales tell of a bard who collected self-playing instruments. It’s said her small orchestra’s music was so beautiful that no person or beast could be violent on hearing it. The story goes that she even caused an invading army to defect. When assassins were sent after her she would charm them and turn them back on their employers. A nice story, but likely apocryphal. I have strong suspicion that, in reality, self-playing instruments give diminishing returns.

SHADOW BLADE

Weapon (any piercing), uncommon (requires attunement)

This weapon has a number of charges equal to your Wisdom modifier. It regains all charges at dawn. You can expend a charge as a part of an attack with this weapon causing the attack to ignore Armour Class contributions from shields, armour, and natural armour. For that attack, the weapon deals force damage instead of its normal damage type.

SHIELD OF ENERGY PROTECTION Armour (shield), rare (requires attunement)

This shield has charges equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1 charge). It regains all charges at dawn. While holding this shield, you can expend 1 charge as a bonus action to gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning and thunder damage. These resistances remain for up to 10 minutes while you concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell) and continue to hold the shield.

SPEAR OF LIGHTNING Weapon (spear), uncommon

This weapon has 5 charges. It regains 1d4 charges at dawn. While you hold this weapon, you can expend 1 or more charges as an action, causing a line of lightning to issue from the spear. The line issues forth in the direction you choose and is 5 feet wide with a length of 5 feet per charge expended.

34

Each creature in the line must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Variant: Capacitive. While you hold this weapon, you can use an action and expend charges to cast the elemental weapon spell. You must choose lightning damage, and you must target this spear (you can ignore the fact that it isn’t nonmagical). The spell slot level equals the number of charges expended + 2. This variant increases the rarity by one category. The spear of lighting is the lesser-known bigger brother to the javelin of lightning.

SPELL-EATING WEAPON

Weapon (any melee), uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

While you hold this weapon, you can speak its command word as a bonus action to activate it. You can repeat the command word as a bonus action to deactivate it. The weapon will also deactivate if you are no longer holding it. While the weapon is active, you have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this item. If you roll a 1 when attacking with this weapon while it is active you expend one spell slot of the lowest level you have remaining. The weapon deactivates if you have no spell slots remaining. While it it active, this weapon sheds bright light in a 10foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Variant: Bursting. When you critically hit with this weapon while it is active, you can choose to expend one spell slot of the lowest level you have remaining. If you do so, you deal an extra 1d6 force damage per half your character level, rounding up. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Greater. The weapon has separate command words for activating with a +1, +2 or +3 bonus. However, a spell slot is expended if your attack roll with this weapon is equal to or less than the active bonus. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Cursed. Some spell-eating weapons are cursed. Activating a cursed weapon extends the curse to you. While cursed, all of your attack rolls can expend spell slots as described, even when the weapon is deactivated and not on your person.

URTICATING ARMOUR

Armour (scale mail or splint), rare

Pieces of this armour can be removed and used as weapons. The weapon corresponds to the armour type and is shown below. If you are wearing the armour, or it’s in easy reach (such as on a friendly creature within 5 feet) you can take these pieces as easily as you might draw a weapon on your person.

Armour Type

Weapon Type

Damage

Weight Properties

scale mail simple melee

1d4 piercing

1 lb.

finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)

split

1d3 piercing

¼ lb.

finesse, thrown (range 20/60)

simple ranged

The splint version of this armour can have up to 12 pieces removed. If too many pieces are removed it begins to lose its protective capacity: its AC is 17, or 10 + the number of pieces remaining, whichever is lower. Daily at dawn the armour regrows 1d4 pieces. The scale mail version of this armour regenerates pieces much faster. The armour won’t allow more than 40 pieces to be removed in a 10 minute period (this limit would rarely if ever be noticed with typical combat use). Pieces that have been removed cannot be re-inserted into the armour. 10 minutes after being removed from the armour, a piece crumbles to dust and is destroyed. Variant: Self-Propelled. It’s possible to attune to this variant of the armour. Its normal functions listed above can be used without attunement. If you are attuned to the armour you can speak its command word as a bonus action to cause pieces of the armour to detach and fly at creatures of your choice within range. The number of pieces is 2d4 for the scale mail version, and 1d4 for the split mail version. Roll ranged weapon attacks for each piece as if you threw it. You can target one creature or several, after you know how many attacks you are making. For these ranged attacks you do not have disadvantage for hostile creatures within 5 feet.

VERSATILE AMMUNITION Weapon (sling bullet), uncommon

When held by a creature and brought into proximity of a ranged weapon, this sling bullet automatically transforms into a piece of matching ammunition. For example, this ammunition transforms into a bolt if brought near to a crossbow. As it transforms, it orients in the user’s hand to make the loading process smooth. You can use the sling bullet as ammunition for any weapon with the ammunition property. This ammunition does not work with siege weapons. At the DM’s discretion, this ammunition cannot be used with modern or futuristic firearms, or any weapon with complex ammunition. After being used as part of a ranged attack, the ammunition crumbles to dust and is destroyed. A transformed piece of ammunition reverts to its original enchanted form if not used for an attack. Versatile ammunition is usually sold in bulk. Variant: Throwable. The sling bullet can also transform into a thrown weapon. The transformation occurs during the ranged attack, and the versatile ammunition innately knows what form to take based on the wielder’s desire. Variant: Reusable. The sling bullet does not crumble to dust on use. Instead, it reverts to its normal form. This

35

variant increases the rarity by one category. Variant: Scalable. The sling bullet can be used in siege weapons. This variant increases the rarity by one category. Versatile ammunition from different makers can appear wildly different. Some take the efforts to make transformed projectiles appear authentically mundane. Most don’t, resulting in projectiles with various “raw magic” appearances such as glowing bolts or silvery darts.

WAND OF HONING

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a sorcerer, wizard, or warlock)

While you hold this wand, each time you succeed on a ranged spell attack against a creature you gain a cumulative +1 bonus to future ranged spell attacks against that creature. The bonus is limited to a value equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum zero). While the bonus is active, if you make a ranged spell attack against a different creature, you instead get a penalty of the same magnitude. If you hit this new creature, you have a +1 bonus against it, and your bonus against the original creature ends. The bonus to hit a creature ends if a round elapses where you do not attempt a ranged spell attack against that creature. This item can be used as an arcane focus even by those not attuned to it. Variant: Cursed. Some wands of honing are cursed. Attuning to a cursed weapon extends the curse to you. While cursed, the wand does not grant bonuses. In addition, you suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to ranged spell attacks any time you miss with a ranged spell attack. This penalty ends if a round elapses during which you do not attempt any ranged spell attacks. A wand of honing is a joy to use. Strike a victim and it guides your hand; the effect gaining strength the more spells you land. It can be deliciously effective with a rapid-fire spell like scorching ray.

WEAPON OF MIMICRY Weapon (any melee), rare

Weapons of mimicry come in sets of at least two. All weapons in the set must be the same type of weapon. Weapons of mimicry share certain effects between them, effectively “copying” the effect to other weapons of the same set within 500 feet. The effects that duplicate in this manner are: • Applications of poison. • Applications of special oils or tinctures (such as oil of sharpness). • Spells that improve a weapon, provided the spell can target weapons other than the one wielded by the caster (elemental weapon or magic weapon is fine, but lightning arrow or shillelagh is not). A weapon of

mimicry counts as a nonmagical weapon for the purposes of these spells, and so is a valid target. • Other spells that alter an object, at the DM’s discretion. Your DM might allow the effects of light or heat metal to duplicate, for example, but not true polymorph. Only temporary effects are duplicated. At the DM’s discretion some permanent effects may be able to be duplicated. A weapon of mimicry that is destroyed crumbles to dust, along with all other weapons in the same set. Variant: Diverse. Weapons in the same set are not necessarily identical. The DM decides how this impacts certain effect duplication. For instance, poison applied to a slashing weapon of mimicry might not be effective on bludgeoning weapons in the same set. Early attempts to make weapons of mimicry encountered difficulties due to the laws of magic. It was envisioned that the weapons would be identical clones of one another. Sharpen one and you sharpen them all. This would allow a single adventurer to maintain an entire party’s weapons. Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to tease out some properties to copy (shape and size) while ignoring others (momentum and orientation). Early experiments led to weapons tied in space, like coupled immovable rods. Swing your sword and your comrade’s sword would swing also, even if it was in his scabbard.

WUNDERKIND’S FOCUS

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This item takes the form of an arcane focus, a druidic focus, or a holy symbol. You may only attune to this item if you can use that kind of spellcasting focus. This item has charges equal to your spell attack modifier. It regains all charges at dawn. While you have this item on your person in a manner where you can use it as a spellcasting focus (e.g. holding an arcane focus, or wearing a holy symbol), you can expend a charge while casting a cantrip to increase the cantrip’s power as if you were 6 levels higher. A wunderkind’s focus can be used as a spellcasting focus even by those not attuned to it. Variant: Of the Prodigy. The item no longer has or requires charges. While on your person in a manner where you can use it as a spellcasting focus, it always empowers cantrips in the manner described. This variant increases the rarity by two categories. Anyone can make foci. Druids can even pick them up off the forest floor. But wunderkind foci – these are exceptionally crafted examples that tend to come along only once in a generation. They may be inlaid with valuable materials, fashioned from rare and potent substances, exposed to magical energies, or a mixture of all of these.

36

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ORIGINAL CONTENT

All items in this document are original creations of the author. That said, people have been writing about magic items for decades, whether it be in D&D, in RPGs generally, or in wider fiction. Any similarity of an item in this document to an item from another author’s work is unintentional.

THE AUTHOR

This document was written by Joel Kelley. I am eager to hear any and all feedback. Getting feedback strongly motivates me to keep creating. Please also consider leaving a review on this product. You can find more of my D&D content at: • http://deck16.net/dnd • http://www.dmsguild.com /browse.php?author=Joel%20Kelley You can contact me by visiting: • http://deck16.net/contact

ART

All art was created by Togo Hornblower. • [email protected] • http://deviantart.com/togohornblower/

FONTS

This document uses these fonts: • Nodesto Caps Condensed • Scaly Sans These fonts are available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License. The original fonts were created by “Solbera” and improvements were made by “Ryrok”. More information can be found at these URLs: • https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana /comments/3vpphx/ • https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana /comments/4loka0/ • https://github.com/jonathonf/solbera-dnd-fonts • https://creativecommons.org/licenses /by-sa/4.0/legalcode This document uses the font “Vollkorn” by Friedrich Althausen. It is published under the “SIL Open Font License” (OFL). More information can be found at: • http://vollkorn-typeface.com/

LEGAL

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue EmileBoéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.

37