Unwelcome Dental Advice

I may have mentioned this, but I love Dungeons and Dragons. I love making up worlds where people can pretend to be something they’re not. Sure, that’s what storytelling does, to a degree. You write a story and people immerse themselves in the world you’ve made, oftentimes pretending to be the main character. But Dungeons and Dragons puts everyone in the driver’s seat of their own hero (or villain, depending on how you like to play).

On top of world building, I enjoy making items for the players to discover. For my recently ended campaign, I created some truly epic items. My favorite was a bag of holding that was blessed by the Trickster god with the ability to pull out gummy bears (the player’s favorite real life snack). They rolled a d12 to determine which flavor bear was removed from the sack. Each flavor, when hurled using a magic word, had a different effect. The cherry gummy bears cast Fireball on their target, while the mango flavored ones cast Haste.

But the items I made for my friends were beyond powerful with almost no downside to them. Sure, some of them had abilities they could only use so many times a day, but that’s nothing compared to what I’ve been cooking up lately. So, without further ado, here are some items I’ve made that encompass both power and detriment.

Quiver of Wild Magic – Wondrous Item

This quiver of arrows seems innocuous at first, but regardless of how many arrows one uses from it, the quiver never seems to be empty, and it always appears to have at least 20 arrows within. Every arrow used from within appears to have some different effect.

When pulling an arrow from the quiver, the DM rolls 1d8. The following magical effects occur based on the roll of the DM.

1 – Lightning Arrow: On hit, the arrow deals an additional 1d8+3 damage to initial target as Lightning damage. If another target (enemy or friendly) is within 5 ft, the lightning bounces to that target and deals ½ of previously rolled amount of damage. This bounce occurs up to three times (a previously affected target can be hit more than once), each time the damage is halved from the previous amount.

2 – Arrow of Uncontrollable Laughter: On hit, target, and any other enemy or ally within a 20 ft radius, must make a WIS save (DC: 16) or be afflicted with a burst of uncontrollable laughter that lasts 3 rounds. Normal arrow damage applies to the hit target. Hitting anyone afflicted by this laughter will break the spell.

3 – Acid Arrow: On hit, target must make a DEX save (DC: 15) or be splattered with acid for 1d6+2 damage. Enemies and allies within 10 ft must also save DEX (DC:10) or suffer 1d4 damage.

4 – Frostpath Arrow: This arrow leaves a path of ice along its path, 8 ft wide for 5 rounds. Anyone attempting to walk across the path must save DEX (DC:18) or slip and fall. Another DEX save (DC:16) must be made on their next turn (and future turns) to escape the frosty path. On hit with the arrow, the victim takes normal arrow damage and an additional 1d6+3 Frost Damage. Ice forms around the victim in a 30 ft radius, and anyone inside the radius must make a DEX save (DC: 18) to avoid slipping and falling for one round. DEX saves (DC:16) must be made after that to move out of the frosty patch. This is considered rough terrain and movement penalties are incurred.

5 – Flaming Arrow: On hit, the victim takes arrow damage and an additional 1d6+1 fire damage. Additionally, they take 2 fire damage each round for 4 rounds, or until they jump in water to douse the flame.

6 – Arrow of Impending Doom: On hit, the target must make a CON save (DC:16). On save, the target takes arrow damage and loses half their remaining health. On fail, the target dies outright. Targets slain on a failed saving throw curse the shooter of the arrow. The shooter takes health damage in the amount that the target had left at the time of their death by this arrow’s death magic.

7 – Gust Arrow: All targets in a 30 ft cone, 60 ft away from the shooter must make a DEX saving throw (DC:18) or be hurled to the ground in a powerful gust of wind. This arrow does no damage.

8 – Chaos Arrow: On hit, roll 1d6. 1-2: All enemies in sight take normal arrow damage. 3-4: All allies in the same area, and the intended target, take normal arrow damage. 5-6: All enemies take 2x normal arrow damage, all allies take ½ normal arrow damage.

Rags to Riches – Rare Ring

This ring appears to simply be a bronze ring of no importance. When Detect Magic is cast upon it, it will appear totally beneficial. After attuning to the item (a period of 5 consecutive days worn), you will discover that the ring seems to make your armor useless, but you will find more money on fallen enemies.

• While worn, this ring nullifies any Armor Class gained from both armor and attribute bonuses. Your Armor Class is set to 8.
• Enemies slain by the wearer of this ring will always drop more gold than normal. Roll 1d4: 1 – 25gp, 2 – 100gp, 3 – 175gp, 4 – 200gp

Swords to Plowshares – Rare Ring

This ring is elaborately worked silver with a gem encrusted sword fashioned into it. When Detect Magic is cast upon it, it will appear to be relatively mundane, with but a hint of magic. After attuning to the ring (a period of 5 consecutive days worn), you will feel more powerful than normal.

• While worn, you will gain +3 to hit and +3 to all physical damage dealt.
• Enemies slain while in the company of the wearer will never drop money. Weapons, armors, and other items in the possession of slain enemies will be of one item level lower than originally intended. Example: Normal, non-magical items will be of poor quality and sell for almost nothing. +1 Magical items will instead be normal items. +2 Magical items will instead be +1 items. And so on.

Salt in the Wound – Rare Melee Weapon

This weapon (it can be any edged melee weapon: daggers, rapiers, swords, etc.) will appear as a mundane weapon with an extremely sharp edge and extra gleam, but no other notable features. Detect Magic will uncover that the item contains faint magic that is, for the most part, beneficial.

• This items is +2 (+2 to hit, +2 damage)
• Enemies struck by this weapon suffer extreme irritation in their wound which incurs a -2 to all attack rolls and -2 to all saving throws for 3 rounds. Hitting the same target with this weapon again will reset the effect back to 3 rounds.
• Critical misses with this weapon will cut the wielder incurring the same above penalty.

Lute of Destiny – Rare Musical Instrument

Upon first glance, this lute appears to simply be well-made and crafted with gold filigree. Upon further inspection using magic, you find that there is something more sinister going on with this instrument, as if the devils from the Nine Hells themselves had played it.

• This lute offers +5 to all performance checks while using it, even if the player has no skill in using musical instruments.
• The Lute of Destiny allows the player to play the most wickedly awesome tunes ever heard, tunes well beyond the skill of a mortal man or woman. The tunes are so amazing that it gives pause almost all any creature below a WIS score of 16. All beings of 16 WIS or below must roll a WIS save (DC: 18) or be enthralled by the music. Enthralled beings cannot act for 2 rounds, or until hit or shaken free of the effect.
• After 5 uses of the Lute of Destiny, a devil from Avernus is summoned and the player must engage in a Rock-Off Challenge with them. Both the player and the DM roll 3d10 and add the scores together. The higher of the two scores wins the Rock-Off by playing the best song in the world. If the player wins, the Lute of Destiny continues to function as before. If the devil wins, the player’s soul becomes the property of said devil. If the player’s HP drops to 10% of their total, the devil appears to ferry them away to Avernus.
• In the instance that the player loses the Rock-Off Challenge, the Lute of Destiny loses all its power.

Note:

Please feel free to use any of these items in your own campaigns if they catch your fancy. I’ll continue to post more of them as I make them. I do love a good pop culture reference in Dungeons and Dragons. Let me know, in the comments below, how you like them or what you’d do to change them.