While the DMG is still a few months away, I'm hoping it spices up magic items like promised. Lost Mines of Phandelver didn't really (here's a sword called Talon with a brief history, but it's still only a +1 sword. Welcome to the exciting world of memorable magic items you'll be talking about for years....) Hoard of the Dragon Queen is even worse; those items they do give are about as vanilla and generic as they get. I suppose they're just leaving the creativity up to the gamers.
With that in mind, working up creative magic. For example, Potions of Healing, just another piece of equipment? Why not spice them up a bit? If you purchased them from a particular temple, they contain some residual effect related to the empowering deity. Drink one created by priests of Sune, goddess of passion? Maybe brief lust, a desire to celebrate later (in someone's bed), a fervor for some raunchy music. Drink one by priests of Tempus, god of war? A smell of iron and blood, a cool caress of steel. A quick and random look at the diety table in the PHB and a potion is more than just a piece of gear. It's...magical.
And there should never be a +1 sword that does +1d6 lightning damage called Shock, end of story. Tsk. Rather, when players attune, maybe they see the weapon being created, and the item should be something to be heralded, respected, or feared. Here's something:
Blade of Chaos: made of abyssal steel, this ebony-hued bastard sword's metal is foreign to this world and bears abyssal runes that appear only when the sword's blade is in contact with fresh blood. The runes spell out names of those who have been slain by the weapon. The cross-guard is formed in the shape of bat wings framed by small blood-red rubies. Despite its ominious metal, the blade was crafted by Githyanki smiths and wizards in conjunction with fiend labor for a long-lost general whose death resulted in the loss of the blade to various mercenaries, none holding the blade for long.
Property: +1 weapon for a 3rd level or above user, otherwise +1 damage. The weapon wants to influence only the strong to use it and those of 3rd level or above feel slight contentment whereas others feel a slight edge of fear, as if each battle might be their last.
Property (attuned): after a creature is slain, add 1d6-2 to your next attack roll with this weapon before the end of your next turn. The sword whispers random names of prior victims in Abyssal during this time, which may empower the wielder with otherworldly powers or distract them.
Silvered Hand Ax +1 (120gp) light thrown (range 30 to 80): This stout throwing tomahawk has a hickory wood handle and a finely crafted steel blade etched in silver with the eye of Gruumish. There are a small cluster of light to dark blue feathers hanging stylishly from the end of the handle which is finished in brass bands to balance it for throwing.
There were a handful of bloggers some time back who write about this very thing from the 3.5 mindset, with a little creativity and critical thinking it is very applicable to 5 as well, perhaps more so.
http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2014/03/on-magical-1-weapons.html?m=1
That's one of the articles, he links a few more at the beginning. I'm not a fan of all the items they talk about, but I've adapted a few for use in my campaign.
Touc wrote:
I like your ideas and I think we're on the same wavelength. I was very happy with the plan for 5E magic item design as set out in the Legends and Lore articel, but so far I have seen very few examples of this being followed in published materials. I'm really hoping we will see more in the DMG too.
In the meantime, I think magic items should really push the 'personality' of the item. I am looking forward to items with their own agendas and so on.
One way to tie this in mechanically is to give the player an additional Bond, Flaw or other personality characteristic once atttuned to the item. Maybe even an additional ideal! The nature of the trait could be anything - an eerie echo in the voice, a compulsion to step on flowers, dreams about a yuan-ti sorcerer... anything, as long as it adds something beyond "thing to hit things better with". Basically the magic item adds to the character's background.
Hmmm... taking this further, a magic item could even add something similar to a background feature. Imagaine a magic flute, that when played gives you a background feature siilar to the Knight's retainers - but with rat swarms...
Before the DDNext forums vanished, we had a thread going called 'Flavorful Magic Items'. Although you can't navigate to it, it's still accessible here
Club of the MindFlayer +1: Once per day, on a successful hit the Club of the Mindflayer can read the enemies darkest fear and cause them to be frightened for 1d3 rounds unless they make a successful Intelligence DC 11 save. A creature/NPC cannot be affected more than once. The fear effect only works on intelligent creatures and does not work on constructs. If the club vanishes, breaks etc the “Frightened” effect also vanishes. After six rounds the tentacles extend down the club wrapping the users hand and discharging a jolt of pure fear energy into the wielder. The user must make a Constitution save DC 10 or be stunned for one round. If the club is not being held six rounds after a successful fear affect the next time it is gripped it will release its energy.
{To nerf/strengthen adjust bonus, DC's, and/or the number of times per day it can frighten}
Magic Sword +1: This magical sword was created by a long dead smith and his half-fey wife who lived at the base of an active volcano. The smith quarried his own materials to make this weapon and after years of labor presented the finished product to his love who in-turn imbued the weapon with the energy of volcano. But there was a tiny imperfection and the wild magic she harnessed and imbued into the sword had an unexpected result. When the sword is unsheathed it begins to get hot. 1-3 rounds: blade and pommel are warm, 4-8 rounds Blade and pommel are uncomfortably hot, 9-10 rounds the blade begins to glow 1d4 fire damage and roll CON save DC 10 or drop, 11+ rounds Glowing red hot 2d8 fire damage CON save 15 or drop. Resheath to reset effects.
{The players used this sword to great effect – They would unsheathe it, let it warm-up and slide it into a dark room as a light source, it saved the party from a blizzard once, and has started many benign and hostile fires. To nerf/strengthen adjust bonus, number of rounds for effects to occur and/or reset time/condition}
Here are some names: Sword of Nal'Kalla, Sword of the Caldera
Scale Mail +1: When this armor is struck the scales in the general area move and bunch together giving the armor its bonus to AC. Once per month, for 24 hours, this armor loses its +1 bonus (still considered magical). During this time the wearer can see invisible creatures/items as a heat signature (assuming they radiate heat). At the end of the 24 hours a large lump of what appears to be snake scales can be found on the ground near the armor.
{To nerf/strengthen adjust bonus, length of the molt, magical effects of the molt}
From Dungeon #13 I've summarized an item that shows how magical items should be, each one evoking wonder and oozing flavor. The original description went even further in detail, but even a short version is far superior to the description "Ring of Protection +1 worn by Berk the Brave who died in an orc attack." You can add a sentence, but it remains a boring magical item and exactly what I got when running Lost Mines of Phandelver. Since magic items are no longer necessary to "leveling up" but rather are a rare bonus, there's no reason they should remain lame. And, if magic items are awesome, give them names. Excalibur was Excalibur, not "long sword +2."
Gordon’s Magic Ring (after looking this one up online, it appears historically there was a general Gordon who was successful enough that people thought he had a magic talisman or ring.)
Sages disagree as to the ring’s origin, but all feel it has abilities not yet revealed. Levalsa of Enstad in her much acclaimed Treatise on Mystical Rings links it to an unnamed demigod who toyed with mortals. Arrivas of Waterdeep feels the ring was once a powerful magical ring damaged by a curse. [awesome, this should be part of efforts to discover more about the item and not gained just by holding it during a rest period.] This item appears a finely tooled gold ring with a human face carved on one side with tiny red garnets for eyes. On the inside of the band is the name “Gordon of Red Falcon” in elvish script. The ring radiates dim magic of indeterminable origin, and spells to identify reveal false powers each time. [ok, most items shouldn't frustrate attempts to identify, but this one is special. In any case, it's nice to have some mystery about an item remain.]
The ring can speak elvish, gnome, dwarvish, halfling, thieves’ cant, hill giant, ogre, and common. It can change its carved face to smile, frown, grimace, etc. It can levitate the wearer as if 12th level. It has intelligence (10) and is very friendly, even to known enemies, and strikes up a conversation whenever possible. [This opens the game up to tons of possibilities, at least until the player keeps using the ring and finds out it's a liar as below. Still, it's a talking ring and it knows a lot of languages.]
However the ring is a habitual liar, always craving more adventure. It promises the world but never delivers. For example, it once belonged to a halfling captured by a troll and about to be eaten. The ring proudly declared it was a Ring of Wishes. The halfling wished escape and the ring sputtered out some fancy words, closed its eyes and even sweated. Nothing happened of course and the ring merely said it’d used up its powers and asked if anything else it could do. [This is just awesome and gives you an idea of how to play the ring.]
If in danger of removal or destruction, the ring may (20% chance) levitate the wearer, but never on command (claiming it cannot remember). The ring is cursed and can only be removed by death or casting silence followed by dispel magic and remove curse. [It's a cursed item that won't automatically kill the player or screw them over in combat. Given its ability to speak languages, some players might even keep it as a translator, albeit a really really unreliable one.]
In the end, I'd probably devise a way to "cure" the ring and maybe open up a useful power while keeping its boastful communications. Maybe it's a good ring driven mad...
Kobold Guide to Magic, written by Wolfgang Baur, David "Zeb" Cook, etal and edited by Ray Vallese
This book discusses lots of ways to breath new life into magic, (not just items but there is some of that too). In it Jeff Grubb writes an essay called "Colors of Magic. Imbuing a sense of wonder in RPG spellcasting" here's a snipet: "I had a potion of healing taste like peppermint. There was nothing in the rules that sent me in that direction, but it became a standard within my world-healing tasted like peppermint. Potion of extra-healing? That would be strong peppermint."
I reworked an old 2e item for my players, which they found at the Old Owl Well in the course of their exploration there...
Ring of Myrkul
The ring consists of a gold band painted black and adorned with the white skull of Myrkul. It glows faintly in the presence of a detect evil spell.
Requires attunement.
Properties:
**The wearer may Walk Among The Dead (all mindless undead and intelligent undead with 6 hit dice or less will not attack the ring wearer unless the wearer attacks them first).
**Moreover, if the wearer can make spell attacks, he or she may cast:
-Chill Touch (as per PHB p. 221) 3/day;
-Ghoul Touch 1/day --- Range: Touch; Duration: 1 minute; Effect: Imbuing you with negative energy, this spell allows you to paralyze a single living humanoid for the duration of the spell. Make a melee spell attack against a humanoid within your reach. If you hit, the target is paralyzed for the duration of the spell or until it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw. The target may attempt a saving throw once per round at the end of its turn. While paralyzed, it exudes a carrion stench that causes any living creature (except the caster) within a 25 foot cube (from the center of the target's body, aka within 2 squares) to become poisoned until it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw, which it may attempt at the end of any turn if it has moved outside the zone.
**Sufficiently evil intelligent creatures within 90 feet are drawn to the ring, with a strong desire to touch and possess it. The compulsion to touch the object can be overpowering; a DC 15 Wisdom save releases an affected creature from the compulsion. A creature that successfully saves must repeat the saving throw 1d6x10 minutes later if they are still within range.
**Wearing the ring causes one's body temperature to drop several degrees cooler, and over time one's voice becomes more like a raspy whisper unless the wearer consciously decides to speak normally.
**Before the Time of Troubles, if the ring wearer was a Myrkulite priest, he could invoke a number of other effects, but these greater necromantic powers vanished when Myrkul died.
**Some other situational powers to the ring may exist, that are tied to specific locations especially (un)holy to Myrkul, or to proximity with other Myrkulite relics.
BoldItalic wrote:
This one is pretty spicy:
Wondrous Draught (Uncommon): This small clay bottle is always warm to the touch. It feature intricate designs of inlaid gold in the shape of twisted faces. When the bottle is filled with liquid, it transmutes that liquid into a new form at the next midnight, depending on what type of liquid it contains:
- Water (or a vial of tears) is transmuted into a potion of healing.
- Blood is transmuted into a potion of false life.
- Oil is transmuted into a potion of mage armor.
- A vial's worth of acid is transmuted into a potion of aid.
- A dose of antitoxin is transmuted into a potion of lesser restoration.
- A dose of basic poison is transmuted into a potion of armor of agathys.
- Holy water is transmuted into an oil of purify food and drink.
- Ale, mead, or other common alcohol is transmuted into a potion of darkvision.
- Wine is transmuted into a potion of enhance constitution.
- Perfume is transmuted into a potion of disguise self.
- Dragon blood is transmuted into a potion of protection from energy against the damage type of the dragon's breath weapon.
- Other liquids may be transmuted into further substances, but magic potions always remain as they were.
When the bottle is heated over a fire, the inlaid gold shifts its form, turning to writing in Abyssal that describes the liquid it contains. Liquid removed from the bottle evaporates at the next midnight.
Some additional ones that my players don't know yet:
Alchemist’s fire: Potion of searing smite.
Embalming fluid: Oil of gentle repose.
Fairy wine: Potion of speak with plants.
Fruit Juice: Potion of speak with animals.
Ink: Oil of darkness.
Necromantic Seepage (something from Heart of Nightfang Spire): Potion of revivify.
Tanning solution: Potion of barkskin (toughened leather instead of bark).
Urine/spit: Potion of healing.
Vampire blood: Potion of false life (raised to level 2 for vampire spawn, level 5 for full vampire).
Vinegar: Potion of darkvision.
The Bag of Tardis
Background: The windowless room was circular with smooth, white granite floor to ceiling. In the center an egg carved of crystal sits on glass pedestal. Through each of seven arches a cloaked figure emerges, heads bowed. They arrange themselves around the egg, spreading their arms they begin to chant in unison as the egg begins to glow softly. After a few minutes it shines like a sun. With a loud bang the egg is suddenly gone, replaced by a small black hole which has ripped a hole in their fabric of reality to another plane of existence. Clearly this was not the result the cowled figures expected as they scramble around yelling at each other. One of the magi quickly fetches a blue, silk bag, roughly two feet in diameter at its mouth and four feet deep. He throws it over the hole knocking the pedestal over in the process it shatters into a thousand glittering pieces. Quickly she rights the bag and cinches it shut. Calmer now the wizards begin a much different chant which they continue for seven hours.
Effects: The Bag of Tardis operates like a bag of holding except that the hole the wizards created, which gives the silk bag its extra-dimensional holding power, also ties it to a strange world filled with bloated fly like creatures the size of a large man’s thumb. These flies are incredibly annoying as they want to hover and buzz around the head of the bags owner or any other creature nearby. When swatted (Dexterity Check) they explode in a rather large shower of yellow and blue puss which smells like rotten blue cheese. In a world seething with large flies it was only natural that a frog like creature would emerge as a natural predator. The frog is the size of a watermelon and weighs nine pounds. When it jumps out of the bag (in a random direction) it makes an additional leap as soon as it hits the ground. This jump covers 20 feet. The frog will then spew a sticky stream of snot like goo on a random creature within 10 feet of its final resting spot (Spew, ranged attack +4 to hit). If eaten the legs of the frog creature taste like mild chicken and pair well with a fruity wine.
When the bag is opened roll a percentile:
% Effect
1-35 Nothing emerges
36-85 1d6 bloated flies emerge from the bag
86-100 Otherworld “frog” emerges
Serpent Dagger +1: Deep in the misty jungle a small wizened shaman carefully opens a wicker basket, and with surprising speed thrusts his hands inside, plucking out two angry, hissing snakes. He begins to chant as he moves toward a flat rock with a painted symbol. The low thrum of his voice seems to paralyze the snakes, their lashing all but stopped although their mouths are still open. Placing them on the rock he entwines their tails, each head looking in the opposite direction. Still chanting, he reaches into a pouch and produces an obsidian blade which he thrusts into the vipers between their heads. His chanting changes to an almost screech as he sprinkles a yellow powder over everything. When he stops the snakes have transformed into bronze.
If the PC rolls a natural one on an attack with the dagger the snakes suddenly come to life and bite wielder, otherwise treat as a dagger of venom. It’s up to the DM to decide if the bite does damage and/or poisons the user.
Here's a simple method I've always used for unusual or unique magic items:
1.) Choose an item. Could be a weapon, armor - but better yet, choose something miscellaneous.
2.) Choose a spell (you could even roll randomly). If you open it up to previous editions you have hundreds and hundreds to choose from.
3.) Mash up item and spell.
A couple of quick examples I'll make up right now on the spot:
Bedroll + Barkskin = Sleeping Bag of Silvanus
This sturdy canvas bedroll is covered with a woodland leafy pattern. When a user crawls inside to sleep and says a prayer to Silvanus, the outer layer takes on a rough, bark-like appearance. This protects the user from the elements and gives them an effective AC of 16 while they sleep, and they take on the camouflaged appearance of a fallen log.
Bullseye Lantern + Find Traps = Lyndor's Lantern (or an Evasion Lantern)
This well crafted, iron and wood bullseye lantern was created for the famous thief Lyndor, the only known survivor of the Tomb of Horrors. When the lantern shines on an area that contains a trap, the torchlight turns from it's usual yellow glow to a deep red. The lantern merely reveals that a trap is present - it does not show you the exact location or nature of the trap. It requires oil made from the glands of a fire beetle to refill.
The possibilties are endless, and the combo usually creates a creative spark that is easy to expand upon.
What I've been thinking about so far:
Mole Claws: Gnomish metal claws that when attuned change to fit the user's hands and allow burrowing in dirt during one turn for 60ft. A windup mechanism allows the claws to be powered up again for further use which takes 15 minutes.
Sword of the Mighty +1: Attack rolls of 21 or higher do +2 damage (or whatever you deem balanced for your players).
Golden Socks of Waterwalking: Only allows waterwalking if the water is touched by the base of the foot first (as opposed to the heel or the top to allow PCs to still enter water if they wish).
Sienthelas' Sheathing Glove:
The ancient Eldritch Knight Sienthelas was known as much for his martial and magical prowess as he was for the sheer number of weapons he carried. Seeking to refine his weapon bonding talent, he designed this glove to exchange weapons without interrupting his fluid fighting style.
The fingerless glove appears to be made of bleached white leather sewn with gold thread. A large, ovular onyx gem is embedded on the outside, and swirls with a faint, ghostly image of the weapon to which it is bonded when that weapon is 'sheathed.'
The wearer may spend an hour attuning a weapon to the glove. Upon doing so, he may then send the weapon into an extradimensional space as a non-action if he is holding it in the gloved hand (drop item). Being disarmed will also cause the weapon to enter this space, provided the glove has charges remaining. If the glove and attuned weapon are ever separated by more than 30 feet, the attunement is broken. Only one weapon may be attuned at a time.
Recalling the weapon operates under the normal rules for draw/sheath. The weapon must be sheathed in the glove (can't recall a weapon that was thrown, even if within 30 feet). The gloved hand cannot be holding anything during recall.
After sending OR recalling, the glove provides a +1 bonus to damage on the next attack made with any weapon in the gloved hand (or unarmed attack)
Attunement does not work on shields, artifacts or improvised weapons. The glove has 3 charges which reset every 24 hours, and each sending/recall spends one charge.
---
General intent, a wondrous item providing an ability similar to weapon bond/pact blade with some limitations, but without wasting time on sheathing, to make switching weapons in combat quicker and deadlier without losing the first weapon (e.g. mixed skeletons and zombies oh my! Smash skellies with your attuned warhammer, then 'drop' it and pull that greatsword off your back when the zombies step up to the plate, rather than spend your full action on a second draw/sheath in one turn)
I've got a dual-wield ranger at my table who likes to open with his bow, then drop it and pull his swords when melee enemies reach him. Figured this would be a nice reward sometime down the road.
Cloak of Crowds: This cloak is a nondescript grey color...or maybe it's brown. It's hard to tell, because the eye just wants to slide right off it. Whenever the wearer is around other people, especially in a town or a city, he blends in to the crowd, as people just naturally assume he's uninteresting or otherwise belongs where he is.
History: Cardinal Richeliu's grand inquision was set up to ferret out heratics and threats to the Great Church, but getting Inquisitors into position to bring the hammer down was difficult. People tend to notice paladins in heavy armor clanking up to them. To aid the inquisition, The Cardinal comissioned a number of these cloaks for his agents, allowing them to infiltrate taverns and known lairs with ease. The enchantment of the cloak isn't foolproof--it relies a great deal on the wearer's training in stealth. A paladin wearing such a cloak is just another face in the crowd; a rogue wearing one is nearly invisible.
Properties: With the hood up, the wearer can attempt to hide while in an urban environment, as long as there are at least 2 other humanoids within 10 feet of him. The wearer does not need to be obscured to hide, though he must remain quiet.
Design Notes: This was soemthing I added to our game last session, when a Oath of Vengance Paladin working for the Inquisition turned out to be stalking one of th PC's contacts in the criminal underworld. I designed this cloak as an inversion of the cloak of elven kind from the playtest materials. It's basically a Cloak of Someone Else's Problem.
The Bow of Xu'Kal'Cee'Dez: This +X longbow has the unfortunate side-effect of shouting out a little redeeming factoid about any enemy that was just killed. Aside of making it rather useless for stealth, it also tends to slowly grate on it's wielder, turning them just a little insane. Bonus points if you can manage an annoying kind of voice.
With the DMG delayed (and no arguments against them wanting to get it nicely done), having to generate items for our campaign after promising magic in 5th would be awesome. Whether it's the Bag of Holding called "Indigestion" (the maker's familiar lizard went after a bug and got consumed into the bag, it belches sometimes when taking items in and a raspy tongue guides hands in the bag to the proper item), or the magical weapon with an inflated sense of ego ("use me and we will be invincible!", +1d6 damage if the first offensive act taken against enemy is using this weapon, berates if the player misses), the players are going to get interesting magic that doesn't unsettle the game.