D&D 5E New Magic Item: (Un)lucky Coin

pukunui · May 26, 2019

Hi all,

I've had an idea for a cool little magic coin. Currently, both of my campaigns are set in the Forgotten Realms, which has goddesses of both good and bad luck (Tymora and Beshaba respectively). I was thinking it would be cool to have a coin - on one side is an image of Tymora, on the other an image of Beshaba.

When you flip the coin, if it lands with Tymora's image facing up (heads), then you get advantage on your next roll; conversely, if it lands with Beshaba's image facing up (tails), then you get disadvantage on your next roll.

I can't decide whether to make it usable once per rest or once per day. If it were once per rest, I feel like it should probably require attunement. If it's once per day, probably not.

I also have no idea what rarity to make it.

Anyone got any ideas?

Shiroiken · May 26, 2019

I would suggest the following: As an action, you may flip this coin, allowing it to land on the ground. If somehow the coin would not land on either face due to an obstruction, there is no effect. If it lands Tymora, it will disappear in a flash of white light, and once before you finish a long rest you may gain advantage on a roll. If it lands Beshaba, it will disappear in a flash of black light, and once before you finish a long rest, the DM may grant disadvantage on one of your rolls. In either case, once the roll is made, the coin will re-appear in a container worn/held by the character (in the case of no container, it appears on the ground). A creature can only gain the benefit from flipping the coin once per long rest.

As for rarity, I usually don't worry too much about that, since I don't allow buying or selling magic items (although trading can happen).

77IM · May 26, 2019

If it affects your very next roll, a shrewd player will only use it when they have disadvantage already. Because disadvantage doesn't stack, this means a toss of the coin has a 50% chance of cancelling the disadvantage, and a 50% chance of doing nothing. Tossing the coin when you already have advantage is never a good idea, and tossing it when you have neither advantage nor disadvantage seems like a break-even proposition.

I love the flavor of this item. I'd probably make it Uncommon since it seems like the sort of thing that you might find tucked away in some farmer's cottage ("This here is my grandpappy's coin of decisioning..."). You might want to name it "Coin of Tyche" after the goddess of luck from whom both Tymora and Beshaba emerged.

hbarsquared · May 26, 2019

PCs would have no reason to use it normally. They would only use it when they already have disadvantage on a roll, in which case there's no downside.

It might be fun as a "gotcha" item. No attunement, no per day requirement, no sense of what it does. PC flips it X number of times, and the next X rolls have the designated advantage/disadvantage, with the player wondering why the whole time.

But there's no use for it as a normal magic item, except for a chance to cancel disadvantage.

Charlaquin · May 26, 2019

I mean the obvious solution to the “players will only use it when they have disadvantage” option is just to make it not allow that. You can only benefit from the coin on a roll that doesn’t already have advantage or disadvantage.

I really like Shiroiken’s idea of having the (dis)advantage be bankable. Either you apply advantage to a later roll of your choice (that doesn’t have disadvantage) or the DM applies disadvantage to a later roll of their choice (that doesn’t have advantage). If you do it that way, I wouldn’t even limit it by long/short rest at all. Have the coin vanish in the flash of light/darkness once used, and rematerialize only after its boon or bane has been used. I don’t think it needs to be any more limited in frequency than that.

I’d make it Uncommon, or maybe Rare. Doesn’t strike me as the kind of thing you’d expect to see many people have, so it doesn’t feel Common to me. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d build a quest around, so Very Rare or Legendary are definitely out. Rare feels a bit lofty, but I could see it, if Tymora and Beshaba play a big role in your adventure. Otherwise go for Uncommon.

Imaculata · May 26, 2019

This reminds me of a Lucky Coin I have in my campaign. Only it doesn't grants advantage or disadvantage, it just always lands with the same face up. Excellent magical item for cheating at gambling.

pukunui · May 26, 2019

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone! I appreciate it.

What if, instead of granting (dis)advantage, it granted a Luck point (as per the Lucky feat)? If the coin lands with Tymora facing up, the player who flipped the coin gets a Luck point. If the coin lands with Beshaba facing up, the DM gets a Luck point. In either case, the Luck point disappears at the end of the session if it hasn't been used yet. And the coin disappears until the Luck point is used as well.

How about that?

Also, I like the idea of calling it Tyche's Coin or something. Thanks for that suggestion, [MENTION=12377]77IM[/MENTION]!

jasper · May 26, 2019

The end of session idea is better.

aco175 · May 26, 2019

I do not have a problem with the DM choosing when the good or bad luck happens. I try to let the player control all of this, but flavor-wise the PC should not know when the magic thinks the best, or worst, time to activate.

Hawk Diesel · May 26, 2019

I like the luck point idea best so far. The other way I might handle it would be similar to True Strike. If it requires an action to use, I don't see the need to make a limit per rest, especially if it carries a potential negative effect when used. So one way to handle it would be:

Coin of Weal and Woe
Uncommon Wondrous Item, Requires Attunement

This coin has one face engraved with the the visage of Tymora, and the other of Beshaba, the gods of good luck and bad luck. As an action, you can flip this coin (represented by either flipping a real coin, or rolling a dice. If you choose to flip a real coin, heads represents Tymora, and tales represents Beshaba. If you roll a dice, even numbers represent the coin falling with Tymora's face up, while odds have the coin landing Beshaba face up). If the coin lands Tymora face up, your next d20 roll is rolled with advantage. If the coin lands Beshaba face up, your next d20 roll is rolled with disadvantage.

If you roll the same result three times in a row in single game session, the coin disappears, randomly appearing in the possession of a different sentient being somewhere within 1,000 miles.

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I personally don't see this as much different than the guidance cantrip or the true strike cantrip.