D&D 5E Permanent consumable shelter/building magic item?

CapnZapp · Oct 15, 2015

Hello,

I'm looking for a magic item that when used creates some sort of dwelling (building, shelter).

The thing is that I don't want anything directly useful to the adventurers, so no scrolls (which a wizard can scribe and then cast himself) or transportable. On the other hand, the dwelling needs to be permanent (at least until dispelled), so no duration of 8 hours (or even a year).

In all of (A)D&D, have you seen such an item?

For instance, if there were a thingamagog which when consumed created a Leomund's Shelter or Hut type of building with either instantaneous or permanent duration. While the resulting building stands, the thingamagog itself would be consumed, so only the one use.

To the obvious question "why don't you just make something up" I reply "because I prefer to stay with 'canon' if at all possible." Call it nostalgia if you want.

So if you could point me to an item in some supplement or compendium (does not necessarily have to be 5th edition), that'd be great, thanks!

Ainulindalion · Oct 15, 2015

I can't remember seeing such an item in 3, 4, or 5 (the limits of my experience).

If I was going to make one (I know you said you don't want to), I'd make it a Quall's Feather Token, and link it to Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion spell. Then just give it a duration of (Until dispelled). That doesn't require the creation of any new mechanics or even items, really.

samursus · Oct 15, 2015

House of Zebulon maybe? from the Master of the Desert Nomads modules. X4 and X5 I believe, Expert Rules.

spectacle · Oct 15, 2015

Daerns instant fortress should work, but may be overkill for a "shelter"

bganon · Oct 15, 2015

Haven't heard of anything, and permanent conjuration tends to be pretty high-level. The closest to canon that stays relatively low-powered might be something like a potion (oil) of stone shaping. Can't find an official printing but it seems to have been a popular thing to craft in 3e.

CapnZapp · Oct 15, 2015

Ainulindalion said:
If I was going to make one (I know you said you don't want to), I'd make it a Quall's Feather Token, and link it to Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion spell. Then just give it a duration of (Until dispelled). That doesn't require the creation of any new mechanics or even items, really.

Something like that is exactly what I trust must have been described in any of the hundreds and hundreds of official TSR, WotC or Paizo modules, yes!

CapnZapp · Oct 15, 2015

samursus said:
House of Zebulon maybe? from the Master of the Desert Nomads modules. X4 and X5 I believe, Expert Rules.

First off, thanks for such a grognard reference. Cool!

However, if what you have in mind is anything like the following conversion I found in the intarwebz...

House of Zebulon: this powerful magic item resembles a miniature cube-shaped house, about two inches square, and carved out of white marble. If the proper command word is spoken, a doorway will appear adjacent to the holder of the cube. This doorway is the portal to an extradimensional space inside the cube, and it remains open until a separate command word is spoken to close it.

The interior of the cube is a well-furnished and comfortable house with six rooms. While the supply of air in the cube is infinite, creatures staying in the cube must carry their own food and water inside. Otherwise, creatures can live comfortably in the cube for any length of time.

Creatures can exit the cube at any time, simply by walking out the door. Once per week, an occupant of the cube can project the doorway of the cube to any location known, allowing the occupant to travel back and forth across great distances.

Strong conjuration; CL 13th; Craft Wondrous Item, Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, greater teleport; Price: 163,000 gp.

...it is nothing like what I am looking for.

Not mainly because it is very high level, but because it is a permanent item. I want the house to be permanent, but the item creating it to be single-use.

Also, the house should be immovable (and thus not so useful for travelling adventurers).

CapnZapp · Oct 15, 2015

bganon said:
Haven't heard of anything, and permanent conjuration tends to be pretty high-level.

Why? You must think in general "it requires strong magic to actually create something out of nothing" terms because I don't see how the creation of a hovel/dwelling/shelter could unbalance a game other than perhaps at level 1...?

bganon said:
The closest to canon that stays relatively low-powered might be something like a potion (oil) of stone shaping. Can't find an official printing but it seems to have been a popular thing to craft in 3e.

Yeah, you know you've hit a dead end when google just leads you back to where you started...! :lol:

(Meaning I just googled D&D stone shaping and this thread was among the first search results!)

Valus · Oct 15, 2015

spectacle said:
Daerns instant fortress should work, but may be overkill for a "shelter"

+1 This sounds like exactly what you're describing, unless they introduced a duration to the 5e version. I don't think they did, though.

MarkB · Oct 15, 2015

If you go a little outside the box, your magic object could be a stone dwelling that has been transmuted into a small metal sphere or similar object via Polymorph Any Object. I'm not familiar with the AD&D version, but under 3.5e rules that sphere would pop back into house shape after a week (make the transmuted item more or less house-like in order to tweak that duration). To make it do so on command, supply an Oil of Dispel Magic to apply to it when ready.

D&D 5E Permanent consumable shelter/building magic item?

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