D&D 5E Next DMG Sneak Preview is Up! Figurine of Wondrous Power!

[Scorpio616]

Sigh, anybody else wishing for figurines that would be useful for overland travel?

 

[TarionzCousin]

How will the Flame Tongue work? Will I need to cut out my own tongue and replace it with the magic one? That didn't work out so well when we found the Head of Vecna.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Sigh, anybody else wishing for figurines that would be useful for overland travel?

Did you see the Ebony Fly?

Edit: And almost all the rest. I'm beginning to think you were being sarcastic.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think those figurines need attunement, otherwise...

1) Throw figurine at enemy, speak the command word, figurine pops and is friendly to you
2) Enemy touches the creature and speaks the command word he just heard you say, creature reverts to figurine, enemy pockets figuring

Or alternatively, I would rule that only she who popped the figurine can revert it before it expires.

 

[jbear]

I'm happy you're happy, but to me this only becomes more work : when you use different pacing mechanisms within a single system and only one of those is << dial-able >>, it can become quite a hassle to figure out how to work with the other...


For example, if you're playing an exploration themed campaign and your short and long rests have been significantly increased (say a day and a week, respectively), things that work in days can become a good deal more powerful than they were probably intended to be. On the flip side, if you're playing a more "kick the door and kill!" style and the rests have been reduced to a few minutes and a couple of hours, then an item you can only use once every 7 days might as well be a single use item.


It's not a question of this being wrong or not but it does increase my workload as a DM. It might not be a lot, but every little bit "helps"...

I don't know. I would trust my players to track something like that themselves. I wouldn't make it more work for myself at all, personally. But then again I trust my players, so that's a bonus.

The items are marked as rare, so you are probably only going to have one of these items within a group at any one time. I don't really see tracking their use because they don't fit neatly into a 'Daily power' system as an issue. It means that players will have to use the item more judiciously, which to me increases its value, and also nudges me as a DM to happily allow how they are used to be more cool and advantageous when they are used, and avoid becoming annoyed that 'Bob is pulling his darned golden lion again...'

Personal impression (from someone who is only mildly interested in 5e at this stage): Enjoyed actually having a nice visual of items that have been ruminating in my games for years now Very cool.

 

[Scorpio616]

Or alternatively, I would rule that only she who popped the figurine can revert it before it expires.

That is what the rules seem to state.


You'd have a valid concern if the text was "...if a character uses an action to speak the command word while touching it."

Did you see the Ebony Fly?

Edit: And almost all the rest. I'm beginning to think you were being sarcastic.

I saw them all, and I'm not being sarcastic. There is a reason why overland movement is measured in days. and most of these figures can only be used for one before needing recharging. While the fly has a short recharge, it's still down for 2 days after a use. Heck only the goat of traveling can go for more than a single day of overland movement since it looks like that is measured in 8 hour parcels. But after 3 days of overland movement (8 hours each), it's down for 7 days.

 

[aramis erak]

Folding Boat of the Dwarvish Lords? Folding Boat of Vecna?

Folding Boat of Vecna? Ooohhh.. ideas, ideas....

The boat only sails you places designed to ensure you're either in charge or miserable?
The boat whispers to you, encouraging you to seek power for its own sake, and is smarter than the Gully Dwarf?
It's a normal folding boat, except for the reek of rotted flesh when opened, and you can see where Vecna's Eye, hand, etc. were chopped from his body... from their bloody imprints upon the deck...

 

[Plaguescarred]

Very cool item i love it!

 

[TerraDave]

Apparently, the folding boat makes a very loud whine while moving through the water.

 

[Nebulous]

Hehe we are buying and drooling over stuff we bought 30 years ago. These people are geniuses.

I also notice no spells/guidelines for creating the items...at least in these entries.

Yeah, all of 5e is like that actually, it's nothing new really. BUT...I like it. And I doubt we'll see any rules for creating stuff like the figurines, it will be in the DMs domain. Allow it or don't allow it, and if allowed, just make up some guidelines.

Edit: that's also the best artwork I've ever seen for the figurines.