101 Unique Magic Items

[eris404]

I've been thinking about posting this for a while and Crothian's thread inspired me to finally do it.

I'm making a campaign world (D&D 3.5) where some types of magic items are unique. In the history of this world, most magic items were made in the past and only recently has the art of creating magic items been rediscovered. So, most magic items are found by plundering ancient cities and ruins. "Disposable" items like potions, scroll and wands are easy to create and would not be unique, but "modern-day" creators haven't quite perfected making magic weapons, armor and certain wondrous items. So, these kinds of items are more likely to be one-of-a-kind and probably made by a famous and/or legendary creator. For example, each +1 short sword might have a special minor ability, quirk, personality, purpose, (and especially) history.

So, I'm looking for interesting magic items. If you like the idea, post your ideas here. Name them and describe them, but you don't necessarily have to "stat" them out. Power level doesn't matter, but I'd prefer useful items over powerful or jokey ones. Give them neat abilities, personalities if you want, or drawbacks if that's your kind of thing. Since I am also borrowing some ideas from AU, item history, the name of the creator or last owner, etc., would be very helpful, too.

Thanks for looking at the thread. I hope we see some good responses!

 

[taliesin15]

my low tech highmagic campaign is almost entirely full of unique magic items, but there are some things common to regular ad&d(elven cloak/boots, potions of healing), so it would take quite a while to list the whole shebang

but here's one very interesting thing for people to chew on: core magical ingredients for making potions and magic items, each school of magic has certain core ingredients, like Necromantic items are cheaper to make if you have Sorceror's Mandrake, and Illusion-related items including anything to do with Etherealness and Planar Travel benefits from the use of Plane-Shift Fungus--I've come up with a system much closer to history and myth of alchemy and potion making

but here's a couple of particular items

Amulet of Protection From Enchantment (+3 on Saves vs. all magic using Enchantment school)

Bowl of Weather Prediction (for Druids)

 

[reason]

...

Seafarers' Needles

The Magi of the Vanished Isles employed enchanted needles to guide their great ships across the Unending Sea, the needles pointing this way and that as the currents shifted. This lesser wizardry was one of many given to the Datarii in trade in older times, and the stonefolk made good use of it.

In the present day, Seafarers' Needles are enchanted throughout the Enclave to guide wayfarers on dry land. Merchants traveling between Port and other Enclave communities use the wizardry of the needles to avoid the Farthest Roads. Canny Ammander hunters and woodsmen find their way home by following the point of the needle - marks on trees and known paths soon fail as guides in the Farthest Forest.

...

"There's a bag of coin on the table; whatever you don't spend on merchanting is yours. A ruinous waste from what I know of your tastes, my boy, but needs must, eh? Here, you should take this, my old Seafarers' Needle. She points to the Road come hail, fog or Farthest. I doubt you'll need her, but I don't want to be explaining to your fisher girl that you couldn't do a simple job of trading for your old uncle. Eh? Eh? Now off with you! Time is wasting!"

Reason
Principia Infecta

 

[Jesus_marley]

Stoneblade

The weapon, believed to be forged on the elemental plane of Earth, appears identical to a standard longsword, except that it is made entirely from stone. Despite this, it is as sharp and as deadly as steel. Being made of stone, it is substantially heavier than a normal longsword and requires a minimum of 15 strength in order to wield it properly.
For game purposes, it is a +2 longsword with the following enhancement... On critical, 50% chance of flesh to stone (DC-18)

 

[ashockney]

Krylinean Darksteel

Krylinean Darksteel is a mithral dagger, crafted on the floating island of sorcerers, known as Krylin. The blade was infused with the corrupting power of the sacred element of darkness. Kyrlinean Darksteel was forged by the villainous Spellblade known as Voroth Meirra. The blade appears as a 6 inch four-edged blade, that culminates in a pummel sheathed in some type of dark and worn wyrmskin, and bejeweled by dark crystals found in the northern regions of Rakarra.

Krylinean Darksteel is a dagger of +2 enchantment. Due to its expert craftsmanship, it grants it's user a +2 bonus to attempts to conceal or bluff with the dagger. In the hands of a creature who understands its origin, the blade can become much more. Allowing the blade to drink of the blood of an undead, feeds the powerful enchantments used to craft this blade. The blade will permanently become a +3 dagger, and gain the unholy enchantment. Using the spells chill touch, ghoul touch, and vampiric touch can all be cast through Krylinean Darksteel. Successfully dealing damage with all three spells through Krylinean Darksteel, unleashes another transformation in the blade. It will permanently increase the blade to a +4 enchantment. Finally, sacrificing the phylactery of a lich of at least 15 HD, causes the final enchantments of this blade to be recognized, permanently increasing the enchantment of the blade to +5, and granting an additional +1d6 sneak attack damage anytime the blade is used in a sneak attack.

To find out more about Krylin, Rakarra, and the sacred element of darkness check out the world of Myrik: www.myrikgames.com.

 

[Goblyn]

Non-adventurer specific items.

Traveler's phial - any person drinking from this crystal glass immediately gains a fort save with a +4 bonus vs. any one poison which has taken effect on their person, including but not limited to alcohol, vegetable or mineral poisons. The glass need only be filled with water or some other beverage in order to be used in this way.

Lord Berrin's smelling salts - one whiff of these salts will ward off any ploymorphing effects on one individual for 12 hours. These salts, if smelled, will also transform any shapechanged creature to its original form as an instantaneous effect. Seamus Berrin used these to keep his lycanthropy under control.

Caius' peeper - this 3"-diameter lens set into a pendant will allow the user to see through normally-opaque objects as if they weren't there. It works on materials up to 5' in depth.

Streeble's walking stick - this stick is 4' long and 1" diameter stick, when activated by command word, will walk to whatever destination the user specifies(use the teleport spell description for familiarity requirement). The stick moves at a rate of 30' and is a small construct for anyone who needs to know. Streeble Glocktree used it to send messages when he was too busy to do so himself.

Maia's Dreamcatcher - this beautifully detailed ring of bright feathers and boughs woven with string is 1' in diameter. Anyone sleeping within 10' of Maia's dreamcatcher will be immune to mind-affecting magic as long as she sleeps. After waking from the rest, she will retain a +2 to saves vs. mind-affecting spells and effects.

I hope this is the type of stuff you're looking for.

 

[reason]

...

Unbroken Casks

There's ten spears here, more than enough to make it to the old tombs in high summer; we've half a season to find coin for mules, bows and provisions. We've all killed Neth in winter snow - they won't trouble us in sun and heat. The sage won't come, but we don't need her. A few coins and we'll have booklovers a-plenty at the Library of the City Within to find us all we need to know. Those Black Tower whitebeards can wait as long as they like if they think I'm cutting them into a share.

None of you have funny ideas about taking back what the dead aren't using anymore? Good. It doesn't matter how many women chased him when he was alive, Krineth's just dust and bones under his Hills now. Dead is dead.

Blood! The Unbroken Cask, of course, what did you think? I don't care what the stories say, my sage says differently. There's a handful in Port; they never rot, never break, never leak, lighter than a feather whatever you put inside. The Cask is there, in the tomb, in the Hills, waiting to be sold for more coin than you've seen in your life. Now, are you with me, or do I need to find a hardier set of spears?

Reason
Principia Infecta

 

[eris404]

my low tech highmagic campaign is almost entirely full of unique magic items, but there are some things common to regular ad&d(elven cloak/boots, potions of healing), so it would take quite a while to list the whole shebang

Well, I don't need all of you secrets, just a couple of interesting ideas here and there.

but here's one very interesting thing for people to chew on: core magical ingredients for making potions and magic items, each school of magic has certain core ingredients, like Necromantic items are cheaper to make if you have Sorceror's Mandrake, and Illusion-related items including anything to do with Etherealness and Planar Travel benefits from the use of Plane-Shift Fungus--I've come up with a system much closer to history and myth of alchemy and potion making

Yup. I think Hellhound started/maintains a thread that lists monster parts as spell components, ingredients in potions, etc. I downloaded a great list from that thread, too. And, of course, I like Philip Reed's spell component PDFs, too. I plan on making use of both.

 

[eris404]

Reason, I snooped around on the link you post in your signature; nice ideas and great detail. Is that your own world, or something else?

 

[eris404]

I hope this is the type of stuff you're looking for.

To be honest, I didn't know really what I was looking for myself. I was looking the other day at the Arms & Equipment Guide and just felt very uninspired by the (magic) items in that book. I liked the idea of the PCs exploring an ancient city and finding neat and unique things from civilizations long dead, perhaps things only scholars and bards would have heard about. I didn't want to give too many details or requirements because I didn't want to restrict the ideas to any particular power level, type, or style of play.

Regardless, I thought it would be useful to have a list of ideas hanging around and that maybe other people here could find it useful in their games, too.