Tony Vargas
Legend
Sorry, AV = Adventurer's Vault.
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D&D 5E Curious materials and other consumables that spellcasters want
- Thread starter CapnZapp
- Start date
Tony Vargas
Legend
Actually, the originals did specify levels, but I didn't think it was in the spirit of 5e, with it's no-wealth/level, no-make/buy mandates. Also, I forgot that Dominated & Charmed weren't separate conditions. ;(One thing - having one and the same item used for both a low-level and a high-level spell (charm person is 1st level as we all know; dominate monster is 8thlevel in this edition) does the pricer no favors.
What you could do when pricing them is just give them levels, the higher the level, the higher the price, the spell (or slot, whichever makes more sense to you) must be the same or lower level than the component.
Tony Vargas
Legend
Also from/inspired-by AV:
Dread Nightshade: This supernatural cousin of the notorious Bell Donna cannot be cultivated or harvested by mortal hands, but some cults of Druids or Evil Assassins are whispered to have found a way. Once properly preserved, Dread Nightshade can be safely handled by a caster just long enough for it to be consumed as the material component of a Cloudkill or Stinking Cloud spell.with a 1-Action casting time. If the spell inflicts poison damage, the Dread Nightshade causes it victims who fail their saves vs these spells to also inflict suffer the Poisoned condition (for 1 round per level of the slot used to cast it) after leaving their areas, if the spell normally inflicts the Poisoned condition, dread nightshade causes it to inflict poison damage (2d6 each time the victim fails his save vs the condition). If the spell already does both, the victim instead has disadvantage on all saves against it.
(And, on flipping through the spell list, that's virtually useless... there's two spells that cause poison damage, none that inflict the condition, and one that calls for a save vs poison, but doesn't do either.) ... yay, natural language... ...that's 7 minutes of my life wasted.
Edit: fixed that.
Dread Nightshade: This supernatural cousin of the notorious Bell Donna cannot be cultivated or harvested by mortal hands, but some cults of Druids or Evil Assassins are whispered to have found a way. Once properly preserved, Dread Nightshade can be safely handled by a caster just long enough for it to be consumed as the material component of a Cloudkill or Stinking Cloud spell.
(And, on flipping through the spell list, that's virtually useless... there's two spells that cause poison damage, none that inflict the condition, and one that calls for a save vs poison, but doesn't do either.) ... yay, natural language... ...that's 7 minutes of my life wasted.
Edit: fixed that.
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CapnZapp
Legend
I give you that it doesn't feel like 5th edition to start talking about "this thing here can be used for levels 1-3, that thang over there for levels 4-6".
I believe 5e would solve this by being highly specific. Make one pearl work for Charm Person specifically. Another for Dominate Person (and only that spell). 5e does work rather hard at scrubbing out the notions of generality "okay so this thingamagog works this way for 2nd level spells, so it must work that way for 3rd level spells". Nope, no such conclusions possible.
And then, just to continue the 5e ethos, quite possibly stop there and simply have no items that can affect "strong" magic. Levels 6 and upwards are, after all, "precious" in 5th edition.
CapnZapp
Legend
To keep talking about that tangent, Tony and everybody else that's interested, are you familiar with the Deep Gnome Spell Gems from Out of the Abyss?
They feel like they've been imported wholesale by a 3.x designer. They're mind-bogglingly powerful.
What's so powerful with an extra spell slot of a certain level, you might think? Try playing a Warlock - each day with only one or two significant encounters (and there will be many such days in OotA) you will effectively have increased your spell output by +50%
Not only that. The spell gems aren't restricted to the lowest levels (like, say, every similar item from the DMG. Pearls of Power for instance quite deliberately comes in only one, low-level, version nowadays. The ring of spell storing is restricted to, you guessed it, level 5 spells).
The table doesn't even hesitate to introduce level 6-9 spell gems.
While I'm sure I will surprise exactly noone my players LOVED the two spell gems they got their grubby mitts on during that campaign, as a designer I have to say they represent a failure to truly grok 5th edition.
I would be surprised if they turn up in a future compendium-style product unrevised. At the very least, level 6-9 gems need to have an additional restriction such as "once a week" or similar to signal these levels are different from the lower ones. A simpler solution is to just cut out the high level part of the table.
They feel like they've been imported wholesale by a 3.x designer. They're mind-bogglingly powerful.
What's so powerful with an extra spell slot of a certain level, you might think? Try playing a Warlock - each day with only one or two significant encounters (and there will be many such days in OotA) you will effectively have increased your spell output by +50%
Not only that. The spell gems aren't restricted to the lowest levels (like, say, every similar item from the DMG. Pearls of Power for instance quite deliberately comes in only one, low-level, version nowadays. The ring of spell storing is restricted to, you guessed it, level 5 spells).
The table doesn't even hesitate to introduce level 6-9 spell gems.
While I'm sure I will surprise exactly noone my players LOVED the two spell gems they got their grubby mitts on during that campaign, as a designer I have to say they represent a failure to truly grok 5th edition.
I would be surprised if they turn up in a future compendium-style product unrevised. At the very least, level 6-9 gems need to have an additional restriction such as "once a week" or similar to signal these levels are different from the lower ones. A simpler solution is to just cut out the high level part of the table.
Tony Vargas
Legend
Yeah, my thought after walking away from Dread Nightshade was to make it have a specific effect for Cloudkill & Stinking Cloud and leave it at that. (Other 'poison' spells added to the game? The DM can figure it out. The kind of consistency you get by default from keywords & jargon is very much not the point of 5e.)
Makes sense. And, since you're going for more of a 3e ethos with regard to pricing, you could just scale the price to the level of the spell(s) it can be used with...
The 5e philosophy is supposed to be that magic items make you 'just better.' Extra 6th+ spell slots certainly do that.
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CapnZapp
Legend
Now you're even repeating yourself to build dem walls of text Tony 
As for 6+ spell levels, I prefer the DMGs approach: to be really wary of introducing it at all.
It's possible the lore of Svirf-gems tells us these are the most capable items in the world. The chapter on Blingdenstone in OotA sure doesn't paint that picture, though...
As for 6+ spell levels, I prefer the DMGs approach: to be really wary of introducing it at all.
It's possible the lore of Svirf-gems tells us these are the most capable items in the world. The chapter on Blingdenstone in OotA sure doesn't paint that picture, though...
Tony Vargas
Legend
I blame multi-quote.Now you're even repeating yourself to build dem walls of text Tony
CapnZapp
Legend
CapnZapp
Legend
Here are few magic items (mostly consumables) I've added to my game. Thanks to any sources of inspiration!
Necklace of Human Teeth (req attn)
Contains one charge of the Speak With Dead spell. It regains the charge when the bearer dies.
Reaper Sickle +1
Grants wielder 19-20 crit range vs humans
Carved ivory mask
While wearing this mask, targets of your Command spell save at disadvantage. Should ever a target roll a critical success, the mask cracks and is destroyed.
Killed Steam Mephit in a Bottle
Huffing from this bottle (a material component) while casting the spell Blur allows you to forego Concentration for 1d6 rounds. After this time, you may choose to Concentrate for the spell to last its full minute. When you roll a 1, that was the last dose and the bottle has run out.
Sparkling Studded Leather (req attn)
The owner gains the Dancing Lights cantrip. The lights always appear centered on the armor.
Dragon Leather Armor +1
Clearly made by foes of Dragons, you understand and speak Draconic, allows you to use Charisma
in place of Dexterity.
[SBLOCK]Cursed Item (when worn)
- You can only speak Draconic
- You only sleep well on a bed of gold. The more gold, the more Hit Dice you regain[/SBLOCK]
Masterwork spear
Can switch between the reach and versatile weapon qualities (not both at the same time)
Thunder Talc
When applied to your fists (or equivalent) you deal a bonus 2d6 thunder damage on the first critical with unarmed blunt attacks, and the talc is then spent. Unspent talc is washed away when you take a rest.
Elemental Oil (Flame)
When applied to a bladed melee weapon, it deals a bonus 1d6 fire damage to attacks during 10 minutes
Necklace of Human Teeth (req attn)
Contains one charge of the Speak With Dead spell. It regains the charge when the bearer dies.
Reaper Sickle +1
Grants wielder 19-20 crit range vs humans
Carved ivory mask
While wearing this mask, targets of your Command spell save at disadvantage. Should ever a target roll a critical success, the mask cracks and is destroyed.
Killed Steam Mephit in a Bottle
Huffing from this bottle (a material component) while casting the spell Blur allows you to forego Concentration for 1d6 rounds. After this time, you may choose to Concentrate for the spell to last its full minute. When you roll a 1, that was the last dose and the bottle has run out.
Sparkling Studded Leather (req attn)
The owner gains the Dancing Lights cantrip. The lights always appear centered on the armor.
Dragon Leather Armor +1
Clearly made by foes of Dragons, you understand and speak Draconic, allows you to use Charisma
in place of Dexterity.
[SBLOCK]Cursed Item (when worn)
- You can only speak Draconic
- You only sleep well on a bed of gold. The more gold, the more Hit Dice you regain[/SBLOCK]
Masterwork spear
Can switch between the reach and versatile weapon qualities (not both at the same time)
Thunder Talc
When applied to your fists (or equivalent) you deal a bonus 2d6 thunder damage on the first critical with unarmed blunt attacks, and the talc is then spent. Unspent talc is washed away when you take a rest.
Elemental Oil (Flame)
When applied to a bladed melee weapon, it deals a bonus 1d6 fire damage to attacks during 10 minutes
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