Magic Item/Artifact for BBEG

[trentonjoe]

First of all, I apologize if this is the wrong forum for this. I don't know where to put this.


Now, I am looking for some design feedback for an item that will give a low level "bad guy" some legendary and lair powers.

Any input is welcome.

Amulet of Whispers: The amulet of whispers is a powerful relic created by foul creatures. The amulet grants the owner tremendous power but also creates an unsatisfiable drive for more control. Glabrezu often bestow one of these items to those who bind them into service. The wearer invariable has early success in gaining power over local tribes/groups/organizations but ultimately bites off more than she can chew and is defeated when trying to gain control of too large an entity.

Powers of the amulet:

• +1 to AC
• Grants ADVANTAGE on all INT,WIS and CHR saving throws
• When the wearer is dropped to zero hit points, the amulet casts a maximized Cure Wounds (spell level being ½ the wearer’s level) as a reaction (1/long rest)
• Allows the wearer to take legendary actions (3)
• 1 point extra weapon attack or cantrip
• 2 points 1st level spell known or Armor of AGATHYS as a warlock of ½ character level
• 3 points 2nd level spell known or Vampiric Touch
• Allows the wearer to shape its lair. The wearer may create lair with a radius of 10’ per character level or 20’ per CR. Within the lair the wearer will be able to control actions equal to:
• Physical Attack- Attack with same statistics as the wearer’s physical/weapon attack
• Spell- Up to 2 spells at a level equal to ½ the wearer’s character level
  

 

[edhel]

Is the point to give this item to the player characters after the fight?
If yes, ok, but it seems very powerful.
If no, why not bake these into the monster stats?

 

[Cernor]

How low of a level is "low level" for this BBEG?

Other than that, it seems powerful: ridiculously so. Seeing as it looks like it's meant to be used by a PC as well as the BBEG (character level as well as CR in some of its abilities), I'm thinking that you should drop the advantage on saving throws and the cure wounds spell on the item.

Instead, consider giving the BBEG advantage on saving throws against certain effects, like charm or fear effects, and an ability called "Dark Regeneration": it would have the same effect as above (maximized cure wounds when it hits 0 hit points), but allowing the amulet to be fair if it's claimed by a PC. In addition, if the BBEG knows Armor of Agathys and Vampiric Touch, you can remove them from the amulet.

My personal thoughts:

Amulet of Whispers
Sentient wondrous Item, legendary (requires attunement, cursed)

Gifted by powerful demons to those who seek to control them, this amulet actively works towards the spread of violence and chaos, working through any foolish enough to wear it. The amulet's alignment is chaotic evil.

While equipped, gain +1 to AC. You may take 5 reactions instead of 1 each round, and may cast a spell at any time on another creature's turn using a number of reactions equal to the spell's level.

After that, I'm taking a couple of liberties to flesh it out along the lines of it whispering foul topics into the mind of everyone around it, causing insanity.

Any creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 4d6 psychic damage and is frightened of the amulet until the start of its next turn. Once it succeeds on the saving throw, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours. Any creature that is dropped below 1 hit point from this damage does not fall unconscious: Instead, it becomes permanently insane, and its mind cannot be restored by any means short of a wish spell.

Every time you would take an action against the will of the amulet, it attacks you with a dissonant whispers spell of 5th level (save DC 17).

Once equipped, this item cannot be removed except by a remove curse spell consuming a spell slot of 6th level or higher, or by a wish spell.

I'm just tossing ideas out there: do any of those fit how you see it working?

 

[trentonjoe]

The amulet is part of the strory, the PC's will never get to use it.

 

[trentonjoe]

Thanks for the input guys. What I am really trying to do is create legendary and lair actions for a cr 4/5.