Need help coming up with the function of a magic artifact!

[MaximusArael020]

Here's the story:

My campaign is taking place in a modified Sword Coast setting in the Forgotten Realms. It's forgotten realm meets a little of Dragon Age (some blights and the Big Bad is an Archdemon). It has the classic cities (like Waterdeep and Neverwinter) but I've paid zero attention to what years things happen in and have taken liberties with the setting.

Anyway, the party is set to try to beat a Warlock who's Patron is the Archdemon to find the location of the four Gate Stones that have the Archdemon sealed in the Shadowfell and prevent its release upon the world.

The party is now level 6 and are about to find their first stone. The questions is this: They found a long time ago something Basically one of the players, when writing down loot, wrote down something they later interpreted as the "Eye of Buble". I have no idea what it was supposed to be originally. It's become kind of a running joke. "What's the Eye of Buble!" "I Pull out the Eye of Buble! Does it help?" Etc.

Now the party has dropped the Eye of Buble off with a powerful wizard who has promised to ascertain it's abilities.

SO...

What are it's abilities? It can be powerful or mundane, but I'd prefer something that isn't likely to kill the party off currently. I know the people here can be very creative, so I'm looking to steal your creativity! Thanks for any response!

 

[MNblockhead]

The player must replace one eye with this artifact.

There should be some ability or skill decrease for doing so. Perhaps lower perception.

Once inserted, the implantee can can once per day summon a Bubble of Annihilation.

It functions like a sphere of annihilation with the following differences:

1. It appears around the bearer. Through physics completely alien to minds of native to the multiverse, it acts as a hole in the multiverse, wrapped around a stabilizing magical field that surrounds the eye-bearer.

2. It disappears after 10 minutes and requires concentration to maintain. Concentration is hard to be disrupted as any weapons thrust or shot at the sphere are annihilated. But there are ways. See below.

3. It's diameter is 5' (takes up an entire square on a 1"=5' grid map). Medium creatures will need to sit cross-legged or kneel within the sphere. Larger medium creatures may have to take a fetal position. Any creature larger than medium that attempts to use the eye will be annihilated upon first attempt to use it. Leaving only the eye behind.

All matter that touches the sphere from outside of it go through it as if it were a portal, and does not penetrate into where the wearer sits. Anything completely engulfed by the sphere is annihilated, except Artifacts.

Anything that is merely touched by the sphere takes 4d10 force damage. If the sphere is moved into an occupied space, anyone in that space can make a DC13 Dex check to avoid the sphere.

The bearer can see outside of the sphere as if he or she were inside a clear bubble.

The sphere sits stationary for the entire 10 minutes unless the bearer makes a DC 25 Arcana check. Upon a success the bearer can move the sphere 5' multiplied by the bearer's intelligence score (minimum of 5'). Movement can be in ANY direction. Including down, through soil and rock. It can be used to tunnel. It can also levitate. On a failure, the bearer loses concentration and the sphere disappears.

Unlike normal spheres of annihilation, nobody else can control it. But someone else other then the bearer can still make a contested arcana check and if they win, they will cause the bearer to lose concentration and the sphere to end. Hope they are not levitated too high in the air!

If the sphere comes into contact with a planar portal, such as that created by the gate spell, or an extradimensional space, such as that within a portable hole, the GM determines randomly what happens, using the following table.

d100 Result

01-50 The sphere is destroyed. The bearer takes 4d10 force damage and the bearer's faces is terribly disfigured. If the bearer was levitating at the time or in an inhospitable environment, falling or other damage may also be incurred.

51-85 The sphere--along with the bearer--moves through the portal or into the extradimensional space.

86-00 A spatial rift sends each creature and object within 180 feet of the sphere, including the sphere and the bearer, to a random plane of existence.


Oh, also, Dominus Bulla, the artifact's creator, lives. After being flung into the far realm during his mad experiments, he has found his way back to the material realm, entirely insane and a thrall to timeless, great powers from the far realm.

He seeks his missing eye.

 

[MaximusArael020]

That is a super great suggestion, [MENTION=6796661]MNblockhead[/MENTION]! Exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[MNblockhead]

If you want something less powerful, you could take inspiration from "death bubbles" in the Rappan Athuk module.

The Eye of Bubble has X number of charges (determine based on how powerful you want this), which recharges after 24 hours.

When you expend the charge, 1d100 +20 "death bubbles" are created and begin to float out.

When a bubble touches any creature or object it bursts, inflicting 1 force damage to anyone (or thing) within 10 feet.

The bursting of a bubble will burst any other bubble within 10 feet of the bursting bubble, allowing for a chain reaction.

Wind will not damage or burst the bubble but will push it forward so using this in conjunction with spells like gust of wind, could prove a deadly combination.

Now, tracking up to 120 bubbles probably requires it some special rule. You could treat it like poison cloud, but that doesn't account for how the bubble will spread out given an open space.

One option is to instead have fewer, larger bubbles. Say 10 bubbles. Each deals 10 force damage to anyone/thing within feet. Works the same way except placing down and tracking 10 bubbles is not so onerous. The DM determines how they move. OR treat it like animate object. The caster can control the bubbles, moving each in 10 feet in any direction, but a strong wind will overpower this and move the bubbles in the direction of the wind.

 

[andargor]

The Eye of Bublé? It sings, of course

 

[Hawk Diesel]

If the wizard discovers it's a powerful artifact, wouldn't he be more likely to keep it and either scurry off or swindle the players by passing off a fake?

 

[MaximusArael020]

The wizard works for the Adventurers Guild that the party is a member of. He teaches the Arcane Arts at the guild, and has a very special mentor relationship with the wizard in the party, so that would not be in character for this wizard.

 

[Quartz]

If you want it to be powerful, make it layered:

Basic activation requires something special. Maybe a ritual, maybe killing something, maybe doing something.
Attunement activates a power.
Increasing proficiency bonuses give increasing powers.
Doing something particular enables a power (q.v. Ring of Elemental Command).
Adding components enables or enables more powers. Perhaps there is another Eye out there... Maybe it needs to be mounted on a special helmet or headband? Maybe they need to insert the rod known as the Pupil of Buble?

I'm not a fan of requiring body modification because it makes it much more difficult to remove the item.

Side effects should be interesting but not permanent.

 

[MaximusArael020]

So here's what I've come up with so far. Please let me know your thoughts on what I have! I figured upping the power with proficiency bonus makes for nice progression.

Thanks for any insight!

Edit: I'll add a range on the Truesight. Oversight!

 

[MNblockhead]

The lower level abilities are still available when you level up, correct? You are just unlocking more powers. The charges are those for that level. They don't stack, correct?

I would probably break it into three columns:

USERS PROFICIENCY BONUS, DAILY CHARGES, ADDITIONAL ABILITIES