New magic item, thought?

[Lanliss]

A short while back I had a new Bard subclass I was making, College of the Muse. It might have been lost to the abyss, but the basic idea was that the bard could perform a ritual focused on a specific skill. At the end of the ritual they rolled a d8, and whatever they rolled got added to the chosen skill, along with the appearance of a Muse for that particular skill. I have since thought it might work better as a magic item, with basically the same effect.

Statue of the Muse
Legendary item
Requires attunement

Spend an hour with this statue, complete a ritual and roll 1d8. For the next 24 hours or until the end of a long rest, whichever is shorter, you receive a bonus to a chosen skill equal to your d8 roll. You also receive a Muse in the form of a spirit associated with your chosen skill, who can only be perceived by you, and those who can see into the Etherial plane.

I know, rough description, but this captures the basic idea. Thoughts?

 

[AriochQ]

I like the idea, but your write up doesn't mesh well with existing rules/magic items. I would suggest:

Statue of the Muse - Performance, Legendary (requires attunement)
This is a small statue of the muse of Performance. The statue has [Insert number] charges. You may expend a charge to add 1d8 to a Performance skill check. The statue regains [Insert Number] charges at dawn each day. You may also use an action to expend a charge and summon a incorporeal manifestation of the Muse. The Muse will remain until dismissed, destroyed, or until the next sunrise. (The Muse operates as Unseen Servant with the additional ability to see into the ethereal plane).

The wording could be cleaned up a bit, but you get the idea. I used Performance as an example, but you could use any artistic based skill.

 

[Lanliss]

I like the idea, but your write up doesn't mesh well with existing rules/magic items. I would suggest:

Statue of the Muse - Performance, Legendary (requires attunement)
This is a small statue of the muse of Performance. The statue has [Insert number] charges. You may expend a charge to add 1d8 to a Performance skill check. The statue regains [Insert Number] charges at dawn each day. You may also use an action to expend a charge and summon a incorporeal manifestation of the Muse. The Muse will remain until dismissed, destroyed, or until the next sunrise. (The Muse operates as Unseen Servant with the additional ability to see into the ethereal plane).

The wording could be cleaned up a bit, but you get the idea. I used Performance as an example, but you could use any artistic based skill.

The original idea was a Bard that changed professions daily, depending on the Muse the Bard was channeling. One day she would be Channeling Steve Irwin, with an extra 8 in Animal Handeling, the next she would be Channeling Steve the novice pickpocket, with an extra 1 in Slight of Hand. How is this?

Statue of the Muse-Legendary (requires attunement)

A small statue of an unidentifiable material, durable and warm to the touch. The Statue depicts a creature whose face appears different every time you look at it. Sometimes it depicts a woman, sometimes a man, and never the same face twice.
The Statue has one charge. You may expend the charge to channel a Muse of a chosen skill. Roll 1d8, and add that to the chosen skill for 24 hours, or until the end of a long rest. This Muse resides in a space between the Material Plane and the Ethereal plane, and can only be seen by you or a creature who can see into the Ethereal Plane.
The Statue regains it's charge after a long rest.

 

[Quartz]

Sounds cool, but for a Legendary item make it grant Advantage or Proficiency / Expertise on the skill check.

 

[Lanliss]

Sounds cool, but for a Legendary item make it grant Advantage or Proficiency / Expertise on the skill check.

The idea is that, while it is somewhat unreliable, it stacks with those things.

 

[Saeviomagy]

My only issue with the initial magic item is that it's potentially a +8 bonus on a chosen skill.

I think it would be a more balanced item if you made the d8 bonus specifically an inspiration effect provided by the muse, rolled at the time of the check.

ie:
Spend an hour completing a ritual with the statue. For the next 24 hours or until the end of a long rest, whichever is shorter, you are accompanied by a Muse in the form of a spirit associated with your chosen skill, who can only be perceived by you, and those who can see into the Ethereal plane. The muse can converse with you on the topic of the skill in question. As a reaction to you making a check with the selected skill, the muse grants you a 1d8 bardic inspiration die which is applied to the triggering check.

I think that gives you
a) a less reliable bonus: in the original, you might keep redoing the ritual until you got a high bonus on the skill you needed, or you might only attempt the skill IF you got that bonus.

b) a bonus that doesn't just stack with everything.

Things it's missing? Stats for the muse. I'd probably go with giving it very basic defenses and having it dissipate if it takes any damage.

 

[Lanliss]

My only issue with the initial magic item is that it's potentially a +8 bonus on a chosen skill.

I think it would be a more balanced item if you made the d8 bonus specifically an inspiration effect provided by the muse, rolled at the time of the check.

ie:
Spend an hour completing a ritual with the statue. For the next 24 hours or until the end of a long rest, whichever is shorter, you are accompanied by a Muse in the form of a spirit associated with your chosen skill, who can only be perceived by you, and those who can see into the Ethereal plane. The muse can converse with you on the topic of the skill in question. As a reaction to you making a check with the selected skill, the muse grants you a 1d8 bardic inspiration die which is applied to the triggering check.

I think that gives you
a) a less reliable bonus: in the original, you might keep redoing the ritual until you got a high bonus on the skill you needed, or you might only attempt the skill IF you got that bonus.

b) a bonus that doesn't just stack with everything.

Things it's missing? Stats for the muse. I'd probably go with giving it very basic defenses and having it dissipate if it takes any damage.

I fixed the first point in my second go, by using the charges suggestion from Arioch. One charge per long rest, so they cannot redo the ritual over and over. I could use the reaction form though, rather than a flat bonus. Will need to see how it plays out eventually.

Have not thought too much about the stats, since I hadn't planned on it being a creature that can be attacked. I will think on it, although it will almost definitely have immunity to non-magical damage. Not sure beyond that.

 

[Quartz]

The idea is that... it stacks with those things.

I don't think that that is a good idea. Both from a mechanical POV and from a party play POV. You're essentially giving the PC free Inspiration, which means that the other players get less of an opportunity to use it. And bounded accuracy means that there's only so much stress that D20 can take.

 

[Lanliss]

I don't think that that is a good idea. Both from a mechanical POV and from a party play POV. You're essentially giving the PC free Inspiration, which means that the other players get less of an opportunity to use it. And bounded accuracy means that there's only so much stress that D20 can take.

I have a lot of trust in my players not to screw around with things like that, not to a degree that can be actually called abuse. It is more likely that whichever player got would spread the stats out, except in the most dire time when they NEED to have some athletics. Even then, do to the swingy nature of the item itself they are not guaranteed much, but could get something good. I will admit that it is far from polished, just one of my many draft versions I enjoy throwing at the forum wall to see what sticks.

 

[the Jester]

+1d8 to a skill for 24 hours is extremely powerful. I mean, that could be a +8.

I'd change it out for advantage on that skill for 24 hours or until finishing a long rest.