Help me come up with personalized magic items for my party!

[EvanescentHero]

Hi Playground, I've been lurking for a little and decided to join up because I want your guys' help and opinion. I recently started a campaign with five characters: Thane, a tiefling warlock (Fiend, will be taking Pact of the Blade); Volkiir, a dragonborn paladin (gold ancestry, Oath of Vengeance, dunno what fighting style he's gonna take); Ivellios, a drow ranger (will be taking Hunter, favored enemy beasts, will undoubtedly take archery style); Nash, a half-orc barbarian (will take Berserker); and Loveless, a tiefling rogue (will take Arcane Trickster).

I've never been a fan of enormous amounts of magic items (part of why 5e appeals to me!), or of the notion of grabbing a new weapon every time you find one and just throwing aside your old one. I think weapons should be special to the people who wield them. They should mean something. As such, in my campaigns, I like to have everyone keep the same weapons throughout and just upgrade them over time. Here are the main weapons each character uses.
-Thane: clawed gauntlets (homebrew weapon; 1d6 per gauntlet, one on each hand)
-Volkiir: Longsword and shield
-Ivellios: Longbow
-Nash: Greataxe
-Loveless: Rapier

In addition, I asked everyone to give me an associated element for their character, and they are as follows.
-Thane: Poison/wind
-Volkiir: Fire (obviously)
-Ivellios: Earth
-Nash: Thunder (not lightning)
-Loveless: Ice

So at various points in the story I intend to begin granting magical abilities to each of these weapons, based (at least at first) on their elements. I intend to visually change the weapons to match their elements, and I have some ideas for how they will look.
-Gauntlets: No real ideas for these, beyond that I want each one to represent one of her elements. (Additionally, the backstory of these particular gauntlets is highly important to the plot; suffice to say each of them will end up representing either Beshaba or Tymora, the sister goddesses of bad and good fortune respectively. Beshaba will be the poison one, while Tymora will be the wind one.)
-Longsword: Will change shape to look like a tongue of flame, and will shimmer with a heat haze. (I may actually do something besides the sword for him, but I'll talk about it later.)
-Longbow: The bow will look like a tree branch possibly with flowers or leaves at each end, and the string will look vine-like.
-Greataxe: No real ideas for this either.
-Rapier: It'll most likely turn pale transparent blue like an icicle, possibly with small icicles hanging off the hand guard, but I'm hoping to get something more interesting than that.

Now, here's where you all come in. I want to give the weapons qualities beyond +1d6 damage of the specified element and other generic stuff like that (though that'll most likely be how it starts). I want each weapon to feel unique and like it truly belongs to the character. And I want these weapons to develop and grow stronger over time. I intend to run the campaign to level twenty (we're starting at one, mostly because half the players are new to D&D), though, as always, who knows if it'll get there. I'd like the weapons to improve every few levels or so, so they have time to appreciate the upgrades rather than getting overloaded immediately; and of course, I'd like every weapon to get better around the same time, so no one feels slighted.

A few other notes:
-Each of Thane's gauntlets should upgrade together, and their abilities should complement each other. In addition, they should start looking more different over time to represent their growth and differences; currently they both look the same. I'm not positive how to balance that against other characters getting all their upgrades on one weapon though.
-Volkiir's player has let me know that, if something is to upgrade, it doesn't necessarily have to be his sword; either his shield or his armor is okay as well. I kind of like the idea of armor that he can choose to engulf in flames, though I'm not positive what practical use that would have.
-I also wouldn't mind Volkiir's sword and shield evolving together, and if that were to happen I would want the upgrades to complement each other. However, I don't know if I want to take away from the uniqueness of Thane's gauntlets complementing each other; he also didn't give me a second element, so it would all be fire.
-If you want more backstory on the characters for inspiration on their abilities, I will gladly provide.
-I don't wanna hear any critiques of their builds or the choices they've made regarding class and race. That's not what this thread is for.

I'm eager to hear your ideas, and if you need or want more information, please let me know!

[Quarterling]

I like the idea of dual element gauntlets it reminds me of Bayonetta I'll take those for a spin

now let's see the gauntlets themselves: being clawed gauntlets I'd give them the natural weapon quality for a warlock to add proficiency and states to the damage output 1d6 damage each and leveling up every 5 levels sounds like a solid start to me.


Lore : for fluff I already have a story in my mind calling them the child of chaos and merging to the wielders skin and being retractable

ability ideas: giving a magical item a spell and can be amazing and powerful I think a good one a day spell could be gust of wind which has some very nice utility also I like the idea since it's a luck god you could giving them the Halfling luck trait , for the poison side of things I'd give either resistance or give enemies disadvantage for 3 poison saving throws a day, or maybe 1d4 extra poison damage.

downsides: maybe I love fluff but I usually side towards a good downside with a magic weapon, in my mind balance must be preserved. removing them could cause a punishment or a more silly and restrictive one would be to give them a curse that says the wearers of the gauntlets must NEVER wield a weapon or they become whackey sentient item.

[Shining Wrath]

I'll take on the task of Nash and his greataxe of thunder.

Visually the axe is not very distinctive, because an axe of thunder is not about being seen, but about being heard.

First, the axe should communicate with Nash via vibration - effectively it rumbles like thunder, but palpably rather than auditory. As Nash improves in level the communication should also improve. They ought to be able to work out something like Morse code as they go up in level.

An axe of thunder is also sensitive to vibration. If placed upon the ground the axe has tremorsense; this is only for a 5' range at lower levels (nearly useless) but improves with level. At 20th level it has tremorsense even when not touching the ground, and by then the communication to Nash ought to be so seamless as to effectively grant Nash tremorsense.

On a critical hit the axe emits a thunderclap which imposes the stunned condition upon the victim - Constitution save to resist, duration equal to Nash's proficiency bonus with the axe in rounds.

Nash may or may not name his axe but at some point the axe will name itself and communicate its name to Nash.

[EvanescentHero]

I was thinking something like gust of wind would be a good one for the gauntlet, actually. Granting poison resistance isn't a bad idea, but forcing someone to take disadvantage on a poison saving throw is intriguing, since one of her cantrips is poison spray for character reasons.

I like the ideas for the axe a lot! The way it communicates is very clever. I imagine it feeling more excited during a thunderstorm.

For the bow, some ideas I have are that it wraps targets in vines on hit, or that it can cause an earthquake once a day centered on a spot the arrow hits (though I'd have to look at the spell). Possibly at earlier levels it can create a patch of difficult terrain, or even create a small wall for cover.

I forgot to mention, I want the weapons to eventually rise to +3. Maybe they can get +1s at levels six, twelve, and eighteen. What are your thoughts?

[The_Ditto]

For the longbow, perhaps take a page from 4th edition, ala Petrification. In that edition, petrification went in stages ... perhaps at higher levels, subsequent hits (or crits?) will start turning a target to stone ... (gradually .. slowed, then immobilized, then paralyzed, then petrified, for example).

Earlier, I could see it hitting targets and coating them with mud.

Another idea is to have the bow actually transform it's arrows into boulders after they've been fired. I'm sure that'll turn a few heads the first few times :) Increase the boulder size as level increases.

Other ideas are more akin to a 3.5 Arcane Archer: Grant certain spell-likes a certain # of times per day, such as:
Web
Rock to Mud
Passwall
etc.

[Quarterling]

your Ideas regarding the the leveling is nice IMO everything matches fairly well with actual level progression and they wouldn't be too powerful also I like to switch damage types for some of my magical Items like at lvl 18 getting a poison style fireball with the same states as the fireball spell but maybe a con -save instead of DEX

[unwise]

Hands of Azgul - Claws:
The warlock defeats a fiend rival that was trying to take his place of favour and drag him to hell. The warlock takes his rivals hands and turns them into weapons. Over time, they start actually growing onto him. The more infernal power he uses, the more these demonic hands attach to him. By high level, they are his actualy hands and he flicks out the claws wolverine style.

Effects of the Claws:
- Advantage on intimidating fiends
- Can go beserk, giving into the fiendish rage. Barbarian style rage but on a 1 the bound enemy fiend decides who you attack, self included. Given he is dual-wielding and has two attacks, this is a meaningful disadvantage to giving the fiend a foothold. Very flavourful I think. This gives him something cool to do once he has spent his 2 spells.
- Resistance to Fire. Hands are immune so can pick up anything hot, even lava.
- Against evil creatures, can do psychic damage as the claws rip their soul out and claim it.
- At high levels can cast Banish on an evil creature you have grappled, dragging it to hell.
- Disfigures the warlocks hands bit by bit, starts off as fell looking scars, but by the end his own hands look like/are the claws.


Great Axe - Grum the Unmaker:
A massive axe made from broken and shattered pieces of metal stuck together. It is the very essence of destruction, made from the wreckage of something meaningful to the PC (swords of his defeated enemies, shattered doors of his fallen castle, the crowns of the seven false cheiftans, etc). Its powers are about unadulterated destruction.

Effects of the Axe:
- Double damage against every non-animate object
- Advantage on all Str checks to destroy something.
- Can maintain rage by smashing inanimate objects of a decent size, not just by attacking enemies.
- If raging, ignore all resistances. The axe destroys at a primal level and will chop anything. Note that this includes the resistance of things like walls, not just people.
- While raging, can shout (or stomp) as per Thunderwave per short rest.
- Disarm manauver as per Battlemaster per short rest, except you destroy the enemy's weapon rather than disarm it.
- As a quirk, the weapon wants to destroy every made thing. Other items that the character keeps on them tend to rust and tarnish, eventually breaking if non-magical.

I have used a similar weapon in games before and being able to cut through a portcullis or hack through a wall to get to an enemy was great fun for the party. Heck, what this weapon can do to a sailing ship is horrendous.

<edit> I missed the bit about the claws being plot integral, oops.

I had another idea for the Axe, what about an axe of thunder being the weapon of the herald of Thor? The guy that proceeds Thor and tells the world he is coming. As distant thunder is to an oncoming lightning storm. Like Thor has Mjolnir, his herald has a similar if less powerful weapon based around thunder. Powers would include intimidation, that cleric cantrip that lets you make thunderous noise, glowing eyes and a thundering voice, the ability to grant vulnerability to the target, heralding their imminent destruction, along with all the normal Thunderwave and Thunderclap stuff.

[Feldarove]

I think the overall idea is great. I too hate that idea of tossing aside my +1 longsword because the new iSword 6 just came out. Oooo so big!

I think you have some difficulty giving people unique powers once you pigeonholed things into "pick an element". I only saw this, because like you said, there is the classic +1d6 damage, but also you could add resistances and immunities with progression.

Also, to start, its a good idea to not add an additional d6 of that elemental damage, but to simply change the damage from say slashing to fire. Then add extra fire damage later. Just a thought for balance.

Though one thing to think about is that instead of having a sword of fire meaning you were resistance to fire, perhaps it would protect you from cold. Or other such things.

I will try my hand at Loveless's rapier.

First, I don't know much of the character, but we do have a name.

Now, when you think cold, you might think ice and blue and such, but you could also think devoid of heat. Combing that with the name loveless and I think of someone having a cold black heart.

So, their rapier is black. Pitch black. It absorbs light and heat. At low levels, it can't do this very well. But to the touch its cold, and it doesn't reflect light.

As you level it could do things like cast darkness. Absorb heat enough to deal cold damage, or perhaps cause fatigue by draining the warm lifeforce from somemone.

I like the idea of cold darkness for a rogue, more than spraying a blizzard around like iceman.

Just a starting point.

[Ohnoeszz]

For the claws I think one should poison while the other uses wind to affect enemy movement. At various levels give it the ability to at first push away an enemy or slow an enemy's movement and then eventually the ability to pull targets towards himself. The poison claw should get different poisons that subtract from a stat or give disadvantage in addition to things that do damage - one that paralyzes or slows depending on the damage dealt would be cool.

I think the key will be to give items that truly enhance the character's range while still complimenting their style.

The sword/board guy should get a sword and shield linked by fire. As he levels give him things like a hellish rebuke per-day. Maybe, when he is hit for the 3rd time in combat (the shield takes in kinetic energy...) he can release a blast of fire through the sword equal to various spells... Use your discretion.

The bow... At various levels it gives tremorsense, then the ability to shoot through earth and stone. Eventually petrification effects based on damage dealt. Maybe toss in a clay arrow that breaks into pieces as an aoe effect.

For the Greataxe, I think daily abilities to use thunderous smite or shatter or a modified thunderwave on a hit would offer some nice combat utility. A Greataxe seems to compliment damage abilities. I also think a thunderous version of the spell knock would be cool too - the ability to smash through any doorway.

The rapier... Frostbrand is a good place to start. Fire resistance, some extra cold damage... Then from there I think the ability to manipulate water by freezing portions, a freezing slow like spell would be cool. Ice alone is rather limiting though and I think you should make it a blade of change that can switch water between its three forms with the appropriate temperature changes. That opens up fog, steam, ice and control water type abilities which would be a lot of fun for an Arcane Trickster to add.

[Hopeless]

Hi Playground, I've been lurking for a little and decided to join up because I want your guys' help and opinion. I recently started a campaign with five characters: Thane, a tiefling warlock (Fiend, will be taking Pact of the Blade); Volkiir, a dragonborn paladin (gold ancestry, Oath of Vengeance, dunno what fighting style he's gonna take); Ivellios, a drow ranger (will be taking Hunter, favored enemy beasts, will undoubtedly take archery style); Nash, a half-orc barbarian (will take Berserker); and Loveless, a tiefling rogue (will take Arcane Trickster).

Clawed Gauntlets: How about Haste for these?
Now what was the name of the bad guy from Streetfighter to whom this is his particular schtick?

Longsword: Flametongue obviously or is that called Sunblade now?

Shield: Grants the wielder resistance to fire and perhaps can emit flame as per the low level druid spell?

Longbow: Does acid damage or better yet grants its wielder either Stoneskin or some form of resistance to harm as long as its being used?

Great Axe of Thundering maybe able to cast lightning bolt or summon lightning as the druid spell?

Rapier: ice damage bonus hmm how about some kind of paralysis effect making it look like its frozen them for a few rounds not sure what spell would be appropriate there...

[EvanescentHero]

I think the overall idea is great. I too hate that idea of tossing aside my +1 longsword because the new iSword 6 just came out. Oooo so big!

I think you have some difficulty giving people unique powers once you pigeonholed things into "pick an element". I only saw this, because like you said, there is the classic +1d6 damage, but also you could add resistances and immunities with progression.

Also, to start, its a good idea to not add an additional d6 of that elemental damage, but to simply change the damage from say slashing to fire. Then add extra fire damage later. Just a thought for balance.

Though one thing to think about is that instead of having a sword of fire meaning you were resistance to fire, perhaps it would protect you from cold. Or other such things.

Not everything has to directly summon the element or even necessarily use it; I just asked them because I thought it'd be a good place to start and I wanted to make sure I didn't give a lightning weapon to someone who didn't want it. I also thought knowing that would be a good way to help capture their personalities to make sure they get an appropriate weapon.


I will try my hand at Loveless's rapier.

First, I don't know much of the character, but we do have a name.

Now, when you think cold, you might think ice and blue and such, but you could also think devoid of heat. Combing that with the name loveless and I think of someone having a cold black heart.

So, their rapier is black. Pitch black. It absorbs light and heat. At low levels, it can't do this very well. But to the touch its cold, and it doesn't reflect light.

As you level it could do things like cast darkness. Absorb heat enough to deal cold damage, or perhaps cause fatigue by draining the warm lifeforce from somemone.

I like the idea of cold darkness for a rogue, more than spraying a blizzard around like iceman.

Just a starting point.

I like these ideas. Shooting cones of cold and such wouldn't fit with the character, I feel, so the ideas I was leaning towards were more along the lines of slowing enemies with sneak attacks, or maybe freezing them solid on crits so they could be attacked more easily. I like the ideas of draining life and causing fatigue; I want this rapier to channel aspects of cold and ice rather than blasting ice everywhere. Combining that with darkness is an excellent idea for a rogue.


For the claws I think one should poison while the other uses wind to affect enemy movement. At various levels give it the ability to at first push away an enemy or slow an enemy's movement and then eventually the ability to pull targets towards himself. The poison claw should get different poisons that subtract from a stat or give disadvantage in addition to things that do damage - one that paralyzes or slows depending on the damage dealt would be cool.

I think the key will be to give items that truly enhance the character's range while still complimenting their style.

I like the idea of different poisons, as well as winds being able to push away or pull enemies closer. I also just had an idea to combine the two to unleash a cone or line of poisonous wind.


For the Greataxe, I think daily abilities to use thunderous smite or shatter or a modified thunderwave on a hit would offer some nice combat utility. A Greataxe seems to compliment damage abilities. I also think a thunderous version of the spell knock would be cool too - the ability to smash through any doorway.

Good ideas as well. Smashing through doorways could obviously work well with unwise's idea for the axe too!


Other ideas are more akin to a 3.5 Arcane Archer: Grant certain spell-likes a certain # of times per day, such as:
Web
Rock to Mud
Passwall
etc.

This lines up well with what I was thinking--an arcane archer with a focus on nature and earth spells. I definitely like the idea of vines that wrap around the target on a hit, like ensnaring strike, as well as hail of thorns style arrows that break into pieces in mid-flight and attack nearby creatures. Additionally, at high levels, I would love an arrow that causes an earthquake centered on the spot the arrow hits, and I was also thinking passwall would be a good one. Flesh to stone also seems like a good high-level one.


Hands of Azgul - Claws:
The warlock defeats a fiend rival that was trying to take his place of favour and drag him to hell. The warlock takes his rivals hands and turns them into weapons. Over time, they start actually growing onto him. The more infernal power he uses, the more these demonic hands attach to him. By high level, they are his actualy hands and he flicks out the claws wolverine style.

Effects of the Claws:
- Advantage on intimidating fiends
- Can go beserk, giving into the fiendish rage. Barbarian style rage but on a 1 the bound enemy fiend decides who you attack, self included. Given he is dual-wielding and has two attacks, this is a meaningful disadvantage to giving the fiend a foothold. Very flavourful I think. This gives him something cool to do once he has spent his 2 spells.
- Resistance to Fire. Hands are immune so can pick up anything hot, even lava.
- Against evil creatures, can do psychic damage as the claws rip their soul out and claim it.
- At high levels can cast Banish on an evil creature you have grappled, dragging it to hell.
- Disfigures the warlocks hands bit by bit, starts off as fell looking scars, but by the end his own hands look like/are the claws.

While these are good ideas, I'm just not sure they fit her. Thane isn't the type to fly into a rage, though that would be an interesting dichotomy between her normal personality and the effect of the claws. While they don't really fit the character, I think I will use these at some point, because they're pretty cool.


Great Axe - Grum the Unmaker:
A massive axe made from broken and shattered pieces of metal stuck together. It is the very essence of destruction, made from the wreckage of something meaningful to the PC (swords of his defeated enemies, shattered doors of his fallen castle, the crowns of the seven false cheiftans, etc). Its powers are about unadulterated destruction.

Effects of the Axe:
- Double damage against every non-animate object
- Advantage on all Str checks to destroy something.
- Can maintain rage by smashing inanimate objects of a decent size, not just by attacking enemies.
- If raging, ignore all resistances. The axe destroys at a primal level and will chop anything. Note that this includes the resistance of things like walls, not just people.
- While raging, can shout (or stomp) as per Thunderwave per short rest.
- Disarm manauver as per Battlemaster per short rest, except you destroy the enemy's weapon rather than disarm it.
- As a quirk, the weapon wants to destroy every made thing. Other items that the character keeps on them tend to rust and tarnish, eventually breaking if non-magical.

I have used a similar weapon in games before and being able to cut through a portcullis or hack through a wall to get to an enemy was great fun for the party. Heck, what this weapon can do to a sailing ship is horrendous.

That does sound like fun, actually! I think I'll combine this with Shining Wrath's idea for a really cool weapon.


I had another idea for the Axe, what about an axe of thunder being the weapon of the herald of Thor? The guy that proceeds Thor and tells the world he is coming. As distant thunder is to an oncoming lightning storm. Like Thor has Mjolnir, his herald has a similar if less powerful weapon based around thunder. Powers would include intimidation, that cleric cantrip that lets you make thunderous noise, glowing eyes and a thundering voice, the ability to grant vulnerability to the target, heralding their imminent destruction, along with all the normal Thunderwave and Thunderclap stuff.

Also not a bad idea, though I'd have to pick a deity besides Thor. This'll definitely be a unique axe.

At some point soon I'll write up a little backstory and personality for each character to help you guys out more, but I don't have time right now. Nevertheless, thanks for all your ideas!

P.S. Yesterday at work I had an idea for the paladin: armor of smoke. My only current idea is that it would sort of conceal exactly where he was in his space, making him harder to hit due to the haze, but I'm tossing it out there to see if anyone else has ideas or input.

[Bacchanalian]

I just wrote one up for one of my characters. I'm running a campaign that I've talked about before, but it was in 3.5e originally. It involves a dracolich that wants to become a god, and so it is collecting every magic item it can find and amassing an army of followers to assist with this. It has subjugated dragons, bought out humanoid leaders, etc etc. The players haven't caught on to this yet, they've only noticed some small bands of goblins and ogres trying to hoard any magic items they can, even useless ones.

Anyway, I've brought a newer player into the group, and the party is level 7 and most have at least one if not two basic magic items. I decided that since she's the only elf in the party, and I want to expand on the dracolich's plans, I should come up with an item that ties into the campaign and lore behind it. Basically, the dracolich's idea isn't a new one, but it's so old that he and maybe a few ancient dragons are the only ones aware of the concept. Ancient history, a dragon tried this same thing, using a massive quantity of magical items to elevate himself to true immortality, but it failed. In part because the plot became known throughout the land, and in a Lord of the Rings style coming together, the humanoid world allied with one another and worked to foil the plot. Part of this effort then was to create items that would help their armies or scouts or heroes, and so the idea was if intelligent magic items were created, they would stand the chance of fighting back or somehow charming captors into "losing" them or walking into a trap.

One such cloak has survived the ages, buried in the darkest corner of some ancient ruins, and one of these goblin scouting parties the group has seen searched the ruins and found the cloak. Not knowing what it is, but only that it is magic, they tossed it in a crate along with a bunch of other "stupid" magic items (as the cloak sees them) and have moved on. I plan for the party to encounter this caravan soon, and the cloak suits the elf so she will most likely wind up with it one way or another. It will be obviously elven(ish?) with ancient unreadable runes that are definitely elven in nature but so ancient as to be foreign. It will obviously be magical in nature, but it's true nature will remain hidden for some time.

The cloak itself will offer some basic protections against dragons, specifically reds as the previous war was against a red that was trying to deify itself. In this campaign it will be rare that the party encounters a dragon, but it WILL happen, so this will benefit her at some point without completely overpowering the party or character. As far as personality, it will start untrusting and very grumpy--you would be too if you spent a millenium in the dark corner of a dungeon--and it will take a while for it to come out of its shell and make itself known. Maybe in a time when the party is in serious trouble it will finally decide that it needs to speak up and save them. As far as the players discovering what it is, I think I want to make it extremely difficult to identify due to the age, and so it will take them finding some texts that I come up with as part of an incredibly difficult quest, or presenting it to an ancient dragon that may recognize it.


TL;DR I haven't even come up with stats for an item, but I have a backstory for it dating back over 1,000 years that ties into the overarching theme of the world my characters are in and the current world-changing events taking place. It will eventually help them, but for now they will have no idea what it is, and the bonuses won't help the player who gets it in very many situations, just in a few very dangerous ones. It makes for an item the player will never want to lose, but won't unbalance the party at all and adds a ton of flavor to the game.