Chambers
2014-12-29, 10:41 PM
I'm running the original Keep on the Borderlands adventure (not the Next Playtest version) with my 5e group. There's quite a few magic items scattered throughout the Caves of Chaos and I decided to share what magical treasure the group has found. We started the game when there was only the PHB and MM, so we didn't really have any solid rules on how magic items would work in 5e aside from knowing that +1 Weapons/Armor weren't a common thing.
I've stuck to the original adventure in terms of loot, so the party has amassed a fairly sizable heap of coins, art objects, etc, along with some magic items. I haven't done a complete tally of their coins, but off hand I'd say they've found around 5,000 to 6,000gp worth of coins, and half again that number in the value of art and other valuables. Some of it has been used to procure favors back at the Keep, while the majority of it is in their more or less secure camp, a half-days ride from the Caves where they leave their mules, wagons, hirelings and attendants. They're 4th level, by they way.
My only firm rule about handing out the magic items has been: No +'s. A lot of the magic weapons and armor found in the Caves are simply things like +1 mail, dwarf-sized, or +1 greataxe. That's boring and 5e doesn't need weapons and armor with pluses anyway, so I've made each +X magic item into something else. So far the players are really enjoying the change from 4e to 5e overall, and the change in magic items specifically.
What kind of magic items have you gotten/given in your games so far?
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Holly Charm. A bit of holly that stays fresh and when worn on the lapel, the wearer always knows which way is north.
This was a trinket that they found in the Caves. As I recall it wasn't part of the treasure for that cave, I just rolled on the Trinket table as an experiment. The party gave it to the Elf Rogue, who happened to have the Cartographer profession.
Key of Shadows (requires attunement). A simple brass key. When placed in a key hole the bearer may channel part of his life force into the key (spend a Hit Die). The key then changes shape to fit the lock.
This was the first real magic item they got (Holly Charm was before it). Realizing afterwords I had just given them a skeleton key, it hasn't been an issue. I think they've used it twice, as they're still low level and don't have a lot of spare Hit Dice to spend on it.
Restful Plate (requires attunement). A clean and well-maintained suit of platemail that resizes to fit the wearer. Whenever the wearer spends a Hit Die to heal, they may roll the die twice and take either result.
This was originally a suit of +1 Plate. The Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian now wears it.
Staff of Healing (requires attunement). This sturdy staff is carved from oak and painted white and blue. A bearer capable of casting spells may prepare the spells Cure Wounds, Healing Word, and Prayer of Healing, in addition to their normal allotment of prepared spells.
They found a Staff of Healing in the Caves and I didn't know how 5e was going to handle charged items like Staffs, so I went with the above. As it happens, our Dwarven Cleric has the Life domain so the staff is useless for him, but it's great for the Human Wizard in the party, who now wields the staff.
Heart of Hruggek (requires attunement, Cursed). This battered greataxe has the gruesome face of a screaming bugbear carved into the side of the axe. The handle thrums with a slow but steady heartbeat. The bearer has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep. In exchange for this protection, the bearer must use the Heart of Hruggek to kill a sentient creature at least once every 7 days. If 8 days pass without the axe killing then the bearer suffers 1 level of exhaustion that cannot be removed until he kills with the axe. Each day after that he suffers another level of exhaustion until he gains the 6th level of exhaustion and dies at sunset on the 13th day.
This was originally a +1 Greataxe, and the Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian picked it up. It counts a magic weapon and the advantage on saves has been very useful. While they're in the caves the Curse hasn't been an issue but once they leave they'll need to figure out how to deal with the curse (basically whether to keep the greataxe and manage the curse or get rid of it).
Crown of the Skeleton King (requires attunement, Cursed). This gold crown is aged and worn where it touches the head and yet it's simple design inspires both fear and greed. The Crown is the focus for a powerful necromantic ritual and has absorbed enough unholy energy to awaken to rude sentience and power itself. The bearer may attempt to command any undead creature she sees, bending their will to her own. The Crown's power seeps through to the bearer, allowing her to see through shadows as a taste of greater power to come.
When someone attempts to attune with the Crown they must make a Charisma save. A success means they reject the Crowns influence on their mind and do not attune with it. A failure means that the Crown takes hold within the persons mind; they successfully attune with the Crown and their alignment changes to Evil.
So, this happened. The party fought some skeletons and of course the Elf Rogue wants to steal the Crown off the boss skeleton. When he steals it and tries to run away I began a contest of wills between the Rogue and the Skeleton King. The SK wanted his Crown back, but the Rogue proved mentally stronger and broke the bond between the Skeleton King and the Crown. He then promptly put the Crown on his head and failed his Charisma save. It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.
I've stuck to the original adventure in terms of loot, so the party has amassed a fairly sizable heap of coins, art objects, etc, along with some magic items. I haven't done a complete tally of their coins, but off hand I'd say they've found around 5,000 to 6,000gp worth of coins, and half again that number in the value of art and other valuables. Some of it has been used to procure favors back at the Keep, while the majority of it is in their more or less secure camp, a half-days ride from the Caves where they leave their mules, wagons, hirelings and attendants. They're 4th level, by they way.
My only firm rule about handing out the magic items has been: No +'s. A lot of the magic weapons and armor found in the Caves are simply things like +1 mail, dwarf-sized, or +1 greataxe. That's boring and 5e doesn't need weapons and armor with pluses anyway, so I've made each +X magic item into something else. So far the players are really enjoying the change from 4e to 5e overall, and the change in magic items specifically.
What kind of magic items have you gotten/given in your games so far?
---
Holly Charm. A bit of holly that stays fresh and when worn on the lapel, the wearer always knows which way is north.
This was a trinket that they found in the Caves. As I recall it wasn't part of the treasure for that cave, I just rolled on the Trinket table as an experiment. The party gave it to the Elf Rogue, who happened to have the Cartographer profession.
Key of Shadows (requires attunement). A simple brass key. When placed in a key hole the bearer may channel part of his life force into the key (spend a Hit Die). The key then changes shape to fit the lock.
This was the first real magic item they got (Holly Charm was before it). Realizing afterwords I had just given them a skeleton key, it hasn't been an issue. I think they've used it twice, as they're still low level and don't have a lot of spare Hit Dice to spend on it.
Restful Plate (requires attunement). A clean and well-maintained suit of platemail that resizes to fit the wearer. Whenever the wearer spends a Hit Die to heal, they may roll the die twice and take either result.
This was originally a suit of +1 Plate. The Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian now wears it.
Staff of Healing (requires attunement). This sturdy staff is carved from oak and painted white and blue. A bearer capable of casting spells may prepare the spells Cure Wounds, Healing Word, and Prayer of Healing, in addition to their normal allotment of prepared spells.
They found a Staff of Healing in the Caves and I didn't know how 5e was going to handle charged items like Staffs, so I went with the above. As it happens, our Dwarven Cleric has the Life domain so the staff is useless for him, but it's great for the Human Wizard in the party, who now wields the staff.
Heart of Hruggek (requires attunement, Cursed). This battered greataxe has the gruesome face of a screaming bugbear carved into the side of the axe. The handle thrums with a slow but steady heartbeat. The bearer has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep. In exchange for this protection, the bearer must use the Heart of Hruggek to kill a sentient creature at least once every 7 days. If 8 days pass without the axe killing then the bearer suffers 1 level of exhaustion that cannot be removed until he kills with the axe. Each day after that he suffers another level of exhaustion until he gains the 6th level of exhaustion and dies at sunset on the 13th day.
This was originally a +1 Greataxe, and the Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian picked it up. It counts a magic weapon and the advantage on saves has been very useful. While they're in the caves the Curse hasn't been an issue but once they leave they'll need to figure out how to deal with the curse (basically whether to keep the greataxe and manage the curse or get rid of it).
Crown of the Skeleton King (requires attunement, Cursed). This gold crown is aged and worn where it touches the head and yet it's simple design inspires both fear and greed. The Crown is the focus for a powerful necromantic ritual and has absorbed enough unholy energy to awaken to rude sentience and power itself. The bearer may attempt to command any undead creature she sees, bending their will to her own. The Crown's power seeps through to the bearer, allowing her to see through shadows as a taste of greater power to come.
When someone attempts to attune with the Crown they must make a Charisma save. A success means they reject the Crowns influence on their mind and do not attune with it. A failure means that the Crown takes hold within the persons mind; they successfully attune with the Crown and their alignment changes to Evil.
So, this happened. The party fought some skeletons and of course the Elf Rogue wants to steal the Crown off the boss skeleton. When he steals it and tries to run away I began a contest of wills between the Rogue and the Skeleton King. The SK wanted his Crown back, but the Rogue proved mentally stronger and broke the bond between the Skeleton King and the Crown. He then promptly put the Crown on his head and failed his Charisma save. It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.