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JNAProductions
2017-04-23, 02:35 PM
The Beating Heart
Wondrous Item, No Attunement Required

This artifact is a heart, that continually beats regardless of where it is. Upon being touched, it will immediately bond to its new host, turning to blood and flowing to their chest, whereupon it will reform and begin beating anew, firmly implanted into their own heart.

Random Properties-Anyone who uses the Beating Heart gains 3 random minor detrimental properties, 2 random major detrimental properties, 2 random minor beneficial properties, and 1 random major beneficial property. (Any properties based on attunement must be rerolled.)

Life Sight-Anyone using the Heart can see creatures' lifeblood. They can see the presence of living creatures with a circulatory system within 120', even through total cover.

Magic Resistance-Anyone using the Heart gains advantage on saves against spells and magical effects.

The Heart Beats On-You may act even while at 0 hit points, and automatically pass all death saving throws. You do not suffer failed death saving throws from taking damage at 0 hit points, so the only way to kill you while using the Heart is to inflict massive damage, or to forcibly remove the Heart. However, each turn you use this property of the Heart, you must make a DC 10 Wisdom (or Composure, if using this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?517416-Darkest-Dungeon) system) saving throw or suffer from an indefinite madness (or take 1d10 Mental Health damage). The DC increases by 1 each turn it's used in a row.

The Heart is easy to destroy temporarily-it is an object with damage threshold 20 and 50 hit points. Any attacks made to target the Heart while on a host are made with disadvantage, as the heart is a small and somewhat self-aware target, but if the host is willing to see it destroyed attacks can automatically hit. Any damage taken by the Heart is also dealt to its host, and if the Heart is destroyed, the host dies unless they are able to survive without their own heart.

To permanently destroy the Heart, though, it must be returned to its rightful owner, and the owner then slain.

SilverStud
2017-04-24, 03:21 PM
Dunno what to say, other than this seems pretty awesome. The heart replaces the host's heart, right? Very sinister indeed. When I was reading the features, I was like "wow this totally isn't worth it" because of all the detrimental effects. But then I got to Heart Sight and realized it was all worth it.

I'm 1000% stealing this.

JNAProductions
2017-04-24, 03:24 PM
It bonds to your heart, but doesn't totally replace it. If you got a Regeneration spell within... 5 seconds? Maybe you could survive.

SilverStud
2017-04-24, 03:28 PM
Yeah that makes sense. Good work here. I like it a lot.

What kind of story did you make it for? Mad wizard? Vengeful goddess? Eldritch interference?

Doorhandle
2017-04-26, 04:33 AM
Yeah that makes sense. Good work here. I like it a lot.

What kind of story did you make it for? Mad wizard? Vengeful goddess? Eldritch interference?

Incompetent Aztec Priest who went though, like, 5000 sacrifices to make it?


Cool item, both mechanically and thematically, but I am curious: why all the random effects?

JNAProductions
2017-04-26, 10:45 AM
Incompetent Aztec Priest who went though, like, 5000 sacrifices to make it?


Cool item, both mechanically and thematically, but I am curious: why all the random effects?

All artifacts have them.

Kastomere
2017-05-03, 05:17 PM
This is a really cool idea for an artifact and I love how sinister it is, but I'd appreciate if you could clarify something for me, please. What are the prerequisites of becoming the host of this object? I assume the host must have a circulatory system, so no warforged, right? Must the host also be mammalian, or would lizardfolk and yuan-ti have no issue using this as well as a human or an elf would? What about a size restraint, would a pixie be incapable of using it (since the heart is larger than it is)? What about giants, whose hearts are many times larger than this one?

JNAProductions
2017-05-03, 06:18 PM
The heart will resize itself for anything with its own beating heart. Mammalian is not a requirement.