Rod of Security - Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion

[Clistenes]

I'm not sure if this question merits a thread on its own, but I don't think any of the existing threads fits it, so:

Do you think the Rod of Security can provide all the features Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion does, servant crew included? The text mentions that you can wish for an enormous palace or a carnival, and while I guess you could get an empty palace and it would still be cool, a carnival without people doesn't sound like much of a "paradise" to me...

Another question: Would you allow the dimension created by a Rod of Security to benefit from the permanent protection of a Private Sanctum spell if a wizard casts it inside it for 365 days in succession? I know the dimension would reset after 200 days at most, but maybe the wizard could do something to bond the spell to the rod...

[Unoriginal]

Could you provide the text of the Rod, or where to if d it?

[Clistenes]

Rod of Security:

While holding this rod, you can use an action to activate it. The rod then instantly transports you and up to 199 other willing creatures you can see to a paradise that exists in an extraplanar space. You choose the form that the paradise takes. It could be a tranquil garden, lovely glade, cheery tavern, immense palace, tropical island, fantastic carnival, or whatever else you can imagine. Regardless of its Nature, the paradise contains enough water and food to sustain its visitors. Everything else that can be interacted with inside the extraplanar space can exist only there. For example, a flower picked from a garden in the paradise disappears if it is taken outside the extraplanar space.

For each hour spent in the paradise, a visitor regains Hit Points as if it had spent 1 Hit Die. Also, creatures don't age while in the paradise, although time passes normally. Visitors can remain in the paradise for up to 200 days divided by the number of creatures present (round down).

When the time runs out or you use an action to end it, all visitors reappear in the location they occupied when you activated the rod, or an unoccupied space nearest that location. The rod can't be used again until ten days have passed.

Item Rarity: Very Rare
Weight: 2

Magnificent Mansion:

Level 7 Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 300 feet
Components: V S M (A miniature portal carved from ivory, a small piece of polished marble, and a tiny silver spoon, each item worth at least 5 gp)
Duration: 24 hours
Classes: Bard, Wizard

You conjure an extradimensional dwelling in range that lasts for the Duration. You choose where its one entrance is located. The entrance shimmers faintly and is 5 feet wide and 10 feet tall. You and any creature you designate when you cast the spell can enter the extradimensional dwelling as long as the portal remains open. You can open or close the portal if you are within 30 feet of it. While closed, the portal is Invisible.

Beyond the portal is a magnificent foyer with numerous chambers beyond. The atmosphere is clean, fresh, and warm.

You can create any floor plan you like, but the space can't exceed 50 cubes, each cube being 10 feet on each side. The place is furnished and decorated as you choose. It contains sufficient food to serve a nine course banquet for up to 100 people. A staff of 100 near-transparent Servants attends all who enter. You decide the visual appearance of these Servants and their attire. They are completely obedient to your orders. Each servant can perform any task a normal human servant could perform, but they can't Attack or take any action that would directly harm another creature. Thus the Servants can fetch things, clean, mend, fold clothes, light fires, serve food, pour wine, and so on. The Servants can go anywhere in the mansion but can't leave it. Furnishings and other Objects created by this spell dissipate into smoke if removed from the mansion. When the spell ends, any creatures inside the extradimensional space are expelled into the open spaces nearest to the entrance.

[Unoriginal]

Then I would say you can populate the paradize with illusions of people, but that they're not physical in any way.

As for the Private Sanctum, no, I wouldn't authorize it. Arguably, I'd let people do it if they go back to the same pocket dimension (possibly via Plane Shift).

[Clistenes]

Then I would say you can populate the paradize with illusions of people, but that they're not physical in any way.

But, if the Magnificent Mansion's servants have no mechanical effect at all, what would be the difference? Why not allowing them to fetch stuff, wash clothes, serve food and pour wine? Or in the case of the carnival, to dance with the players, play bowling with them, sell them popcorn or whatever...?


As for the Private Sanctum, no, I wouldn't authorize it. Arguably, I'd let people do it if they go back to the same pocket dimension (possibly via Plane Shift).

If the pocket demiplane is permanent (as in, it exists even when you aren't using it), then you could cast Private Sanctum every day for 200 days, then use the rod again and keep casting it for another 165 days...

The problem is, if the pocked demiplane is created every time you use the rod, and destroyed every time you deactivate it, you would reset to zero every time and there is no way to make Private Sanctum permanent, unless the spell is somehow bound to the rod itself...

[Unoriginal]

But, if the Magnificent Mansion's servants have no mechanical effect at all, what would be the difference? Why not allowing them to fetch stuff, wash clothes, serve food and pour wine? Or in the case of the carnival, to dance with the players, play bowling with them, sell them popcorn or whatever...?

Because it's the Rod of Security, not the Wand of Mordenkainen's Magnificient Mansion.

The magics of the two aren't the same. You're already getting nearly 200 people in the pocket dimension, you could easily have Invisible Servants too.

I think it's important magic items have that kind of quirks and functioning that's not quite perfect nor matching spells at 100%.



If the pocket demiplane is permanent (as in, it exists even when you aren't using it), then you could cast Private Sanctum every day for 200 days, then use the rod again and keep casting it for another 165 days...

The problem is, if the pocked demiplane is created every time you use the rod, and destroyed every time you deactivate it, you would reset to zero every time and there is no way to make Private Sanctum permanent, unless the spell is somehow bound to the rod itself...

Well, you've answered that yourself. You can't Private Sanctify a rod. But if the dimension exist continually, you can Private Sanctify it.