Magical Item review: Unicorn Tailstring

[Sindal]

Hi everyone.

So just to test the waters and get other's opinions, I wanted to put my latest idea for a magic item to the public and see how they feel.
I try to make any magic items I make 'usable by any adventurers who would have come across it somehow' so yeah.
(there are in game and lore reasons why this item would appear)

"Unicorn Tailstring

This silvery string is surprisingly tough to the touch for how thin it looks. During the nighttime, it almost seems to faintly shine with the light of the moon.

Any bow or crossbow (any kind) strung with this enchanted string counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming magical resistance.

As soon as the sun sets, the weapon always evokes the moonlight into it automatically. You can also attempt to invoke the weapon's ability to absorb moonlight during the day by speaking a command word. Roll a d4. 1-2 results in a success. 3-4 Results in failure. If used during the day, regardless of success or failure, a full day must pass before it can attempt to be activated during the daytime again. The bow or crossbow does not need to be outdoors or in direct view of the moon for it's effects to take place.

When evoked, arrows shot from the bow will have a silvery gleam until the next dawn. If a target is struck, the next attack against that target has an extra d4 to hit."

If it were to use in a setting that doesn't follow the one I've currently using, it could have the lore tidbit
It was said to be gifted to archers who protected Unicorns within their forests. Whether or not it is a real tail string is a mystery

What do you guys think? Too weak? Too strong? Too overly complex? I'm comparing it to roughly what a +1 bow would be like to get except it functions uniquely.
I didn't just want to throw a +1 bow at my player though (They're getting to that level where they're gonna start needing one)

Cheers!

[nickl_2000]

Alright, let me break this down.

1) Makes an ordinary bow magical - Cool
2) Something odd with moonlight.
3) When the arrow/bolt hits, the next time the creature is hit it does an extra d4 of damage.

#2 is confusing to me about the rolling and evoking it during the day. It seems like it could be simplified.
So #3 seems overly complicated. If you want it to do more damage, just have it do more damage. It basically have the same effect and will reduce some book keeping.

So, it it were me I would leave the non-fluff description of the item as

"Any bow or crossbow (any kind) strung with this enchanted string counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming magical resistance.. Every night you must expose the tailstring to the moonlight. This causes any projectile shot with the tailstring to do an extra d4 of radiant damage until the next nightfall. If the tailstring is not exposed to moonlight overnight, it does not do extra damage during the next day."

A +1 weapon will give 1 extra damage per shot and hit more often. This weapon will give a +2.5 damage per shot and no bonus to hit. It will also force the player to do something at night, and could make them lose the damage bonus over an extended dungeon crawl (note, I would allow some to cast the spell Moonbeam on the bow to activate this effect as well). It would be somewhere between an uncommon and a rare, although I'm not sure where exactly. It is likely a little more powerful than a normal +1 weapon, even with the problems. However, not likely enough that it would be broken.

[Sindal]

Alright, let me break this down.

1) Makes an ordinary bow magical - Cool
2) Something odd with moonlight.
3) When the arrow/bolt hits, the next time the creature is hit it does an extra d4 of damage.

#2 is confusing to me about the rolling and evoking it during the day. It seems like it could be simplified.
So #3 seems overly complicated. If you want it to do more damage, just have it do more damage. It basically have the same effect and will reduce some book keeping.

So, it it were me I would leave the non-fluff description of the item as

"Any bow or crossbow (any kind) strung with this enchanted string counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming magical resistance.. Every night you must expose the tailstring to the moonlight. This causes any projectile shot with the tailstring to do an extra d4 of radiant damage until the next nightfall. If the tailstring is not exposed to moonlight overnight, "

A +1 weapon will give 1 extra damage per shot and hit more often. This weapon will give a +2.5 damage per shot and no bonus to hit. It will also force the player to do something at night, and could make them lose the damage bonus over an extended dungeon crawl (note, I would allow some to cast the spell Moonbeam on the bow to activate this effect as well). It would be somewhere between an uncommon and a rare, although I'm not sure where exactly. It is likely a little more powerful than a normal +1 weapon, even with the problems. However, not likely enough that it would be broken.

Appreciate the feedback.

Looking back at it, I may have designed the item a little more with my particular party in mind. The only person in my current team who could use it doesn't 'need' more damage. They do quite a bit already. I still wanted to give them something to make them feel like they got some magical weaponry though.

- The daytime active mode was an attempt to be a bit inclusive. Fights happen at random times of the day and if you happen to pick a lot of them during the day (or night if you never tried to activate it manually) though i suppose i can be a bit excessively complex.
-The way i figured is that is always turns on at night, regardless of where it is, almost as if it knows it's night time. But that's still a time based argument...
-I actually did have that moonbeam idea! Though i steered away from it because i don't want anyone to be in a situation where people are telling other people to cast spells so that they can activate their weapons. That seems like it could get a bit pestery.
-I like the idea of the d4 to hit instead of damage because unicorns aren't 'damage' creatures per say if you look at their abilities. They're supposed to be healy/evasive creatures that avoid fighting most and don't show up unless your pure of heart or something. If the shots increase accuracy on the next thing to hit it, you can get some teamwork going instead of 'the archer's doing more damage'. It's a little more busy work but it's no different than remembering bless or bardic inspiration 'to hit' mechanics.

Latest idea version is either your suggestion or...

"Any bow or crossbow (any kind) strung with this enchanted string counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming magical resistance. Each night you may spend a moment to carefully run your hand along the string, as if stroking an animal, and speaking a command word. This causes any projectile shot with the tailstring to mark targets, the next attack against them may add a d4 to their attack roll until the next nightfall. If the string is not activated,it does not provide the bonus during the next day."

Yeah, taking out some of the moony elements to make it more 'unicorny'

[nickl_2000]

-I like the idea of the d4 to hit instead of damage because unicorns aren't 'damage' creatures per say if you look at their abilities. They're supposed to be healy/evasive creatures that avoid fighting most and don't show up unless your pure of heart or something. If the shots increase accuracy on the next thing to hit it, you can get some teamwork going instead of 'the archer's doing more damage'. It's a little more busy work but it's no different than remembering bless or bardic inspiration 'to hit' mechanics.
...
Yeah, taking out some of the moony elements to make it more 'unicorny'

If you want it to be more unicorny I would look into the Unicorn's abilities instead of looking to add to hit or to damage. While those are nice to have, they don't have the impact of something a little more out there.

When I look at the unicorn stat block I see

Immune to poison, charm, and paralyzed
Telepathic 60 ft
Magic Resistance
Healing Touch 3/ day
Teleport 1/day
+2 AC bonus until the start of it's next turn


Skip the extra damage and look at these as possible effects
-Makes the weapon magical
-1/day as an attack you can fire a celestial arrow with a rainbow tail. When it hits a target it heals 2d8+2 HP.
-As a reaction once per day you can give yourself +2 to AC.

If you really like the flavor of the item, have it grow with the character as they remain pure of heart (or whatever the unicorn would like). Maybe a greater effect on the per day things, or give you the ability to do it more often, etc. Now you are looking at an item that helps the party, is something unique, and didn't change the combat mechanics of a character much at all.