5e Magic Item: Bands of Blazing (need help balancing)

[Claesical]

So I'm working on a magic item for one of my players, and I need help balancing it. I posted it to Reddit but have gotten no responses so far. What do you guys think?

Here's the item info:



Wraps of Searing
rare wondrous item (requires attunement by a monk)

These fist wraps are warm to the touch. When worn properly, your unarmed strikes deal an extra 1d4 fire damage, and you can cast the produce flame cantrip, using Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier. Additionally, when making attack with your unarmed strikes, you can spend 2 or more ki point (to a maximum of 10) to set the wraps ablaze, applying the following effects:


Your fists shed bright light out to 10 feet and dim light out to an additional 10 feet. The distances of the bright and dim light increase by 5 feet for each ki point spent past the initial 2.


Your unarmed strikes deal an additional 2d4 fire damage, plus an additional 1d4 for each 2 ki points spent past the initial 2.


At the end of your turn, you take 1d4 fire damage, plus an additional 1d4 for each 2 ki points spent past the initial 2.

The effects last for 1 minute or when you dispel the flame as a bonus action.


I need help making the writing clear/proper 5e format and the effects balanced. Should I put a limit on the ki cost, and is the risk/reward ratio fair? Is the name good?


Change Log:

Changed the name from "Bands of Blazing" to "Wraps of Searing".
Increased the damage taken at the end of a turn from a d4 to a d8.
Removed the bit about ignoring initial ki cost by using an open flame.
Added a ki use maximum of 10.
Added produce flame ability.
Changed 2 ki damage to 2d4 and 1d4 to others and self respectively.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Bands doesn’t make me think of wrappings. Something like Flame Wreath Bracers or Searing Straps.

Seems like a Tiefling/Genasi/Dragonborn might get more mileage out of these than most.

[Claesical]

Bands doesn’t make me think of wrappings. Something like Flame Wreath Bracers or Searing Straps.

Seems like a Tiefling/Genasi/Dragonborn might get more mileage out of these than most.

Those are WAY better names then I had. Searing Straps jives with me the most.

Would you say that aspect of promoting use by fire resistance characters is problematic in design?

[Reynaerde]

I need help making the writing clear/proper 5e format and the effects balanced. Should I put a limit on the ki cost, and is the risk/reward ratio fair? Is the name good?
Whether you need a limit on the ki cost depends on how long your player's adventuring days are. If they regularly only have one fight a day, burning all their ki like this (pun intended) might be too good.

For simplicity's sake I wouldn't include the bit about holding them in an open flame and I would have it increase the 1d4 to 1d8, rather than add it.

Awesome item by the way!

[Claesical]

Whether you need a limit on the ki cost depends on how long your player's adventuring days are. If they regularly only have one fight a day, burning all their ki like this (pun intended) might be too good.

For simplicity's sake I wouldn't include the bit about holding them in an open flame and I would have it increase the 1d4 to 1d8, rather than add it.

Awesome item by the way!

Thank you! I usually put in a minimum of 2 fights per short rest, averaging maybe 4. (the campaign's been pretty dungeon crawl heavy) I agree on the open flame bit. I Think I'm gonna add those changes.

[Ogrillian]

I love this idea, we monks are woefully shorted in the equipment department, and this weapon enhances the unarmed strikes we specialize in. It also works for any element or just plain increasing bludgeoning damage, if you don’t mind giving up the cantrip.

Note: Why couldn’t WOTC include something like this? (HINT HINT to any developer reading this.😁)

[BerzerkerUnit]

Oof. D8 per turn? No thank you.

[Claesical]

Oof. D8 per turn? No thank you.

Fair enough. Do you think I should go back to D4s?

[Claesical]

I love this idea, we monks are woefully shorted in the equipment department, and this weapon enhances the unarmed strikes we specialize in. It also works for any element or just plain increasing bludgeoning damage, if you don’t mind giving up the cantrip.

Note: Why couldn’t WOTC include something like this? (HINT HINT to any developer reading this.😁)

Thanks! I would LOVE to see more monk stuff come out of WOTC.

I'm kinda 50/50 on the cantrip. Do you think it's a flavorful addition, or does it just over-complicate the item?

[BerzerkerUnit]

the More I think of these the more I wonder why you don’t use the Flametongue as a yardstick. Lower damage to 1d8 to account for more Monk attacks and allow them to light a roomful of torches, kindling, unattended flammable stuff as a bonus action.

Maybe allow them to spend a point of Ki for fangs of the fire snake (d10 and reach) or Up damage to d12 per attack at the cost of being scorched for 2pts of Fire damage. Allow it to be spent on a hit.

[Ogrillian]

Thanks! I would LOVE to see more monk stuff come out of WOTC.

I'm kinda 50/50 on the cantrip. Do you think it's a flavorful addition, or does it just over-complicate the item?
I like the cantrip it’s not a game breaker and can come in very handy depending on the location of your party, anyone who’s run out of torches in the UnderDark would kiss your feet for this, although if you try to make a different elemental version you would probably have to drop it.

I would drop or reducing receiving fire damage from the tool. Nobody is going to use them if they are taking 1H flaming long sword attack damage every turn (we don’t have the HP to support this and after 2 or 3 rounds.....), and drop the initial 1d4 to a simple +1 or 2, keeps from being overpowered (trust me people will complain about your monk gaining an extra 4 1d4 attacks per round without costing anything after a while although I’m all for it).