Orb of Dragonkind

[Sparky McDibben]

Hey all,

I'm thinking about putting together a dragon-themed campaign, and I was researching draconic magic items. I came across the orb of dragonkind and was, frankly, underwhelmed. It seems pretty tame compared to something like a staff of the magi, and especially tame compared to other artifacts like the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. Has anyone used it in a game? Any ideas for how to incorporate the item into one's game while giving it gravity appropriate to an artifact?

My first thought was to have it be the object of a fetch quest, but then I thought of Dragonball Z, and now I'm thinking that when you put all five together you can cast wish once. For context, I'm assuming the PCs start after the Rise of Tiamat, assuming Tiamat flambéed the silly adventurers trying to stop her and ate them with ketchup. Campaign starts at level 1, so I'm thinking of seeding rumors about them early on. Each one might do something different for a given party member (so a rogue-themed one that allows pass without trace once per day, or can expend charges to boost sneak attack damage), but each time they use them any dragons in the area know where the party is. The more charges expended from the max, the wider that beacon effect becomes.

I'm open to comments, concerns, epiphanies, feedback, guidance, ideas, insights, questions, revelations, suggestions, or just people who want to howl into the e'er-yawning abyss that is human decency. Thanks!

[Safety Sword]

Hey all,

I'm thinking about putting together a dragon-themed campaign, and I was researching draconic magic items. I came across the orb of dragonkind and was, frankly, underwhelmed. It seems pretty tame compared to something like a staff of the magi, and especially tame compared to other artifacts like the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. Has anyone used it in a game? Any ideas for how to incorporate the item into one's game while giving it gravity appropriate to an artifact?

My first thought was to have it be the object of a fetch quest, but then I thought of Dragonball Z, and now I'm thinking that when you put all five together you can cast wish once. For context, I'm assuming the PCs start after the Rise of Tiamat, assuming Tiamat flambéed the silly adventurers trying to stop her and ate them with ketchup. Campaign starts at level 1, so I'm thinking of seeding rumors about them early on. Each one might do something different for a given party member (so a rogue-themed one that allows pass without trace once per day, or can expend charges to boost sneak attack damage), but each time they use them any dragons in the area know where the party is. The more charges expended from the max, the wider that beacon effect becomes.

I'm open to comments, concerns, epiphanies, feedback, guidance, ideas, insights, questions, revelations, suggestions, or just people who want to howl into the e'er-yawning abyss that is human decency. Thanks!

So, a couple of angles here.

In the Dragonlance Saga, the Orbs of Dragonkind were used in various ways, both for good and ill. Trapping dragons to slay them in particular areas, forcing dragons to do your bidding, etc. Worked out well for some and not so well for others. If you haven't read these books, they are wonderful inspiration for a dragon themed campaign (in fact just D&D in general).

The ability to call evil dragons to the orb should become a major part of the campaign if you give this (these) thing(s) out.

In game mechanics terms, the artifact properties are pretty rubbish for this. You could consider other benefits such as gaining scaly hide, resistance to breath weapons, ability to fly.. you know, dragon things.
The detriments should also reflect either dragon things or wizard things.

You have to have the personalities of the trapped dragons in the orbs figured out. They have to have motivations (dracolichdom anyone?), desires (destroying wizards) and flaws (vanity, superiority complex etc.) The dragon essence in each orb should feel like it resists everything that doesn't further its wants. The orbs might secretly communicate with evil dragons and engineer its surroundings.

The orbs probably want to be held by weak-willed or evil "owners" because they can further their plots.

Perhaps you have to release and slay the dragon inside to destroy the Orbs. That could be a major campaign goal.

To your campaign assumptions above: If the Cult of the Dragon had the ability to call and control evil dragons, look out. I know it's assumed that the Cult no longer makes dracoliches, but it would be way cooler if they were secretly gathering evil dragons and manufacturing dracoliches in large numbers. That would be something worth stopping.

[JackPhoenix]

Funny thing about artifacts: One of the possible beneficial properties is immunity to being charmed or frightened.

You risk being charmed by the orb when you use it. The orb can potentialy negate its own side effect.

[Great Dragon]

@JackPhoenix: I recall from Older Editions (and Personally prefer) that artifacts made things resistant/immune to everything but it own effects.

@Sparky McDibben: Having the idea of a Dragonball-esq effect is entirely possible.
Just remember to be careful giving out Wishes. Even one Wish can unbalance the Campaign.

However, one of the things that is forgotten about in Dragonlance is the fact that there are ten Dragon Souls in each Orb. All five Chromatic are basically represented in the Epic Saga, but there are also five Metallics. The thing is, while these Souls are aware of each other, they don't fight.

Even making contact with one of the Metallic Dragon Souls shouldn't a guarantee of gaining access to the Dragonorb. Like their Counterparts - each should have a Personality (Quirk and Flaw) and a Goal, and will strongly test the User's moral fiber and determination to achieve their own goals, as well as to test to see if (the Dragon's) their personal Goal matches in any way.

Safety Sword covered most of what I was going to suggest.
These are all based on the Color of the Dragon that chooses the PC.

Grants AC 13 by causing the person to grow scales. (Like Draconic Sorcerer or the Dragonborn Racial Feat)
Gain a Breath Weapon and/or Resistance to one damage type done by a Breath Weapon.
Gains Wings and a Fly Speed. Or the ability to breath water; or ignore an environment's effects.
Hands and/or feet become Draconic talons that are treated as natural weapons.

[MagneticKitty]

If you want to home brew them to be more potent you could roll their traits with advantage and you pick the detriment and they pick from the benefit rolls
Or you can bump the traits up in potency...

We used them in our game, and their casting is pretty good, deathward, scrying, and cure wounds are pretty good. Detect magic at will is Also fantastic. Also calling dragons came up a few times when we fought a dragon and our tanky chracter drew fire with this trait.
A free couple deathwards is probably the best part

Maybe add once a day dragon's breath spell locked in to the matching element if you wanted