Hammer that breaks magic items

[Redhood101]

I'm designing an item for a player's backstory. They belong to a cult that destroys magic items thinking that they need to in order to keep the world safe. They do this with a hammer that is specially designed to break magic items. I'm having trouble trying to think of what properties you would give to the hammer that let it destroy 90% of magic items (part of the lore is that items the cult can't break they lock up in a giant vault). There's no way that they will get to the cult till a much higher level because of the kind of items they would find in that vault so I don't care so much if the hammer is crazy powerful.

[ProsecutorGodot]

Most magic items aren't impervious to damage, only resistant. It doesn't have to be anything special, a regular hammer is enough. There are rare exceptions where items have difficult methods for destroying them (this is exclusive to artifacts if I recall) and the hammer would be useless against these items regardless.

You would, of course, want it to be exceptionally durable or you might risk damaging the hammer rather than the targeted item.

Alternatively, you could just make the hammers magical with some sort of property that increases damage against magic items. It's a cult, that sort of hypocrisy would be very on brand.

[Amnestic]

I mean, if it's a hammer that breaks magic items, does it need to do anything other than...break magic items?

Hammer of Magic Item Smashing
Null-Magical
You can spend a number of hours hammering a magical item to destroy it. The number of hours required starts at 1 for common magic items, and doubles for each rarity step higher. This cannot be used to destroy Legendary or Artifact rarity items. Consumable magic items such as scrolls or potions require only a single strike to destroy.

Something like that?

[JackPhoenix]

And now I'm imagining cultists trying to destroy a cloak by hitting it with a hammer.

[Amnestic]

It ain't much, but it's honest work.

[Redhood101]

And now I'm imagining cultists trying to destroy a cloak by hitting it with a hammer.

Ok, that's a small plot hole I didn't think about, oops.

[Sigreid]

They could have a holy hammer that does double damage to magic items to make it a little easier.

[JackPhoenix]

Ok, that's a small plot hole I didn't think about, oops.

Should've been blue. But doesn't matter, as mentioned, magic items are not indestructible, just resistant to damage. You can burn magical cloak on a normal fire just fine, it just takes longer. And non-magical adamantine weapons automatically crit when attacking objects.

[PhantomSoul]

Ok, that's a small plot hole I didn't think about, oops.

All good, it's more like an unusually sharp meat tenderiser! Or maybe you use the pick or nail-remover side (depending on style) on cloaks!

[Zhorn]

All good, it's more like an unusually sharp meat tenderiser! Or maybe you use the pick or nail-remover side (depending on style) on cloaks!

I like it.
Just a non-magical maul made of adamantine, and the impacting face has that meat-tenderising design
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/74/4c/95/744c957ecb0d7eae7b73827b70d97469.png

[Angelalex242]

That is the most horrifying party member I can imagine.

I can picture this guy destroying his allies magic items 'for their own good!'

I would disallow such a backstory.

[Unoriginal]

I'm designing an item for a player's backstory. They belong to a cult that destroys magic items thinking that they need to in order to keep the world safe. They do this with a hammer that is specially designed to break magic items. I'm having trouble trying to think of what properties you would give to the hammer that let it destroy 90% of magic items (part of the lore is that items the cult can't break they lock up in a giant vault). There's no way that they will get to the cult till a much higher level because of the kind of items they would find in that vault so I don't care so much if the hammer is crazy powerful.

Literally any hammer can break magic items, unless the magic item is specifically indestructible outside of special circumstances.


Magic Item Resilience

Most magic items are objects of extraordinary artisanship, assembled from the finest materials with meticulous attention to detail. Thanks to this combination of careful crafting and magical reinforcement, a magic item is at least as durable as a regular item of its kind. Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage. Artifacts are practically indestructible, requiring extreme measures to destroy.

DMG p.141.


Most magic items aren't impervious to damage, only resistant. It doesn't have to be anything special, a regular hammer is enough. There are rare exceptions where items have difficult methods for destroying them (this is exclusive to artifacts if I recall)

There is also the Unbreakable minor property for regular magic items:


Unbreakable. The item can't be broken. Special means must be used to destroy it.

[ImproperJustice]

Make it less to do with the hammer and more with the anvil.
The hammer making contact drives the magical energy into the anvil.
The room containing it could be all kinds of descriptive eye candy, or not. Just super ordinary to be creepy.

What happens to the energy once sent into the anvil?

Maybe it goes into the ether? Or the mouth of an angry God? Or toward the empowerment of an ancient machine. Or into the anvil itself?
The great secret could be that it can take the magic of lost items and reforge them into something new?

[Corsair14]

Do magic items mostly not blow up anymore when they are physically destroyed? Seems a flaw in the plan if so

[noob]

Maybe they are just really persistent and eventually break the cloak with a hammer just by hammering it long enough(a few weeks of hitting it with a hammer taking turns)

[KyleG]

maybe it absorbs the magic first, releasing the enchantment and then breaks the item