Your favorite unique/homebrew magic item

[Sindal]

Hi gang

I'm curious about the creativity you've experienced in your games

-give me your favourite or memorable magic item(s) that you've had or used in dnd.

*these are magic items that are not from a published adventure or the general magic item list (so like, any magic bow that isn't the oath bow lol for example)

•what sits name? What did it do? How did you get it? Was it something potentially significant to your character?

Mine:

Kilos: a +1 longbow that let me fire a super pushback shot each day

It's the same bow I used all campaign...except one day during a dungeon the remains of a Dwarven king was like "ey yo kid I live in your bow now* and put the last of his energy into my bow to enchant it.

No it's not alive

[animorte]

I've come up with a few items that I later discovered actually already exist.

- Ever-water Flask. Oh wait, there's a Decanter of Endless Water
- Bag of Monster Holding. Hey there, Portable Hole.
- Others I can't recall at the moment.

[Dualight]

The item I remember best is also one of the most underwhelming: glasses of sunlight resistance for a kobold ranger.
Sunglasses to negate Sunlight Sensitivity. That's it, that's all it did. There were also bits about it weakening darkvision and helping against being blinded by light while worn, but those never came up in play.

[ZenBear]

My favorite one I gave to my players is the Badge of Authoritah! I forget the specifics, but you got X charges per day to cast Command or Calm Emotions by shouting, “Respect my authoritah!” in your best Cartman from South Park voice. Just a funny little meme to help my severely CHA-deficient party

[solidork]

I had a warlock who was big into collecting magic items and he found this thing:

Rod of Rods
Legendary
1/day cast Animate Objects but can only target rod shaped things.
Up to 4 additional magical rods can be attached to the Rod of Rods. If those rods require attunement to use, attuning to the Rod of Rods counts as attunement to them.
Once you have 2 additional rods attached it functions as a +1 Quarterstaff, scaling up to +2 and +3 with each additional rod.

The game ended before I found enough good rods to make it worth using over my Staff of Thunder and Lightning, but I was looking forward to using it eventually.

I also found a Robe of Eyes that had the quirk where I could see these tall creepy things that just hung out on the ethereal plane watching everyone. Spooky to be sure, but my Warlock was a practical sort and used these watchers to:
-Tell if someone was undead (only living things had watchers)
-Tell if someone was an illusion
-Spot hiding people

We had a way to transfer enchantments between suitable items, so I commissioned a much cooler and less creepy looking long coat and transferred the robe's enchantment to that so it didn't cramp my style.

We also found a Ring of Sending that cast Sending 1/day without requiring attunement. Got used nearly every single day.

[Sigreid]

I was playing a character that was targeted with a fireball. I rolled my save and shouted excitedly "I caught it!!" The DM asked me what I meant that I caught it and I told him I rolled a 1 on my saving throw. He started laughing and after the fight I got a glove that would let me catch fireballs and throw them back.

[Kane0]

The iron serpent was a chain link belt or sash that once per day could be thrown onto the ground with a command word that turned it into a giant constrictor snake with higher than average AC, for about an hour or until reduced to 0 HP then it reverted to its chain belt form.

Monk training orb. Its a crystal sphere that when thrown floats and generates a quasi-real illusion of a sparring partner. Can be used as a decoy in combat or training dummy during downtime.

The autoloader. A joint effort between elves and gnomes, this light crossbow ignores the loading trait, uses sling bullets as ammunition instead of bolts and can also fire canisters/flasks of other things like acid, holy water and alchemists fire. In addition, it can be mounted and linked up with an Alarm spell to automatically fire at whatever triggered the alarm using the casters attack bonus.

The staff of holding. It could hold and use up to three wands or pearls of power attached to it all with the one attunement cost, or a rod which counted as two wands. It also had a little scroll compartment for ease of access.

Ring of mental barrier. It functioned like a ring of mind shielding without the soul sucking, but also provided resistance to psychic damage and 'expertise' on wisdom saving throws.

Ubervision goggles. Eyes of night seeing, but in color.

Yabbastones were like sending stones but usable without limit on the same plane and could be set up into networks of 8 instead of just pairs. Basically walkie-talkies, but the oarty never found the last 3 of them.

Edit: joke item
Sensory stick: quarterstaff that could cast detect traps at will.

[animorte]

I was playing a character that was targeted with a fireball. I rolled my save and shouted excitedly "I caught it!!" The DM asked me what I meant that I caught it and I told him I rolled a 1 on my saving throw. He started laughing and after the fight I got a glove that would let me catch fireballs and throw them back.

Oh my goodness. You don’t mind if I use this, should opportunity present itself?

[Sigreid]

Oh my goodness. You don’t mind if I use this, should opportunity present itself?

Go for it.

[Leon]

Stormspike ~ +1 Spear Made of a Thunderboars Tusk, granting it a bonus 2d6 Thunder damage and 1/day Lightning bolt. Made by My Ranger with the help of a "allied" Half Orc Shaman.

Warplate of Kulth ~ +1 Fullplate w/Inscribed spells on each major part of the armour (Intended, it was never finished as the campaign folded) Made by my Forgepriest

[Mad Puppy]

Oaklea
A +1 Scimitar made of ironwood, with an oak leaf pattern in hues of Autumn(red, orange, Yellow, Brown) all over it, as if fallen leaves on the ground.
Nothing else special about it just an unusual material for a blade (Wood).

I later created a Moonblade (Autumn Oakleaf Moonblade) with the same physical characteristics but much more powerful, as an artifact that was lost to the elves but my character is looking for as a hook for adventuring.

This moonblade (Autumn Oakleaf) is fashioned of wood, elegant with a slight curve, patterned with Oak leaves and acorn colored in the hues of Autumn (Gold, Yellow, Orange, Brown & Green) the handle wrapped in a leather stitched with gold. When Wield in battle it sings and whistles like a bird or a fast moving arrow. There are Five runes on its blade, one for each master it has served. It grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Additionally the moonblade has the following additional properties:

The moonblade Whistles and sings as it is used
The moonblade gains the finesse property.
The moonblade functions as a ring of spell storing.

[Bohandas]

I read a thing on the old WotC forums about a campaign where one of the characters put a bunch of custom magic effects on an old easy chair and basically turned it into a flying mobile artillery platform

Edit:
Also I had an idea for anmitem that I never got to use im actual play where it would be a deck of illusions, but instead of the deck's usual set of illusions, you would draw a card from a cards against humanity deck, and so instead of things like "a red dragon" or "a female human wizard" or "pixies" your illusions would be of things like "a live studio audience" or "oompa loompas" or "a kid who won't shut up about dinosaurs"

[ProsecutorGodot]

I came up with an idea for what at the time seemed like a minor effect but turned out to be something amusing enough for the player to focus heavily into it

It was a set of boots to be worn by a monk, if you managed to circle the enemy completely during the turn a whirlwind of flower petals erupted around them and you could take an additional unarmed attack during a flurry of blows against that target.

[Kane0]

I came up with an idea for what at the time seemed like a minor effect but turned out to be something amusing enough for the player to focus heavily into it

It was a set of boots to be worn by a monk, if you managed to circle the enemy completely during the turn a whirlwind of flower petals erupted around them and you could take an additional unarmed attack during a flurry of blows against that target.

Oh thats good

[figment_123]

I made a vestige style item for each of my players, this is the one I think I like the best:

Azurebolt: (Legendary Quarterstaff, requires attunement) this +1 magic quarterstaff can act as an Immovable Rod. While holding Azurebolt, you have resistance to lightning damage. As an action you may break Azurebolt into a 2 or 3 section staff or revert it back into a quarterstaff. When you hit with a melee weapon attack you may choose to build a static charge. You can only store 1 charge per turn, and Azurebolt can only hold up to 5 charges; all charges disappear after 5 minutes. When you hit with an unarmed or melee weapon attack, you can choose to expend all the charges currently stored. Each charge expended this way deals an additional 1d6 lightning damage. If the staff has maximum charges stored, you can use an action to cast Lightning Bolt (3rd) with a spell DC equal to your stunning strike DC. This expends all charges.

(Lev 10) Upgrade: The wielder gains a +2 bonus to hit and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The wielder can expend a bonus action and regain Ki points equal to the number of static charges built up in the weapon. This ability recharges on a long rest. The number of charges this weapon can build is increased to 8. The Lightning Bolt ability now expends 4 charges, instead of all charges. Charges now disappear on a short rest instead of 5 minutes.

(Lev13) Upgrade 2: The wielder gains a +3 bonus to hit and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Azurebolt can now build a static charge on each melee weapon attack in a turn and builds 2 charges on a critical hit. The number of charges Azurebolt can store is now 10, and charges do not disappear except on a long rest. If the staff has maximum charges stored, the wielder can use an action to cast Chain Lightning (6th) with a spell DC equal to their stunning strike DC. This expends all charges.

[nickl_2000]

Whip of Encouragement
Whenever you attack with the whip you may shout "try harder you lazy scum" and the whip will cast the guidance spell as a cantrip on the target. This lasts the normal duration of the guidance spell, but does not require concentration. Once per short rest, you may shout an insult as you hit with the whip. The next time the hit target makes a roll with a d20, it will have the total reduced by 1d6.


This was owned by a Drueger Slaver in a campaign I wrote, I loved the idea of it.

[Catullus64]

If we're talking magic items that I've had and used as a player, and not ones I've made myself, it would have to be Kamilos, the sentient sword of swashbuckling legal advocate Ludin Foxtail. I still have its features written down.

It was created by a warlock, who bound his pseudodragon familiar in sword form. A delicately sculpted pseudodragon formed the swept hilt of the rapier, with the blade emerging from its mouth. Kamilos didn't so much mind being a sword, but he was glad to have a less evil master. We became fairly good friends.

The sword got more powerful as we fought together, eventually obtaining all kinds of powers themed around the abilities of a pseudodragon:


Started out as a +1 Rapier, eventually became a +2.
I gained a limited form of its magic resistance. While holding the sword, I could use a reaction to gain advantage on a saving throw vs. a spell or magical effect.
I could switch the sword's senses and my own as a bonus action. Doing so gave me 10 ft. blindsight and Keen Senses, but completely blinded and deafened me beyond that radius. Good for fighting in the dark as a character without darkvision.
I could use the sword's Limited Telepathy directly to communicate simple ideas, emotions, and images to creatures within 100 ft that could understand a language.
Immediately after taking the Attack action with the sword, I could also use a bonus action to make a special Sting attack using the sculpted tail of the hilt. This attack dealt 1d4+2 piercing damage, and required a DC 13 Constitution Save or else become poisoned for 1 minute. A creature that failed the save by 5 or more fell unconscious for the duration. For a swashbuckler Rogue who often needed to make bonus action dagger attacks for disengagement/extra chance at Sneak Attack, this was a good upgrade.

[Segev]

A halfling wizard I played enchanted his spellbook as a Carpet of Flying. It was one of those very oversized tomes, and he was a hafling, so he could easily sit on it.

Using the "magic item quirks" rules from the 5e DMG, I handed out a Ring of Swimming that floated when placed in water by itself, and would rotate itself or its wearer (if the wearer wasn't trying to do anything else) so that the ring's setting pointed north, if the ring or its wearer were freely floating in the water.

In another game, we obtained from a series of unsettling events a black cloth that just kept unfolding and unfolding as much as we unfolded it, woven by an ancient archhag. Anything completely covered by or enveloped in it just...disappeared. We called it the "bye-bye blanket," and once used it as a drop-tarp trap on a dragon that we lured under it by stealing from the dragon's hoard. ...sadly, we didn't manage to get much of the hoard before we had to use it, so much of the hoard also disappeared.

Another using the "magic item quirk" rules: a helmet that had an integrated set of Goggles of Night with the "greedy" quirk that also showed gemstones in color, even in darkvision.

A Sword of Gleaming (basically, no magical properties other than that it never gets dirty or needs cleaning or sharpening) got a lot of mileage because, despite its lack of impressive magical properties, it was still a magic sword, so it could bypass resistance to nonmagical slashing damage.

And some I rolled up / put together (again using the item quirk rules) for a starting-at-third-level dungeon crawl as options for PCs to start with:
Veteran's Cane - A black-and-silver cane topped with a spider gripping a crystal sphere, this cane turns into a rapier whenever its bearer is targeted by a spell, and reverts one minute after the spell ends.
Perfume of Bewitching - Stored in a delicate bottle of elven make, this perfume (once worn exclusively by elven royalty), when applied in its entirety, gives the bearer a delicate aroma that changes based on the circumstances and puts those who smell it in mind of songs that keep the wearer's words echoing like an earworm, granting the wearer advantage on Charisma checks against humanoids for the hour until it wears off. There is one application in the bottle, just enough to wet the stopper and apply it delicately to the wrist or neck.
Earthen Guardian Wand of Pyrotechnics - Created by a paranoid Dao, this swagger stick always appears to be made of a fine marble or other stone, though the jeweled adornments alter to complement whatever the bearer is wearing. While carried, it gives +2 to its bearer's initiative if the bearer is not incapacitated, and can be used to create bright and distracting pyrotechnics, perfect for pointing out or otherwise foiling assassins' efforts.
Dread Helm - Constructed for a tyrannical conqueror who reveled in his fearsome reputation, this helm bears a crown's points and makes the wearer's eyes glow red. As an action, the wearer can cause his voice to be amplified enough to be heard clearly up to 300 feet away.
Corrupted Celestial Shield of Expressions - Made of celestial steel, this shield was recovered from a cambion mercenary's possession after he'd used it in multiple betrayals in the Blood War. Its face is that of a handsome aasimar when a positive expression is on it, and that of an equally-handsome tiefling when a negative expression is on it. The wearer can read and understand Celestial when the aasimar face is on it, and Fiendish when the tiefling face is on it. He also may speak the relevant language, though when he does, the shield's face mimics his speech.
Dust of Disappearance - This snow globe, set into a sandstone base is filled with a swirling dust that forms into whatever image the bearer desires, though the moment he stops concentrating (as on a spell), it assumes random, unsettling forms and whispers in an ominously low voice. Those who speak Terran recognize the mutterings as very melodramatic portents of doom, promising whatever it touches will disappear. When the globe is broken, the dust can be scattered as Dust of Disappearance.
Immovable Rod of the Fire Giant - This black iron rod set with a ruby is painfully hot to the touch, but never causes actual burns. Its wielder feels as if he is in a 90-degree Fahrenheit room, as long as the temperature is between -20 and 120 degrees. It feels one degree warmer or cooler per degree outside this boundary. When the ruby is pushed, it sets itself in place, and the one who pushed it counts as holding it for the afore-mentioned effects even if he walks away, up to a mile distant, until it is pushed again to deactivate it.
Stake of the Gulthias Tree - This oversized wooden stake can serve as a club or a wooden dagger. Extracted from a tree that grew from a stake that slew the vampire Gulthias, this +1 druidic focus demands at least one drop of humanoid blood after each sunset, or it will not function until it is fed. Once after each sunset (after it has been fed), its attuned owner can forego an attack roll when making an attack, instead acting as if he had rolled a 10 on the die. In addition, once per sunset, it will permit the attuned druid to wild shape when the druid's uses are exhausted.
Sacred Candle of Pyrotechnics - This candle never melts, burning until extinguished. As long as it is lit, it functions as a +1 holy symbol (adding to spell attack rolls and save DCs for an attuned cleric). It bears an ornate symbol of a god of fire and light, and fills its bearer with confidence born of faith. It functions as a Wand of Pyrotechnics in addition to its properties as a holy symbol.
Potion of Heroism - Brewed by dwarves and intended to be drunk as part of a sacrament to the god of mines and wealth, this potion imparts knowledge of the depth below the surface and a hunger for material wealth, in addition to its normal effects.

I am personally particularly fond of the Fire Giant's Immovable Rod, since it keeps you at a safe - but rather uncomfortable for most creatures - temperature.


Finally, an item I came up with years ago but have never implemented into a game. A gold ring studded with rubies and with an enormous emerald as its primary setting, gaudy and ugly as heck but obviously very materially valuable. Identifies as a ring of invisibility (this was before identify automatically revealed curses; not sure how I'd frame it in 5e). When you put it on, nothing seems to happen, though. No command seems to work to make the wearer invisible. Take it off, though, and the former wearer becomes invisible until he puts it back on. Anybody who has ever worn it can only be visible while wearing it, now. Powerful, but a rather irritating downside, I think. Perhaps, still, too powerful for anything but high level play.

[Skrum]

I love making up homebrew items, and I keep a Google doc just for magic items. Which is to say, I have a lot of them.

Some of my favs -
Jester’s Cowl
Requires attunement
This carnival mask is brightly colored and adorned with bells. Donning or doffing the mask requires a bonus action, and as long as the wearer is alive it may only be removed by them. All of the mask’s abilities only function while the mask is worn.
Bells: the character has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks
Mirth: the character may use the Vicious Mockery cantrip at will. The DC for the spell is 14. If the wearer has Vicious Mockery on their spell list, increase the DC by 2 when cast from the list

The Jester’s Cowl has 3 charges. They may be spent to use the abilities below
Hide and Seek: As an action, the wearer may teleport up to 30 ft. They may bring up to 2 allies in adjacent squares with them. Each character that is teleported in this way is invisible and vulnerable to all damage types until the beginning of their next turn. 1 charge.
Duck Duck Goose: As a reaction to someone within 30 ft taking damage, the wearer may use this ability to reduce the damage by half. Roll a 1d6. On a 1, the wearer takes twice as much psychic damage as was prevented. 1 charge.

Achelsvej, the Poison Barb
Dagger +1, Requires Attunement
Achelsvej cannot be thrown, as its design makes it particularly ill-disposed toward flight.
Dripping with Venom: Achelsvej deals an additional 1d8 poison damage on the first successful melee attack made with it during the wielder's turn.
Assassin's Tool: With a full minute of uninterrupted effort, Achelsvej can be transformed and stowed. It appears as a small tattoo of a dagger on the wielder's palm. It can remain there indefinitely. Any poisons applied to the blade do not reduce in duration while stowed this way. While stowed, the wielder has vulnerability to poison damage.
The Blade in Your Back: As part of an Attack action, the wielder may make Achelsvej appear in their hand if it was stowed with Assassin's Tool and use it for the attack. This attack is made at advantage, and deals an additional 1d8 poison damage.

Grandmaster's Teapot
This ceramic, ornate teapot depicts a magnificent golden dragon, with the mouth of the dragon forming the pour spout. While it can serve admirably as a regular teapot, a special tea can be brewed that shows the teapot's true power. The recipe can be found engraved on the inside of the lid, and the tea requires rare herbs and essences worth 100 gp. It makes enough tea for a single use.

If this special tea is drunk at the end of 1 hour spent exercising and meditating (which can be accomplished during a short rest), the drinker can swap certain abilities or skills.

Pick one of the following
Change a skill proficiency from one to another
If the character has selected a feat, they may swap that feat for another
If they have a class feature that may be swapped for another at a level where the character would gain an ASI, they may pick one to swap (a cantrip, a fighting style, etc.)

If losing something with the teapot would cause the character to no longer qualify for something, that may not be changed with the teapot. This does not allow the character to learn a feat that they would not qualify for.

Shadow Shears
These dull gray shears look exactly like the shears used to cut wool.

Shadow Friend: As an action, the wielder may use the shears to cut loose their own shadow. The shadow will gain something of a mind of its own. If undirected, it will move independently, gesturing and reacting to things around it. It is incapable of making sound. Its senses and movement are the same as the owner, though it may travel along any surface freely. Nothing can slow its movement, though it is incapable of moving into magical darkness. Though it will move around on its own, it will never venture more than 15 ft away from the owner. It is immune to all damage and effects and cannot be targeted. The shadow may also be mentally directed to move to a location the owner can see or describe (requires no action). It may also be given more complicated instructions, like “go in each of the rooms in this hallway.” Note that the owner cannot see what the shadow sees, and the shadow has no particular ability to communicate information beyond miming. The shadow can travel up to 500 ft away from the owner. The shadow may fit though a space as little as a small crack. In bright light, it is easy to spot the shadow, though in darkness, it is effectively invisible. It always moves in complete silence. This ability may be used 1/day. The effect immediately ends if magical darkness is cast over a space the shadow occupies.

Hark! A Whisper: As a bonus action, the owner may hear what the shadow is hearing. While this ability is active, their hearing is substituted with the shadow’s, and they become deaf to their surroundings. If the shadow is exposed to a sound-based effect, the owner must save against it as if they were in the effect. This ability lasts until it is ended with another bonus action.

Also, at will, the owner may have anything they say come out of the shadow’s mouth. When this ability is used, no sound comes out of their actual mouth, and any sound they make instead originates from the shadow.

My Old Friend: As an action, the owner may teleport themselves to wherever the shadow is, reattaching the shadow to themselves in the process. If the shadow is in a space too small for the owner to fit, they are shunted off to the closest space where they can fit, taking 1d6 force damage for each 5 ft traveled.

[Wintermoot]

What started out as a joke item that became decidedly a core element of the game:

Canteloupe

A large battleaxe. When you point it and say "Canteloupe" a canteloupe flies out and hits whatever you are aiming at. This was 2nd Edition, I think the damage was something like 2d8.

We put it in the hands of our party fighter and it became his goto missile weapon. We found ways to enhance it, so it stayed viable through the life the campaign.



Years later, in a 3rd edition game, unrelated characters, some of the same players, we get hired by a Melon salesman to figure out who is stealing his melons off his wagon (we were like 2nd level and dealing with a theives guild style campaign). After a few aborted attempts at observation, we end up shrinking ourselves down and hiding in one of the melons. Much to our shock when later that night we find ourselves hurtling through the air at a rapid rate of speed and smashing against a hobgoblin's shield. Shot out of an axe. We enter in the middle of a combat with our old characters on one side and a bunch of monsters on the other.

Eventually we figure out that the melon seller is using a repurposed wagon left over from a wizard's siege of the city some 80 years prior and that their is a magical connection between the wagon and the axe. It was originally supposed to hold cannonballs and the axe would shoot the cannonballs when you said "cannonball"

Now, decades later, the axe ended up separated by thousands of leagues from the wagon. The word "canteloupe" was similar enough to "cannonball" to get the somewhat geriatric and hard of hearing axe to respond and hilarity ensued.

[Ionathus]

Creating homebrew magic items is my "brain candy" when I'm the DM. I absolutely playing with synergies and thematic connections, and presenting those options to my PCs. They have more items than they can attune to, specifically because I've never experienced that as a player and love the feeling of having to actually allocate your slots.

Many of my items are tailored pretty closely to my PCs' unique abilities and personalities, but the one I maybe like the most is non-specific -- any of them could use it, though of course some will get more use out of it.

It's named the Gae Bulg, because I named it after (get this) the Gae Bulg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A1e_Bulg).

It's a +1 spear and thankfully you don't have to throw it with your toes.
When it hits a target, they take an additional 3d6 necrotic damage and are restrained in place until the spear is removed.
When the spear is removed, the embedded barbs do a Big Hurt and deal 3d6 more damage.
The kicker: If the Gae Bulg reduces a creature to 0 hit points, their skeleton is immediately converted into a Wall of Thorns as if the thrower had just cast the spell.
This, perhaps obviously, makes resurrection difficult.

This spear was given to them, in apparent good faith, by a creepy necromancer NPC who has frequently encouraged them to keep growing their power and understanding. She's big on "waste not, want not" which is where the skeleton repurposing comes from.

Part of what I like about this weapon is how visceral and nasty it is. Part of what I like is the moral iffiness they feel whenever they choose to use it. Part of what I like is how it can get REALLY nasty on a good hit. Part of what I like is that it doesn't require attunement, so at least one baddie has just yanked out the spear and thrown it back at the PCs for that "oh ****" factor.

[KorvinStarmast]

I first posted this here at the homebrew forum, and ended up having to make revisions as we came up with stuff in play. (Like of the marked enemy shifts to another plane?) Our barbarian had been damaged by a being and the mask activated, the sorcerer then used banishment. Took a while to decide on how that worked ... but it's part of the item now. The darned thing got too complicated, I'd not make this again.


Mask of Vengeance

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
When found, this mask appears to be a jade ceremonial mask that fits a medium sized creature. When a living creature attunes to this mask, the mask transforms into a headband that fits onto their head. When an undead creature attunes to this mask, it returns to its original shape: a jade ceremonial mask. If the attuned wearer dies while wearing the mask, it returns to its original shape: a jade ceremonial mask.
1. When the attuned wearer is damaged by another creature the Marking feature begins to function.

a. The headband slips down over the wearer’s eyes whenever the marking feature is active.
b. The wearer’s vision is not impaired by the headband being over their eyes.
c. When the wearer is damaged by a creature the wearer may choose to mark that creature for vengeance. The command phrase for elective marking is “Vengeance is mine” .


(1) If the wearer does not wish to mark the creature, and no other creature is already marked, wearer must make a DC 15 Charisma save or mark the creature anyway. {Note: if your ally harms you this can get interesting!}
(2) A new creature cannot be marked if the previous marked creature still lives.

d. While a creature is marked, it cannot benefit from concealment against the wearer.


(1) Wearer always succeeds on Perception checks to notice the marked creature.
(2) If the marked creature is too far away to be seen, if an obstruction to vision is between the marked creature and the wearer, or if the wearer is blinded, the wearer still knows the distance and direction to the marked creature.
(3) If the marked creature moves to another plane of existence, no distance / direction is clear to the attuned wearer, but marking remains in effect. If the marked creature remain on another plane of existence, a DC 15 Wisdom save is rolled each time the sun rises. A successful save breaks the mark.

e. All of the wearer’s successful attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage to the marked creature only.
f. Reducing the marked target to 0 hit points provides the wearer with Temporary Hit Points equal to three times the wearer’s proficiency bonus.
------------------Curse--------------------
While the marked creature still lives, the wearer finds it difficult to rest. Each time the wearer tries to take a long rest, or trance, while the marked creature still lives, they must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or gain no benefit from the long rest or trance. (No HD recovered, no rage restored, no HP restored, no sleep, no spell slots recovered, et cetera). Visions of the marked target continually emerge in their subconscious and they awaken halfway through the long rest or trance, thinking that it is nearby). While the marked creature remains alive, the wearer will not remove the mask nor break attunement with it willingly unless a successful remove curse spell is cast upon the wearer.

I determined that the DC for remove curse was DC 15 - by looking at spell levels versus item rarity.

[Amnestic]

I gave this one out to a character who liked to gamble.


Charm of Miss Fortune
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
This piece of card is a little bit larger than the average playing card. The imagery held upon it is that of a succubus (the titular Miss Fortune), in the standard style of the upper body mirrored on top and bottom. Rather than the K/Q/J you might expect, it's instead embossed with 'MF' in the corners. Despite its seemingly flimsy nature, the card resists attempts to tear or otherwise damage it and it looks like it would hold up well against inclement weather or water - a result of its magical nature, no doubt.

When held up the sleeve, hidden in a boot, or otherwise concealed on your person, you can declare using it before any attack roll. If you choose to do so, any roll of 7 becomes an automatic critical (as if you had rolled a 20) and any roll of 13 becomes an automatic miss (as if you had rolled a 1).

I didn't graph out the maths on if it's generally better to always use it or not.

[Phhase]

Kul'stic, a +1 Corrosive dagger. This dagger's name means "Cat Piss" in orcish, and the acid it produces isn't very nice-smelling. It deals +1d6 acid damage when active, and the lingering acid causes -1 to the victim's attacks and saves until the end of the wielder's next turn due to the pain. The twist is that the dagger was enchanted using transmutation rather than evocation - the acid it produces is actually non-magical nitric acid, meaning it can be collected. A side effect is that the wielder must remember to wipe the dagger off before putting it away or else some of the lingering acid on the blade can get on stuff.

Kee'ak, an item resembling a left-handed gauntlet made of a strange fused material somewhere between bone and stone. It can be activated to extend its index finger to be become a blade-claw that can be used as a +1 1d8 finesse weapon with a 19-20 crit range. On a critical hit, part of the target's bone structure is absorbed, dealing 1d4 Dexterity and Constitution Damage, making them vulnerable to bludgeoning temporarily, and increasing the wielder's AC temporarily. This effect can have unpredictable side effects if it activates on a creature without standard bones. This item was received when a player gave a chunk of fused bone and stone to a Kenku magesmith who told them never to give him this material again after finishing his work, because it was deeply unsettling to him (His craft process is summarized as "removes everything that doesn't look like it belongs until the item that was inside the material is revealed").

A set of full plate that, over the course of several days, could regrow severed limbs. This was fun because it basically gave me full license to dismember that character without much guilt, since it wouldn't stick for long.

A dessicating scimitar that dealt +1d8 necrotic (dehydration) damage. Against plant or watery creatures, this became 1d10. Creatures or objects not subject to dehydration, such as an iron golem, do not take this damage. The player used it in a very creative way, though: they and a bunch of others were floating in a river, connected by ropes, and they were in the lead. They stuck the scimitar into the water ahead of them and held it there, allowing it to continuously suck up water, which I ruled created a sort of persistent water displacement wave that cause the water to rush forward and drag everyone along.

[Oramac]

snip

Now, decades later, the axe ended up separated by thousands of leagues from the wagon. The word "canteloupe" was similar enough to "cannonball" to get the somewhat geriatric and hard of hearing axe to respond and hilarity ensued.

Oh man! That is amazing!! Can I use that idea?

==================================

Mine would be two I've made. Mostly mechanical, but they give the players interesting outcomes.

1. Radiant Hammer: When you cast a spell that restores hit points, roll a d4. On a 4, the hammer explodes in divine radiance, restoring 2d6 hit points per spell level to each friendly creature within 30 feet. The party cleric got some seriously good use out of this. Once during a particularly difficult fight, he cast a 4th level cure wounds on the fighter, who was in single digit HP at the time. The hammer procced and basically the whole party went from nearly dead to almost fully healed in one go. We still tell that story to this day.

2. Sword of Impending Doom: For every non-critical hit you make with this sword, its critical range increases by one. (so two non-crit hits means its crit range is now 18-20). Reset on a crit or each day at dawn. I've never yet had a player choose this item (I often let my players choose one magic item when the group is around 5th or 6th level). But I did some experimenting, and it is INSANE. It pretty much guarantees a crit roughly every 8-10 attacks, if not more.

[nickl_2000]

Oh man! That is amazing!! Can I use that idea?

2. Sword of Impending Doom: For every non-critical hit you make with this sword, its critical range increases by one. (so two non-crit hits means its crit range is now 18-20). Reset on a crit or each day at dawn. I've never yet had a player choose this item (I often let my players choose one magic item when the group is around 5th or 6th level). But I did some experimenting, and it is INSANE. It pretty much guarantees a crit roughly every 8-10 attacks, if not more.

I would rock this sword as a half-orc rogue all day long! That many crits would be absolutely amazing on damage.

[Yakmala]

The Compass of Good and Evil Once per day the user can activate the compass choosing good or evil. The compass then points towards the subjectively most good or evil creature within a one mile radius. The effect lasts one hour or until the user is within ten feet of the target or the user chooses to end the effect.

The players had a lot of fun with this, as it often uncovered potential enemies or allies they were previously unaware of. The effect was subjective based on the user’s ideals of good and evil and told them nothing about the nature of the creature’s goodness or evilness.

[Segev]

2. Sword of Impending Doom: For every non-critical hit you make with this sword, its critical range increases by one. (so two non-crit hits means its crit range is now 18-20). Reset on a crit or each day at dawn. I've never yet had a player choose this item (I often let my players choose one magic item when the group is around 5th or 6th level). But I did some experimenting, and it is INSANE. It pretty much guarantees a crit roughly every 8-10 attacks, if not more.

I have a friend I am positive would leap at that weapon for most of his builds.

[Oramac]

I have a friend I am positive would leap at that weapon for most of his builds.

I'm honestly surprised none of my players ever have. Then again, they aren't nearly as min-maxy as we are.

[Marcelinari]

Bracer of Borrowed Vigor: A lacquered leather bracer died viridian green, with gold marking arcane symbols on it.
While wearing the Bracer, you may gain a level of exhaustion as a bonus action. When you do, the Bracer gains 2 charges. The Bracer can contain a maximum of 2 charges. So long as the Bracer contains a charge, you gain 2 points of Constitution (max 22), and you are immune to the effects of Exhaustion. As an action, you may spend a charge from the Bracer to activate one of the following effects:

You gain advantage on all ability checks for 1 minute.
You drain the vigor of a creature within your reach. That creature makes a DC 15 Constitution Saving Throw. If it fails, it suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls and saving throws for 1 minute. The creature may make an additional save at the end of each of it’s turns to end the effect. The Bracer gains 2 charges. The Bracer loses all stored charges each dawn.

[Danielqueue1]

boots of the top shelf fitted for a small sized creature, if you tap the heels together you cast levitation on yourself that only lasts one turn lifting you into the air, pausing long enough for you to grab something, then lowering back down.

It was simple, silly and sold by a gnome NPC who used them himself. Of all the magic items in that campaign, that one and a cape of billowing get the most mentions. Followed by some non-euclidian dice the GOO warlock has.