Homebrewed Magic Items

[Ziegander]

I've been running a 5e game for a few weeks now, and I want to hand out magic items, but I want them to be as unique as possible. The characters are in a Negadungeon^TM of sorts, and so many of the items they receive will be cursed or come at a horrible cost. Anyway, here's a couple I've come up with, let me know what you think, and feel free to offer suggestions on other items!

The Headstriker
The Headstriker is a +1 longsword with higher damage dice than normal (d10/d12 versatile) that scores a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. But these benefits come with drawbacks. The Headstriker causes any who wield it to be overbold, prone to fits of rage, and filled with a lust for violence. The wielder of Headstriker suffers a -1 penalty to AC, and enemies the wielder has not attacked within 1 round can score critical hits against the wielder on rolls of 19-20.

Further, attuning to the Headstriker comes with its own unique costs and benefits, and unattuning from the Headstriker is much harder to do than your average magic item. Any character that becomes attuned to the Headstriker has its maximum hit point total reduced by 5, and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores each reduced by 1. A creature attuned to the Headstriker suffers disadvantage on saving throws to resist being Blinded, Charmed, or Stunned, and on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks for as long as that creature wields the sword.

In exchange for the costs listed above, the attuned creature has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to jump, and on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made to reduce damage from a fall; rolls one extra weapon damage die on a critical hit and another extra weapon damage die on any attack made following a jump high enough to target the attacked creature's head or any fall toward the target. Finally, when the attuned creature scores a critical hit with the Headstriker, the creature struck by this attack can't regain hit points for the next minute or until the end of the attuned creature's next turn with a successful Constitution save (DC = 8 + attuned creature's proficiency bonus + attuned creature's Strength modifier).

The bearer of Headstriker cannot unattune with it through a simple short rest, instead, he or she must first be incapacitated by bludgeoning damage, recover to at least 1 hit point, and then take a short rest during which he or she regains at least 5 hit points. Any hit points regained during this short rest are reduced by 5.

Slakethirst
Slakethirst is a +2 Dagger with a wavy blade, that demands blood and causes visions of the return of the abominable Old One, Dendar, a great snake who grows fat off the fears of intelligent beings.

When a creature attuned to Slakethirst is attacked, whether the attack hits or misses, the attuned creature must succeed on a Cha save (DC 15) or be forced to use its action next turn to attack it's attacker with the dagger.

At the end of any day in which the dagger has not been bathed in the warm blood of a living creature, any creature attuned to it has its Wisdom score reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1). Nothing short of a Wish spell or divine intervention can remedy this loss of Wisdom aside from the killing of a Lawful or Good aligned creature 1 point of reduction at a time. A creature attuned to the Slakethirst dagger may not unattune itself during a short rest without first slaying a Lawful or Good aligned creature within the last 24 hours.

After taking a long rest, any unattuned creature in possession of Slakethirst must make a Wis save (DC 15). On a failed save, the unattuned suffers 1d10 psychic damage and they are prevented from gaining any benefit from their rest having been plagued by terrible visions.

Slakethirst has 6 charges, which are used to fuel the dark powers within it. With the dagger in hand, a creature attuned to the dagger can use its action to cast one of the following spells from the dagger: False Life (1 charge), Dissonant Whispers (2 charges), Vampiric Touch (3 charges). No components are required.

The dagger regains 1d4+2 expended charges each day at dusk so long as it has been covered in blood that day. If an attuned creature expends its final charge, that creature must roll a d12. On a roll of 1, the dagger crumbles into a powder of dried blood.

Ring of Refreshment
This magical ring causes its wearer to smell at turns of peppermint, lemon peel, and tea tree oil, and grants the wearer immunity to magical sleep effects as well as advantage on saving throws to resist being charmed. The wearer's Charisma score is at least 11 while wearing this ring. A wearer with a Charisma score higher than 11 ignores this effect. Any creature attuned to the Ring of Refreshment is relieved of one level of exhaustion after a short rest provided the creature enjoyed some food and drink during that rest, and of all levels of exhaustion after a long rest and a good meal.

[Strill]

Headstriker seems really mediocre unless you're using a critical build, and/or have many ways to get advantage. Critical hits just aren't that great unless you can stack synergies.

[Ziegander]

Headstriker seems really mediocre unless you're using a critical build, and/or have many ways to get advantage. Critical hits just aren't that great unless you can stack synergies.

I wrote it specifically for a Champion Fighter. It's not supposed to be outstanding. It's supposed to be a semi-cursed item that still offers some powerful benefits to a party that's lower level than those benefits would typically come online, but at a cost. I will rule it to stack with the Champion's expanded crit range, so that he gets extra duty out of it. He asked for a Keen Longsword. This is what he'll get (for now). :) It's basically a stand-in for a stronger, more traditional, straight up bonuses, magic sword he'll get later in the campaign.

[The Dolman]

Does the Slakethirst encourage the carrying of bags of rats/chickens/other inexpensive mammals?

[Ziegander]

Does the Slakethirst encourage the carrying of bags of rats/chickens/other inexpensive mammals?

It totally does, and I have no problem with that, and neither does the dagger itself. As long as its getting its daily dose of blood, you're cool. You're left to deal with the in-game ramifications, if any, of slaughtering whatever you can get your hands on, as cheap as possible, in your own way.