While you wear this amulet of silver and turquoise, you have advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead.
If you fail a saving throw against such an effect, you can choose to succeed instead. You can do so three times, and expended uses recharge daily at dawn.
Each time an effect that turns undead is used against you, the amulet glows with silvery blue light for a few seconds. (The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan)
I'm currently running a hidden shrine of Tamoachan game and one magic item that came up last session was an amulet of protection from turning. Am I reading this item correctly? it seems to me that unless a PC is an un-dead creature this item is useless for anything other than selling. I understand why an enemy creature might have this item in order make them more resistant to clerics and paladins but why make it a usable item?
The session ended before they identified it and i'm wondering if I should just ret-con it to be another (actually usefull) magic amulet.
what do you guys think about this? thanks in advance.
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Lord of the Dead, Judge of the Damned, Master of the Crystal Spire, the Great Guide.
It is useless to a non-undead PC or NPC. But it's a good item for an undead NPC, which is presumably its purpose. Not everything in D&D is for the players.
As our crown-seeking rodent friend has said, this item is designed to be useful only to undead.
It is a look into the different design paradigm of years gone by, as this particular item was present in a few of the old school modules (I personally know of two, the other being a portion of the Caves of Chaos that has sixty something skeletons and zombies that are all wearing these amulets that, in the rules system of the day, made it almost irrelevant that a cleric could even attempt to turn the undead). I think they might all have been penned by Gary Gygax, who I gather had a lot of times where he'd basically invent some bit of rules stuff as a counter for player character abilities that got written into the rules... the reason why not just not include the player character ability that he wants to undo, is lost to me.
Could use it as a story hook. If you as the DM have these kinds of questions about the item your players are going to be even more perplexed. Encourage them to look into it. Maybe give them a quest that eventually leads to them turning it in to an organization like the Harpers who then give your players a worthwhile magic item in return for helping them take an item that can be so helpful to undead out of play.
While it's odd to see an official item that exists purely to support homebrew races, that looks like it is exactly what it is. There are quite a number of homebrew races that are Undead, anything from skeletons to ghosts to vampires. There's even the possibility of a player choosing to become a lich, I suppose, but I don't know how that would work as a PC, what with needing to keep sacrificing souls to the phylactery and all.
In particular, I've run across a homebrew version of Awakened Undead. Basically, you are an entity risen from the grave as either a Skeleton, Wight, or Ghost (subraces). If there's a Cleric of any description in the party with such a race, using the Channel Divinity for Turn Undead would become, shall we say.... problematic.
Depending on the game world, and it's general or regional views on necromancy, the idea of Undead NPCs becomes much more possible, as well. In Ravnica, for example, the Golgari have a rather large number of liches among their ranks. The whole guild worships the cycle of life leading to death, leading to new life again. As such, liches are seen as guardians of the process, and are relatively common. Any among them would cherish an amulet that makes them immune to a divine power which normally would adversely affect them.
As our crown-seeking rodent friend has said, this item is designed to be useful only to undead.
It is a look into the different design paradigm of years gone by, as this particular item was present in a few of the old school modules (I personally know of two, the other being a portion of the Caves of Chaos that has sixty something skeletons and zombies that are all wearing these amulets that, in the rules system of the day, made it almost irrelevant that a cleric could even attempt to turn the undead). I think they might all have been penned by Gary Gygax, who I gather had a lot of times where he'd basically invent some bit of rules stuff as a counter for player character abilities that got written into the rules... the reason why not just not include the player character ability that he wants to undo, is lost to me.
Gygax had a reputations as being an adverserial GM. Everything I ever heard about him makes it sound like letting player character's have an ability and then giving NPCs something that made them immune to that ability was perfectly in character for him.
As our crown-seeking rodent friend has said, this item is designed to be useful only to undead.
It is a look into the different design paradigm of years gone by, as this particular item was present in a few of the old school modules (I personally know of two, the other being a portion of the Caves of Chaos that has sixty something skeletons and zombies that are all wearing these amulets that, in the rules system of the day, made it almost irrelevant that a cleric could even attempt to turn the undead). I think they might all have been penned by Gary Gygax, who I gather had a lot of times where he'd basically invent some bit of rules stuff as a counter for player character abilities that got written into the rules... the reason why not just not include the player character ability that he wants to undo, is lost to me.
Gygax had a reputations as being an adverserial GM. Everything I ever heard about him makes it sound like letting player character's have an ability and then giving NPCs something that made them immune to that ability was perfectly in character for him.
We're currently running Curse of Strahd with a Cleric and a Paladin and encounters that should be memorable tend to become comic relief if both of them channel the enemies away.
I can see how a DM that wants to run a gothic horror adventure would have to use *something* to prevent the characters just scaring away the scary things.
Maybe not making them totally immune, but something like "disadvantage in everything instead of being frightened", so the enemies can at least still act.
So far, I see it being a fun DM tool. I currently have a changeling planned to follow our party in different forms but the kicker is she's a vampire who works for the big boi Strahd himself. The cleric in my party is a cleric of the grave domain, and let's just say that I've been getting a little fed up with "Eyes of the Grave" spoiling all my undead fun in Barovia. So for Curse of Strahd, super useful item for DMs. Mix it with an anti-detection amulet and bam! no more undead boing spoiled. As for the players, if they aren't undead and find it useless, 9 times out of 10, they will probably sell it and forget about 30 minutes later.
A transparent crystal with the properties of iron. It is carved into the form of a small dragon curled up like a snail. Its name, "Azan-gund", is engraved in dwarven runes. Properties If blown over a grave while it is dark, Night Caller animates the corpse as a zombie under the user's control. It can be used no more than once per week, and only to control a maximum of two zombies at a time. Night Caller faintly radiates necromancy magic. History Duergar, the dark dwarves, created Night Caller and other whistles like it in an age past.
Amulet of protection from turning
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
While you wear this amulet of silver and turquoise, you have advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead.
If you fail a saving throw against such an effect, you can choose to succeed instead. You can do so three times, and expended uses recharge daily at dawn.
Each time an effect that turns undead is used against you, the amulet glows with silvery blue light for a few seconds. (The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan)
I'm currently running a hidden shrine of Tamoachan game and one magic item that came up last session was an amulet of protection from turning. Am I reading this item correctly? it seems to me that unless a PC is an un-dead creature this item is useless for anything other than selling. I understand why an enemy creature might have this item in order make them more resistant to clerics and paladins but why make it a usable item?
The session ended before they identified it and i'm wondering if I should just ret-con it to be another (actually usefull) magic amulet.
what do you guys think about this? thanks in advance.
Lord of the Dead, Judge of the Damned, Master of the Crystal Spire, the Great Guide.
It is useless to a non-undead PC or NPC. But it's a good item for an undead NPC, which is presumably its purpose. Not everything in D&D is for the players.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
As our crown-seeking rodent friend has said, this item is designed to be useful only to undead.
It is a look into the different design paradigm of years gone by, as this particular item was present in a few of the old school modules (I personally know of two, the other being a portion of the Caves of Chaos that has sixty something skeletons and zombies that are all wearing these amulets that, in the rules system of the day, made it almost irrelevant that a cleric could even attempt to turn the undead). I think they might all have been penned by Gary Gygax, who I gather had a lot of times where he'd basically invent some bit of rules stuff as a counter for player character abilities that got written into the rules... the reason why not just not include the player character ability that he wants to undo, is lost to me.
Unless your PC was playing a vampire....
Or has an ability that creates an undead in a party with a cleric.
Attack: [roll]3d20dl2+6[/roll] Damage: [roll](if([roll:-1:critical], =0, 1d8, 2{1d8}.expand()))+4[/roll] Sneakattack: [roll](if([roll:-2:critical], =0, 2d6, 2{2d6}.expand()))[/roll]Could use it as a story hook. If you as the DM have these kinds of questions about the item your players are going to be even more perplexed. Encourage them to look into it. Maybe give them a quest that eventually leads to them turning it in to an organization like the Harpers who then give your players a worthwhile magic item in return for helping them take an item that can be so helpful to undead out of play.
If one of you PCs is a Necromancer, it could be useful for their minions. :-)
Or if you're playing a Vampire or have an Undead friend.
While it's odd to see an official item that exists purely to support homebrew races, that looks like it is exactly what it is. There are quite a number of homebrew races that are Undead, anything from skeletons to ghosts to vampires. There's even the possibility of a player choosing to become a lich, I suppose, but I don't know how that would work as a PC, what with needing to keep sacrificing souls to the phylactery and all.
In particular, I've run across a homebrew version of Awakened Undead. Basically, you are an entity risen from the grave as either a Skeleton, Wight, or Ghost (subraces). If there's a Cleric of any description in the party with such a race, using the Channel Divinity for Turn Undead would become, shall we say.... problematic.
Depending on the game world, and it's general or regional views on necromancy, the idea of Undead NPCs becomes much more possible, as well. In Ravnica, for example, the Golgari have a rather large number of liches among their ranks. The whole guild worships the cycle of life leading to death, leading to new life again. As such, liches are seen as guardians of the process, and are relatively common. Any among them would cherish an amulet that makes them immune to a divine power which normally would adversely affect them.
Gygax had a reputations as being an adverserial GM. Everything I ever heard about him makes it sound like letting player character's have an ability and then giving NPCs something that made them immune to that ability was perfectly in character for him.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
We're currently running Curse of Strahd with a Cleric and a Paladin and encounters that should be memorable tend to become comic relief if both of them channel the enemies away.
I can see how a DM that wants to run a gothic horror adventure would have to use *something* to prevent the characters just scaring away the scary things.
Maybe not making them totally immune, but something like "disadvantage in everything instead of being frightened", so the enemies can at least still act.
So far, I see it being a fun DM tool. I currently have a changeling planned to follow our party in different forms but the kicker is she's a vampire who works for the big boi Strahd himself. The cleric in my party is a cleric of the grave domain, and let's just say that I've been getting a little fed up with "Eyes of the Grave" spoiling all my undead fun in Barovia. So for Curse of Strahd, super useful item for DMs. Mix it with an anti-detection amulet and bam! no more undead boing spoiled. As for the players, if they aren't undead and find it useless, 9 times out of 10, they will probably sell it and forget about 30 minutes later.
Garbage, worthless item that is essentially a waste of text.
Maybe you could bribe a lich with it, IDK.
That may be a holdover from early versions of AD&D, where evil clerics could turn paladins.
I use it with this
Azan-gund
A transparent crystal with the properties of iron. It is carved into the form of a small dragon curled up like a snail. Its name, "Azan-gund", is engraved in dwarven runes. Properties If blown over a grave while it is dark, Night Caller animates the corpse as a zombie under the user's control. It can be used no more than once per week, and only to control a maximum of two zombies at a time. Night Caller faintly radiates necromancy magic. History Duergar, the dark dwarves, created Night Caller and other whistles like it in an age past.
It's more useful than some of the common magic items, at least it's worth more in terms of value being a rare item.