Backstory: I'm running a hexcrawl-type adventure where a party of 6 are journeying through an unknown land (randomly generated ahead of their travel) and is generally player-directed. Into this I'm occasionally dropping prepared material with a few modifications. We're running off the 2024 rules, but I'm allowing them to discover things from the 2014 rules and introduce new spells or subclasses to the game. The biggest rule changes are around overland travel, where they need to find a safe resting place to take a long rest, so it's not guaranteed in the wild. Additionally, when they make death saves they take on lingering injuries. The party is a large party and very experienced, so I'm always increasing the difficulty.
The Party
Dragonborn, Draconic Sorcerer (5th) - lost a hand. slightly favors control like Slow over damage. Raised CHA to 18.
Wood Elf, Wild Heart Barbarian (5th) - mobile heavy weapon user. Athlete feat
Human, Valor Bard (5th) - hand crossbow firing true strike. Crossbow expert feat.
Gnome, Arcane Trickster Rogue (5th) - lost an eye. into ambush or sniping. Sentinel feat
Right now they're going through one of the Quests From the Infinite Staircase, When a Star Falls. I dropped the Tegefed mountains in the south of a mountain range. They followed the hook and they're over halfway through now. At the end of the adventure there's a reward where everyone gets an uncommon magic item. The next prepared material I want to drop on them is probably from Vecna: Eve of Ruin. There will be more hexcrawling between end of WaSF and Vecna but considering the party size and their experience I can drop them in before 10th. Maybe around 7th or 8th level. Here are the rewards in the module:
Since I want to fast-track them to Vecna and drop them off the deep end, I figured I could use this reward to let them each get a rare item well-suited to their character, since there hasn't been a ton of opportunity to trade magic items in the wilderness. NOW, that all said, here are the items I'd been looking at and I'd like to workshop it a bit to see if the items are over-tuned or if there are any good ideas to add. They can always swap the items around, but I've intended one for each. That doesn't always work out as the Arcane Trickster tends to get more than his fair share of items (both the +1 scimitar and wand of web).
The New Reward Items:
Astrologer's Astral Arm (sorcerer) - wondrous item (rare, requires attunement). a magical prosthetic arm. Has 7 charges. Regains 1d6+1 charges at dawn. They can expend the required charges to cast the following: mage hand (no charge), Maximilian's earthen grasp (2 charges), Bigby's Hand (5 charges).
Dragon's Wrath Weapon(barbarian) (rare, halberd, fire) with the Temperate minor property.
Mariner's Mistral Blade (rogue/ranger) - shortsword (rare, requires attunement). Has 6 charges and regains 1d6 charges at dawn. They can expend the required charges to cast the following: zephyr strike (1 charge), gust of wind (2 charges), wind wall (3 charges). With the Waterborne minor property.
Alternatively, since the rewards here are all Uncommon, I wrote up Uncommon items as reward options playing off the Enspelled Weapon and Enspelled Armor..
Delver's Agate Eye - wondrous item (uncommon, requires attunement) a magical prosthetic eye with 3 charges. Regains 1d3 charges at dawn. They can expend charges to cast Locate Object . Delver. While underground, you always know the item’s depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest staircase, ramp, or other path leading upward.
Firebrand's Halberd - weapon (halberd) (uncommon, requires attunement) a magical weapon with 6 charges. Regains 1d6 chares at dawn. They can expend a charge to cast Searing Smite. Temperate. You are unharmed by temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, and 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Geomancer's Grasping Arm - wondrous item (uncommon, requires attunement) a magical prosthetic arm with 3 charges. Regains 1d3 charges at dawn. They can expend charges to cast Mage Hand (no charges) or Maximilian's Earthen Grasp (1 charge) (save DC 13).
Holy Commander's Shield - armor (shield) (uncommon, requires attunement) a magical shield with 6 charges. Regains 1d6 charges at dawn. They can expend a charge to cast Protection from Evil and Good. War Leader. You can take a Magic action to cause your voice or signal to carry clearly for up to 600 feet until the end of your next turn.
Mariner's Mistral Blade - weapon (shortsword) (uncommon, requires attunement) A magical weapon with 6 charges. Regains 1d6 charges at dawn. They can expend a charge to cast Zephyr Strike. Waterborne. This item floats on water and other liquids. You have Advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to swim.
Watchman's Handy Crossbow - weapon (hand crossbow) (uncommon, requires attunement) A magical weapon with 6 charges. Regains 1d6 charges at dawn. They can expend a charge to cast Ensnaring Strike. (save DC 13}. Beacon. You can take a Bonus Action to cause the item to shed Bright Light in a 10-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 10 feet, or to extinguish the light.
Bigby's hand is likely too powerful a spell for a level 5 character it is a stand out powerhouse even for level 5 spells. My advice is keep offensive spells to the highest level they can cast or lower for permanent items. If you are giving a higher level spell it should probably be situational, utility or weak for its level. Other spells you could use are
Backstory: I'm running a hexcrawl-type adventure where a party of 6 are journeying through an unknown land (randomly generated ahead of their travel) and is generally player-directed. Into this I'm occasionally dropping prepared material with a few modifications. We're running off the 2024 rules, but I'm allowing them to discover things from the 2014 rules and introduce new spells or subclasses to the game. The biggest rule changes are around overland travel, where they need to find a safe resting place to take a long rest, so it's not guaranteed in the wild. Additionally, when they make death saves they take on lingering injuries. The party is a large party and very experienced, so I'm always increasing the difficulty.
The Party
For their current equipment, they're a little low on magic items. Some of their significant items are a +1 scimitar (a cleansed Sword of Vengeance), a Weapon of Warning (greatsword), Wand of Web, Ring of Animal Influence, Staff of the Python, and a few assorted little items that mostly boost ability checks like boots of elvenkind.
Right now they're going through one of the Quests From the Infinite Staircase, When a Star Falls. I dropped the Tegefed mountains in the south of a mountain range. They followed the hook and they're over halfway through now. At the end of the adventure there's a reward where everyone gets an uncommon magic item. The next prepared material I want to drop on them is probably from Vecna: Eve of Ruin. There will be more hexcrawling between end of WaSF and Vecna but considering the party size and their experience I can drop them in before 10th. Maybe around 7th or 8th level. Here are the rewards in the module:
When a Star Falls Rewards:
Since I want to fast-track them to Vecna and drop them off the deep end, I figured I could use this reward to let them each get a rare item well-suited to their character, since there hasn't been a ton of opportunity to trade magic items in the wilderness. NOW, that all said, here are the items I'd been looking at and I'd like to workshop it a bit to see if the items are over-tuned or if there are any good ideas to add. They can always swap the items around, but I've intended one for each. That doesn't always work out as the Arcane Trickster tends to get more than his fair share of items (both the +1 scimitar and wand of web).
The New Reward Items:
a few alternates:
Alternatively, since the rewards here are all Uncommon, I wrote up Uncommon items as reward options playing off the Enspelled Weapon and Enspelled Armor..
Bigby's hand is likely too powerful a spell for a level 5 character it is a stand out powerhouse even for level 5 spells. My advice is keep offensive spells to the highest level they can cast or lower for permanent items. If you are giving a higher level spell it should probably be situational, utility or weak for its level. Other spells you could use are