The group has spent something like 4 sessions tracking down a "piece of something". They know it is powerful, but they know not what it is. It has so far cost the life on one level 5 PC (Chasme for the win). Now, the classic description had no single piece had any powers. But I am going to alter that, and give each piece some powers, and there will be additional powers if other pieces are attached.
Looking for some input. I have been very stingy on magic items so far, as the group just hit level 5 a couple sessions ago. I am thinking this is pretty OP for a single piece, given the group could in theory search for the other parts scattered across the dimensions.
Piece of Magical Rod:
Benign Powers: If HELD by caster as Magic Focus, +1 to all magical attack and DC rolls. If HELD by anyone, +1 to AC. ANY Holder can cast Lightning Bolt 8d6, 1x/day.
Malevolent Powers: Saving Throws vs Magic are at -1.
My main concern would be unbalancing the players with respect to each other, if you are playing a deadly game (which it sounds like you are) and stingy with magic items (which you say you are) then giving the party a single powerful item that will grow in power as they continue adventuring will lead to whomever has that item being considerably more powerful than anyone else in the party so while everyone else is dying and having to reroll new characters one player won't. That could easily lead to resentment between the players.
It had a significant overhaul however, there's spells that obtaining the parts grant access to. It's actually not all that cool a magic weapon now, but the point is that there IS a 5e version of it.
My main concern would be unbalancing the players with respect to each other, if you are playing a deadly game (which it sounds like you are) and stingy with magic items (which you say you are) then giving the party a single powerful item that will grow in power as they continue adventuring will lead to whomever has that item being considerably more powerful than anyone else in the party so while everyone else is dying and having to reroll new characters one player won't. That could easily lead to resentment between the players.
A fair point.
I am attempting to hand out a bit more magic now that 5th level has been reached. Ironically, I have designed this quest with a few magical items that would work out for martial PC's (not including this part of the Rod). But the group has re-jigged their PC choices, so now I have a group of casters. I may have to alter the list of magic items, but I hate doing that.
Part of the allure of this particular artifact is that not only do the players get to choose if they want to pursue the other parts (actually, the next higher sequential one, assuming it is within range of detection), but now I get to choose who/when starts looking for the new owner of this piece, as whomever holds the lower sequential piece might be looking for the next one).
If your PCs are rejigging characters / dying & rerolling characters frequently, you might want to provide items that are as generically useful as possible. For instance each piece of rod could be usable as a +1 Mace/Club/Quarterstaff for a martial character, a +1 spell focus for a caster, and/or a +1 armour bonus for whomever.
Another piece of the rod might work as a Broom of Flying - usable by anyone, another could give teleporting capabilities (similar to a Cape of the Mountebank), another could give a BA heal or bonus HP (see Periapt of Wound Closure or Amulet of Health), another one should act as an Immovable Rod.
That's the top universally useful magic items off the top of my head that could fit with a stick object. Others are the boots/cloak of Elvenkind, cloak/ring of protection, stone of good luck, ring of resistance or evasion, rope of climbing.... hm....
If your PCs are rejigging characters / dying & rerolling characters frequently, you might want to provide items that are as generically useful as possible. For instance each piece of rod could be usable as a +1 Mace/Club/Quarterstaff for a martial character, a +1 spell focus for a caster, and/or a +1 armour bonus for whomever.
Another piece of the rod might work as a Broom of Flying - usable by anyone, another could give teleporting capabilities (similar to a Cape of the Mountebank), another could give a BA heal or bonus HP (see Periapt of Wound Closure or Amulet of Health), another one should act as an Immovable Rod.
That's the top universally useful magic items off the top of my head that could fit with a stick object. Others are the boots/cloak of Elvenkind, cloak/ring of protection, stone of good luck, ring of resistance or evasion, rope of climbing.... hm....
This is one piece of 7. The group found the piece last session, along with a number of items the group can use, as well as some the group can't use, because there are no martials. I run a game where the players/PC's have to make choices and tradeoffs. I have decided to scale back the abilities (see 1st post) from what I suggested, because it is simply too much if the group does decide to try to find the next piece. The real benefits will be, as with the original artifact, when two or more pieces are joined together. If the group decides not to try to hunt down the next piece, the additional scaling benefits will not be ever found out.
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This was a classic artifact in AD&D.
The group has spent something like 4 sessions tracking down a "piece of something". They know it is powerful, but they know not what it is. It has so far cost the life on one level 5 PC (Chasme for the win). Now, the classic description had no single piece had any powers. But I am going to alter that, and give each piece some powers, and there will be additional powers if other pieces are attached.
Looking for some input. I have been very stingy on magic items so far, as the group just hit level 5 a couple sessions ago. I am thinking this is pretty OP for a single piece, given the group could in theory search for the other parts scattered across the dimensions.
Piece of Magical Rod:
Benign Powers:
If HELD by caster as Magic Focus, +1 to all magical attack and DC rolls.
If HELD by anyone, +1 to AC.
ANY Holder can cast Lightning Bolt 8d6, 1x/day.
Malevolent Powers:
Saving Throws vs Magic are at -1.
My main concern would be unbalancing the players with respect to each other, if you are playing a deadly game (which it sounds like you are) and stingy with magic items (which you say you are) then giving the party a single powerful item that will grow in power as they continue adventuring will lead to whomever has that item being considerably more powerful than anyone else in the party so while everyone else is dying and having to reroll new characters one player won't. That could easily lead to resentment between the players.
The Rod of Seven Parts exists in 5e. It was used in the adventure Vecna: Eve of Ruin.
It had a significant overhaul however, there's spells that obtaining the parts grant access to. It's actually not all that cool a magic weapon now, but the point is that there IS a 5e version of it.
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A fair point.
I am attempting to hand out a bit more magic now that 5th level has been reached. Ironically, I have designed this quest with a few magical items that would work out for martial PC's (not including this part of the Rod). But the group has re-jigged their PC choices, so now I have a group of casters. I may have to alter the list of magic items, but I hate doing that.
Part of the allure of this particular artifact is that not only do the players get to choose if they want to pursue the other parts (actually, the next higher sequential one, assuming it is within range of detection), but now I get to choose who/when starts looking for the new owner of this piece, as whomever holds the lower sequential piece might be looking for the next one).
If your PCs are rejigging characters / dying & rerolling characters frequently, you might want to provide items that are as generically useful as possible. For instance each piece of rod could be usable as a +1 Mace/Club/Quarterstaff for a martial character, a +1 spell focus for a caster, and/or a +1 armour bonus for whomever.
Another piece of the rod might work as a Broom of Flying - usable by anyone, another could give teleporting capabilities (similar to a Cape of the Mountebank), another could give a BA heal or bonus HP (see Periapt of Wound Closure or Amulet of Health), another one should act as an Immovable Rod.
That's the top universally useful magic items off the top of my head that could fit with a stick object. Others are the boots/cloak of Elvenkind, cloak/ring of protection, stone of good luck, ring of resistance or evasion, rope of climbing.... hm....
This is one piece of 7. The group found the piece last session, along with a number of items the group can use, as well as some the group can't use, because there are no martials. I run a game where the players/PC's have to make choices and tradeoffs. I have decided to scale back the abilities (see 1st post) from what I suggested, because it is simply too much if the group does decide to try to find the next piece. The real benefits will be, as with the original artifact, when two or more pieces are joined together. If the group decides not to try to hunt down the next piece, the additional scaling benefits will not be ever found out.