I couldn't find anything like this, but was looking into adding this item below to a new campaign as kind of nugget of where the campaign may end up. I know it is probably somewhat OP for a low level party, but I will have it in a riddle box that will require an answer and ability to read Dragonic. I am hoping the campaign will be long enough to possibly have the group encounter Tiamat. So my thought was to include something that nodded that this all might have been seen from almost the very beginning. The box with this wand with have a 5 tipped star in the colors for Tiamat. Then the riddle in Draconic on the box to open it. Then this item would be inside. Any comments or recommendations? Thank you!!!
Wand of Dragonbreath
This wand has 1 charge. While holding it, you can use an action to cast a Dragon Breath (save DC 8 + CON + Proficiency) from it. You will chose one of the breath attacks below, type of save and AOE listed with the breath. Wand deals 3d6 damage of breath type, on successful saving throw, half the damage. If user is Dragonborn, the damage dealt is 4d6.
Acid Breath - 5 by 30ft line (Dex Save)
Lightning Breath - 5 by 30ft line (Dex Save)
Poison Breath - 15ft cone (Con Save)
Fire Breath - 15ft cone (Dex Save)
Cold Breath - 15ft cone (Con Save)
Recharge: Each morning you can roll 1d6 and on a 5 or 6 the wand recharges to max of 1 charge.
Doesn't seem particularly overpowered. Essentially gives any character a single daily use of the Dragonborn's breath weapon attack. As a general rule of thumb, magic items that don't scale are unlikely to be a problem for balancing. Dealing 3d6 (maybe half) of any elemental damage type once each day seems pretty good for low level play, but might be underpowered at higher levels. If you have any dragonborn in the party, they'll be overjoyed at something that makes their admittedly pretty weak breath weapon kinda stronger.
I would recommend doing something that makes it more useful at higher levels. Maybe there's some way players can make it stronger?
Also, while Draconic might be a rare language in-universe, most player parties are going to have at least one character who's fluent in it, so if you want them to have difficulties understanding the riddle, I'd recommend saying "It seems to be written in some form of archaic draconic. You can make out a few words, but not enough to understand the whole inscription"
I actually have a dragon wand in my campaign which is similar.
The dragon wand I made can be used once a day to intercept a dragons breath attack and nullify it completely. Then it stores that breath attack for 1d10 days until it's used or lost.
The stats on the dragon breath was exactly what was in the book based on the dragon which used it. Only way to recharge the wand was to have a dragon use it's attack and drain it into the weapon.
I do like the way the Vestiges of Divergence in the Critical Role campaign each have three levels of power (Dormant, Awakened, and Exalted) that grant increasing powers. But to activate those higher powers certain criteria must be met first.
So maybe a wand in its Dormant state does 3d6 damage once per day. When it is used to strike the killing blow on a creature it becomes Awakened. The damage increases to 5d6 and the caster gains Resistance against that wand's form of damage. When an Awakened wand is breathed upon by the breath weapon of the same color of dragon, then it becomes Exalted. The damage increases to 7d6, and the caster may choose to succeed on one failed saving throw per day (one use of Legendary Resistance per day).
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Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
It's essentially a Get-Out-Of-Low-Level-Encounter-a-day free card, since it can deal an average of 10 damage, down to 5 if they succeed their save. But since that requires the enemy to be in the right position, and fail a save, I'd say it's only really useful against weak enemies that are likely to swarm, like kobolds or goblins. As I said, good for a low level party, pretty weak when they get up to higher levels.
Yeah the 3 stages would be a fun way to reward players with using it and using it forget along in the campaign. We'll see if they figure it out! Thank you!
I would have it normally recharge every morning, instead of rolling a 5 or a 6. Given the effect is balanced enough, having it once a day doesn't seem bad.
Also I really like the idea of having a way of powering it up, maybe by hunting a dragon if you had one already planned. Perhaps you could make it a recharge on a 5 or 6 weapon if it becomes more powerful, to resemble a dragon's actual breath weapon more.
I couldn't find anything like this, but was looking into adding this item below to a new campaign as kind of nugget of where the campaign may end up. I know it is probably somewhat OP for a low level party, but I will have it in a riddle box that will require an answer and ability to read Dragonic. I am hoping the campaign will be long enough to possibly have the group encounter Tiamat. So my thought was to include something that nodded that this all might have been seen from almost the very beginning. The box with this wand with have a 5 tipped star in the colors for Tiamat. Then the riddle in Draconic on the box to open it. Then this item would be inside. Any comments or recommendations? Thank you!!!
Wand of Dragonbreath
This wand has 1 charge. While holding it, you can use an action to cast a Dragon Breath (save DC 8 + CON + Proficiency) from it. You will chose one of the breath attacks below, type of save and AOE listed with the breath. Wand deals 3d6 damage of breath type, on successful saving throw, half the damage. If user is Dragonborn, the damage dealt is 4d6.
Recharge: Each morning you can roll 1d6 and on a 5 or 6 the wand recharges to max of 1 charge.
Doesn't seem particularly overpowered. Essentially gives any character a single daily use of the Dragonborn's breath weapon attack. As a general rule of thumb, magic items that don't scale are unlikely to be a problem for balancing. Dealing 3d6 (maybe half) of any elemental damage type once each day seems pretty good for low level play, but might be underpowered at higher levels. If you have any dragonborn in the party, they'll be overjoyed at something that makes their admittedly pretty weak breath weapon kinda stronger.
I would recommend doing something that makes it more useful at higher levels. Maybe there's some way players can make it stronger?
Also, while Draconic might be a rare language in-universe, most player parties are going to have at least one character who's fluent in it, so if you want them to have difficulties understanding the riddle, I'd recommend saying "It seems to be written in some form of archaic draconic. You can make out a few words, but not enough to understand the whole inscription"
I actually have a dragon wand in my campaign which is similar.
The dragon wand I made can be used once a day to intercept a dragons breath attack and nullify it completely. Then it stores that breath attack for 1d10 days until it's used or lost.
The stats on the dragon breath was exactly what was in the book based on the dragon which used it. Only way to recharge the wand was to have a dragon use it's attack and drain it into the weapon.
Beyond that it gave some nice stat boosts.
Speaking of scaling at higher levels...
I do like the way the Vestiges of Divergence in the Critical Role campaign each have three levels of power (Dormant, Awakened, and Exalted) that grant increasing powers. But to activate those higher powers certain criteria must be met first.
So maybe a wand in its Dormant state does 3d6 damage once per day. When it is used to strike the killing blow on a creature it becomes Awakened. The damage increases to 5d6 and the caster gains Resistance against that wand's form of damage. When an Awakened wand is breathed upon by the breath weapon of the same color of dragon, then it becomes Exalted. The damage increases to 7d6, and the caster may choose to succeed on one failed saving throw per day (one use of Legendary Resistance per day).
Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
Anzio Faro. Lvl 5 Prot. Aasimar Light Cleric.
It's essentially a Get-Out-Of-Low-Level-Encounter-a-day free card, since it can deal an average of 10 damage, down to 5 if they succeed their save. But since that requires the enemy to be in the right position, and fail a save, I'd say it's only really useful against weak enemies that are likely to swarm, like kobolds or goblins. As I said, good for a low level party, pretty weak when they get up to higher levels.
That is a great idea. I will think about a quest along the way while preparing it for Tiamat that might really bump up the power.
Yeah the 3 stages would be a fun way to reward players with using it and using it forget along in the campaign. We'll see if they figure it out! Thank you!
I would have it normally recharge every morning, instead of rolling a 5 or a 6. Given the effect is balanced enough, having it once a day doesn't seem bad.
Also I really like the idea of having a way of powering it up, maybe by hunting a dragon if you had one already planned. Perhaps you could make it a recharge on a 5 or 6 weapon if it becomes more powerful, to resemble a dragon's actual breath weapon more.