Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Hello! I was wondering if I could get some criticism about a homebrew magic item I just created for personal use. Just making sure that it is appropriately graded on the rarity scale and that it follows all 5.5e rules. If you choose to comment, thanks so much!
Name: Archivist's Ribbons
Base Item Type: Item
Magic Item Type: Wondrous Item
Requires Attunement: Yes
Attunement Description: You must spend a Short Rest attuning to the ribbons, and this attunement lasts until the user takes a Short Rest willingly dissociating from the ribbons, the user has spent 24 hours without interacting with the ribbons, the user has the Stunned or Petrified conditions, the Remove Curse spell is successfully cast on the user or the ribbons, or the user is dead.
Description:
The Archivist's Ribbons are three strips of long, thin, magical parchment of varying length, color, and ornamentation that are attuned to a user. While attuned, the Ribbons autonomously take notes on everything the user perceives, thinks, plans, and says, making an effectively infinite record. The Ribbons gain their notes from the user's own perception and are not omniscient, and so are deceived, misguided, oblivious, or biased as the user is. The ribbons normally fly and either trail behind, orbit, or hover by the user's side, as the user desires, unless the user packs them up by some means, the user orders them to stop following, or a creature grapples or restrains them. No matter how quickly or by what means the user moves, the Ribbons move with the user unless the user orders them to stop following or move in a different direction, or the Ribbons are grappled or Restrained.
In addition to taking notes and normal movement (speed 30 flying (hover)), one or more of the Ribbons can be ordered as a Bonus Action to perform any of the following actions:
Dash: The Ribbons move up to 60 feet.
Pick up/move object: One or more ribbons can be ordered to pick up and/or pull an inanimate object. They can lift it into the air if the object weighs no more than 50 pounds per ribbon or drag it if it weighs no more than 100 pounds per ribbon. The speed at which they do this is no more than half their normal movement speed.
Grapple: The Ribbons attempt to grab onto a creature. The creature makes a DC 12 Strength or Dexterity saving throw against each individual ribbon, gaining the Grappled condition on a failed save. On its turn, the creature can make DC 12 Strength or Dexterity saving throws equal to the number of ribbons grappling it to throw them off, ending the condition if it throws off all the ribbons. While the creature is grappled, the creature can be lifted by the ribbons if it is no more than 50 pounds in weight for each grappling ribbon or dragged if it is no more than 100 pounds in weight for each grappling ribbon. The distance the creature is moved is no more than half the ribbon's normal movement speed.
Restrain: If one or more ribbons are already grappling a creature, those ribbons can be commanded to restrain the creature. The creature makes a DC 15 Strength or Dexterity saving throw against each ribbon, losing the Grappled condition and gaining the Restrained condition on a failed save. On its turn, the creature can make a DC 15 Strength or Dexterity saving throw against each ribbon, losing the Restrained condition if it succeeds on all its saves.
Temporary delegation: The user can choose one sapient creature it can see to temporarily give one or more ribbons to. The ribbon(s) will follow the orders of the temporary user the same as the primary user. Any orders given by the primary user automatically override any contradictory order given by the temporary user.
Return: The user commands one or more ribbons to return to them. The ribbons move in the direction of the user by the shortest available path moving at a fly speed of 60 feet (hover) using the Dash action.
The Ribbons each have 5 (1d4+3) hit points and an AC of 10. If a ribbon is damaged, its notetaking becomes corrupted, and the coordination between the Ribbons weakens until it automatically finishes repairing itself after 1d4 days. If a ribbon is torn to many pieces, irreparably burnt, disintegrated, or otherwise totally destroyed, it loses its magical properties. A new one will then generate and appear before the user, still attuned unless the user has unattuned themself to the Ribbons, after 4d4 days.
If the Ribbons are outside a 100 foot radius of their primary user (or delegated user), the ribbons no longer have sufficiently accurate sensory input and thus stop taking notes, though they can still be ordered to move or perform any of the actions listed above. If the Ribbons are ordered or forced to move outside of a one mile radius, or if the user moves further from one mile from them, the Ribbons fall to the ground as normal pieces of parchment, requiring attunement before they will work again.
The ribbons act like a mix of loyal pets and attentive archivists, while gaining something of the personality of their user.
Well... this is not an item. This is a creature. If the ribbons can move and act autonomously and be grappled / interacted with by other creatures they should not be considered an item, but rather as an animated object creature. You should create it as such - a creature statblock. Not as a magic item description.
If you want the creatures linked to an item, follow the example of the Figurines of Wondrous Power.
PS: Attunement is defined in D&D rules you should not redefine how attunement works within an item description.
Ah, I see. Thanks for this! I'm sorry, I'm a novice at Dungeons and Dragons, but quite passionate for the game.
Yes, I now see the contradiction with the attunement rules. Thank you.
I will clarify, though, that apart from automatically and constantly taking notes and following the user, the ribbons cannot take actions or move unless ordered to do so by the user or delegated user via their Bonus Action. I acknowledge that I need to clarify the language about their normal movement in that regard. I'm not sure if that changes your judgement about them being an independent animated object creature or not.
If they are appropriate as magic items, I was wondering what rarity classification they should have. Do you think Very Rare would be appropriate? If you still maintain that they ought to be creatures, what do you think an appropriate CR would be? Also, if you see any loopholes, exploits, rule contradictions, or threats to game balance that have evaded my notice, please do let me know. I want to make sure my homebrew content is balanced and accurate to 5.5e, and I appreciate your judgement on the matter.
They are absolutely still creatures, you have given them hit points, AC, a movement type & speed, they can be targeted independently of the person attuned to them. They would be:
ANIMATED RIBBON
Tiny Construct
HP: 5 (1d4+3)
AC: 10
Speed: 30 ft fly (hover)
Languages: None
STR: 10 +0 +2 DEX: 10 +0 +2 CON: 16 +3 +3
INT: 4 -3 -3 WIS: 10 +0 +0 CHA: 4 -3 -3
Special Abilities:
Swarm: Three or more ribbons can share the same space and act as a single creature. When they do so their Grapple DC increases to 15, and any creature grappled by the ribbons is also restrained.
Mindless: The ribbons are immune to charmed, frightened, and all other attempts to alter their behaviour; the ribbons cannot take any Action other than the Dodge Action unless their master uses a Bonus Action to command them.
Recording: Animated Ribbons autonomously take notes on everything their master perceives, thinks, plans, and says, making an effectively infinite record. The Ribbons gain their notes from their master's own perception. A creature other than their master, can decipher these notes if they are within 5 ft of the Ribbons and make successful Study Action (DC 15).
Actions:
Unarmed Strike: +2 to hit, 1 bludgeoning damage