Hey all, throwing together an adventure and thought I would finally gift my PC's with some magic items (I'm notoriously stingy with them). Created a "lantern helm" which is as follows: The wearer (When the visor is in the down position) can see as though there is a strong lantern mounted directly on top of their head. There is no lantern, of course, and the effect is magical. As long as they look through the visor it is exactly as though they have a 360 degree light source on their head. No shadowy fringe on the left or right. I might even describe a bit of a "flicker" to the "light source" just to add the ambiance. If a light source greater than the imagined lantern (Such as a light spell or full sunlight) is present then it takes precedent for the viewer. If a light source lesser than the "lantern"(like a candle or starlight/moonlight) is present the magical helm takes precedent. All is well and then I start to think of "Darkness". My thought is to allow the helm to give the viewer the normal lantern-like effect. Since there isn't any actual light source, it doesn't technically defy the darkness spell parameters, but it does make it a pretty potent magical item. I think it is a nice "Game Changer" for the only human in the party to "flip-the-switch", if you will, on all the gnomes, elves, drow, and 1/2 elves in the party. Just wondering if I will regret it later...? I don't think so but just wondering what you all might think? TIA.
It sounds like your are basically reskinning a Goggles of Night to a certain extent. You could put the flavor text however you like and just use the rules mechanic from this to make your life easier.
I don't think you'll regret it unless you really like making the filthy human suffer (death to the pink ones, am I right?).
The effect is basically an upcast continual flame that can't be seen except through the visor. Your players could make something similar by themselves starting at level 5 if they cast continual flame on an object and put it in a lantern, bullseye. Remember that magical light can illuminate darkness, it just has to be higher than level 2. I think it's roughly in line with other uncommon magic items.
Good observation! Thanks ! Yes, Over the past day or so I decided to go ahead and let it work even in magical darkness. We'll see how it goes. Any thoughts on what CL I should make it to keep it reasonable? 4? 5? Thanks!
Thanks for the response IAMSPOSTA. Yes, it is very similar. Goggles of night won't work under a darkness spell, so that gives me a nudge. Thanks.
so the lantern isn't 'real' and the light source isn't 'real' either - so that only the wearer sees the light source? If so, another difference is that goggles of the night only extend your dark vision...your item also removes the disadvantage on visual perception checks that occurs with darkvision (because darkvision only allows creatures to see in darkness as if it were dim light).
That alone - that the wearer has visual advantage over every other mob/character with darkvision (let alone those without) makes it a pretty huge item....imo. You're basically saying the wearer sees as if it were bright light, out to whatever range you specify, and is immune to effects of magical darkness. An ability somewhere between darkvision and truesight.
Heath, I kind of felt the same, which is why I was wondering how "powerful" I should make it.. Mind you, of course, the Helm grants light per a "Lantern", not really "bright light"...though bit of searching reveals a lack of a clear definition of exactly how "bright" a lantern is (in D&D anyway). In my mind, "Bright Light" would be full sun or, maybe 4 torches in a 10x10 room. Enough that anyone blind azz human could write, read, etc... Lantern light only would be, probably 30% as bright as "full Light". But...that could just me my "Flavor text" showing through...i.e. "You look through the visor and the room seems to flicker as if a bright lantern shines all around. Your compatriots seem oblivious..." haha. After thinking more about it, if the magic is in the visor then there is a space (about 1 inch) between your eyes and the visor where a darkness spell would have an effect, so now I am back to thinking I should drop the "darkness busting" power... Good thing I still have another week before the next session. :-) Thanks for the input!
at least in the PHB, there's only three levels of light: bright, dim, and darkness. so yeah, i think your full light would probably be safer as just flavor, otherwise what would be the mechanical difference between bright & full?...and could you actually play that difference at a table?
there's also different types of light, like sunlight (which has a specific effect on things like vampires), but that's not a measurement of brightness.
at least in the PHB, there's only three levels of light: bright, dim, and darkness. so yeah, i think your full light would probably be safer as just flavor, otherwise what would be the mechanical difference between bright & full?...and could you actually play that difference at a table?
there's also different types of light, like sunlight (which has a specific effect on things like vampires), but that's not a measurement of brightness.
I wouldn't worry about the one inch :)
good luck!
The mechanical differences between bright and full is cover.
Thanks for the input everyone. TBH...I have always been a super-stingy DM when it comes to giving out magic items. For years I was striving for an uber-realistic sort of gaming but these days, I'm just trynna have fun at the table so...darkness-buster it is!! :-) Thanks all - Roll Strong!
Dim light is disadvantage on Sight based Perception, no affect on combat at all
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Formerly Devan Avalon.
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at least in the PHB, there's only three levels of light: bright, dim, and darkness. so yeah, i think your full light would probably be safer as just flavor, otherwise what would be the mechanical difference between bright & full?...and could you actually play that difference at a table?
there's also different types of light, like sunlight (which has a specific effect on things like vampires), but that's not a measurement of brightness.
I wouldn't worry about the one inch :)
good luck!
There you go, the mechanical difference is disadvantage on Perceptions checks relying on sight.
Hey all, throwing together an adventure and thought I would finally gift my PC's with some magic items (I'm notoriously stingy with them). Created a "lantern helm" which is as follows: The wearer (When the visor is in the down position) can see as though there is a strong lantern mounted directly on top of their head. There is no lantern, of course, and the effect is magical. As long as they look through the visor it is exactly as though they have a 360 degree light source on their head. No shadowy fringe on the left or right. I might even describe a bit of a "flicker" to the "light source" just to add the ambiance. If a light source greater than the imagined lantern (Such as a light spell or full sunlight) is present then it takes precedent for the viewer. If a light source lesser than the "lantern"(like a candle or starlight/moonlight) is present the magical helm takes precedent.
All is well and then I start to think of "Darkness". My thought is to allow the helm to give the viewer the normal lantern-like effect. Since there isn't any actual light source, it doesn't technically defy the darkness spell parameters, but it does make it a pretty potent magical item. I think it is a nice "Game Changer" for the only human in the party to "flip-the-switch", if you will, on all the gnomes, elves, drow, and 1/2 elves in the party. Just wondering if I will regret it later...? I don't think so but just wondering what you all might think? TIA.
It sounds like your are basically reskinning a Goggles of Night to a certain extent. You could put the flavor text however you like and just use the rules mechanic from this to make your life easier.
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Thanks for the response IAMSPOSTA. Yes, it is very similar. Goggles of night won't work under a darkness spell, so that gives me a nudge. Thanks.
I don't think you'll regret it unless you really like making the filthy human suffer (death to the pink ones, am I right?).
The effect is basically an upcast continual flame that can't be seen except through the visor. Your players could make something similar by themselves starting at level 5 if they cast continual flame on an object and put it in a lantern, bullseye. Remember that magical light can illuminate darkness, it just has to be higher than level 2. I think it's roughly in line with other uncommon magic items.
Good observation! Thanks ! Yes, Over the past day or so I decided to go ahead and let it work even in magical darkness. We'll see how it goes. Any thoughts on what CL I should make it to keep it reasonable? 4? 5? Thanks!
so the lantern isn't 'real' and the light source isn't 'real' either - so that only the wearer sees the light source? If so, another difference is that goggles of the night only extend your dark vision...your item also removes the disadvantage on visual perception checks that occurs with darkvision (because darkvision only allows creatures to see in darkness as if it were dim light).
That alone - that the wearer has visual advantage over every other mob/character with darkvision (let alone those without) makes it a pretty huge item....imo. You're basically saying the wearer sees as if it were bright light, out to whatever range you specify, and is immune to effects of magical darkness. An ability somewhere between darkvision and truesight.
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Heath, I kind of felt the same, which is why I was wondering how "powerful" I should make it.. Mind you, of course, the Helm grants light per a "Lantern", not really "bright light"...though bit of searching reveals a lack of a clear definition of exactly how "bright" a lantern is (in D&D anyway). In my mind, "Bright Light" would be full sun or, maybe 4 torches in a 10x10 room. Enough that anyone blind azz human could write, read, etc... Lantern light only would be, probably 30% as bright as "full Light". But...that could just me my "Flavor text" showing through...i.e. "You look through the visor and the room seems to flicker as if a bright lantern shines all around. Your compatriots seem oblivious..." haha. After thinking more about it, if the magic is in the visor then there is a space (about 1 inch) between your eyes and the visor where a darkness spell would have an effect, so now I am back to thinking I should drop the "darkness busting" power...
Good thing I still have another week before the next session. :-) Thanks for the input!
at least in the PHB, there's only three levels of light: bright, dim, and darkness. so yeah, i think your full light would probably be safer as just flavor, otherwise what would be the mechanical difference between bright & full?...and could you actually play that difference at a table?
there's also different types of light, like sunlight (which has a specific effect on things like vampires), but that's not a measurement of brightness.
I wouldn't worry about the one inch :)
good luck!
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The mechanical differences between bright and full is cover.
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Thanks for the input everyone. TBH...I have always been a super-stingy DM when it comes to giving out magic items. For years I was striving for an uber-realistic sort of gaming but these days, I'm just trynna have fun at the table so...darkness-buster it is!! :-) Thanks all - Roll Strong!
eh? can you point me to that? I wonder if you mean 'could be' not 'is'
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Sonofagun. I can’t find it now but I could have sworn dim light was half cover.
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I don't think it's cover, it's disadvantage on attacks for creatures without darkvision.
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And also disadvantage to perception checks relying on sight. I did find that.
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Dim light is disadvantage on Sight based Perception, no affect on combat at all
Formerly Devan Avalon.
Trying to get your physical content on Beyond is like going to Microsoft and saying "I have a physical Playstation disk, give me a digital Xbox version!"
There you go, the mechanical difference is disadvantage on Perceptions checks relying on sight.
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