https://www.aonprd.com/MagicArtifacts.aspx?MinorMajor=Metagame

In Pathfinder, there are magic items known as metagame artifacts; items or effects that provide an in-game explanation for certain out-of-game issues, such as absent players or PCs having information that they technically shouldn't have.

Obviously there isn't a D&D equivalent (unless Dream of the Blue Veil counts) but let me know if you have any ideas. Perhaps a consumable item that changes a PC's spell slots into the Spell Points system from the DMG, or one that changes a PC's lineage to the newest version, or grants a PC more attunement slots?

Gotta say, figurine of the concealed companion is kinda cool in a Pokémon way, lol.

it is an interesting way to do stuff. The closest I have come isn’t a magic item, but a hand wave effort tied to the condition of liminality.

sometimes events conspire to keep a player out of a session or two, and so for that I just say they were there, but not. Presto, liminal state. 

I have, in the past, also had a god of Nothing, No One, and Nobody, who was accidentally the most powerful of the Gods because he got worshipped every time someone said nobody did it, nothing happened, and no one would dare. Deeply metacontextual at the least.

I will have to tuck this in the back of my head for a while.

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Gotta say, figurine of the concealed companion is kinda cool in a Pokémon way, lol.

it is an interesting way to do stuff. The closest I have come isn’t a magic item, but a hand wave effort tied to the condition of liminality.

sometimes events conspire to keep a player out of a session or two, and so for that I just say they were there, but not. Presto, liminal state. 

I have, in the past, also had a god of Nothing, No One, and Nobody, who was accidentally the most powerful of the Gods because he got worshipped every time someone said nobody did it, nothing happened, and no one would dare. Deeply metacontextual at the least.

I will have to tuck this in the back of my head for a while.

 I love the Nothing, No One, and Nobody deity idea 

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from deadPan_c >>

https://www.aonprd.com/MagicArtifacts.aspx?MinorMajor=Metagame

In Pathfinder, there are magic items known as metagame artifacts; items or effects that provide an in-game explanation for certain out-of-game issues, such as absent players or PCs having information that they technically shouldn't have.

Obviously there isn't a D&D equivalent (unless Dream of the Blue Veil counts) but let me know if you have any ideas. Perhaps a consumable item that changes a PC's spell slots into the Spell Points system from the DMG, or one that changes a PC's lineage to the newest version, or grants a PC more attunement slots?

 

I use these all the time, not as physical objects, but simply having explanations for any given absence. In my main campaign, reality is still unstable from fallout from the great war, so people, and places shift in and out all the time. 

 Similarly, for a while I've had an idea for a setting where (kinda like Dark Souls) different timelines and alternate worlds are constantly flowing through one another, so occasionally (and especially to adventurers) people simply fade into or out of existence, and reality adjusts itself accordingly.

Ah yes, Schrodinger's PC. I am very familiar with this issue. 

Toward the end of my campaign I introduced an immortal, Faustian alchemist who sold incredibly powerful, bespoke potions at...unusual prices, you could say. The barbarian bought a few of these potions and paid with "her story." As her story was not fully written yet, I decided that meant the alchemist could pluck her from the timeline to chat with her at his leisure - super handy, considering the player had a rather chaotic work schedule. 

I personally love the meddling gods trope. Dream sequences, cryptic clues, inexplicable gifts, strange meetings, all stemming from an extraplanar being who may or may not have the party's welfare in mind? It's just another avenue to mess around with my players from time to time that doesn't have to play by any rules. A god can bend reality and be fickle about it. 

Quote from deadPan_c >>

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Gotta say, figurine of the concealed companion is kinda cool in a Pokémon way, lol.

it is an interesting way to do stuff. The closest I have come isn’t a magic item, but a hand wave effort tied to the condition of liminality.

sometimes events conspire to keep a player out of a session or two, and so for that I just say they were there, but not. Presto, liminal state. 

I have, in the past, also had a god of Nothing, No One, and Nobody, who was accidentally the most powerful of the Gods because he got worshipped every time someone said nobody did it, nothing happened, and no one would dare. Deeply metacontextual at the least.

I will have to tuck this in the back of my head for a while.

 I love the Nothing, No One, and Nobody deity idea 

 
I think that was the longest lasting trope of all my games, lol. I was using him up until the mid 90’s.

he eventually destroyed and rebuilt the world a couple times, because after all no one wants to end the world.

In some ways, he is the precursor to the upcoming set of deities. Each of them is a complete deity. Not a god of something, just a god of everything, and that plays havoc with the whole system of domains, lol, but old Nota would fit right in with that system.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Quote from deadPan_c >>

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Gotta say, figurine of the concealed companion is kinda cool in a Pokémon way, lol.

it is an interesting way to do stuff. The closest I have come isn’t a magic item, but a hand wave effort tied to the condition of liminality.

sometimes events conspire to keep a player out of a session or two, and so for that I just say they were there, but not. Presto, liminal state. 

I have, in the past, also had a god of Nothing, No One, and Nobody, who was accidentally the most powerful of the Gods because he got worshipped every time someone said nobody did it, nothing happened, and no one would dare. Deeply metacontextual at the least.

I will have to tuck this in the back of my head for a while.

 I love the Nothing, No One, and Nobody deity idea 

 
I think that was the longest lasting trope of all my games, lol. I was using him up until the mid 90’s.

he eventually destroyed and rebuilt the world a couple times, because after all no one wants to end the world.

In some ways, he is the precursor to the upcoming set of deities. Each of them is a complete deity. Not a god of something, just a god of everything, and that plays havoc with the whole system of domains, lol, but old Nota would fit right in with that system.

 

Was he part of the Family Circle pantheon? 

 Nah. Nobody would do that.

😇

I had a party of 2 playing through Lost Mine of Phandelver. I was able to reduce the enemy stats and numbers to accommodate the difficulty level, but they needed a way to keep safe at night without having to stay awake. So, in the first dungeon, Cragmaw Hideout, I changed the boring jade frog statue to the Jade Frog Figurine of Wondrous Power (common): A small green statue that upon speaking its command word, can be set as a guard for 8 hours. As a Frog, it has Darkvision 30 ft radius, Passive Perception 11. The user can designate up to 10 creatures as friendly. The frog croaks loudly upon seeing any other creature. At the end of 8 hours or upon speaking its command word, the frog once again becomes a jade figurine. Once it has been used, it cannot be activated again until 24 hours have passed since its last activation.

Another one, based on a 2nd edition spell called "Idea" and Sherlock Holmes's pipe:  The Detective's Pipe: wonderous item, rare. As part of a short or long rest, you can smoke this pipe and gain a flash of insight. In game terms, the DM reminds the caster's player of a fact or event that has been forgotten, overlooked, or discounted. If there are no forgotten facts, the DM may, at his discretion, tell the player of new information relevant to the condition at hand. This item may only be used once per day.

Quote from Sayeth >>

I had a party of 2 playing through Lost Mine of Phandelver. I was able to reduce the enemy stats and numbers to accommodate the difficulty level, but they needed a way to keep safe at night without having to stay awake. So, in the first dungeon, Cragmaw Hideout, I changed the boring jade frog statue to the Jade Frog Figurine of Wondrous Power (common): A small green statue that upon speaking its command word, can be set as a guard for 8 hours. As a Frog, it has Darkvision 30 ft radius, Passive Perception 11. The user can designate up to 10 creatures as friendly. The frog croaks loudly upon seeing any other creature. At the end of 8 hours or upon speaking its command word, the frog once again becomes a jade figurine. Once it has been used, it cannot be activated again until 24 hours have passed since its last activation.

Another one, based on a 2nd edition spell called "Idea" and Sherlock Holmes's pipe:  The Detective's Pipe: wonderous item, rare. As part of a short or long rest, you can smoke this pipe and gain a flash of insight. In game terms, the DM reminds the caster's player of a fact or event that has been forgotten, overlooked, or discounted. If there are no forgotten facts, the DM may, at his discretion, tell the player of new information relevant to the condition at hand. This item may only be used once per day.

 I like the pipe item. Unsure it should be rare but definitely a nice way of reminding players about stuff.

The jade frog seems a little powerful imo. It's a good way to handwave keeping watch though.

Quote from deadPan_c >>

The jade frog seems a little powerful imo. It's a good way to handwave keeping watch though.

 Why do you think it's overpowered?

Quote from Linklite >>

Quote from deadPan_c >>

The jade frog seems a little powerful imo. It's a good way to handwave keeping watch though.

 Why do you think it's overpowered?

 It depends on the game, but if you were running a slightly more survival-based game, it'd remove the risk of resting in the wilderness. For most games it seems fine, though. Kinda like Goodberry.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from deadPan_c >>

Quote from Linklite >>

Quote from deadPan_c >>

The jade frog seems a little powerful imo. It's a good way to handwave keeping watch though.

 Why do you think it's overpowered?

 It depends on the game, but if you were running a slightly more survival-based game, it'd remove the risk of resting in the wilderness. For most games it seems fine, though. Kinda like Goodberry.

 

Reduce, not remove. You still have most if not all the party asleep and the frog has no way to wake them all at once other than 'croaking loudly.' It also only has an 11 passive perception, so not the most observant of creatures. 

Also the way it is written, any passing night bird or field mouse would set off its alarm..

 Ah, I must have missed that. Definitely not overpowered