I made this magic item for a monk in my campaign who has made a tentative alliance with a fiend. The item is meant to scale with the character while also being a temptation. I wanted it to have loopholes represented by wisdom modifier, penalties for overindulgence, and lastly a level 20 capstone that allows it to use all the power without being corrupted by its influence. Just hoping someone can offer a second set of eyes in case I missed something obvious. Let me know what you think this item needs or lacks. If anyone knows a way I can make it auto calculate values such as martial arts dice and saves that would also be greatly appreciated!!!
Staff (quarterstaff), artifact (requires attunement by a monk)
This staff is made out of adamantine and was forged in the nine hells. It allows the wielder to draw power from the nine hells using their own inner energy. In addition the staff does an additional 1d4 fire damage and 1d4 necrotic damage on a critical hit. Save DC=8+WIS+Proficiency for any ability that requires a save.
The staff is fueled by a creature’s Ki, and if used in excess can corrupt the user’s soul. A creature that uses over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest is corrupted and shifts alignments 1 step towards Lawful or Evil. A Lawful Evil creature who expends over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest has been fully corrupted and has effectively sold its soul. You can not use more charges than your Ki point maximum. The staff has 10 charges for the following properties. For each charge expended, you must also spend a Ki point. You regain all charges on a long rest. If all charges are expended roll 1d20, on a 1 the staff disintegrates and deals 10d10 fire and 10d10 necrotic damage to the attuned creature. You may choose to roll a 1.
Hellish Resistance; 1-3 charges
You can spend 1 charge as a bonus action to gain resistance to fire or necrotic damage for 1 minute, or expend 2 charges to gain resistance to both. As a reaction you can spend 3 charges to gain immunity to both until the end of your next turn. You can share this resistance with a number of creatures within 5 feet of you up to your Wisdom modifier by spending an additional charge per creature.
Hellfire; 1-10 charges
Use your action to create a cone of hellfire. Each creature in a 10-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2 martial arts dice fire and necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Damage increases by 2 martial arts dice per charge and range increases by 10 feet. You can choose a number of creatures to exclude from this attack up to your wisdom modifier. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.
The Road to Hell...
A creature can spend 5 charges to plane shift to Avernus. Alternatively, if you know the sigil sequence of a teleportation circle within the hells, this spell can take you to that circle. You can use this spell to banish an unwilling creature to Avernus. Choose a creature within your reach and make a melee spell attack against it. On a hit, the creature must make a Charisma saving throw. If the creature fails this save, it is transported to a random location in Avernus. A creature so transported must find its own way back to your current plane of existence.
The staff also functions as a sending stones with unlimited use as long as you are on the same plane as the bonded fiend and are not on consecrated ground. As part of the pact you agreed to when you attuned to this weapon, you can not willfully part with this weapon or allow the bonded fiend to be harmed. You may end the agreement at anytime by destroying this nearly indestructible staff.
Weapons and ammunition made of or coated with adamantine are unusually effective when used to break objects. Whenever an adamantine weapon or piece of ammunition hits an object, the hit is a critical
A creature that uses over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest is corrupted and shifts alignments 1 step towards Lawful or Evil. A Lawful Evil creature who expends over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest has been fully corrupted and has effectively sold its soul.
are you meaning to put they shift towards Lawful Evil or is it rolled by the DM? asking as the second part says Lawful Evil as a set aspect for a feature to trigger.
Also the Sedning Stones aspect is a nice touch, but just checking is the unlimited use of it also affecting the word count of 25 that the sending stones use or make it able to send longer messages?
other than those points, its a very well constructed piece of kit and works well in the character sheet as well which is a nice change from some of the stuff on here.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please have a look at my Home-brew stuff and let me know what you think, any comments would be handy : Spells - Magic Items - Races
Sending still requires an Action and is still limited to 25 words. It is more like a Walkie Talkie tham a phone.
Corruption is gradual and your alignment only shifts 1 step closer to Lawful Evil. I would base the shift on the characters actions that led to that moment the excess charges were spent. It might take days for say a Chaotic Good character to become fully corrupt and might go something like this;
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/1097508-staff-of-the-misguided-soul
I made this magic item for a monk in my campaign who has made a tentative alliance with a fiend. The item is meant to scale with the character while also being a temptation. I wanted it to have loopholes represented by wisdom modifier, penalties for overindulgence, and lastly a level 20 capstone that allows it to use all the power without being corrupted by its influence. Just hoping someone can offer a second set of eyes in case I missed something obvious. Let me know what you think this item needs or lacks. If anyone knows a way I can make it auto calculate values such as martial arts dice and saves that would also be greatly appreciated!!!
This staff is made out of adamantine and was forged in the nine hells. It allows the wielder to draw power from the nine hells using their own inner energy. In addition the staff does an additional 1d4 fire damage and 1d4 necrotic damage on a critical hit. Save DC=8+WIS+Proficiency for any ability that requires a save.
The staff is fueled by a creature’s Ki, and if used in excess can corrupt the user’s soul. A creature that uses over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest is corrupted and shifts alignments 1 step towards Lawful or Evil. A Lawful Evil creature who expends over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest has been fully corrupted and has effectively sold its soul. You can not use more charges than your Ki point maximum. The staff has 10 charges for the following properties. For each charge expended, you must also spend a Ki point. You regain all charges on a long rest. If all charges are expended roll 1d20, on a 1 the staff disintegrates and deals 10d10 fire and 10d10 necrotic damage to the attuned creature. You may choose to roll a 1.
Hellish Resistance; 1-3 charges
You can spend 1 charge as a bonus action to gain resistance to fire or necrotic damage for 1 minute, or expend 2 charges to gain resistance to both. As a reaction you can spend 3 charges to gain immunity to both until the end of your next turn. You can share this resistance with a number of creatures within 5 feet of you up to your Wisdom modifier by spending an additional charge per creature.
Hellfire; 1-10 charges
Use your action to create a cone of hellfire. Each creature in a 10-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2 martial arts dice fire and necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Damage increases by 2 martial arts dice per charge and range increases by 10 feet. You can choose a number of creatures to exclude from this attack up to your wisdom modifier. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.
The Road to Hell...
A creature can spend 5 charges to plane shift to Avernus. Alternatively, if you know the sigil sequence of a teleportation circle within the hells, this spell can take you to that circle. You can use this spell to banish an unwilling creature to Avernus. Choose a creature within your reach and make a melee spell attack against it. On a hit, the creature must make a Charisma saving throw. If the creature fails this save, it is transported to a random location in Avernus. A creature so transported must find its own way back to your current plane of existence.
The staff also functions as a sending stones with unlimited use as long as you are on the same plane as the bonded fiend and are not on consecrated ground. As part of the pact you agreed to when you attuned to this weapon, you can not willfully part with this weapon or allow the bonded fiend to be harmed. You may end the agreement at anytime by destroying this nearly indestructible staff.
Weapons and ammunition made of or coated with adamantine are unusually effective when used to break objects. Whenever an adamantine weapon or piece of ammunition hits an object, the hit is a critical
Curious where you said :
A creature that uses over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest is corrupted and shifts alignments 1 step towards Lawful or Evil. A Lawful Evil creature who expends over half its maximum Ki points to power this staff without taking a long rest has been fully corrupted and has effectively sold its soul.
are you meaning to put they shift towards Lawful Evil or is it rolled by the DM? asking as the second part says Lawful Evil as a set aspect for a feature to trigger.
Also the Sedning Stones aspect is a nice touch, but just checking is the unlimited use of it also affecting the word count of 25 that the sending stones use or make it able to send longer messages?
other than those points, its a very well constructed piece of kit and works well in the character sheet as well which is a nice change from some of the stuff on here.
Please have a look at my Home-brew stuff and let me know what you think, any comments would be handy : Spells - Magic Items - Races
Sending still requires an Action and is still limited to 25 words. It is more like a Walkie Talkie tham a phone.
Corruption is gradual and your alignment only shifts 1 step closer to Lawful Evil. I would base the shift on the characters actions that led to that moment the excess charges were spent. It might take days for say a Chaotic Good character to become fully corrupt and might go something like this;
ChaoticGood>Neutral Good>True Neutral>Lawful Neutral>Lawful Evil
Thank you for responding! Hope that clears things up