I am a new dungeonmaster attempting to design a homebrew artifact for a homebrew world.
Premise
In this world, the environment itself has absorbed magical energy from gods and magical creatures over time for so long that magic has become part of the inert world, as well as plants. How the magic manifests is different per area. Some examples:
A mountain range migrates along a predetermined route in the same footsteps as a long-lost giant God
The Scorching Plains periodically catches fire in order to allow its plant life to flourish (proscribed burning)
The rain in a fertile area allows produce to grow at five times the normal rate, and twice the size of normal plants. The rain also magically replenishes the soil
Artifact Design Help?
The artifact I'm designing would be used by the BBEG. She is a 20+ level lawful evil wizard intent on reordering the geography, magic, and laws of the physical world so that they are at their most efficient and can prevent natural disasters, famine, etc. She will use any means necessary to attain this end.
In general, I am trying to design an artifact that can absorb magical energy from the environment and store the energy in crystal shards for the wizard to use. The problem is I'm not sure: 1. Where to draw the line between realism/the rule of cool and 2. Balance the power of the shards in combat
Orb of Magical Extraction - A transparent orb covered in glowing green runes that crisscross across its surface. When activated, the orb extracts energy from the nonphysical environment, as well as plant life in the immediate vicinity. The orb concentrates this energy into a shard that shares the properties of the original magic (e.g. ability to move mountains, summon fire with special properties). The orb maintains the integrity of the shard; it can only maintain a maximum of three shards at the same time. The ritual of extraction requires a minimum of 24 hours to complete per X square miles. Once complete, the ritual removes all magic from the environment and withers plant life, to often devastating effect.
Option 1: The affected area is geographically bound (25 miles, 100 miles, etc.) or can be designated by the user up to a certain limit.
Option 2: The affected area is determined by the placement of magical stakes, which interact with the orb. The stakes can be placed X miles away from one another/the orb in order to take effect.
Option 3: The orb has the ability to magically scan an area for similar types of magical output and affects areas with a similar magical type (e.g. the entire Scorching Plains will be affected but not the neighboring rainforest or mountain range)
Thoughts
Rule of Cool, I'd love to use Option 3 (i.e. stopping the migrating mountain range entirely in its tracks would be such a showstopper), but it does seem a bit arbitrary. Where does one environment end and another begin? I feel like I need to figure out the mechanics, because the BBEG will be siphoning energy from the environment throughout the campaign, and I want to know what her limitations will be beforehand.
I'm also unsure what to do about combat. While this wizard is gathering the shards for noncombative reasons, I'm sure she'd use them to fight if necessary. How can I tell if her abilities are balanced? I would love for her to be able to manipulate the physical environment itself, but dropping a mountain on someone seems way too far, even if she could move the mountain out of combat. Is imposing time or size limits the way to go?
This is my first time homebrewing a world/artifact/BBEG, so any help is appreciated :) thanks!
So here's what i'm thinking. You don't technically need to control the environment, let's say it stops the mountain range in its tracks through the same method as it kills the plant life. You kill the mountain range, because it is alive, not necessarily sentient or sapient but alive.. Same whatever causes the fires in the scorching plains and the rain in the rainforest. Have this BBEG stand right next to its equivalent of a brain and give it an ice pick lobotomy. You can bring the thing back with magic later. Or you could injure it until she can dominate the creature.
This thing works by inflicting damage on any living thing in direct contact with the soil, that can include animals and barefoot adventurers. It's not what you had in mind but you don't need to justify why it only effects certain things and not other things, but there is an easy work around in wearing well made shoes so you won't need a fancy work around. It also makes falling prone, incredibly dangerous so keep that in mind. It's up how much damage you want this to do. I'd personally do something like 2d6 necrotic per round on a medium creature and add a d6 every time you go up a creature size you can have the mountain range be defeated quickly. Small creatures take 1d6 and stuff small than that just dies.
The charging is what takes time, its not absorbing energy so much as gobbling up whatever life energy is being released. Maybe it absorbs the souls of its victims. Your players could always release them later and that could be fun.
The real question is why is she not affected by it? I'd make her a robot but that's just me, you could have the item only attune to casters of a certain type and that would also be fine..
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I am a new dungeonmaster attempting to design a homebrew artifact for a homebrew world.
Premise
In this world, the environment itself has absorbed magical energy from gods and magical creatures over time for so long that magic has become part of the inert world, as well as plants. How the magic manifests is different per area. Some examples:
Artifact Design Help?
The artifact I'm designing would be used by the BBEG. She is a 20+ level lawful evil wizard intent on reordering the geography, magic, and laws of the physical world so that they are at their most efficient and can prevent natural disasters, famine, etc. She will use any means necessary to attain this end.
In general, I am trying to design an artifact that can absorb magical energy from the environment and store the energy in crystal shards for the wizard to use. The problem is I'm not sure: 1. Where to draw the line between realism/the rule of cool and 2. Balance the power of the shards in combat
Orb of Magical Extraction - A transparent orb covered in glowing green runes that crisscross across its surface. When activated, the orb extracts energy from the nonphysical environment, as well as plant life in the immediate vicinity. The orb concentrates this energy into a shard that shares the properties of the original magic (e.g. ability to move mountains, summon fire with special properties). The orb maintains the integrity of the shard; it can only maintain a maximum of three shards at the same time. The ritual of extraction requires a minimum of 24 hours to complete per X square miles. Once complete, the ritual removes all magic from the environment and withers plant life, to often devastating effect.
Option 1: The affected area is geographically bound (25 miles, 100 miles, etc.) or can be designated by the user up to a certain limit.
Option 2: The affected area is determined by the placement of magical stakes, which interact with the orb. The stakes can be placed X miles away from one another/the orb in order to take effect.
Option 3: The orb has the ability to magically scan an area for similar types of magical output and affects areas with a similar magical type (e.g. the entire Scorching Plains will be affected but not the neighboring rainforest or mountain range)
Thoughts
Rule of Cool, I'd love to use Option 3 (i.e. stopping the migrating mountain range entirely in its tracks would be such a showstopper), but it does seem a bit arbitrary. Where does one environment end and another begin? I feel like I need to figure out the mechanics, because the BBEG will be siphoning energy from the environment throughout the campaign, and I want to know what her limitations will be beforehand.
I'm also unsure what to do about combat. While this wizard is gathering the shards for noncombative reasons, I'm sure she'd use them to fight if necessary. How can I tell if her abilities are balanced? I would love for her to be able to manipulate the physical environment itself, but dropping a mountain on someone seems way too far, even if she could move the mountain out of combat. Is imposing time or size limits the way to go?
This is my first time homebrewing a world/artifact/BBEG, so any help is appreciated :) thanks!
So here's what i'm thinking. You don't technically need to control the environment, let's say it stops the mountain range in its tracks through the same method as it kills the plant life. You kill the mountain range, because it is alive, not necessarily sentient or sapient but alive.. Same whatever causes the fires in the scorching plains and the rain in the rainforest. Have this BBEG stand right next to its equivalent of a brain and give it an ice pick lobotomy. You can bring the thing back with magic later. Or you could injure it until she can dominate the creature.
This thing works by inflicting damage on any living thing in direct contact with the soil, that can include animals and barefoot adventurers. It's not what you had in mind but you don't need to justify why it only effects certain things and not other things, but there is an easy work around in wearing well made shoes so you won't need a fancy work around. It also makes falling prone, incredibly dangerous so keep that in mind. It's up how much damage you want this to do. I'd personally do something like 2d6 necrotic per round on a medium creature and add a d6 every time you go up a creature size you can have the mountain range be defeated quickly. Small creatures take 1d6 and stuff small than that just dies.
The charging is what takes time, its not absorbing energy so much as gobbling up whatever life energy is being released. Maybe it absorbs the souls of its victims. Your players could always release them later and that could be fun.
The real question is why is she not affected by it? I'd make her a robot but that's just me, you could have the item only attune to casters of a certain type and that would also be fine..