My players and I are almost done with the Tyranny of Dragons campaign. I wanted to reward them before the final battle with items made from the dragons they have defeated in their Horde of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat adventures.
I am looking for feedback on how balanced the following five items are when compared to each other (not how balanced in general). Also, I know that some energy resistances are better than others but that is not important in this circumstance. If you have a moment, please let me know you feel these items are on par. with each other. Thanks!
Arauthator's Fang
Weapon (greatsword), very rare You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. • On a hit with this weapon, the target takes an extra 1d6 cold damage. • Any creature that takes cold damage from this weapon must also succeed on a DC 16 Constitution or its speed is halved until the start of your next turn • You have resistance to cold damage. Proficiency with a greatsword allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
Scales of the Emerald Assassin
Armor (scale mail), very rare This +1 suit of magic armor is made from the most supple and flexible scales of the green dragon, Chuth. While wearing it, you gain the following benefits: • You can apply your full Dexterity modifier (instead of a maximum of +2 for scale ) when determining your Armor Class. In addition, this armor does not impose disadvantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) checks. • You have resistance to poison damage. • You have advantage on saving throws against the Frightful Presence and breath weapons of dragons This armor consists of a coat and leggings (and perhaps a separate skirt) of leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal, much like the scales of a fish. The suit includes gauntlets.
Ebonwing Cloak
Wondrous Item, very rare This cloak is made from the interwoven scales and wing membranes of the black dragon that bypassed the Waterdeep wards and attacked the city. While wearing it, you gain the following benefits: • You have resistance to acid damage. • You gain a +1 bonus to AC . • You have a flight speed of 60 feet for 1 hour. After an hour, if you are still aloft, you glide gently to the ground at a rate of 30 feet. You cannot use this benefit to fly again until after a long rest.
Darkscale Skullhelm
Wondrous Item, very rare While wearing this helm, you gain the following benefits: • Resistance to acid damage • darkvision with a range of 60 feet • blindsight with a range of 60 feet • Once per day, you can use an action to exhale acid in a 60-¬foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d8 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Glazhael's Guard
Armor (shield), very rare While holding this shield, you gain the following benefits: • +1 bonus to AC. This bonus is in addition to the shield’s normal bonus to AC. • You have resistance to cold damage. • Once/day If you aren't incapacitated, and you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. A shield is made from wood or metal and is carried in one hand. Wielding a shield increases your Armor Class by 2. You can benefit from only one shield at a time.
One bit of feedback I can give is that all have the Attunement Required on them to gain the benefits, and keep the plus of the weapon or armor still applying even if not Attuned.
Thanks for the advice. Do you have an opinion on how the magic items relate to each other balance-wise? Do you think one is way too powerful? Is one too weak?
All look fine to me, except for the Darkscale Skullhelm, the Blindsight and breath weapon at that magnitude would push it up one step on the rarity chart to Legendary, otherwise you could drop those two to have the Blindsight to the 20ft mark and the breath weapon to 5D8 to keep it at V/Rare.
You could also add an optional on the Legendary side, in that if its attuned by a race with a breath weapon such as Dragonborn it enhances their breath weapon by 1 die, or even +5 die, on a per rest factor.
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My players and I are almost done with the Tyranny of Dragons campaign. I wanted to reward them before the final battle with items made from the dragons they have defeated in their Horde of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat adventures.
I am looking for feedback on how balanced the following five items are when compared to each other (not how balanced in general). Also, I know that some energy resistances are better than others but that is not important in this circumstance. If you have a moment, please let me know you feel these items are on par. with each other. Thanks!
Arauthator's Fang
Weapon (greatsword), very rare
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
• On a hit with this weapon, the target takes an extra 1d6 cold damage.
• Any creature that takes cold damage from this weapon must also succeed on a DC 16 Constitution or its speed is halved until the start of your next turn
• You have resistance to cold damage.
Proficiency with a greatsword allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
Scales of the Emerald Assassin
Armor (scale mail), very rare
This +1 suit of magic armor is made from the most supple and flexible scales of the green dragon, Chuth. While wearing it, you gain the following benefits:
• You can apply your full Dexterity modifier (instead of a maximum of +2 for scale ) when determining your Armor Class. In addition, this armor does not impose disadvantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
• You have resistance to poison damage.
• You have advantage on saving throws against the Frightful Presence and breath weapons of dragons
This armor consists of a coat and leggings (and perhaps a separate skirt) of leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal, much like the scales of a fish. The suit includes gauntlets.
Ebonwing Cloak
Wondrous Item, very rare
This cloak is made from the interwoven scales and wing membranes of the black dragon that bypassed the Waterdeep wards and attacked the city. While wearing it, you gain the following benefits:
• You have resistance to acid damage.
• You gain a +1 bonus to AC .
• You have a flight speed of 60 feet for 1 hour. After an hour, if you are still aloft, you glide gently to the ground at a rate of 30 feet. You cannot use this benefit to fly again until after a long rest.
Darkscale Skullhelm
Wondrous Item, very rare
While wearing this helm, you gain the following benefits:
• Resistance to acid damage
• darkvision with a range of 60 feet
• blindsight with a range of 60 feet
• Once per day, you can use an action to exhale acid in a 60-¬foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d8 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Glazhael's Guard
Armor (shield), very rare
While holding this shield, you gain the following benefits:
• +1 bonus to AC. This bonus is in addition to the shield’s normal bonus to AC.
• You have resistance to cold damage.
• Once/day If you aren't incapacitated, and you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead.
A shield is made from wood or metal and is carried in one hand. Wielding a shield increases your Armor Class by 2. You can benefit from only one shield at a time.
One bit of feedback I can give is that all have the Attunement Required on them to gain the benefits, and keep the plus of the weapon or armor still applying even if not Attuned.
Thanks for the advice. Do you have an opinion on how the magic items relate to each other balance-wise? Do you think one is way too powerful? Is one too weak?
All look fine to me, except for the Darkscale Skullhelm, the Blindsight and breath weapon at that magnitude would push it up one step on the rarity chart to Legendary, otherwise you could drop those two to have the Blindsight to the 20ft mark and the breath weapon to 5D8 to keep it at V/Rare.
You could also add an optional on the Legendary side, in that if its attuned by a race with a breath weapon such as Dragonborn it enhances their breath weapon by 1 die, or even +5 die, on a per rest factor.