As the name suggests, I want to discuss alternative items to a wand, staff or crystal ball. Just to shake things up a bit since I'm a forever DM and would love to have some wizard NPCs have a bit more flair by using something mundane or unusual that they've spiced up to cast their spells, rather than the traditional Gandalf style wooden staff.. Obviously several popular characters have used Umbrellas to perform magic. And its got me wanting to think up other fun ideas and ask around if anyone here has any fun alternatives they've thought up or seen people use.
An old dead desiccated rat. The skull of their dead mother. A holy text. A broken hilt of a magic sword. A quill dipped in magical ink. A chunk of meteorite. A fossilized egg. A bag full of teeth. Etc etc etc
An old dead desiccated rat. The skull of their dead mother. A holy text. A broken hilt of a magic sword. A quill dipped in magical ink. A chunk of meteorite. A fossilized egg. A bag full of teeth. Etc etc etc
All of those, at once. Half-embedded in a length of petrified wood that's only theoretically straight. From one angle.
A coin or pendant on a chain would be good, and reminds me of the hypnotist's charm. Of course, and polished translucent gem, but I figure you would consider that the same as a crystal. An intricately woven piece of fine wire in the pattern of a turks head knot, or some other ornamental knotwork would be interesting, particularly for sailors who have a tradition of making ornamental knotwork. For a Clerical character (or a druid or any spellcaster that wears robes) the cincher around his waist, which often is made with special knots at the ends. How about a cell phone sized piece of wood, very smooth, but polished on one side to an absolutely mirror finish, carried in a pouch on his belt would be an interesting joke on the 21st century. How about a fancy tankard as a spellcasting focus. Spectacles would be a handy inconspicuous "focus."
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
A fine golden chain. Strips of parchment, covered in arcane symbols, that are waved through the air. A pot of ink, that you flick drops out of when casting Darkness.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
She used to be a school teacher, until one day her sorcery magic switched on. Now she wields her 18" ruler as though it were a sword, using Booming Blade to send misbehaving bullies to detention.
Spellcasting focuses are specially crafted items. Perhaps made of magic-sensitive materials (orichalcum? cavorite?). Perhaps fashioned in special magic-affecting shapes or forms (triforce? spirals?). Perhaps imbued with a spark of divinity (a saint's fingernail). Perhaps created using special rituals. While they are not magical, they are also not quite mundane.
They cost a few gold pieces (so are out of reach of the poorest of spellcasters).
They are not some everyday item you just pick up and say, "hey, I'm going to channel magic through this."
They are also not individual. They have no sentimental power. Any arcane focus can be used by any arcane caster.
Within those guidelines, go for it.
I do add one more requirement to this list in my games - the items are not multipurpose. Your sword cannot be your focus (at least not without some magical intervention, like a ruby of the war mage, or some special rule, like a holy symbol inscribed on a shield). You can use your focus as an improvised weapon (hitting someone with your wand, for example) but if you do this, you risk damaging the focus to the point that it no longer channels magic.
Yeah, except not necessarily. A cleric can pretty much draw a crude lightning bolt onto a dinner plate with a sharpie ("carefully", mind you) and start casting with it as a Focus. A Druid can pick a leaf off of a mistletoe plant and rock that as a Focus for the rest of their life. I don't see any reason to dunk on Arcane Focus users and say "yeah, YOUR starting item has to be semi-mystical, sourced from an authorized retailer, and essentially irreplaceable in the event that I throw you in a prison or tip you over a waterfall or something and have you lose your gear."
It's not a magic item, it's a basic item that their class balance assumes they have in their possession at all times. If you're coming up with ways to tell your Wizard that their staff isn't really a staff unless it comes with a certificate of authenticity, but treating swords and shields and arrows as common vendor trash that the party finds lying around all over the place... then you're taxing your caster.
Yeah, except not necessarily. A cleric can pretty much draw a crude lightning bolt onto a dinner plate with a sharpie ("carefully", mind you) and start casting with it as a Focus. A Druid can pick a leaf off of a mistletoe plant and rock that as a Focus for the rest of their life. I
Not in my games they can't. A focus is a crafted item, requiring skill to make, as well as a certain amount of money and time.
If that cleric spends 5 gold and a day making that lightning bolt and they have a crafting proficiency then, yes, it's a focus. If not, no. Worst case, the deity goes, "You respect me so little that you expect a smear of ink on a plate to work? Have a lightning bolt!"
As for the druidic focus, you need to think of Getafix ritually harvesting herbs at night during a full moon using a golden sickle, not someone ripping a leaf off a plant.
+1 because I laughed way harder at this than I should have! :P
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#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
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As the name suggests, I want to discuss alternative items to a wand, staff or crystal ball. Just to shake things up a bit since I'm a forever DM and would love to have some wizard NPCs have a bit more flair by using something mundane or unusual that they've spiced up to cast their spells, rather than the traditional Gandalf style wooden staff.. Obviously several popular characters have used Umbrellas to perform magic. And its got me wanting to think up other fun ideas and ask around if anyone here has any fun alternatives they've thought up or seen people use.
A fork, wielded by the best wizard chefist in the world.
An old dead desiccated rat. The skull of their dead mother. A holy text. A broken hilt of a magic sword. A quill dipped in magical ink. A chunk of meteorite. A fossilized egg. A bag full of teeth. Etc etc etc
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Codpieces.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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All of those, at once. Half-embedded in a length of petrified wood that's only theoretically straight. From one angle.
Please do not contact or message me.
Coincidentally already have a player who uses a broken sword hilt as their Bladesinger's focus.
The Quill one I like a lot just for the chance to make a joke about it being mightier than the sword.
A Ghostbusters-style proton pack, magicpunk'd up.
Please do not contact or message me.
Plural?
Where do you put the extra ones? Or should I not ask?
An ostentatious ring, with a gem that glows with its own light. As they cast spells, the inner light brightens and leaves a trail through the air.
A coin or pendant on a chain would be good, and reminds me of the hypnotist's charm. Of course, and polished translucent gem, but I figure you would consider that the same as a crystal. An intricately woven piece of fine wire in the pattern of a turks head knot, or some other ornamental knotwork would be interesting, particularly for sailors who have a tradition of making ornamental knotwork. For a Clerical character (or a druid or any spellcaster that wears robes) the cincher around his waist, which often is made with special knots at the ends. How about a cell phone sized piece of wood, very smooth, but polished on one side to an absolutely mirror finish, carried in a pouch on his belt would be an interesting joke on the 21st century. How about a fancy tankard as a spellcasting focus. Spectacles would be a handy inconspicuous "focus."
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
I’m playing a Bard. They have to have a different codpiece for each outfit or else it would look untidy, or worse yet, clash.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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A fine golden chain. Strips of parchment, covered in arcane symbols, that are waved through the air. A pot of ink, that you flick drops out of when casting Darkness.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
That checks out
She used to be a school teacher, until one day her sorcery magic switched on. Now she wields her 18" ruler as though it were a sword, using Booming Blade to send misbehaving bullies to detention.
Not my idea, another player played a Street Urchin BG, using a doll as their Arcane Focus.
It is not I who am Mad, it is I who am Krazy!
Spellcasting focuses are specially crafted items. Perhaps made of magic-sensitive materials (orichalcum? cavorite?). Perhaps fashioned in special magic-affecting shapes or forms (triforce? spirals?). Perhaps imbued with a spark of divinity (a saint's fingernail). Perhaps created using special rituals. While they are not magical, they are also not quite mundane.
They cost a few gold pieces (so are out of reach of the poorest of spellcasters).
They are not some everyday item you just pick up and say, "hey, I'm going to channel magic through this."
They are also not individual. They have no sentimental power. Any arcane focus can be used by any arcane caster.
Within those guidelines, go for it.
I do add one more requirement to this list in my games - the items are not multipurpose. Your sword cannot be your focus (at least not without some magical intervention, like a ruby of the war mage, or some special rule, like a holy symbol inscribed on a shield). You can use your focus as an improvised weapon (hitting someone with your wand, for example) but if you do this, you risk damaging the focus to the point that it no longer channels magic.
Yeah, except not necessarily. A cleric can pretty much draw a crude lightning bolt onto a dinner plate with a sharpie ("carefully", mind you) and start casting with it as a Focus. A Druid can pick a leaf off of a mistletoe plant and rock that as a Focus for the rest of their life. I don't see any reason to dunk on Arcane Focus users and say "yeah, YOUR starting item has to be semi-mystical, sourced from an authorized retailer, and essentially irreplaceable in the event that I throw you in a prison or tip you over a waterfall or something and have you lose your gear."
It's not a magic item, it's a basic item that their class balance assumes they have in their possession at all times. If you're coming up with ways to tell your Wizard that their staff isn't really a staff unless it comes with a certificate of authenticity, but treating swords and shields and arrows as common vendor trash that the party finds lying around all over the place... then you're taxing your caster.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Unicorn Horn
A fingerbone of some non-humanoid
Lantern
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Not in my games they can't. A focus is a crafted item, requiring skill to make, as well as a certain amount of money and time.
If that cleric spends 5 gold and a day making that lightning bolt and they have a crafting proficiency then, yes, it's a focus. If not, no. Worst case, the deity goes, "You respect me so little that you expect a smear of ink on a plate to work? Have a lightning bolt!"
As for the druidic focus, you need to think of Getafix ritually harvesting herbs at night during a full moon using a golden sickle, not someone ripping a leaf off a plant.
+1 because I laughed way harder at this than I should have! :P
#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."