Bandolier of the Abhorsen {7 Bells of the Necromancer - Vestige}

This wondrous item is truly an artifact, only known to have been three ever created, and they are passed down - one silver set of bells to the Clayr in their glacial fortress, another bronze set sent across The Wall and is said to be kept safe in a mundane continent called 'Europe', while the final golden set was given to the Abhorsen's of the Old Kingdom, who used its power for good, and the safety of the kingdom  keeping the dead down. Seven bells are usually used by necromancers to summon and control the Dead. The seven bells are kept on a leather bandolier, like an old brown belt, each in a leather pouch, starting with one the size of a small pill bottle and growing larger, till the seventh is almost the size of a jar. The bells are usually silver, gold, or bronze, with dark, deeply-polished dark wood handles, usually mahogany or ebony. Runes appear on both wood and metal. It was the primary weapon of the Abhorsen of the Old Kingdom in the world of Ancelstierre  - a fantastical world on the fringe of Europe in an alter-Earth. The Abhorsen Queen, Sabriel, and her consort King Touchstone, ventured over their kingdom searching for Chlorr of the Mask, a violent and vicious Free-magic sorcerer that was terrorizing their country, and raising an undead army. Cameron the Clairvoyant was conjured to their world by the Clayr Seers, and Cameron spent much time blissfully learning all manner of things from the Clayr, before assisting Sabriel and Touchstone against Chlorr of the Mask. After emerging victorious, Queen Sabriel gifted Cameron the Clairvoyant a set of the bronze bells (that he disguised with magic to appear as a set of silver bells emblazoned with stars) for safekeeping.  

Effects. All the effects of the bells are sound-dependent, so if a listener is deaf, they will not have an effect on them. The ringer, however, is subject to any effects the bells may have on them regardless of whether they can hear them or not. The bells do work in areas of magic silence, as they ring on a different frequency. The powers of the bells are effective out to a 30 foot radius from the ringer. The effects of the bells are subject to spell resistance.

Drawing or sheathing a bell is an action. Drawn bells that are not intentionally rung have a chance of being rung accidentally if mishandled. Every round that a bell is unsheathed and not intentionally rung, the holder of the bell must make a Performance check against a DC of 10, or the bells ring of their own accord. If mishandled as such, use the effects listed below for when the ringer fails to meet the specified perform check.

Ringing a bell is a standard action. It is possible to ring two bells at once, but extremely difficult. The ringer must meet a Performance check equal to the highest Performance DC listed for both bells to use them and their effects. Success means that both bells function as desired or some other more powerful hybrid function, at the DM’s discretion. Failure means that either both bells fail as listed below, or some other more powerful hybrid failure occurs, at the DM’s discretion. Particularly powerful and climactic effects could result in one or both bells being broken.

1. Ranna: The first, the smallest bell. Ranna the Sleepbringer, the sweet, low sound that brings silence in its wake. All undead who hear Ranna must succeed at a Wisdom save of 14 or be sent into Death (if they have less than 20 HP, they automatically are reduced to 0 HP). All living who hear the bell must succeed at a Wisdom save of 14 or fall asleep for 1d4 minutes. The ringer must succeed at a Performance check DC14 or automatically fail the save, and fall asleep.

2. Mosrael: The second, a harsh, rowdy bell, The Waker. The bell whose sound is a seesaw, throwing the ringer further into Death, as it brings the listener into Life. A successful Performance check against a DC25 brings back to life any one in range who has died within the last hour. If they have not had their soul and body completely destroyed, then they have no choice but to come back to life. Alternately, the ring can awaken corpses as skeletons or zombies as the Animate Dead (Performance check DC16) or Danse Macabre (Performance check DC18) spell. A failed Performance check does none of this, and knocks the ringer unconscious. 

3. Kibeth, The Walker: A bell of several sounds, a difficult and contrary bell. It can give freedom of movement to one of the Dead, or force their march. With a successful Performance check of 20; the ringer can grant the effects of the Freedom of Movement spell and the Longstrider spell, or the Haste spell to a single listener in range, or force a single listener’s move their speed in a the ringer wants them to (contested by listeners Wisdom save of 18. success negates the effect of the bell). Failure of the Performance check means that all listeners in range must succeed at a Wisdom save of 16 or move their speed in a random direction (including ringer).

4. Dyrim:  A musical bell, of clear and pretty tone. Dyrim, The Speaker can return the voice that the Dead have so often lost, but Dyrim can also still a tongue that moves too freely. This bell has two effects. On a successful Performance check of 20, you cast Speak with Dead on any undead within range. Alternatively, you cast Silence on all living creatures and/or undead (your choice) within range. A failed Performance check means that all who hear (living or dead) within range must make Constitution saves or are under the effect of the Confusion spell.

5. Belgaer: Another tricksy bell that seeks to ring of its own accord. The Thinker bell, the bell most necromancers scorn to use. It can restore independent thought, memory and all the patterns of a living person, or slipping in a careless hand, erase them. This bell has four powers, the ringer choosing which one to use with a successful Performance check of 25.
      - First; This bell can give thought to a single mindless (Intelligence score below 6) undead, increasing its Intelligence to 6 (near/sub-human level intellect).
      - Second; This bell can wipe the mind of one selected creature, casting Feeblemind on it, the target must make a Wisdom save DC 18.
       - Third; This bell can splinter the mind of creatures, driving them insane. You cast Synaptic Static, Intelligence save DC20 on all targets within range except you.
      - Fourth: This spell can restore thought and sanity to any one creature. This reverses any of the negative effects of this bell, as well as any other spell causing damage to INT, WIS, CHA, or dispel insanity and confusion-like effects. This can also cure naturally caused mental ailments.

A failed Performance check means that the ringer must make a Wisdom save of 16, or their minds splinter, giving them a Wisdom score of 1, effectively breaking their mind. 

6. Saraneth: The deepest, lowest bell. The sound of strength, The Binder, the bell that shackles the Dead to the wielder's will. A successful Performance check of 25 allows the user to use the bells magic to bring undead under your control, even those created by other wizards or enemies. After a successful Performance check, on each of your turns after, as an Action, you can choose one undead that you can see within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. If it fails, it becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands. A failed Performance check leaves the ringer restrained for 1d4 rounds. 

7. Astarael, The Sorrowful: The banisher, the final bell. Properly rung, it casts everyone who hears it far into Death. Everyone, including the ringer. A successful Performance check of 33 means that all who hear Astarael including the caster are affected as if you had cast Power Word Kill. Everyone makes a Wisdom save against a DC of 20. Those who fail the saving throw and have 100 HP or less are killed outright, as the shriek of this bell tears the souls out of all who hear it. If the ringer fails the Performance check, all living creatures within 30 ft of you falls unconscious, including the ringer. 

This magic item was created by the magi of wonder and whimsy; Cameron the Clairvoyant. He loved to create, and was inspired by many things around him - The Abhorsen book series by Garth Nix - people, places, things, concepts, nature, anime, pop culture - and loved to craft superior unique things for the Dungeons and Dragons community. Check out his homebrew creations in every category on D&DBeyond, and feel free to incorporate them into your homebrew campaigns. Cameron the Clairvoyant is a former player-character that reached level 20 and now functions as a NPC Archwizard, and has created numerous impactful magic items, weapons, subclasses, monsters, creatures, feats and spells. Seek him out in your next quest! He loves to take requests and interact with parties of player-adventurers.

Notes: Advantage: Death Saving Throws, Resistance: Necrotic, Cleric, Wizard, Paladin, Warlock, Sorcerer, Summoning, Control, Buff, Debuff, Outerwear, Vestige of Divergence