Aeonirax's Twilight Aegis

Description

Aeonirax's Twilight Aegis is a versatile piece of armor infused with the celestial power of Aeonirax, the star dragon, and the shadowy essence of Zythyra, the black dragon. This armor can shift between different forms, each providing unique benefits and abilities, along with specific curses that reflect the armor’s dual nature. The item scales with the paladin's level, ensuring balanced gameplay.

Mechanics

The Twilight Aegis has four primary states: Dormant, Daylight, Twilight, and Night. The wearer can change the form of the armor as an action. The armor has 5 charges, which are replenished after a long rest. 

When not in use, the armor takes on a dormant form as an amulet, allowing the wearer to don or doff it as an action. The current form of the armor is empowered based on the time of day:

• Daylight Form: Empowered during the daytime.
• Twilight Form: Empowered during a clear, starry night.
• Night Form: Empowered during the night when stars are not visible.

Dormant Form

• Appearance: The Armour takes the form of a Dragon themed Amulet. 
• Benefits: None

Daylight Form

• Appearance: The armor shines with a radiant silver light, and the wearer grows ethereal wings.
• Benefits:
  • When using Lay on Hands, the wearer heals up to twice the amount of hit points.
  • Wings of the Sun: Once per day, as an action, the wearer can sprout radiant wings, gaining a flying speed of 30 feet for up to 10 minute.
  • Guiding Bolt: The user can expend a single charge to cast guiding bolt. 
  • Empowered Ability - Sunlit Strike: As a bonus action, the wearer can empower their weapon, allowing it to deal an additional 2d4 radiant damage on a hit for 1 minute while concentrating. This ability can be used once per day.
  • Empowered Passive Ability: Gain resistance to radiant damage.

Twilight Form

• Appearance: The armor darkens, taking on a shadowy, ethereal quality with small, faint lights like stars.
• Benefits:
  • Gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to see in dim light or darkness.
  • When using Divine Smite, the wearer can choose to deal necrotic or force damage.
  • Eldritch Blasts: The user can expend a charge to cast eldritch blast and firing it twice.
  • Twilight Shield: As a reaction, the wearer can create a protective shield around themselves or an ally within 30 feet, granting a +5 bonus to AC until the start of their next turn. This ability can be used once per day.
  • Empowered Ability - Starforge Strike: As an action, the wearer can target up to 3 creatures within 60 feet. Each target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain disadvantage on all saving throws for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the start of their turn, ending the effect on a sucess.. This ability can be used once per day.
  • Empowered Passive Ability: Gain resistance to necrotic damage.

Night Form

• Appearance: The armor becomes a deep, starless black, resembling a robe with a subtle, almost invisible shimmer.
• Benefits:
  • Gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
  • The armor is considered non-metal.
  • Magic Missile: The user can expend 1 charge to cast Magic Missile at 1st level. 
  • Shadow Dragon Form: Once per day, as an action, the wearer can summon a shadow dragon form that grants temporary hit points equal to 2d8 + their Charisma modifier and lasts for 1 minute.
  • Empowered Ability - Veil of Shadows: As an action, the wearer can become invisible for 1 minute or until they attack or cast a spell. This ability can be used once per day.
  • Empowered Passive Ability: Gain resistance to psychic damage.

Cursed Effects

Reverse-Scale Curse

Trigger: When the armor is touched by an enemy.

Effect:

Berserker Surge: When the armor is touched, reverse scales sprout from under the wearer’s chin. The wearer must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are consumed by a berserker rage, causing the following effects:

• Blinded Fury: The wearer loses regular sight and gains blindsight with a radius of 30 feet. While in this berserk state, the wearer cannot see or target any creature beyond this range, including allies or enemies not within the blindsight area.
• Targeted Vengeance: The wearer can only focus on and use actions against the creature that touched the scales. They are compelled to use their most damaging actions against this creature. This effect lasts for 1d4 turns or until the creature is out of the wearer’s blindsight range.
• Rage Compulsion: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls against the creature that triggered the curse. However, they suffer disadvantage on all Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws and ability checks while under this rage. The wearer cannot take the Dodge action and must attack the triggering creature each turn. At the end of each turn spent in the berserker rage, the wearer takes 1d6 psychic damage due to the intense focus and aggression.
• Cursed Precision: If the wearer reduces the triggering creature to 0 hit points while in berserker rage, they may make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a success, they are freed from the rage’s effects immediately. On a failure, the rage continues for the remaining duration, and the wearer becomes vulnerable to all damage types until the rage ends.

Oathsworn Curse

Trigger: When fighting enemies perceived to be from the Dragon Cult.

Effect:

Mind Obscured: The presence of Dragon Cult members clouds the wearer’s mind. At the start of each turn when in combat with Dragon Cultists, the wearer must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the wearer is affected by the following:

• Disrupted Perception: The wearer suffers disadvantage on all Intelligence saving throws and ability checks as their mind becomes clouded.
• Paranoid Frenzy: The wearer sees all creatures (including allies) as enemies. They attack all creatures within range indiscriminately. This effect lasts until the wearer either succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of their turns or until the combat with Dragon Cultists ends.
• Advantage in Chaos: While under the effects of Paranoid Frenzy, the wearer gains advantage on all attack rolls

This armor consists of a fitted metal chest piece worn with supple leather. Although it leaves the legs and arms relatively unprotected, this armor provides good protection for the wearer's vital organs while leaving the wearer relatively unencumbered.

Notes: Bonus: Armor Class, character blessed or cursed by Zyphara or Aeornirax