The Wraithstone Amulet is a mystical artifact crafted from a fragment of a wraith’s essence and set into a polished, obsidian-like stone. Known for its connection to the ethereal and shadowy realms, the amulet serves as a powerful tool for those who tread the thin line between the Material Plane and the spectral domains. It grants its wearer heightened protection against detection, a connection to the ethereal, and abilities that allow them to manipulate shadows and ghosts.

The amulet is highly prized by assassins, shadow mages, planar explorers, and those who walk the path of death and undeath. However, its connection to the energies of the wraiths leaves an indelible mark on those who wield it, potentially drawing unwanted attention from otherworldly entities.

Physical Description

• Pendant: The amulet’s core is a wraithstone, a dark, polished gem that emits a faint, smoky aura. When attuned, shadowy tendrils seem to writhe faintly within the stone.
• Setting: The gem is set in a blackened silver frame, intricately carved with runes of warding and binding, resembling twisting vines or creeping shadows.
• Chain: A chain of cold, shadowsteel links supports the pendant, feeling unnaturally light but unyielding to wear or breakage.
• Aura: The amulet radiates a faint necromantic and illusion magic aura.

Abilities and Features

1. Veil of Undetection

• While wearing the Wraithstone Amulet, you are immune to magical detection, such as Detect Magic, Scrying, or Locate Object. Divination spells targeting you automatically fail unless cast by a creature within 10 feet of you.

1. Ethereal Step (Recharge 5–6)

• As a bonus action, you can shift partially into the Ethereal Plane for 1 minute, gaining the following benefits:
• You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
• You have resistance to all non-magical damage.
• You cannot be targeted by attacks or spells unless the attacker or caster is on the Ethereal Plane.

If you end your turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage and are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space.

1. Wraith’s Cloak

• You gain advantage on Stealth checks made in dim light or darkness, and creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect you.
• As an action, you can surround yourself in spectral shadows, gaining the benefits of the Pass Without Trace spell for yourself and up to 5 creatures of your choice within 30 feet. This effect lasts for 1 hour or until you end it early.

1. Spectral Strike

• When you hit a creature with a melee or ranged weapon attack, you can channel the amulet’s power to deal an additional 3d6 necrotic damage. If the target is a living creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of its next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses after a long rest.

1. Ethereal Resonance

• While equipped with the amulet, you can see into the Ethereal Plane up to 60 feet. This allows you to detect creatures hiding there or gain glimpses of ghostly activity.

1. Soul Anchor

• Once per long rest, if you are reduced to 0 hit points while wearing the amulet, you can choose to stabilize yourself and regain 10 hit points instead. In doing so, your form becomes partially incorporeal until the end of your next turn, granting resistance to all damage except force damage.

Curses and Drawbacks

1. Echo of the Wraith

• The amulet’s connection to the spectral realm may attract unwanted attention. Each dawn, roll a d20. On a roll of 1, an incorporeal undead (such as a shadow, specter, or wraith) is drawn to your location within 24 hours.

1. Shadow’s Mark

• Prolonged use of the amulet may subtly alter your presence, causing small, eerie phenomena to occur around you (e.g., lights dimming, faint whispers, or sudden chills). These effects are harmless but unsettling and may cause others to distrust or avoid you.

Uses and Benefits

1. Exploration:
• The Ethereal Step and Ethereal Resonance abilities make the amulet invaluable for navigating areas filled with planar rifts, undead threats, or incorporeal foes.
2. Stealth and Infiltration:
• The Wraith’s Cloak and Veil of Undetection make this item essential for rogues, assassins, and spies.
3. Combat Utility:
• Spectral Strike and the resistance gained during Ethereal Step provide strong offensive and defensive capabilities.
4. Survivability:
• The Soul Anchor ability ensures that you can recover from dangerous situations, adding a safety net for high-risk missions.
5. Roleplay Opportunities:
• The amulet’s drawbacks and eerie nature offer rich opportunities for storytelling, moral dilemmas, and character development.

Weight

The Wraithstone Amulet is lightweight and portable, weighing 1 pound.

Cost and Rarity

• Cost: 3,000 gp
• Rarity: Very Rare

Lore

The Wraithstone Amulet was first crafted by necromantic artisans seeking to harness the power of incorporeal undead for their own use. It is said that each amulet binds the essence of a wraith, trapped within its gemstone core. While most of these amulets were lost or destroyed, some survive as relics of ancient shadow cabals and planar explorers.

Legends speak of a Wraithcaller, a dark hero who wore such an amulet to guide spirits to their rest while protecting the living from ghostly threats. Others, however, wielded the amulet for darker purposes, using its power to subjugate the dead or sow fear among the living.

Adventure Hooks

1. The Bound Spirit: The party finds a Wraithstone Amulet containing the trapped soul of a wraith who begs for release. Freeing the spirit might destroy the amulet, but keeping it risks its wrath.
2. The Shadowmarked: A cursed village is plagued by wraiths, and the party learns that a lost Wraithstone Amulet is drawing the undead to the area.

The Spectral Guardian: The amulet’s whispers guide the wielder to a hidden planar crossing, but the path is guarded by powerful spectral creatures.

Notes: Advantage: Stealth, Bonus: Ranged Weapon Attacks, Bonus: Melee Weapon Attacks, Sense: Truesight, Buff, Detection