Armor Type: Breastplate
Rarity: Rare
Attunement: Yes
Material: Shadowsteel and Wraithwoven Alloy
Weight: 20 lbs
Base AC: 15 + Dexterity Modifier (Max 2)

Description

Forged from the enigmatic Shadowsteel, the Wraithguard Breastplate is a masterpiece of spectral craftsmanship. Its surface is a haunting obsidian-black, veined with threads of silver mist, shifting and undulating like captured smoke. The armor is unnaturally cold to the touch, and when worn, it carries a faint, eerie weight as though it exists partially between planes.

Unlike traditional breastplates, Wraithguard is designed for those who move unseen through the battlefield. The segmented plates are lightweight yet impossibly strong, allowing for a full range of motion without sacrificing protection. When in dim light or darkness, the armor seems to dissolve into the surrounding shadows, making the wearer appear as a wraith flickering between worlds.

Legends whisper that the first Wraithguard was crafted by Velmyrian Shadeforgers, infused with the essence of long-departed spirits. Some say it grants its wearer a sliver of a wraith’s power—others claim it merely calls the dead to follow.

Magical Properties and Features

• Ethereal Step: Once per short rest, the wearer may use their reaction to become partially incorporeal, granting resistance to non-magical weapon attacks for 1 minute.
• Wraithveil: While in dim light or darkness, the wearer gains advantage on Stealth checks and can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
• Lingering Phantasm: If the wearer is reduced to 0 HP while wearing this armor, a wraith-like echo of them lingers for 1 round, distracting enemies and giving allies advantage on attacks against creatures within 10 feet of where the wearer fell.

Armor Bonuses

• Attribute Bonus: None
• Magic Bonus: None
• Skill Bonus: Advantage on Stealth checks in dim light or darkness.
• Proficiency Bonus: None

Drawbacks and Risks

• Call of the Beyond: While attuned to the armor, the wearer may experience phantom whispers when alone, as if unseen spirits are speaking just beyond the veil.
• Planar Instability: Prolonged exposure to the armor may cause the wearer to phase involuntarily, appearing slightly translucent at times and attracting the attention of creatures from the Ethereal Plane.

Lore and History

The Wraithguard Breastplate was first commissioned for the Silent Reapers, a sect of assassins who served the Ebon Concord. It was said that warriors clad in Wraithguard walked unseen through battlefields, striking before fading into nothingness. Over time, these breastplates found their way into the hands of rogue scholars, shadowmancers, and ghostwalkers—those who sought the power to exist between life and death.

Some believe that each Wraithguard retains a fragment of its former wearer, bound forever to the armor. Whether this is true, or simply a story to unsettle the superstitious, is unknown.

Additional Roleplay Features

1. Flickering Form: In darkness, the wearer’s outline occasionally wavers, resembling a shifting shadow.
2. Echoing Steps: In complete silence, faint phantom footsteps sometimes follow the wearer.
3. Cold Presence: Living creatures standing near the wearer may feel an unnatural chill, as if the armor is drawing warmth from the air.

Armor Information

• Armor Type: Breastplate
• Weight: 20 lbs
• Market Value: 4,500 gp
• Black Market Value: 10,000 gp (Highly sought by assassins and planar scholars)

Summary of Armor

The Wraithguard Breastplate is a rare and elusive artifact, crafted from Shadowsteel and Wraithwoven Alloy to grant its wearer an eerie, phantom-like presence. Designed for stealth, survival, and spectral resilience, it provides powerful defensive and evasive abilities. However, long-term use may blur the line between the living and the dead, drawing the attention of spirits both curious and vengeful.

“I walk where the living dare not tread.”

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: Advantage: Stealth, Buff, Combat