As adventurers grow in might, becoming heroes of the realm, they are no longer satisfied by such paltry items as a +1 magic sword and turn their eyes to greater treasures that have long been lost.
So it is the case in one of my games. The player characters have reached level 8 and are gearing up to slay the evil dragon overlord and depose the tyrannical emperor. The Codex of Arcane Objects has fallen into their possession, a fantastic book that details the location of rare and legendary magic items.
I asked my players what sort of items they wanted to acquire and requested they send me locations where such treasures might be hidden. This is the result of our collaborative efforts.
Table of Contents
Feather of Axatlas
Can be used by one creature to cast the Fly spell on self.
Magah has two.
Magah is a player character aarakocra. She has reverently collected these feathers of a demigod, not realizing they have magical properties. Will she be willing to part with a treasured demigod feather in order to grant a companion with flight? Only time will tell.
Periapt of Swole
(requires attunement)
When you roll dice to recover your own HP, you always roll the maximum value.
Owned by Suvet, the bejewelled king of crocodiles.
The swamp side quest A Ruby for Your Heart originated from this campaign, with the demigod Suvet giving the quest instead of Brume. Suvet is greedy, and while he is not treacherous he is certainly merciless. Who knows what the king of crocodiles would demand in exchange for the periapt of swole?
Ring of Arc Lightning
(requires attunement)
The ring has 6 charges. It regains 1d6 expended charges each dawn. The save DC for spells cast with this item is 15.
You can cast the following spells from the ring:
- Faerie Fire (1 charge)
- Lightning Bolt (3 charge + 2 charge/spell level)
- Chain Lightning (6 charges)
In the crumbling temple claimed by Castikiron, eater of souls, which is hidden in the plumes of smoke that surround the Little Death.
Castikiron is a fiendish demigod who wears a tiki mask and is a master of illusions. The Little Death is a small island with an active volcano. The location request included the note “Scooby Doo vibes.” I am only certain of one thing: this quest will be a challenge for both GM and players to pull off.
Ring of Earth Dominion
(requires attunement)
The ring has 6 charges. It regains 1d6 expended charges each dawn. The save DC for spells cast with this item is 17.
You can cast the following spells from the ring:
- Stoneskin (2 charges) can’t fly while stone
- Erupting Earth (2 charges + 1 charge/spell level)
- Wall of Stone (3 charges)
On the ship of Bloody Ivory, docked at the city of Refuge on the isle of Last Harbor.
Bloody Ivory is, of course, a sea orc pirate. I think the player who requested an item be hidden on an orc pirate ship is imagining a swashbuckling encounter without realizing this might be better suited to a party of level 3. But a pirate ship was requested, and a pirate ship will be delivered. Only something has gone dreadfully wrong, some cosmic event has occurred that will make recovering this item dangerous even for our brave heroes…
Crossbow of the Damned
(requires attunement)
+3 magic weapon, deals an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.
This item is cursed. It cannot be unattuned from except by a spell such as remove curse. When attuned, you are haunted by your own doom and have -1 to all saving throws.
Buried with Boki Iakona in a hidden grotto near the Serpent’s Ridge on Inu Piko.
Before the emperor claimed power, the drakona people were united under one or more bokis, which are Hawaiian chiefs. The Serpent’s Ridge is a landform on the mountain island of Inu Piko that reaches into the Elemental Plane of Air (and the location of the heavy rain battle previously mentioned).
The key takeaway from this quest is: hidden chief’s cursed burial treasure. Undead guardians, deadly traps, and a rival treasure seeker are anticipated. Elements from the side quest A King’s Treasure will likely be included.
Slingshot of Cosmic Blasts
(requires attunement)
The slingshot has 5 charges. It regains 1d4+1 expended charges each dawn.
You can expend one charge to shoot a star from the slingshot: 1 target (60/120), 6d4 fire damage.
In the lost lower level of Bastion, which has been sealed off against the eldritch horror hive that has claimed it.
Bastion is a city-stronghold of monks, alchemists, and scholars who are preparing for the end of days. They have several different departments (untrusting rivals all) and potentially access to powerful arcane secrets. As so often happens, someone dug too deep and unearthed something that should have been left resting. Also it’s intended to be a botanical garden.
Closing Thoughts
Inviting my players to weigh in on what the world offers has never disappointed me. We are both excited to uncover these shared creations.
As delighted as I am by my players’ creativity, I cannot help but wish someone had requested an item that will help them survive dragon fire. I suspect the cleric will attempt to protect the party by casting wall of stone. Which would probably work fine if dragons did not happen to fly.
What would you have asked for? Existing item or general concept.
It seems I have no choice but to trust my players to find a way to survive despite my misgivings. The Creature of the Sea battle (which I have not yet posted about) nearly defeated them. And that was with a poorly written stat block (which is why I have not yet posted about it).
Ah well. Until their certain death by dragon fire, there is much to explore.
(Post cover image by MasterTux.)
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