Cuuko's Magick Emporium

Codex of Monster Lore

Wondrous Item, very rare

This magical book is bound in scaly leather and has an eye symbol embossed in gold on it's cover. When new, the book is filled with blank pages. The book has 3 charges which replenish each dawn.

As an action, you can hold the book and spend a charge to attempt to identify a creature you can see. If the creature is a celestial, fiend, giant or humanoid, the attempt fails. Otherwise, the user must make a DC 14 Intelligence check. On a success, pages in the book magically fill with details about the creature. You learn the name of the creature and its resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities. Any additional information beyond this is left to the GM's discretion. On a failure, nothing happens.

The Codex also grants its user advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks when tracking or identifying creatures they have previously encountered and recorded.

Optional rule: The GM may call for the Intelligence check to be secret. When rolling a 1, the GM can provide incorrect information. If this happens a subsequent successful check will fix the record.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: monster and profile.

Yeah, it's a pokédex.

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Boots of Extraordinary Footwork

Wondrous Item, very rare (requires attunement)

These boots are made of a supple leather and have lighting bolt symbols dyed on the sides. In a pinch, the boots can move your feet for you to avoid danger.

The boots have 4 charges. While you are wearing them, you can spend a charge to use one of the following effects:

Gain advantage on a Dexterity saving throw.
Gain advantage on a Dexterity check that involves footwork in some way.
When a hostile creature moves within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to perform some extraordinary footwork. This allows you to move up to your movement speed in any direction, including vertically if you have the ability to move in that way, without triggering opportunity attacks. This effect can't be used if you are swimming or flying.

The boots recover 1 charge daily at dawn.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: moves and expected.

The one evolved from my original idea, which was an item that allowed the user to anticipate an opponents moves. It wound up being too mechanically complicated, but some of it still remains in this item's last ability.

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Dousing Club

Weapon (club), rare (requires attunement)

This club is made from the sturdy and resilient wood of a mangrove tree. Carvings along the natural grain of the wood make the surface of the club resemble ripples on water and it has been polished to a glossy finish.

You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

When you attack a creature with the club and roll a 20 on the attack roll, water erupts from the club dealing an extra 2d6 bludgeoning damage and pushing the target 10 feet away from the wielder.

In addition, the Dousing Club can also be used to extinguish fire. As an action, the wielder can strike the club against the ground, causing a wave of water to douse non-magical flames within a 5-foot square in reach.

Once per day, the club can create a bigger wave, capable of extinguishing a 20-foot square of fire.

Both types of wave wash harmlessly past any creatures or objects in the area.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: dousing and critical.

As explained in the rules, each of my random words is from a different dictionary. The theme word is from a d&d themed list, and the wildcard word is from a much larger generic word list. Amazingly, “critical” is today's wildcard word!

Originally I wanted this weapons ability to trigger on a critical hit, but decided to go the same way as Vicious Weapon. It's close enough.

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Figurine of Monstrous Power

Wondrous Item, very rare

This small statuette is carved from a precious material, such as ivory or jade, and depicts a fearsome monstrosity. When you use an action to speak the figurine's command word and throw the statuette to the ground within 60 feet of you, the figurine becomes a living creature for a time. If the space where the creature would appear is occupied by other creatures or objects, or if there isn’t enough space for the creature, the figurine doesn’t become a creature.

Some creatures are friendly, and others are under your control. The creature understands your languages and obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, it defends itself but takes no other actions.

The creature exists for a duration specific to each figurine. At the end of the duration, the creature reverts to its figurine form. It reverts to a figurine early if you use an action to speak the command word again while touching it. When it reverts, it recovers all hit points.

Unlike Figurines of Wondrous Power, if the creature dies, it does not revert to its figurine form and instead it crumbles into dust.

All monsters use their statistics from the 5e System Reference Document.

The type of monster depends on the figurine:

Worg: the figurine becomes a worg. It is friendly to you and your companions and follows your commands for 1 hour. It then reverts to its figurine form and can't be used again until the next dawn.
Hippogriff: the figurine becomes a hippogriff. It is friendly to you and your companions and follows your commands for 8 hours. It can be ridden as a mount. It then reverts to its figurine form and can't be used again until the next dawn.
Mimic: the figurine becomes a mimic. It is under your control and obeys your commands for 1 hour. It then reverts to its figurine form and can't be used again until the next dawn.
Owlbear: the figurine becomes an owlbear. It is friendly to you and your companions and follows your commands for 8 hours. It then reverts to its figurine form and can't be used again until the next dawn.
Chimera: the figurine becomes a chimera. It is under your control and obeys your commands for 1 hour. It then reverts to its figurine form and can't be used again until the next dawn.
Tarrasque: the figurine becomes a tarrasque. It is under your control and obeys your commands for 1 minute. It then reverts to its figurine form and can't be used again until 30 days have passed.

Note for GMs: Make sure a monster isn't going to unbalance your game before making it available to players. Some of these monsters (particularly the Tarrasque) are more suitable for antagonistic NPCs that perhaps lack fighting skills of their own.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: monster and embark.

With generous lifting from the other figurine type. Letting players keep an iconic D&D monster in their pocket seems pretty cool. As I mention in the GM note, I do think this is more suitable for antagonists.

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The Shopkeeper's Glasses

Wondrous Item, very rare

These spectacles have thin gold frames and lenses with a pearlescent sheen that moves like the surface of a soap-bubble. The glasses have 5 charges, and regain 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing them, you can use the following effects:

As an action, you can spend 1 charge while looking at an object to reveal it's properties and magical lore. You can see this information as writing overlaying your vision. This functions as the same as the spell identify.
As an action, you can spend 1 charge to gain a +10 bonus to an insight check to determine whether someone is lying to you or concealing the truth. You must be able to see the target's eyes and face clearly.
As an action, you can spend 2 charges to gain truesight with a range of 60 feet for 1 minute.
As an action, you can spend 3 charges to cast the spell legend lore without using a spell slot or components. Any information revealed from the spell is again overlaid on your vision.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: conveys and associated.

The perfect tool for a magic shopkeeper.

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Weeks 1 & 2 Review

After 14 items I wanted to take stock. Overall, I'm fairly pleased so far. The [[bottle-of-wind]] and [[lightning-in-a-bottle]] feel a bit generic. I suspect there are other better versions of those items out there. I've only been checking official sources for crossover. My favourite so far is [[the-placodermi]], but the [[emblem-of-magic-school-loyalty]] is also pretty cool.

I haven't had to discard any words so far. During testing I did get some combinations that I would disregard under the rules, so I think it's a matter of time. I was unhappy with how strong the 5e theme was showing in my theme word. So I adjusted the weighting going forward.

So far I've massively favoured wonderous items, with only one potion and one weapon. To offset the imbalance, the next week will be potions week. Maybe down the line I'll do a weapons week.

The first potion in potions week is already up! See [[polyglottal-potion]]!

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Polyglottal Potion

Potion, very rare

This small glass vial contains a liquid with a rich golden-honey color. The potion is created by an alchemist who must talk to it every day for 30 days in the language they want the potion to bestow. When consumed, the creature who drinks it gains a permanent understanding of the language used during the potion's creation.

If the creature already understands a language, they can now also understand the language the potion bestows. If they can speak a language, they can now also speak the language the potion bestows.

As a side-effect of drinking the potion, the creature is unable to speak any other language for 1d6 hours.

Polyglottal Potion is extremely difficult to brew. The recipe is time consuming, complex, expensive and some batches will even fail for no apparent reason. A successful batch is extremely valuable. As such, it is often reserved as a gift for outsiders who have proved their worth.

GMs can roll to determine the language the potion bestows:

Polyglottal Potion Language

d12	Language
1	Draconic
2	Dwarvish
3	Elvish
4	Giant
5	Gnomish
6	Goblin
7	Halfling
8	Infernal
9	Kobold
10	Orc
11	Sylvan
12	Undercommon

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: thanks and language. It's potions week!

Rather than a generic “all languages for a short time” potion, I thought one that gives you a single language forever would be more fun.

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Potion of Cryptic Viewpoint

Potion, uncommon

This odd black potion ripples with rainbow hues when it's vial is disturbed. When drunk, you begin to see strange and cryptic visions that may contain important information. For the next hour, the imbiber experiences intense and vivid hallucinations. The hallucinations are dream-like and may include abstract visual or audible elements.

At the GM's discretion, some of these visions may provide clues or hints about your current quest or the broader campaign storyline. The GM can also use these visions to introduce new plot elements or mysteries. However, the visions can also be misleading, confusing, or even dangerous if interpreted incorrectly.

Once consumed, the potion's effects last for one hour or until Lesser Restoration, Dispel Magic, or an equivalent ability is used. If ended early, any clues gained may be incomplete.

If the creature was fed the potion against their will, they can resist the effect with a successful DC 15 Constitution saving throw.

GMs can optionally use this table to generate a random hallucination.

Potion of Cryptic Viewpoint Action

d8	Action
1	Running away from
2	Dancing with
3	Fighting
4	Flying with
5	Exploring with
6	Performing music with
7	Hunting a beast with
8	Playing cards against

Potion of Cryptic Viewpoint Participant

d8	Participant
1	a mischievous imp
2	a wise old sage
3	a shadowy assassin
4	a playful unicorn
5	a demon
6	a fierce warrior
7	a charming rouge
8	a trickster god

Potion of Cryptic Viewpoint Location

d8	Location
1	in a city.
2	in a beautiful meadow.
3	on a starry night sky.
4	in an infinite library.
5	in a magical forest.
6	on a beach.
7	in a graveyard at night.
8	on a mountain's peak.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: cryptic and viewpoint. It's potions week!

It was cool to use the actual inspiration words as the title.

Items like this that rely largely on GM discretion are not my favorite. Mostly because you are giving the GM extra work to do. But in this case, it was necessary to achieve what I wanted.

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Oozeish Potion

Potion, very rare

This sticky green potion is coagulating into clumps within it's vial. When consumed, it causes your body to transform in to a amorphous gelatinous form. During this time, the drinker's creature type becomes ooze.

While in this form, the you gain the following benefits:

You can squeeze through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide, provided you are not wearing armor or carrying anything that would impede your movement.
You have advantage on ability checks you make to initiate or escape a grapple.
You have resistance to acid and poison damage.
You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.

While in the form, you can still “wear” and carry items by absorbing them in to your body. You can produce two pseudopods from your body which act as arms and hands. You can also speak by creating a mouth-like protrusion.

Once the potion's effects wear off, the drinker returns to their normal form, and any absorbed items are expelled.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: squeeze and goal. It's potions week!

I rejected a combination for the first time. It was only very mildly possibly offensive, but I thought I'd play it safe.

Become an ooze person for an hour!

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Potion of Tactical Retreat

Potion, rare

This potion is a crystal clear liquid, with a single blood-red droplet in the middle. Even when shook, the droplet does not mix with the rest of the potion. When you drink this potion, you gain a lingering magical charm that binds you to your current location. If you are knocked unconscious, you will immediately teleport back to that location, and if you are dying, you stabilize.

The potion's effect ends after 24 hours, or Dispel Magic is cast on you, or if you have been knocked unconscious and teleported.

Standard restrictions to teleportation apply, such as anti-magic fields.

Creation Notes

Inspiration words: teleports and medical. It's potions week!

Another excellent item for a villainous NPC.

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