Tuesday Magic Item – Powdered Chaos

“I would have asked for double if I knew we would be fighting hollows,” said Voddick loading another bold into his crossbow.

“Agreed,” said Gollaon.  He paused to draw another dagger.  “It has cost me two daggers already.”

“Out employer had better have a solution, these hit and run attacks are costing us nearly as much as the damage we inflict on the things.”

Gollaon looked back to see.  “I think they have something that will help . . . but we should give them room.”

Powdered Chaos

This substance is as much metaphysical as physical, magic as material.  It changes from moment to moment, from small pebbles to fine dust, multicolored to dull brown, never the same twice.  It is used to enhance spell casting adding special punch against the agents of the Law Lords.

The powder empowers spells when a pinch is consumed during casting, the spell so empowered when used against the agents of the Law Lords, embodiments of order or constructed beings (which by their nature represent a sort of order), it imposes a -1d6 penalty on the save and gives a +1d6 bonus to rolls to overcome the spell resistance of such beings.

Additional, the caster my sacrifice a fragment of their physical being to draw further chaos into the world and boost the power of the spell, the users takes one point of damage to a random physical ability.  In exchange, roll a d4 for the effect generated:

1. The spell’s DC is increased by +d4.

2. A chaotic creatures is summoned as though by a Summon Monster spell of the same level, the summoned creature will not attack the caster or their allies (unless attacked first) but they are otherwise inclined to cause the maximum amount of mayhem in their short existence here.

3. The spell is cast as though by a caster 1d4 levels higher.

4. A second spell of one level lower and broadly similar type (usually same school and general purpose, GM’s discretion) with the caster choosing any targets for the new spell.

Aura moderate conjuration and transmutation; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 1,000 per pinch; Weight —
Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, plane shift; Cost 500 per pinch

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item (powder), uncommon

First paragraph as above.

The powder empowers spells when a pinch is consumed during casting, the spell so empowered when used against the agents of the Law Lords, embodiments of order or constructed beings (which by their nature represent a sort of order), the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the saving throw, it also negates any advantage to saving throws gained from magic resistance by such beings.

Additional, the caster my sacrifice a fragment of their physical being to draw further chaos into the world and boost the power of the spell, the users looses one point from random physical ability until the user has a long rest.  In exchange, roll a d4 for the effect generated:

1. The spell’s DC is increased by +d2.

2. A chaotic creatures is summoned of a DC 1d3 levels lower than the spell (1 goes down to 1/2, which is a low as it will go) for 1d4 minutes, the summoned creature will not attack the caster or their allies (unless attacked first) but they are otherwise inclined to cause the maximum amount of mayhem in their short existence here.

3. The spell is cast as though using a spell slot 1d2 levels higher.

4. A second spell of one level lower and broadly similar type (usually same school and general purpose, DM’s discretion) with the caster choosing any targets for the new spell.

Notes: Another piece for this month’s RPG Blog Carnival.  Riffing off the Shadows of Chaos from the post yesterday, an easily mass produced item to aid their agents against those of the Law Lords.  The Empress has dispersed what powder she has captured widely across the Imperial Holdings not to be used, but to keep it from concentrating, which has bad effects, but destroying it tends to generate even worse effects.

Photo “Magic powder” by Tamara Mahomedova is marked with CC0 1.0