Tuesday Magic Item – Box of Surprises

Gollaon watched as the jester set down the box, catching the eye of Voddick, Gollaon gestured for him to be ready for trouble.

Voddick nodded and stepped slightly closer to their charge just as the box exploded in a riot of colored lights and smoke.

Box of Surprises

It is suspected that boxes of surprises were originally created by some sort of trickster god or perhaps a mischievous fae noble but they have been reproduced by mortal hands for equally troublesome uses.  The boxes range from as small as a shoebox to as large as a small chest and are always decorated in unusual patterns.

The box can be opened, triggering its effect, or set with a timer to go off in one to ten rounds.

There are three types of boxes:

Tricky, the box releases lights and smoke, the area within 30′ is filled with multicolored smoke and light (providing concealment) and anyone not expecting it must make a Will save (DC 13) or be dazed for a round and if they fail the save by ten or more they are confused for a round instead.  The smoke and light last 2d4+2 rounds.

Troublesome, has the same effect as tricky by also summons 1d3 creatures from the Summon Monster III list who are immune to the effects of the smoke and light.  If not given specific targets when the box is opened or set, they attack the nearest living thing.  The summoned creatures last for as long as the smoke and lights do.

Cursed,  as the tricky box but, at the worse possible time, it summons monsters like the troublesome box which attack the owner of the box.

Once the box has been used it cannot be used again until the next dawn has passed.

Aura moderate conjuration (summoning); CL 7th
Slot none; Price 500 (tricky) / 5.500 (troublesome) / 3,000 (cursed); Weight 2+ lb
Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Items, pyrotechnics + summon monster III for a troublesome box + bestow curse for a cursed one; Cost 250 (tricky) / 2.750 (troublesome) / 1,500 (cursed)

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item (box), uncommon

First paragraph as above.

The box can be opened, triggering its effect or set with a timer to go off in one to ten rounds.

There are three types of boxes:

Tricky, the box releases lights and smoke, the area within 30′ is filled with multicolored smoke and light (providing concealment) and anyone not expecting it must make an Intelligence saving (DC 11) or be at -1d4 to hit for a round and if they fail the save by ten or more they are confused for a round instead.  The smoke and light last 2d4+2 rounds.

Troublesome, has the same effect as tricky by also summons 1d3 creatures with a Challenge Rating of 1 each list who are immune to the effects of the smoke and light.  If not given specific targets when the box is opened or set, they attack the nearest living thing.  The summoned creatures last for as long as the smoke and lights do.

Cursed,  as the tricky box but, at the worse possible time, it summons monsters like the troublesome box which attack the owner of the box.

Once the box has been used it cannot be used again until the owner has had a long rest.

Notes: Useful for escapes, distractions, assassination attempts . . . a hundred and one uses really.

Image by Sharon Apted from PublicDomainPictures.net and is in the Public Domain.