Custom Magic Item List: Artifacts with Drawbacks

Magic items are one of the most sought-after things in all of TRPGs. They stand to dramatically alter the course of any game, and they can make players feel that they have greater control over their time in the gameworld. There are hundreds of custom magic items to borrow from TRPG writers, many of which affect the way that combat runs. But magic items can affect the world of roleplaying as well, and I have created a list of magic items that will affect more than the way that combat functions--they each include caveats that balance the power of the items. Read on for the full list of 33 magic items. 

When you introduce a magic item to the game, it should be dramatic. You want your players to know that they have encountered something special. When you describe the item to them, you want to provide both the mundane and magical descriptions of the item. Then, as the players use the item, you want to describe its effects in clear and abundant detail so that they get a sense of what it does and how powerful it is. Once the players have clear understanding of the item, you should continue to offer colorful description of it so that it doesn't just become another static detail in the game. 

So here are the magic items. Feel free to roll a d100 and divide it by 3 to use this list as a table of random magic items (roll again on a 100), or pick and choose the items that fit your campaign. Whatever you decide to do, keep in mind that these magic items will change the way you GM, as these items will grant the players abilities that exceed their statistically-balanced abilities granted by the game. 

1. Sword of Chain Lightning: This ornate longsword depicts leaping bolts of lightning up its menacing blade. This +1 longsword causes the player to roll a d100, and there is a 33% chance that the sword causes a bolt of lightning to leap between up to three enemies, dealing 3d8 damage to each one. Holds 2 charges per day. The wielder of the sword must succeed on a Constitution saving throw DC 15 when the lightning strikes or take half of the 3d8 damage done by the lightning. 
2. Turban of Mind: This burgundy turban has a golden charm which hangs from its center, depicting an infinity symbol. The turban, when worn, grants the wearer +2 to Intelligence and the ability to decipher one unknown written language per day. The wearer must roll an Intelligence saving throw once daily (in the morning) DC 12 or forget one day from their life permanently. 
3. Rod of Punishment: This steel rod has a large leather grip and a grid of interlocking lines that form squares all across its surface. When used to strike someone, the Rod of Punishment deals 1d6 damage for every evil deed the targeted character has committed in the last week. When this effect takes place, the wielder of the Rod of Punishment must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw DC 14 or take 1d6 damage for each evil deed they have committed in the last week. 
4. Lyre of Suggestion: This ornately carved lyre has a bough of holly branches laid out in its woodwork. When played with a Performance check DC 14, the lyre's song creates the effect of the spell "Suggestion," its magic effect targeted on a specific character. That character gets a Wisdom saving throw DC 14 to ignore the effect; otherwise, it must obey the player's command. 
5. Great Hound Token: This silver coin is engraved with the design of a huge hound and glimmers in the light. When used (once per day), the coin transforms into a great hound which can understand and obey the holder of the coin. The hound will serve in combat and has a bonus to tracking (+5 Survival). After one hour, or the hound's going unconscious, the hound will return to coin form. 
6. Magical Library: This item appears as a small, unassuming book with no writing on its cover--simply a blue circle on a green cover. When opened, the book displays the contents of any book the player has read. Can function as a spellbook as well. The book requires an Intelligence check (DC 13) to add any new information to the book, but all books read previous to obtaining the Magical Library will automatically be transferred. 
7. Amulet of Flight: This bronze amulet has a spherical ruby set into it, and it seems lighter than it should be. Using the amulet (twice per day) allows the user to move as though the spell "Fly" had been cast on them. The effect lasts one minute, and the character can extend the spell's effect with an Arcana check DC 10 for each round they wish to extend the spell. If the player runs out of the effect mid-flight, they must take 1d6 damage per 10 feet they fall. 
8. Flagon of Variety: Each morning, the flagon is filled with a random liquid. Each liquid has a different boost and lasts half the day. Roll a d100: 1-15 Coffee (+2 Perception), 16-30 Mead (+2 Persuasion), 31-45 Clean Water (+2 Survival), 46-60 Apple Juice (+2 Medicine), 61-75 Dwarven Stout (+2 Constitution saving throws), 76-90 Mixed Animal Blood (+2 Intimidation), 91-100 Elixir of Life (+1 to all skills). The player may choose not to drink the contents of the Flagon of Variety, and if so, the liquid will be magically replaced at morning of the next day. The full contents of the Flagon must be consumed before the bonus applies.
9. Spyglass of True Sight: This brass spyglass has an open eye etched into its side. When used, it both magnifies distant objects and acts as though "Detect Magic" has been cast on the user, but over distance. An Arcana check DC 16 identifies the school of magic of the active magic the Spyglass can see. The user must succeed on a Perception check DC 13 in order to use the magical effects of the Spyglass of True Sight, or else the Spyglass shows only out-of-focus shapes. 
10. Expert's Bracer: This leather bracer has thin steel plates set into the leather and an open hand etched into the central steel plate. When worn, this bracer grants the wearer proficiency bonus in one additional skill of their choosing, and this choice can change every day (the wearer selects the skill at night before going to bed). When using this skill, a roll of a natural 1 negates the effect for the rest of the day. 
11. Boots of Reaction: These leather boots rise to nearly the knee and have straps fastening the boots together at the calf. When wearing these boots, the user becomes quicker to participate in battles. The user is granted a +2 to Initiative if they can succeed on an Athletics of Acrobatics check DC 12. If the user fails this check, they take a -2 to Initiative instead. 
12. Master's Map: This item appears at first as a blank sheet of paper. If picked up, the sheet of paper will magically depict the zone around the player who picked it up as a top-down map. As the holder of the paper moves, the drawing will resize and fill in details, creating an accurate map of the area that shows only details the player can see. Until another character holds the map, it will continue to provide a depiction of everywhere the character has been with the map. Grants a +2 to Nature and Survival checks when navigating and a +4 to Nature and Survival checks when investigating an area already mapped. 
13. Top Hat of Charisma: This fancy hat is tall and narrow, all black with a burgundy ribbon, and smells faintly of potpourri. When worn, this hat grants the wearer a +1 to all Charisma-based skills. When the player encounters NPCs, the NPC should be granted an Insight check DC 14; if they succeed, they proceed with the +1 bonus, but if they fail, the player is granted a +2 bonus to all Charisma-based skills for the duration of that conversation. 
14. Brutal Handwraps: These linen strips are heavily creased and stained with dirt and blood. When worn, the Brutal Handwraps increase the player's unarmed bonus by one die (for instance, the traditional 1+Strength modifier becomes 1d4+Strength; 1d4+Strength becomes 1d6+Strength, 1d6+Strength becomes 1d8+Strength, etc.). Should the Brutal Handwraps be used to kill an enemy rather than knocking them out, the bonus disappears until dawn the following day. 
15. Passive Spectacles: These wire-frame glasses appear to be simple bifocals, but the glasses themselves are noticeably unsmudged. When worn, these Spectacles raise the wearer's passive Perception by +4. However, they also lower the character's active Perception checks by -1. The wearer finds that they are more aware of things but have a hard time focusing. 
16. Dice of Uncertain Fate: This set of dice is carved from stone, and all the ones on the dice are indicated by a symbol of Boccob, god of magic. When rolled, the dice allow a character to see the result of a die roll before committing to a course of action (once per day). Essentially, the player rolls an action before doing it; they may choose to pick a different tactic if the roll is low or accept the result if it is high. The player must succeed on an Arcana check DC 14 to accurately read the dice; a failed check means that they cannot trust the outcome of the dice well enough to use it to decide on an action. 
17. Hair Shirt of Erethor: This ugly tunic is woven out of the hair of domesticated animals like horses and yaks, and it seems big enough to fit even the burliest adventurer (though it resizes magically for smaller characters). When worn, the Hair Shirt of Erethor allows the user to maximize their effect with limited effort; the wearer may cast one spell at +2 Caster Level twice per day. The caster must succeed on an Arcana check DC 13 to cast the spell at its improved level; a failure means the spell slot if expended with no effect. 
18. Stone Toad of Woe: This small stone carving of a toad is marked by a small golden fly which seems to have landed atop the toad's head. When the toad is invoked by a magic incantation, it transforms into a living toad which hops toward the nearest wounded humanoid and transforms back into a sculpture; it uses the magical energy required to transform to stabilize the humanoid. Can be used in battle to help an ally or find a wounded foe. 
19. Pebble of Reckoning: This small, smooth, perfectly spherical stone is a mixture of grey rock and spirals of obsidian. When thrown, this pebble transforms into a small bomb which deals 3d12 damage to anyone within 15 feet of the explosion. The holder of the Pebble of Reckoning must succeed on a ranged attack DC 13 followed by a Wisdom saving throw DC 13 to explode the pebble. If either rolls fails, the pebble does not explode. It can be found again only after battle has ended and the player can search for such a small object.
20. Quill of Secrets: This long raven's feather is stained at the end with black ink. When someone uses the Quill of Secrets to write, they can inscribe an obvious message but obscure a hidden meaning by using a Sleight of Hand check DC 14. If the roll succeeds, the hidden message becomes noticeable only via an Intelligence check DC 18. If the check fails, the obvious message remains, but no hidden message appears. 
21. Borgen's Razor: This straight razor has a smooth wooden handle and a keen steel blade. If the player with Borgen's Razor uses it as a tool, it grants a +2 bonus to success on the action, but there is a 10% chance that the razor will completely destroy what is being cut. If the player uses Borgen's Razor as a weapon, it deals 1d10 damage and allows the player to make an Intimidation check at +3; if the enemy fails this Intimidation check, it surrenders immediately. In either case (tool or weapon), the player must then roll a Wisdom saving throw DC 12 or lose a turn, forced to attack the nearest living thing by Borgen's twisted spirit. 
22. Racing Pocketwatch: This copper-plated pocketwatch has a long copper chain and revealed gears and cogs inside it. When a player presses the button on the top of the pocketwatch, time slows down. The player rolls a d4 and adds +1; the result is how many rounds they can take at once. In order to use this power, the player must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw DC 12 for each round they take. If a roll before the end fails, the rest of the rounds are forfeit. This power can be used twice per day. After the player has taken their actions, they are unable to act until the rest of the involved characters catch up. This can make them vulnerable to enemy retaliation. 
23. Everburning Lantern: This burnished steel lantern is hooded to create a more focused lit area, and it has a circular arrow etched into its hood. The light from this lantern is magical and can illuminate scenes as brightly as daylight. If used during the day, the lantern instead twists and turns in the player's hand, leading them to the nearest place where non-sunlight exists (caves, buildings, forests, all pulling more strongly the darker the place is). The lantern never requires fuel and never grows too hot to hold. 
24. Cantrip Wand: This wand is thick and gnarled, with a design carved into the side like the scales of a reptile. The wand can be used up to 5 times per day, and it can cast any cantrip from any class or school of magic. The player using it may select a specific spell from the available lists or choose to have the wand select a spell; if the wand chooses, you as GM should select a spell that is both helpful and unexpected. The player must succeed on an Arcana check DC 10 in order to get the selected spell to cast; a failed save uses the slot, but no spell effects occur. 
25. Speaking Scarf: This thin strip of woolen fabric is a collection of colors which seem different every time they are inspected. When worn, this scarf allows the wearer to perfectly replicate the voice of any living thing they have heard, humanoid or animal. The wearer rolls a Deception check DC 14, and on a success, they are able to replicate the chosen voice; on a failed check, they accidentally replicate the voice of someone else. If the person they are speaking to cannot see them, the wearer's voice is undetectably different from the chosen voice. 
26. Divine Chess Set: This wood-and-bone chess set depicts the gods and demigods as pieces, forces of evil versus forces of good. When a player sets out to use the chess set, they declare the name of a god they wish to challenge. The player rolls an Intelligence check DC 17; a success means they beat the god, and a failure means that they lose. If the player wins, they may ask the god for one favor that the god must assist in, though they will only help the player advance one step in the story. If the player loses, the god penalizes them with a -2 to all skill checks for 24 hours. A game takes one hour to play, and the board can only be used once every three days.
27. The Skull of Grax: This orc's skull is oversized, menacing, and carved with either a sunset or a sunrise. The skull does nothing until either sunrise or sunset (one or the other at random each day), at which point it begins to speak and poses to the players a riddle. (Check out this guide to writing riddles for help with that.) If the party can solve the skull's riddle, it grants a +1 to the skill of each player's choice until the skull's next riddle. If the party fails to answer the riddle, they each must take a -1 penalty to all saving throws until the next riddle. 
28. The Dragon Crown of Ishbeton: This jawbone of a dragon is fashioned into an imposing crown with rubies and garnets set into it. When worn, the crown makes the wearer more charismatic but also subjects the wearer to the greed of enemies. When worn, the Dragon Crown of Ishbeton grants the wearer a +2 to Charisma and grants the wearer use of "Charm Person" twice per day. However, all NPCs who encounter the Crown must roll a d100: 90-100 means that the NPC will become enraptured with the Crown and try at all costs to take it from the party. 
29. Faerie Home: This gnarled ball of tree branches creates a wooden orb approximately 4 inches around, and a faint glowing light emanates from the center. If a player has the Faerie Home, they can use it once per day to invite the help of Fae. If the player is able to succeed on a Persuasion check DC 16, then magical Fae effects help the party. This may be in the form of help in combat, helping the party to their next story moment, or convince an NPC of something. If the player fails on their invocation of the faeries, they hear tittering laughter and are instead cursed with a -2 to Nature checks until the following day. 
30. Showman's Mask: This plain light grey mask has no discernible features and looks eerily unlike any humanoid you have ever seen. When worn, the Showman's Mask transforms into the faces of anyone the wearer wishes, including faces which they are inventing for the use. The Mask requires a Performance check DC 15 to use; if it succeeds, the mask perfectly mimics the chosen faces for up to two hours, but if it fails, the mask causes the player to take a penalty of -2 to all Performance and Deception checks for two hours. 
31. Traveler's Sleeping Roll: This bundle of cloth and padding is in fine condition and very soft; its fabric is a velvety orange. A player with the Sleeping Roll can use it to create a small camp with bedding for up to five people; when deployed with an Arcana check DC 11, it divides into the requested number of fine sleeping rolls and remains that way until dispelled or one hour after sunrise. A failed check sends up a flare into the air, which attracts bandits and monsters alike, likely forcing the party to relocate before calling it a night. 
32. Scales of Appraising: This iron balance has mechanical devices attached at the crux of the machine to calibrate its workings; it is slightly oversized, and swings freely when nothing is placed on it. When a player uses the Scales of Appraising, they are able to place two of anything that will fit or be balanced onto each side, and the side which is worth more will appear heavier regardless of the physical properties of the weighed items. To use this, the player must succeed on an Insight check DC 10. On a success, the scales will emit light and show which side is worth more; on a failure, there will be no light effects, and the scales will show that they are equal in value. (Note: if the two items weighed are actually equal in value, the scale will swing back and forth rather than staying still.) 
33. Scouting Mirror: This small, circular mirror is made of steel and never seems to accumulate any smudging on the surface; on its back is a symbol of two identical figures. When used as an ordinary mirror, the item will function normally. But when used to peer around corners, the mirror gains a magical ability: it surrounds the outline of living things in a faint glowing light on the mirror's surface, including those who are obscured from direct view. This effect requires a success on an Investigation check DC 13; a success shows everything viewed through the mirror for the next hour, but a failure means that the mirror goes see-through for an hour and can't be used again until then. 

So there you have it: 33 magic items that do not appear on other lists, each of which turns having a magic item into a tactical decision rather than an unmitigated increase to the players' power. The goal here is to be able to reward your players with magic items that complicate and enrich the way they play, and by balancing each item with caveats, we can give many of these items to players even at lower levels. So use these items or some of your own design with these kinds of balanced powers, and you'll be able to use more magic items without worrying about players becoming too overpowered. And of course feel free to adjust the numbers involved in these items; I've gauged them for levels 4-10 or so, but some tweaks could scale them up or down. And of course you can get rid of the balancing effects and just grant your players exciting new powers.

That's all for now. Coming soon: how to balance your gameworld's economy, how to manage a boss fight, and how to design a custom TRPG from scratch. Until next time, happy gaming!

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