36th Homebrew

A collection of Dungeons & Dragons homebrew from my home games and myside projects. Balance may vary. || 30, He/Him, Dungeon Master for over 10 years.

[36th-homebrews]

Custom Conditions

I recently posted a magic item that inflicted a condition that doesn't exist in 5e or 5.5e: Clumsy, and this made me realize that I should probably post that condition and any other custom conditions I use in my magic items.

None of these "homebrewed conditions" are 100% original. Some were inspired by One D&D (5.5e test version), some by Pathfinder, and others are commonly homebrewed conditions. However these are what I use when making custom monsters and magic items. That being said, here they are!

Burning

Your body is afflicted by a constant, damage type (typically acid, cold, fire, or lightning). At the start of each of your turns you take 1d4 damage of the corresponding elemental type. You remain burning until you use an action to put out the burning element or do something that would otherwise put out the element.

Clumsy

While Clumsy, you experience the following effects:

You can’t take reactions.

You can only make one attack per turn.

You have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws.

Dazed

While Dazed, you experience the following effect:

You can Move or take one Action on your turn, not both.

You can’t take Bonus Actions or Reactions

Slowed

While Slowed, you experience the following effects:

Your Speed is halved.

Attack rolls against you have Advantage.

You have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Stupefied

While Stupefied, you experience the following effects:

You can’t take reactions

You have disadvantage on concentration checks.

You have disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks and saving throws.

[36th-homebrews]

Corpse Snatcher Body Snatching Hunter

Deep within the Bowels of the woods beyond Silvercloud, far into the Deepwood, a creature as old as the rapture lies in wait. Often merely stalking on beasts, but has recently found its way onto the capital of Silvercloud. Originally thought to be a childrens tale, the horror of the White Death is all too real in Yekater.

Hunting for easy prey, the white death finds those it deems weak enough to control, kills and then inhabits their corpse. The White Death then walks, wanders through the woods to draw in those looking to help. Kills them, and continues the process until there are none left, or it is chased out. Many an adventurer has come seeking the White Death, only to meet their untimely ends.

The White Death fights in two stages, the corpse stage, and the monster stage. During the corpse stage they appear to be undead and are more akin to fly traps, waiting for prey to get close and then devouring them. But, if their corpse they inhabit is damaged enough, the White Death's true form will appear.

The White Death also rarely works alone, often having other aberrant monstrosities around to aid them in their fights and missions. It is not uncommon for other more intelligent aberrations to take command of them such as Beholders or Beholder-kin. When without a master, a White Death remains still, but under control the White Death causes mass havoc.

[36th-homebrews]

Ceremonial Knife Weapon (Dagger), Rare

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

When you hit a creature with an attack using this weapon, the wound you create refuses to close. At the start of each of the wounded creature’s turns, it takes 1 necrotic damage for each time you’ve wounded it, and it then makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect of all wounds on itself on a success. Magical healing automatically closes all wounds created by this weapon.

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Ceremonial Knife was released in 2021 in Innistrad: Crimson Vow.

I'm not entirely sure about the rarity here, but given that a +1 weapon is uncommon I don't really know what else to put this as. Considering that the wounds are once

[36th-homebrews]

Robe of Magical Armor Wondrous Item, Rare

This otherwise dark cool colored sequenced robe shimmers pleasantly in light.

While wearing this robe, once per dawn you can cast mage armor on yourself. While under the effects of the mage armor spell, your AC becomes 15 + your Dexterity modifier.

[36th-homebrews]

Oil of the Abyss Wondrous Item, Rare

This vial contains an oily liquid that shifts between green, black, and red in color. Floating inside of it is a shrivelled shrunken organ of some kind.

As a bonus action you may coat your weapon in this oil. For the next minute each attack you make with this weapon deals an additional 2d4 damage. Choose one of the d4s, the number shown determines the damage type. 1 = acid, 2 = cold, 3 = fire, 4 = lightning.

[36th-homebrews]

Aralez A Companion of Heroes

A celestial companion to the mortals of the material plane, the Aralez are celestials that descend from their plane of origin to bless the bodies of heroes who fall in battle. They are natural companions to heroes chosen by gods and their licks are capable of resurrecting the recently deceased.

Often called upon by priests seeking salvation for the forces of good on a battlefield, the Aralez may also appear of their own volition if a hero is lucky enough.

Some heroes dutiful enough to their gods or the forces of good that they may even earn the reliable service and loyalty of an Aralez. Any warriors known to travel with these winged celestial canine companions are bound to be remembered by history for centuries to come.

[36th-homebrews]

Heroes’ Podium Wondrous Item, legendary

An altar dedicated to a god of victory or war who has blessed it with unique properties. if the altar is moved or significantly damaged, it looses its magical capabilities.

Any creature that prays at the Heroes’ Podium for 1 hour gains the effects of crusader’s mantle for 24 hours and have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

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Heroes' Podium was originally printed in Born of the Gods in 2014. I had a rough time translating this one to a magic item that was usable, but I think the results are fine?

It's alright, these MTG Artifact ones are just a fun little exercise more than anything else.

[36th-homebrews]

Fettered Blade Weapon, very rare (attunement optional)

This sword deals an additional 2d6 necrotic damage on hit.

Fettering Chains. The fettered blade has 4 charges. While attuned to this weapon, when you hit a creature with this weapon you may expend a charge to conjure magical chains to bind the creature. The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes restrained until the start of your next turn.

The Fettered Blade regains 1d4 charges daily at dusk.

[36th-homebrews]

Demon Ash Wondrous item, rare

Dust made from the ashen flesh of a powerful demon. A pinch of this dust can substitute for the material components of any conjuration spell of 6th level or lower. If a pinch of demon dust is sprinkled on a creature, one of the following magical effects occurs:

d20 | Effect 1 | The creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save it enters a rage for 1 minute. While enraged it gains a +5 bonus to melee weapon attack rolls and damage rolls. A creature enraged this way must attack the closest creature, or use all of its actions and movement to get to the nearest creature it is aware of. If there are multiple creatures it could attack, it randomly chooses which creature it attacks. 2-9 | The creature gains a 5 foot abyssal aura of poison for 24 hours. Any other creature that starts its turn within the aura takes 2d4 poison damage. While active, this aura grants you advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks but disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. 10-19 | The creature gains resistance to cold, fire, and lightning for 10 minutes. 20 | The gains advantage on ability checks and saving throws in all abilities in which it has proficiency in the saving throw and gains resistance to cold, fire, lightning, and nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage for 10 minutes.

[36th-homebrews]

Faience Material

Faience is a special ceramic material made in the Paadasian deserts using water from the Living River Nahrayan and blessed with divine power from the Trinity of Abyd. Objects made from Faience are more difficult to destroy. Weapons and Armor are treated as magical and gain the following benefits:

Armor. While wearing Faience armor you reduce radiant, necrotic; and nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. This resistance is negated by adamantine weapons.

Weapon. While wielding a Faience weapon, you may channel divine fervor into your attacks. You can choose to take a penalty equal to your proficiency bonus to your attack roll. If the attack hits, you add damage to the roll equal to double your proficiency bonus. You may choose to treat the additional damage as radiant damage.

Divine Blessings

Some Faience items are blessed by the gods of Abyd and confer additional benefits to their wielders.

Blessing of the Land. Once per dawn while holding or wearing faience with this blessing, you can use a bonus action to grant a creature within 30 feet temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points last for one hour. While a creature has these temporary hit points they have advantage on saving throws against spells.

Blessing of the Stars. Once per dawn while holding or wearing faience with this blessing, when a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll you may use your reaction to cause a flare of stars to appear, imposing disadvantage on the attack roll. The attacking creature must also make a Constitution saving throw where the DC is 10 + your proficiency bonus, becoming blinded until the end of their next turn on a failed save.

Blessing of the River. Once per dawn while holding or wearing faience with this blessing, you can use your bonus action to channel the river’s current for 1 minute. Once per turn for the duration, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the you may push the creature 10 feet away.

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OK so this one requires a bit of setup. Essentially the players were in "Fantasy Egypt" in a city called Mein. This city featured a lot of egyptian faience incorporated into architecture, armor, jewellery, and weapons. Though for armor and weapons it was only ceremonial.

HOWEVER, it is ceremonial because it used to not be. Faience used to be this divinely blessed material that was supernaturally strong and granted its wielders awesome blessings to overcome their opponents.

Then when Mein's last great emperor, Xaldis Mox overthrew the gods of Mein (the prior mentioned Gods of Abyd), all the Faience lost its magic.

Fast forward to today, and my players have liberated the old gods of Mein and brought their divine protections back to the city. They themselves were rewarded with Faience arms and armor (if they so wished).

Here's some examples of real-world Egyptian Faience that I took inspiration from for my descriptions of the material:

[36th-homebrews]

Cauldron of Souls Wondrous Item, rare

This dark, rusty cauldron bears designs of elongated faces at rest along the outside of the bowl. The interior of the cauldron is lined with prismatic gems. Once the command word is spoken, the Cauldron of Souls fills with smoky, prismatic water. Any creatures that drink from this cauldron become blessed by it for the next 24 hours. When a creature blessed by the Cauldron of Souls dies, they are revived as though the spell resurrection was cast on them.

Once the Cauldron’s power has been used, it cannot be used again until it’s interior is coated with 1,000 gp worth of diamond dust and has set for 24 hours.

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Cauldron of Souls was first printed in Shadowmoor in 2008.

[36th-homebrews]

Deck of Trumps

Wondrous item, legendary

This deck contains 22 blank cards that radiate powerful conjuration and divination magic. Over the course of an hour, a creature can meditate on a blank card to have their image inscribed on it, or the image of the location they are meditating in. A creature can only inscribe their image or the image of a location on one card per Deck of Trumps.

Whenever you hold a card containing the image of a creature or location, you can use an action to cast the scrying spell targeting that creature or location.

Alternatively, you may contact that creature psychically across planes of existence. If a creature is unconscious, poisoned, unable to be detected through divination magic, or otherwise mentally incapacitated, the contact fails. The creature being targeted knows it is being targeted, but does not know by who. If the targeted creature willingly ignores the contact, the contact fails. If the contact is successful, both you and the target may communicate through telepathy for as long as you hold the contacted creatures Trump.

You may cast the Teleport spell (or the Plane Shift spell if the target is not on your current plane of existence), targeting the location depicted on the trump or a creature who is willing for you to teleport to them. Once you do so you cannot teleport (or plane shift) using this deck of trumps again until the next dawn. When you teleport or plane shift, your body and the card becomes two-dimensional and vanishes in a brilliant flash of light visible from up to 60 feet away.

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This legendary deck of cards is 1-for-1 based off of a magical deck of the same name from Roger Zelazny's "The Chronicles of Amber"

I cannot understate how much love I have for The Chronicles of Amber. It's the series that got me back into reading, and got me through the tough two years of living through in-house renovations. I've been so inspired by this amazing series and have several references to it throughout my home games (including the magic items!)

It's such a fun and engrossing book series, I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an original-take on a fantasy story.

[36th-homebrews]

Dagger of Many Weapon, Very Rare (requires attunement)

This silvered dagger leaves afterimages of itself as it is swung. You have +2 to attack and damage rolls made with this dagger. This dagger has 6 charges and regains 1d6 charges daily at dawn.

When you hit a creature you may expend one charge to deal an additional 4d4 force damage to the creature, then the creature must make a Constitution Saving Throw, the DC equaling 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, the creature becomes Clumsy until the end of your next turn. If the creature fails by 5 or more, it is also Dazed for the duration.

Alternatively, you may expend a charge to cast one of the following spells: cloud of daggers (1 charge), conjure barrage (2 charges), conjure volley (3 chargres), or blade barrier (5 charges).

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This weapon could probably be any weapon, not specifically a dagger. It is also a contender for "MTG Artifact Saturdays" since it's pretty heavily inspired by the Blade of Selves version from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate. Though if I ever get that item in the random roulette I'll likely do a different take on it since it really isn't what the Blade of Selves does (making temporary clones).

It was made for a new PC joining my high-level game, giving her a custom Very Rare weapon to level herself out with the other PCs she would be joining. Her character preferred using Daggers, so I thought I'd oblige by making her a particularly cool one.

[36th-homebrews]

Crest of Conjuration Wondrous item, very rare

While wearing this crest, you have advantage on concentration checks to maintain Conjuration spells.

Additionally, any creatures that you summon or create with a Conjuration spell has their maximum hit points increased by 10.

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This item was designed firstly because I wanted to encourage my Ranger using his conjure spells since they seem to be some of his favorites. It also works from a worldbuilding level as the NPC this crest used to belong to was a master Conjuration Wizard, and was a PC I played in another game with the Ranger's player. Double fun!

[36th-homebrews]

Jeweled Bird Wondrous Item, Rare

A bejeweled glass statuette of a bird with delicate, translucent feathers. Despite its fragile appearance, the bird is remarkably sturdy. This statuette can be used as a casting focus.

The Jeweled Bird is magically enchanted to defend its holder, and will protect its holder by shattering and releasing its magic. The jeweled bird may function in the following ways, activated by the will of the creature holding it:

If the wielder would take damage, they instead do not take damage.

If the wielder would fail a saving throw, they succeed instead.

If the wielder would die, they instead stabilize.

Once the Jeweld Bird’s magic is used, it shatters and becomes nonmagical.

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Jeweled Bird was originally printed in Arabian Nights in 1993. It is considered to be the first cantrip in magic the gathering.

[36th-homebrews]

Chaos Shard Amulet Wondrous item,

rare (requires attunement)

This amulet is fashioned from a single shard of resilient extraplanar material supposedly originating from Corrupting Chaos. While you are wearing it, you gain the following benefits:

You can use the amulet as a spellcasting focus for arcane spells.

Once per long rest you can try to cast a spell you don’t know. The spell must be on your classes spell list and you must have the spell slot and materials (if necessary) to cast the spell. When you attempt to cast the spell you must make a DC 10 + the spells level Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check succeeds, you cast the spell. If the check fails, so does the spell and the action used to cast the spell is wasted.

[36th-homebrews]

Bracers of Ingenuity Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by an artificer)

These bracers channel your ingenuity into new and unique effects. These bracers allow you to expend your Flash of Genius on a different effect.

Improvised Defense. You may use your reaction to expend a use of your Flash of Genius to reduce the damage from a weapon attack on a creature within 30 feet of you by your Intelligence modifier + half your artificer level (rounded down).

Repulsive Maneuver. Whenever a creature comes within 5 feet of you, you may use your reaction to expend a use of your Flash of Genius to shove that creature. The creature must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is shoved up to 15 feet away, lands prone, and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 5 feet shoved. On a success the creature is moved 5 feet away and takes no damage.

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This item was designed by me with the intent of giving my Artificer player opportunities to use their class features for more than the occasional bonus to her rolls. Allowing her to be more interactive and get people away from her (most of her attacks are ranged).

I believe she is a fan of the item, though she hasn't had much opportunity to use the item since she received it as we haven't had a lot of close-combat encounters where she had the item equipped. Looking back on it I might also give the wearer an additional charge of Flash of Genius.