First-Rate Items
It’s First Level Week this week, and that means that everything on the website is all about 1st-level characters. While they may be the lowliest of the low—at least as far as adventuring is concerned—they’re also probably where you spend the majority of your gaming time. Unfortunately, first-level budgets and magic items go together like hobos and caviar, and so I’ve wound up with the herculean task of creating magic items that are within the price range of a 1st-level character (that is, less than about 105 gp). I can’t promise that they’ll all be smart choices to blow all your wealth on at 1st-level, but at least now you’ll have more options than the feather token (anchor) and universal solvent.
Autograpple
This seemingly-ordinary grappling hook need not be attached to any ropes, because with a command word it extends a built-in silk rope to any length the user desires (up to a maximum of 100 feet), at a rate of 10 feet per round. Another command word retracts the rope in the same way, allowing the user to extend the rope, throw the grappling hook, grab hold, and then use the command word to have the autograpple slowly but surely pull them up to safety.
Jumping Caltrops
These caltrops are unusually sharp and wicked, and have been enchanted to leap into the air when something passes over them. They function as normal caltrops, except that they attack with a +2 bonus. Additionally, if any creature flies, floats, levitates, or otherwise passes 10 feet or less above the ground over a square that the caltrops have been spread on, the caltrops leap into the air and make an attack roll, even though the creature would not normally be subject to the caltrops. A flying, floating, levitating, or similarly mobile creature that moves through the area above the caltrops at half speed or slower is not attacked by the caltrops.
Levitation Beans
These plain, garden-variety beans have been infused with magic, causing anyone who consumes one to gain a limited ability to fly. Once consumed (a move action), the user begins to rise directly up at a rate of 10 feet per round. By succeeding on a DC 12 Fly check as a move action, the user can move 5 feet in any direction through the air (including horizontally, or up or down in order to speed or slow their ascent). The user can grab onto a nearby object to keep himself from floating upwards, and any solid obstacle (such as a roof or cavern ceiling) will similarly stop the user from rising. This effect lasts for 1d6 rounds, at the end of which the user immediately falls to the ground, taking fall damage if appropriate.
Pouch of Preparedness
These handy pouches come in all shapes and sizes, and are perfectly serviceable as a normal pouch. Additionally, up to three times, the user can upend the pouch, speak a command word, and name a single mundane item worth no more than 20 gp, at which point the named item will fall out of the pouch and onto the ground (even if the item is too big to fit into the pouch). Once the pouch of preparedness has been used in this way three times, it functions only as a normal mundane pouch.
Top of Fascination
This gaudily-colored wooden spinning top may resemble a child’s plaything, but, in fact, can be used to great advantage by clever adventurers. When spun, the top creates a mesmerizing pattern that entrances any creature within 5 feet of it. Unless the creature succeeds on a Will save (DC 11), it is fascinated for 1d4 rounds, or until the top is forcibly stopped from spinning, whichever comes first (other effects that can end the fascinated condition, such as being attacked or threatened, still apply normally).
If desired, the user can attempt to throw the top and make it spin in the desired square. This requires a ranged attack against an AC of 10. If the attack misses by less than 5, then the top hits the correct square, but simply fails to spin upon landing. If the attack misses by more than 5, it misses the square altogether, and is destroyed upon impact.
Regardless of whether nor not any creatures are successfully fascinated by the top, it loses all of its magic after the first time it is successfully activated, after which it is nothing more than a colorful toy.