Ring of Hidden Morality

Ring of Hidden Morality

Aura strong illusion; CL 5th

Slot ring; Price 2,500 gp; Weight —

Description
This polished golden ring is set with nine small gemstones arranged in a precise 3×3 grid. Each gemstone corresponds to a different alignment, subtly color-tuned to suggest its nature, though the hues are often too muted to be easily distinguished by casual observers.

By touching one of the gemstones and speaking a command word, the wearer masks their alignment to match the one associated with the selected stone. For the next hour, any effect, spell, or ability that attempts to determine the wearer’s alignment instead reveals the chosen alignment.

If a creature attempts to discern the wearer’s true alignment using magic or similar means, the effect must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 20). On a failed save, the effect returns the false (chosen) alignment. On a successful save, the wearer’s true alignment is revealed.

Once activated, the ring cannot be used again until 24 hours have passed, at which point it recharges and may be used again.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, misdirection; Cost 1,250 gp + 100 XP

Lore
The Ring of Hidden Morality is said to have been first crafted by a reclusive enchanter who believed that alignment was not an immutable truth, but a matter of perception. To that end, the ring was designed not to change the wearer’s soul, but to manipulate how others perceived it. In the hands of the right individual, it could serve as a shield against judgment; in the wrong hands, a tool of deception.

The nine gemstones are often interpreted as representing the full spectrum of moral and ethical alignment combinations, though some scholars argue that the ring instead reflects the enchanter’s belief that identity is fluid and situational. Each activation is said to “align” the wearer to a chosen aspect of themselves, temporarily projecting that version outward while the true self remains hidden beneath the illusion.

Throughout history, the ring has been favored by spies, diplomats, and those who walk dangerous moral lines. In some courts, possession of such an item is considered both a blessing and a threat, as it undermines magical truth-seeking while offering plausible deniability to its wearer. Entire treaties have been signed - and later invalidated - based on the perceived alignment of a single envoy.

Legends also tell of a peculiar side effect: prolonged use of the ring may blur the wearer’s own sense of identity. Some claim that those who rely too heavily on its power begin to lose track of their true alignment, becoming as adaptable as the illusions they project. Whether this is a flaw of the magic or a reflection of the wearer’s own choices remains a matter of debate among arcane scholars.

Hat of Belying

Hat of Belying

Aura faint illusion; CL 2nd
Slot head; Price 2,400 gp; Weight 1 lb.

DESCRIPTION

At a glance, this unassuming hat appears to be nothing more than a short-brimmed, felted statute cap of common make - the sort worn by laborers, scribes, or dockside traders. Its fabric is slightly coarse to the touch, dyed in muted tones that resist attention. Yet when worn, the Hat of Belying subtly bends perception around its bearer, weaving a convincing illusion that reshapes the wearer’s apparent form.

The wearer may, at will, alter her appearance as though affected by alter self. This illusion affects the wearer’s entire body, not merely the head, seamlessly blending voice, posture, and physical presence into the chosen guise. As part of the transformation, the hat itself shifts form to match the disguise - becoming a comb, ribbon, circlet, coif, hood, helmet, or any other plausible headwear appropriate to the assumed identity. Observers perceive the illusion as wholly natural unless they interact with it directly or possess means of piercing such deception. Effects such as true seeing reveal the wearer’s actual form beneath the glamour.

Though the magic is modest in strength, the Hat of Belying is prized among spies, courtiers, and those who live by deception rather than steel. Its illusions are not flamboyant or theatrical - they are quiet, believable, and dangerously easy to trust. Many who have relied upon such hats speak not of the power to become someone else, but of the unsettling realization of how easily others accept the lie.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, alter self; Cost 1,200 gp, 96 XP, plus a finely made felt cap worth at least 10 gp and rare alchemical dyes infused with minor illusion magic (50 gp)

Pilti's Picks

Pilti’s Picks

Wondrous Item

These slender, well-balanced lockpicks are crafted from a pale, silvery alloy that seems almost too light to be durable. Each pick is etched with fine, looping patterns reminiscent of winding alleyways and hidden passages, and when held in darkness, they faintly catch ambient light even before their magic stirs. When brought near hidden danger, however, the set emits a soft, aqua-colored glow - subtle at first, but unmistakable to a careful eye.

Pilti, the halfling thief whose name these tools bear, was something of a legend even in her own time. Unlike most burglars who relied solely on nimble fingers and quick wits, Pilti cultivated an almost uncanny sense for danger. Stories claim she could “feel” traps before she saw them, often pausing mid-step with a knowing smirk before disarming mechanisms others would never have noticed. Whether through instinct, luck, or something more supernatural, she survived heists that claimed far more seasoned thieves, and her name became synonymous with impossible jobs completed flawlessly.

As her reputation grew, so too did the myths. Some say Pilti commissioned these picks from a reclusive hedge-wizard after narrowly escaping a trapped noble’s vault. Others insist she crafted them herself after years of study, embedding her hard-earned intuition into the tools through trial, error, and a touch of stolen magic. Regardless of their origin, the picks became her signature - whispered about in guild halls and coveted by apprentices who dreamed of matching her skill.

After Pilti’s disappearance nearly two centuries ago, the picks passed through many hands, though rarely for long. Some claim they bring luck; others say they carry a fragment of Pilti’s cautious nature, guiding those who listen closely. A few darker tales suggest that those who rely on them too heavily begin to hesitate at shadows, seeing traps where none exist - though whether this is truth or simple paranoia is anyone’s guess.

Functionally, Pilti’s Picks act as masterwork thieves’ tools. In addition, when within 5 feet of any mechanical trap, the picks emit a dim aqua glow. By carefully observing fluctuations in this glow while probing an area, the wielder gains a +5 competence bonus on Search checks made to locate mechanical traps.

Moderate Divination; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, detect traps;
Price 2,000 gp; Cost 1,000 gp + 80 XP; Weight —

Magic Belts

Magical Belts

Magical belts are typically crafted from thick, durable leather, most often in shades of brown or black, though more exotic hues are not unknown among wealthy patrons, guild enchanters, or less reputable occult craftsmen. Each belt is secured by a metal buckle etched with intricate sigils, veves, or arcane glyphs - the buckle serves as the locus of the enchantment, binding the magic into a stable form.

The buckle is inseparable from the belt’s power. If it is removed, damaged, or altered, the enchantment collapses instantly, rendering both belt and buckle permanently nonmagical. Despite their mundane appearance, these items subtly reshape themselves when worn, tightening or loosening to fit the wearer as though guided by unseen hands.

In the river cities and lowland courts where trade, superstition, and quiet power intermingle, such belts are rarely mass-produced. Each carries the mark of its maker - whether a disciplined artificer, a back-alley charmwright, or a priest working rites that blur the line between blessing and binding.

Belt of Protection

This belt surrounds the wearer with a constant, nearly invisible field of force, granting a deflection bonus of +1 to +5 to Armor Class.

Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, shield of faith; caster level must be at least three times the belt’s bonus; Price 2,000 gp (belt +1), 8,000 gp (belt +2), 18,000 gp (belt +3), 32,000 gp (belt +4), 50,000 gp (belt +5); Cost 1,000 gp + 80 XP (belt +1), 4,000 gp + 320 XP (belt +2), 9,000 gp + 720 XP (belt +3), 16,000 gp + 1,280 XP (belt +4), 25,000 gp + 2,000 XP (belt +5); Weight 1 lb.

Belts of Protection are most often commissioned by those who expect violence but prefer not to advertise their preparedness. Nobles wear them beneath tailored coats, duelists beneath sashes, and caravan masters beneath sweat-stained travel gear. The magic they carry does not flare or shimmer - it simply deflects, turning aside blows by inches and arrows by chance.

In the delta courts, it is said that the earliest of these belts were not forged by wizards, but by oathbound clergy who wove prayers into leather for those traveling between hostile parishes. Over time, the prayers grew thinner, the magic more refined, but some older belts still carry faint whispers - half-remembered invocations that stir when danger draws near.

There are darker variants as well. Certain clandestine makers bind protective spirits or lesser entities into the buckle itself, creating belts that protect with unsettling eagerness. These items function no differently, but wearers sometimes report the sensation of something watching the blows meant for them… and judging.

Belt of Resistance

This belt reinforces the wearer’s body and spirit, granting a resistance bonus of +1 to +5 on all saving throws (Fortitude, Reflex, and Will).

Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, resistance; creator’s caster level must be at least three times the belt’s bonus; Price 1,000 gp (belt +1), 4,000 gp (belt +2), 9,000 gp (belt +3), 16,000 gp (belt +4), 25,000 gp (belt +5); Cost 500 gp + 40 XP (belt +1), 2,000 gp + 160 XP (belt +2), 4,500 gp + 360 XP (belt +3), 8,000 gp + 640 XP (belt +4), 12,500 gp + 1,000 XP (belt +5); Weight 1 lb.

Where the Belt of Protection turns aside harm, the Belt of Resistance strengthens the wearer against it. Poison dulls, spells falter, and fate itself seems just slightly less certain in its attempts to claim the bearer. Those who rely on endurance - explorers, bounty hunters, and those who traffic in dangerous knowledge - prize these belts above flashier enchantments.

Among hedge-witches and river mystics, these belts are sometimes created through slow ritual reinforcement rather than singular enchantment. Each stitch, each marking, each knot is laid with intention, building layers of subtle warding that accumulate into something resilient and stubborn. Such belts often bear mismatched thread, bone toggles, or scraps of inscribed parchment hidden within the lining.

Some whisper that the most potent of these belts do not merely resist danger - they remember it. A belt worn through plague, curse, and battle may grow stronger in unseen ways, its magic deepening through survival rather than design.

Belt of the Warrior

This belt enhances the wearer’s martial prowess, granting an enhancement bonus of +1 to +5 on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.

Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, magic weapon; caster level must be at least three times the belt’s bonus; Price 2,000 gp (belt +1), 8,000 gp (belt +2), 18,000 gp (belt +3), 32,000 gp (belt +4), 50,000 gp (belt +5); Cost 1,000 gp + 80 XP (belt +1), 4,000 gp + 320 XP (belt +2), 9,000 gp + 720 XP (belt +3), 16,000 gp + 1,280 XP (belt +4), 25,000 gp + 2,000 XP (belt +5); Weight 1 lb.

The Belt of the Warrior does not simply sharpen the blade - it sharpens the will behind it. Strikes land cleaner, timing improves, and even a hesitant hand finds a measure of deadly confidence. To an outside observer, the effect is subtle. To the wearer, it feels like instinct made flawless.

These belts are popular among mercenary companies and duelists’ circles, where consistency is valued above all else. A fighter who wears one long enough may come to rely on it without realizing, mistaking its influence for personal growth. More than one veteran has found themselves diminished when parted from such a belt.

Certain traditions claim these belts are forged using echoes of past warriors - not souls, but impressions, fragments of perfected motion captured in the moment of a killing blow. Whether true or not, some belts seem to “guide” the wearer’s movements in battle, nudging their stance or turning their wrist just enough to make the difference.

In rare cases, a belt becomes associated with a particular style or legacy. Passed from one warrior to another, it gathers reputation along with blood, until the item itself is spoken of in the same breath as the fighters who wore it.

Avok’s Razor

(Note: Format follows Tome Of Artifacts. Eldritch Relics And Wonders)

Minor Artifact

Aura Strong necromancy and evil; CL 18th
Slot —; Price —; Weight 1 lb.

DESCRIPTION

Avok’s Razor is a well-worn straight razor with a darkened metal handle engraved with delicate images of women’s faces. Each face is unique, their expressions ranging from serene to sorrowful. The blade is polished to a mirror finish and never dulls.

Closer inspection reveals dried blood embedded within the hinge and handle, impossible to remove. When held by an evil creature or a worshiper of a deity of death, the blade begins to seep fresh blood, which vanishes moments after falling.

Animals react violently to the Razor’s presence, and even those without magical sensitivity feel a deep unease when near it.

LORE

Characters can learn more about Avok’s Razor with a successful Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) check.

DC	Result
15	Avok’s Razor was created by a lonely barber surgeon who descended into madness.
20	Those slain by the Razor rise as incorporeal undead bound to its wielder.
25	The wielder becomes an incorporeal undead upon death, bound to the Razor.
30+	The full history of Avok, his pact, and the Razor’s recurring cycle is revealed.

POWERS

Avok’s Razor functions as a +2 keen dagger in the hands of its attuned wielder.

• Damage: 1d6+2 (Medium)
• Critical: 19–20/×2

In the hands of any other creature, it functions as a mundane dagger that deals 1d4 damage and grants no magical benefits.

Constant Effects

• The wielder gains damage reduction 15/good
• The wielder gains the evasion ability (as a rogue of equal level)

Activated Ability

• Greater Invisibility (as the spell), 3/day (caster level 18th)

Bound Haunt (Su)

Any humanoid slain by Avok’s Razor rises at the next midnight as an incorporeal undead (typically a wraith, at the DM’s discretion).

• The creature is under the complete control of the Razor’s wielder
• It cannot move more than 100 meters from the Razor
• The creature retains fragments of its former awareness

These undead cannot be laid to rest while the Razor exists.

Curse of Avok (Su)

Upon claiming Avok’s Razor, the wielder experiences recurring dreams of a vast, black void.

Each night, the wielder must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or shift one step toward Neutral Evil. Once Neutral Evil, further failures instead deepen obsession.

The wielder develops a compulsive desire to possess a permanent companion, often expressed through control, domination, or ritualized violence.

This is a curse effect and cannot be removed while the Razor is in the wielder’s possession.

Final Transformation (Su)

If the wielder dies while attuned to Avok’s Razor, they immediately rise as a powerful incorporeal undead (typically a dread wraith or similar, at the DM’s discretion).

• The wielder is bound within 10 meters of the Razor
• The wielder retains memory and personality, twisted by obsession

Only destruction of the Razor frees them.

DESTRUCTION

Avok’s Razor cannot be destroyed by normal means.

To destroy it:

• A blood relative of one of the Razor’s victims must cast it into a vessel of molten mithral
• The vessel must be consecrated by a cleric of at least 15th level

When destroyed, all undead bound to the Razor are immediately released and dissipate.

If no such relative exists, the Razor cannot be destroyed.

ADVENTURE HOOK

Shave and a Haircut - Six Copper…

Women have begun disappearing throughout the city. Each morning, another body is found - throat cleanly slit, no signs of struggle.

Animals avoid certain streets. Reflections seem wrong. Some claim to see figures standing just behind certain individuals.

The killer is not alone.

And soon, neither will anyone else be.

Cursed +1 Shield of Dragon Attraction

Cursed +1 Shield of Dragon Attraction

It is said by the most learned of scholars and sages that, due to truly unknown aspects of magic, sometimes a magic item can become cursed simply due to the actions of it's owner. This shield is one such item, and cursed it truly is. Pray to whatever Gods you believe in that you should never happen upon it.

This shield seems to be attracted to individuals that demonstrate great stupidity, pigheadedness or simpleminded actions. This doesn't include beings with actual mental deficiencies or low INT scores, just beings that do something so incredibly stupid that the gods themselves would facepalm.

Shield of Dragon Attraction

+1 Heavy Steel Shield (Cursed)

Aura: Moderate Enchantment and Transmutation

Caster Level: 12th

Slot: Shield

Price: — (Cursed; see text)

Weight: 15 lb.

DESCRIPTION

At first glance, this battered but serviceable shield appears to be nothing more than a standard +1 heavy steel shield. Its surface is marred by dents, scorch marks, and deep gouges suggestive of repeated draconic assaults, though no mundane appraisal reveals anything unusual.

The shield functions as a normal +1 heavy steel shield until its curse manifests.

This item is drawn—seemingly by fate itself—to creatures who exhibit extraordinary lapses in judgment. It does not target the unintelligent, the inexperienced, or those with low Intelligence scores, but rather individuals who knowingly or willfully commit acts of staggering foolishness, reckless hubris, or obstinate irrationality. The exact threshold is determined by the DM, but should represent decisions so poor that even divine beings might recoil in disbelief.

Once acquired, the shield cannot be willingly discarded.

PRIMARY CURSE: DRACONIC ATTRACTION

Whenever a true dragon or creature of the dragon type comes within 1 mile, it becomes immediately and irresistibly aware of the shield’s bearer.

The creature is overwhelmed with an unshakable compulsion to locate and destroy the bearer utterly. This is not a mind-affecting effect and bypasses immunity, spell resistance, and saving throws.

Against the shield’s bearer only, affected dragons gain the following benefits:

Insight Bonus on all skill checks equal to their Hit Dice

Enhancement Bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to their Hit Dice

Competence Bonus to Armor Class equal to their Hit Dice

These bonuses apply only when interacting with or attacking the bearer.

All other creatures are treated normally and are not subject to these effects.

SECONDARY CURSE: INESCAPABLE DOOM

If a dragon affected by this curse is slain by the bearer or their allies, its body (or some catastrophic remnant of it) will inevitably collide with the bearer.

This effect occurs regardless of distance, terrain, or magical intervention, including teleportation, planar travel, etherealness, or similar effects.

The bearer takes damage equal to the dragon’s full normal hit points (as if unwounded).

A Reflex save (DC 20 – dragon’s HD) halves this damage.

TERTIARY CURSE: FORM OF THE FOOL

Once attuned, the curse spreads:

Any shield the bearer possesses transforms into the Shield of Dragon Attraction within 24 hours. This overrides all magical properties, regardless of strength or rarity, including artifacts at the DM’s discretion.

This transformation allows no saving throw or resistance.

REMOVAL OF THE CURSE

The Shield of Dragon Attraction cannot be removed by remove curse, break enchantment, wish, miracle, or even direct divine intervention.

The only way to end the curse is through repeated demonstrations of exceptional wisdom, foresight, and sound judgment.

These acts must be:

Deliberate and meaningful

Demonstrative of clear reasoning under pressure

Recognized by the DM as genuine character growth

Once sufficient acts have been completed (typically 3–5 significant instances), the curse lifts, and the shield loses all magical properties, becoming a mundane, battered relic.

~~~~~

DM Note: This item was actually born out of incredible stupidity.

I was running a D&D campaign that was taking place in a snowy wilderness, and I had a full compliment of players. The party was dealing with strafing attacks from a huge white dragon. The party's mage manages to kill the dragon in the air at the start of another strafing run, and I was all set to describe the dragon impacting against the snow, taking out trees, etc. All of the players yell that they're getting out of the way of the incoming dragon corpse... well, all but one actually, which I'll call S.

S was somehow convinced that he could just stand there and brace himself and that the characters that ran were cowards. The other players were yelling at S to get the hell out of the way, but his only retort was "The dragon won't hurt me, I have a +1 Shield." He said that in a really snotty voice, too. Multiple times the other players tried to get him to move, but he refused to budge (and kept being a little bitch about it as well).

Ok, S. You wanna' stay there? Let's do this. Let's play.

Pausing the game and going online, I worked out the mass of the dragon, the speed it was flying at, the force in newtons that it would hit with and converted that into HP damage based on other very similar attacks and effects listed within several WotC rulebooks (including D20 Modern).

(20,000 lbs, diving Spd 400 which converts to 333 ft/sec or 227mph, over the distance the characters were at, hits at 15,343 N, comparable to being hit by a train head-on or a car hitting a brick wall at 134 mph)

His character was a pink smear on the glistening snow. All of his equipment, including several valuable magic items and a suit of elven chainmail, was destroyed. One item, however, survived. His +1 Shield.

I've included this shield in every single game I've played since. It's become so infamous that my players will warn new players or visiting friends against claiming any +1 Shields that they happen to find as random treasure. You'll never find a single character carrying a +1 Shield; they would rather go without a magic shield or wait until they find a more powerful one than to risk even the slightest chance of their new shield being this shield.

Fear the DM you irritate.