Brineforged Trident

-

Brineforged Trident


Aura moderate transmutation and evocation; CL 9th
Slot —; Price 18,305 gp; Weight 4 lb.

DESCRIPTION

This trident is forged from dull, gray-blue metal that resists tarnish, its surface lightly pitted as though shaped by years of salt and current rather than hammer and flame. Fine etchings along the shaft resemble tidal markings and depth lines, subtle enough to escape notice unless submerged.

The Brineforged Trident functions as a +2 trident on land. When wielded underwater, it becomes a +3 trident, its balance and weight shifting to suit the resistance of the surrounding water.

While submerged, the wielder gains a swim speed of 30 feet. If the wielder already possesses a swim speed, this instead increases their existing swim speed by +10 feet. In addition, the wielder gains a +4 competence bonus on Swim checks and may always take 10 on Swim checks, even when distracted or endangered.

While holding the trident, the wielder can breathe water continuously, as though affected by water breathing. This benefit ends immediately if the trident leaves the wielder’s grasp.

Once per day, while underwater, the wielder may command the trident to unleash a concentrated surge of force, duplicating the effect of hydraulic push (caster level 9th, save DC 14). This ability functions only underwater.

Finally, the wielder gains a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws against environmental effects related to water, including strong currents, undertows, and pressure from depth.

LORE

The Brineforged Tridents are not made in great forges or blessed in temples, but are instead shaped in coastal workshops where the line between craft and necessity has long since blurred. Their makers are rarely celebrated - shipwrights, salvagers, and those who work close enough to the sea to understand that survival, not glory, defines mastery.

It is said that the metal used in their construction is quenched not once, but many times, in different waters - harbor brine, storm surge, deep trench runoff, and even the still pools left behind when the tide recedes. Each immersion imparts a subtle character to the weapon, though no two are ever quite the same. Some feel heavier in the hand, others strangely buoyant, as if reluctant to remain in air.

Many such tridents are recovered rather than inherited. Found caught in rigging below the surface, lodged in coral, or resting upright in silt as though placed there deliberately. In nearly every case, the previous wielder is absent. Whether lost, claimed, or simply departed is rarely clear.

Those who spend time with a Brineforged Trident often report an increasing sensitivity to the movement of water. Not hearing, precisely - but an awareness. The pull of current, the weight of depth, the subtle shift before something moves unseen. It is not guidance, but familiarity, and it can be difficult to let go.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, water breathing, freedom of movement or swim, hydraulic push;
Cost 9,305 gp + 720 XP

Kelwyn’s Notes

There is a certain honesty in objects that do not pretend to be more than they are. This trident does not posture as a relic of kings or a symbol of dominion. It is, quite plainly, a tool for enduring a place that does not care whether you succeed.

The sea, you see, is not hostile. That is a comforting lie told by those who require intent behind danger. No, the sea is simply unconcerned. It crushes, pulls, and buries without malice, and just as readily allows passage to those who understand its rhythm. This trident does not command the ocean - it teaches the bearer how not to be rejected by it.

One might assume such an adaptation would embolden its wielder. In truth, I have observed the opposite. Those who rely upon it grow quieter in their confidence. Less eager to test themselves against the deep, and more inclined to move with it. There is a humility that emerges when one realizes survival is not victory, but permission.

I would caution, however, that familiarity is a dangerous comfort. To feel at ease in a place that is fundamentally indifferent to your existence is to forget that the permission can be withdrawn at any moment - and without explanation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Nieliah Talisman

-
Image
This magical talisman is created by  Pépin Rey  and serves as a direct connection to the benevolent loa known as  Nieliah . Three times per day the user can call upon the loa, and when they do so a 40' area (focused on the talisman) is covered in a glowing pale blue fog that appears to look like rushing water without ever diminishing in volume. The effect lasts for three rounds maximum per use. The user brings special favor upon themselves and their allies while bringing disfavor to their enemies. The user and each of their allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of their foes takes a -1 penalty on such rolls. Faint enchantment; CL 3; Craft Wonderous Item, Prayer; Price 13,500 gp Lore Among the quieter currents of the bayou’s spiritual tapestry, the loa known as Nieliah is spoken of not in fear, nor in reverence alone, but in relief. Where other spirits demand, bargain, or test, Nieliah is said to balance - ...
Read more

Spoon of Chastisement

-
Image
Spoon of Chastisement Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd Slot —; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 1 lb Description This unassuming wooden spoon appears worn and well-used, its surface smoothed by time and countless “lessons learned.” It is often found in the possession of stern caretakers, patient matriarchs, and those who believe that discipline is best taught with equal parts love and force of will. Despite its humble appearance, the Spoon of Chastisement functions as a +1 sap (see Dungeon Master’s Guide ). It deals 1d4 points of nonlethal bludgeoning damage on a successful hit. However, the true magic of the spoon reveals itself when it strikes true. On a successful hit, the target must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 14) or be affected as though by a command spell, issued by the wielder. The command must be a single word and must be something that the target can reasonably understand and perform in a single round. Creatures that successfully save are shaken for 1 round from the su...
Read more

Mystwalker

-
Image
Mystwalker Major Artifact Aura overwhelming conjuration and transmutation; CL 25th Slot ring; Price — (artifact); Weight — DESCRIPTION Mystwalker is a large ring of dark, tarnished silver. Its band is engraved with stylized fleur-de-lis motifs, while its setting holds a small bluish-gray stone carved into the likeness of an unblinking eye. Six claw-like prongs clutch the stone in place, flanked by two tiny skulls. Though inert when stared at directly, the eye often seems to shift and watch its bearer from the edge of vision. Mystwalker is completely immune to all divination effects. It does not register under detect magic, identify, or similar spells. Any creature attempting to divine its properties through magical means is struck with a debilitating migraine, taking a –4 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for 7 days (no save). While worn, Mystwalker grants the bearer immunity to all fear and fear-like effects, including supernatural and magical fear. In addition,...
Read more