Page 149 - The Griffon's Saddlebag - Book One [Compressed] (1)

ARTIFACTS Galea of the Soulfire Phoenix
Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)
Certain magic items are beyond compare and have played This magical helmet once belonged to the Soulfire Phoenix
remarkable roles throughout the course of history. Some Fara, a paragon to the citizens of the Elemental Plane of Fire
are made by powerful deities while others occur naturally, who led her people to victory during the Savrayan Wars.
or supernaturally, on their own. Whatever the artifact, these While some believe that her ferocity and heroism were a
relics of power are virtually indestructible, and are often result of phoenix blood running through her veins, others
sought after by heroes and villains to better bend the world claim that a hero will always rise from the ashes when the
to their wills. time is right.
These items must be given carefully to players. Perhaps A spark of this heroism resides within the helmet, impart-
they’ve spent months searching through catacombs, poring ing its passion and phoenix-like properties to you. While
through ancient texts, and solving impossible riddles in or- wearing the helmet, you have resistance to fire damage, and
der to find one such artifact, only to realize it’s protected by a while you’re in combat, magical flames erupt from it. The fire
powerful guardian or worse: already in the hands of someone is harmless and casts bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim
else. Regardless of how these items are found, they’re sure to light for an additional 20 feet.
play a pivotal role in your epic campaigns. Fiery Spirit. While wearing the helmet, you and friendly
Other artifacts, such as a griffon’s saddlebag, are perfect for creatures standing within its bright light have advantage on
any level of character. They can become an exciting addition saving throws against becoming charmed or frightened. In
to character progression, and act as a medium through with addition, you and friendly creatures within the bright light
the player characters can interact more directly with the GM. regain 1 hit point on a roll of 19 or 20 on death saving throws.
If an artifact would make sense for your game, but would be Ignite. While wearing the helmet, you can use a bonus
too powerful in the hands of your players, feel free to remove action to cast the fire shield spell (warm shield only) from it,
or weaken their properties until it becomes an item suitable requiring only verbal components. When you do, you also
for your game. A player may be able to unlock some of its sprout a pair of flaming wings that last for the duration of
mysteriously lost abilities over time as they become more the spell and give you a flying speed of 30 feet. Once this
powerful, or by completing exciting quests. property has been used, it can’t be used again until the
These artifacts mention people, places, and deities that can next dawn.
fit into any setting. They are intentionally written to inspire Call of the Phoenix. This helm has 7 charges and regains
new stories in your own worlds and don’t use any official 1d4 + 3 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing the
locations, history, or characters that require you to play in helmet, you can expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the
certain campaign settings. following spells from it, requiring only verbal components
For more information regarding major or minor beneficial to do so (save DC 18): death ward (3 charges), flame strike (4
and detrimental properties, consult the official guidebooks. charges), or healing word (2nd-level version, 1 charge; +5 spell-
These artifacts are included in a series of free adventures casting ability modifier).
online. You can download everything you need to run them From the Ashes. If you are reduced to 0 hit points and not
and more at thegriffonssaddlebag.com/adventures. killed outright while wearing the helmet, you can use your
reaction to call upon the spark of heroism that resides within
the galea to drop to 1 hit point instead. When you do, you
immediately regain 14 hit points, and each creature within
10 feet of you is must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw.
On a failed save, a creature takes 4d10 fire damage, or half as
much damage on a successful one. In addition, two flaming
Galea of the wings unfurl from your back and carry you to an unoccupied
Soulf ire Phoenix space of your choice up to 60 feet away from you, without
provoking opportunity attacks. Once this property has
been used, it can’t be used again until 2 days have passed. If
you die while attuned to this helmet, it vanishes in a cloud
of embers and smoke and reappears somewhere in the
Elemental Plane of Fire.
Random Properties. The Galea of the Soulfire Phoenix has
the following random properties:
y 1 major beneficial property.
y 2 minor detrimental properties.
y 1 major detrimental property.
Destroying the Helmet. The only way to destroy the
helmet is to feed it to an ancient phoenix. The phoenix dies
and is immediately reborn as a result of the intense magic
stored within the artifact. When it’s reborn, the phoenix has
a pronounced crown of golden feathers upon its head. Re-
gardless of how many times it’s reborn, the phoenix retains
this crown of feathers.
149

PART I MAGIC ITEMS