5e: Product Announcement - The Awakened Item!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you're looking forward to your weekends.

I'm excited to announce that I have a new product up on DMsGuild. Actually, it's been for sale for a few days already but it's taken me a while to get around the announcement.

Without further ado:

The Awakened Item 

The Awakened Item © RDD Wilkin / Spilled Ale Studios.

The Awakened Item is a complete solution for playing a very unusual character concept: a sentient magic item which grows more powerful alongside its humanoid companions.

A gleaming longsword set atop a pile of treasure deep in the heart of a dungeon suddenly calls out to the adventurers filling their pouches with coin.

A fiddle levitates alongside a cheerful bard. The townsfolk in their audience gasp in delight as the fiddle begins playing itself, accompanied by the bard’s flute. Seemingly from nowhere, a melodious voice joins the song—the fiddle itself is singing.

A dark-clad paladin carves his way through his enemies, the black iron symbol of a fearsome visaged deity worn around his neck. The monstrous face on the symbol moves by itself, the creature openly mocking the enemy as they are carved down and exulting in their destruction.

All of these are awakened items, magic items created with sentience to fulfill some purpose that was considered of the utmost importance by their creator.

As an awakened item, you have intelligence, free will, and are able to speak - you're therefore a full member of the party, able to contribute during social encounters and take part in party decisions. You can also magically fly, giving you autonomy of movement, provided you remain within a certain range of the character to whom you are attuned (which increases as you progress in levels). On any given turn you can function as an individual party member, making your own attacks or using your inner reserve of magic to reproduce spells and create other effects. Alternatively, you might instead choose to sacrifice your own action to enhance the efforts of your wielder for that turn.

At the core of any awakened item's personal drives is their purpose, a significant mission for which they were created. The need to pursue that purpose is a significant part of who an awakened item is, but it's not all there is to them. Each awakened item has its own personality, complete with admirable traits, flaws, and foibles. It's also up to you to decide what an awakened item's purpose ultimately means to them. In general, an awakened item is never more content than when they are working towards their goal, but it’s possible that some items might come to resent or fear the purpose for which they were created, and do their best to undermine themselves, even as they work towards it. A lucky few awakened items might actually see their purpose fulfilled, but then learn that they exist beyond the scope of that purpose. Such an item must somehow overcome its limitations, and find a new goal to inspire it to move forward.

An attuned partner is essential for an awakened item, making this a class that relies on a collaborative approach to gaming. If you love forging strong bonds between your character and their comrades, this is a great class for you! You'll work with another member of your group to make a humanoid character and an awakened item that fit well together, and you'll work as a team during encounters to overcome the challenges you face together. Plus, you'll be sure to enhance your game's narrative with the truly unique relationship you share!

The Awakened Item is a 16 page document that contains the following:

• The Awakened Item Race, with 9 subraces to help you play any kind of item you wish—Accessory or Clothing, Armour or Shield, Holy Symbol, Instrument, Melee Weapon, Orb or Wand, Ranged Weapon, Rod or Staff, or Tool.
• The full 20-level Awakened Item class progression. As an Awakened Item, you can communicate with your party and you can even move autonomously, as long as you remain close to your attuned partner. You can act on your own, or you can assist the player character who wields you with their own actions. You can also tap your inner store of magical energy to reproduce a number of spells and unique magical effects.
• Pick a purpose for your existence, gaining archetypal powers based on your purpose throughout your career. The class includes 8 archetypes—Destiny, Glory, Order, Protection, Purification, Recovery, Soothing, and Vengeance!