Magic Item – Triskaidekaphobia (silly version)

WARNING: Game Master discretion is advised.

It’s Friday the 13th and let me tell you something. I haven’t watched any of these movies because horror movies creep me out too much. But I thought that this, plus the fact that it’s October and Halloween is close, gives me the chance to do something along these lines for this Friday.

What I have for you here is a silly magic item. I don’t really think it’s a good idea to use this in a game. You have been warned. And now that I have made myself clear, I present to you Triskaidekaphobia.

Triskaidekaphobia

Weapon(chainsaw), artifact(requires attunement)

Once attuned, you have proficiency with Triskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is a Chainsaw that deals 2d6 slashing damage. When you attack with Triskaidekaphobia, it emits a sound similar to shrieking audible up to 300 feet. Also, a critical hit with this weapon deals an extra 1d6 slashing damage. This damage die isn’t doubled on a crit. It’s just added after everything else has been applied. Moreover, you cannot wield any other weapon when attuned with this one. Finally, when rolling a 1 on an attack roll with this weapon, there’s 10% chance for the attack to hit you, as well as apply all the possible extra effects.

Curse. Once you finish attuning to Triskaidekaphobia, you must make a DC 13 Wisdom Saving Throw or suffer the effects of short-term madness. Every dawn you must also make a DC 13 Wisdom Saving Throw or suffer the effects of long-term madness. After staying attuned to Triskaidekaphobia for one week, you are afflicted with indefinite madness. Madness gained this way can’t be treated with any way. The only way for the madness to be removed is by breaking the curse with the usual ways.

Thirteen. Triskaidekaphobia has 13 charges for the following effects. It regains 2d4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 20, you suffer 3d6 points of psychic damage, gain an indefinite madness trait, and Triskaidekaphobia regains 2d6+1 charges. The damage dealt to the wielder of Triskaidekaphobia this way can’t be reduced or negated by resistance, immunity, or any other way. The effects that can be used are the following:

By spending a bonus action and expending 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia, you can make the Triskaidekaphobia shriek. Each creature within 30 feet of you, that are capable of hearing, must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute and gain a trait of short-term madness. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours. You can use this ability once per short or long rest.
By spending a bonus action and expending 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia, you can move up to your speed toward a hostile creature that you can see. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.
If your reaction has already been spent and you get the chance to make an attack of opportunity, you expend 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia and make an attack of opportunity, with this weapon, as if you had a reaction. You can use this ability once per round.
When an attack of opportunity hits you, you can expend 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia and make an attack, with this weapon, against the creature that attacked you. You can use this ability once per round.
When an attack with Triskaidekaphobia hits, you can expend 1 charge from it and deal an extra 1d6 slashing damage. This ability is limited to one per attack.
As an action, you can expend 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia and make a cleave attack against everyone in your reach. You roll once for all the targets. You can use this ability once per short or long rest.
When an attack with Triskaidekaphobia hits, you can expend 1 charge from it and regain hit points equal to half the damage dealt with this attack.
If an attack would drop you to 0 hit points, 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia is automatically expended and you drop to 1 hit point instead. This ability can be used once per long rest and requires at least 1 charge left in Triskaidekaphobia.
If you fail a Saving Throw, you can expend 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia and succeed instead. You can use this once per long rest.
If you are grappled, and Triskaidekaphobia is within 30 feet of you and you can see it, you can spend a bonus action and expend 1 charge from it and escape from the grapple. You can use this ability once per short rest.
You can expend 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia and gain advantage on the next ability check based on Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
By spending a bonus action and expending 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia, you can ignore difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. You can use this ability once per short or long rest.
By spending a bonus action and expending 1 charge from Triskaidekaphobia, you can create a psychic link with one creature you can see. For the next hour, as a bonus action you learn the current distance and direction to the target if it is on the same plane of existence. The link ends if you are incapacitated or if you use this ability on a different target.

As I said, this is a silly magic item and I know this can break the game in multiple ways. The thing is that I just wanted to make something fun because of the day. By the way, for those not aware, triskaidekaphobia is the fear or avoidance of the number 13.

I added the “silly version” on the name of the item, not only because I think it’s silly, but because I liked the name and want to make a serious version of it in the future. I’d love to know what you think.

However, in case you want to use it, here’s a PDF version of it. I’d like to know the reactions of your players if you do end up using it.

At this point I want to thank two of my players. The first one helped me with creating the magic item. I really wanted thirteen abilities, for extra bonus to silliness, and he helped me a lot. If you know the supplement we released a couple of months ago, then you know him already. His name is Anastasios and you can find him on Twitter.

For the second one, I’m not sure if it’s okay to say her name but I’m going to give a shout out to her Twitter. In mere minutes after I mentioned her what I was doing, she drew this and made my day.

Finally, I want to thank you. Yes you, the one reading this right now. This is the 200th post on this blog and I would definitely had stopped writing way sooner if it weren’t for you. So, thank you again and I promise you that there will be a 300th post.

And that’s all for now. This is another example of possible Friday content. I’d be awesome if you gave me some feedback or suggestions on what else you may want for Fridays. They’re pretty open at this point and I’m looking for ideas on what I can post. I wish you an amazing weekend full of gaming.

And until next time, have fun!