Astral Vessel Artifact
Wondrous Item, Rare, requires attunement
Astral vessel artifacts are crafted from planar fragments embedding the spirit and essence of a world. These artifacts are typically small enough to be held or worn, from a jeweled box, to an amulet, or even a cloak of mysterious weave.
Astral vessel artifacts require attunement. The attunement process is not guaranteed, for the artifact is sentient and must align its will with the creature that would bear the artifact (share at least one portion of their alignment). The sentience within the artifact is at least partially aware of what the bearer is doing and thinking, and may express their enjoyment or displeasure as a distinct, and often uncomfortable feeling, or even a voice in their mind. On rare occasion, a bearer may become overwhelmed by the artifact and lose their own identity, their personality and alignment shifting and merging with that of the sentience within the artifact. This joined state is unstable and either the bearer will be drawn body and soul into the artifact and become the new resident sentience, or the spirit will escape the artifact as the new host of the bearer’s body, rendering the artifact useless.
However, possession is a minor risk, provided the artificer that prepared the vessel knew what they were doing and the bearer’s alignment does not become opposed to the artifact’s.
This magic item has a tiny artifact form and a large astral vessel form. Once per day, as an action, the attuned bearer can speak a command phrase and cause the astral vessel artifact to shift to its astral vessel form. At any time, the attuned bearer can speak a command phrase as an action to make it shift back into its artifact form.
Astral Vessel
Large Vehicle (sentient), alignment varies
- Armor Class 15
- Hit Points 50 (0 damage threshold)
- Speed fly 40 feet, hover
- Crew: 1-2, max capacity 4 medium creatures
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA +0 +5 +0 +0 +0 +2
- Saves Con +3
Spellcasting
The vessel is a 5th level caster (Cha) with a spell attack bonus of +5, and a spell DC of 13. The astral vessel has a number of charges per day equal to 1 plus half the attuned creature's level. Each spell requires one charge per spell level to cast. The vessel casts specified spells that pertain to its plane of origin (see Planar Origin). The spell is controlled by the spirit, as directed by the bearer. The spirit/vessel makes Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration when the vessel takes damage.
Familiar Relationship
The vessel takes its turn immediately following the attuned bearer and obeys the bearer's instructions.
Astral Vessel Form
In astral vessel form the artifact becomes a large size vehicle capable of transporting a few creatures of medium size through wildspace. In astral form, the sentience emerges as a conjured spirit with a form typical of the plane where it originated. Its hit points are shared with the vessel. If the vessel is reduced to zero hit points, or the vessel form is dispelled by dispel magic or a higher-level magical effect, the vessel reverts to tiny artifact form. The astral vessel’s air bubble holds air enough for two creatures for 12 hours before it goes bad, and 12 more hours before it becomes toxic (suffocating). The astral vessel is not capable of holding a spelljamming helm for traversing the astral sea. However, astral vessels are ideal for maneuvering within the air bubble of a spelljammer, asteroid or other large object in astral space, or within a material plane wildspace. Astral vessels often serve as scouts, repair vessels, fast interceptors, and rescue vehicles.
Planar Origin.
Roll to determine the planar origin of the astral vessel, its alignment, and spells.
| d7 | Plane of Origin |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lower planes. Roll 1d3 (1) Abyssal (chaotic evil), (2) Chthonic or shadowfell (neutral evil), or (3) Infernal (lawful evil) The spirit may take the form of an irksome imp or quasit, a grinning skeleton in chains, or a tempting vampire or tiefling. The vessel might be a giant skull or skeletal hand, a coffin, or a torture rack. Spells: hellish rebuke, darkness, fear. |
| 2 | Feywild. Roll 1d3: (1) chaotic good, (2) chaotic neutral, or (3) chaotic evil. The spirit may take the form of flumph, pixie, sprite, redcap, or hag. The vessel might be a flying broomstick, bubbling cauldron, or blooming flower. Spells: faerie fire, moonbeam, hypnotic pattern. |
| 3 | Mechanus. Lawful neutral. The spirit may take the form of an artificer’s clockwork homunculus servant creation, a modron, autognome, warforged or android humanoid creature, or a hologram, while the vessel may be a hovering clock, a steam contraption, a Da Vincian glider, or a Tron-esque cyberpunk light cycle. Spells: catapult, vortex warp, lightning bolt. |
| 4 | Upper planes. Roll 1d3: (1) Mt. Celestia (lawful good), (2) Elysium (plant, neutral good), (3) Animal Beastlands/Arborea (chaotic good). If Celestia, the spirit may take the form of a small winged cherub or angelic celestial, and the vessel a radiant chariot. If Elysium, the spirit and vessel are likely an animated tree growing from a small disc of earth. If Beastlands/Arborea, the vessel is likely a hunter’s canoe and the spirit a tiny or small awakened beast such as a hawk or ferret. Spells: guiding bolt, pass without trace, beacon of hope. |
| 5 | Material Plane. The vessel is a repurposed vessel lost to time. Roll 1d6: (1) bathtub, (2) barrel, (3) chest, (4) crate, (5) cart or small sailboat, (6) tent. The spirit is a ghost of random alignment. Spells: fog cloud, gust of wind, dispel magic |
| 6 | Limbo. The vessel is a solid disc of mingled and shifting earth, fire, ice, water and voids. Those on the disc are not affected by the shifting elements. The spirit appears as a chaotic neutral mephit that similarly shifts form. Spells known: chaos bolt, blur–applies to the vessel itself not creatures inside), protection from energy (self or bearer). |
| 7 | Far Realm. The spirit is a neutral evil small aberration such as a beholderkin, slaad, or starspawn. The vessel is a black void that heavily obscures creatures within to the view of anyone from without. Those within the black void can see out normally. Spells: cause fear, silence, hunger of Hadar |
Version History
| Date | Version | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023.03.12 | 1.1 | Minor (non-mechanical) clerical fixes. |
| 2023.03.09 | 1.0 | Initial release for play test. |
Credits
Art generated using Midjourney tool. Feel free to use for noncomercial purposses.
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