Curly Straw of Barrier Banishment

by Frazer 👁 257 views

Charges: 7 (regains at dawn)

A slender, impossibly curly straw fashioned from golden-yellow reed, gleaming with a faint inner light. A delicate magical aura shades the straw, visible as a soft, shifting glow that swirls around its length when magic is near. The straw seems to twist and coil in on itself when held, as if listening for distant whispers. Intricate runes are etched along its length in a language of shifting glyphs that shimmer when magic is near. When grasped, the straw thrums softly, and micro-sparks trace along the surface with every successful barrier you encounter.

Barrier Break The straw stores 7 charges. As an action, you can expend 1 charge to cast Dispel Magic (3rd level) from the wand, targeting one magical effect within 60 feet. The spell uses the wand’s inherent spellcasting capability with a DC 15 to dispel. The wand regains 1d6+1 charges at dawn. If the wand reaches 0 charges, it becomes a mundane curly straw and loses attunement until it is reenchanted.

Glimmer of Path Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to twist the straw and create a temporary, harmless bypass through a non-physical barrier for a 10-foot cube within 60 feet. The effect lasts 1 minute and is purely cosmetic (no actual pass-through), but during this window the barrier is suppressed in your line of effect for escape or repositioning as needed (for example, you can move through a magical fog or shimmering veil as if it were not there).

Crimson Sip As an action, you can expend 1 charge to press the straw against a willing living creature within 5 feet and drink a mouthful of their blood. The target must be willing; while this is happening, the target makes no saving throws. You regain HP equal to 1d8 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). The straw’s blood-sucking antics are accompanied by a comical slurping noise and a tiny visual shimmer. This effect cannot be used on undead or creatures without blood. The straw regains 1d6+1 charges at dawn; if it reaches 0 charges, it becomes a mundane straw and loses attunement until reenchanted.

Magical Aura The curly straw is surrounded by a visible, shifting aura that glimmers with a soft color. The aura is detectable by magic-sense effects and glows more brightly when you interact with magical barriers and wards.

Lore

In the moonlit hours, this straw is said to have belonged to a mischievous vampire who discovered that the thrill of blood could be paired with humor. Some say he carved the straw from reeds farmed in a fen blessed by night-blooming sigils, while others claim it was crafted by a glassmaker who enjoyed turning barriers into punchlines. Travelers tell tales of its role in nights of safe passage and whispered doors, where a smile and a sip accompanied the dissolution of a barrier.

History

The straw has passed through many hands, each owner leaving a story: explorers who slipped past wards with a laugh, librarians who swore the straw drank more information than blood, and a spymaster who kept it under velvet secrecy to avoid accidental barrier-breaking during dawn rites. Its latest master is rumored to be a vampiric charmer who uses it to host midnight suppers where a bite is offered with a grin and a goblet of theories as a toast.

Created by Frazer 👁 257 views