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Shades of Magic: The Magical Wild

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Nature and magic are intertwined in the realms of Midgard. Indeed, some Northern and Mharoti legends say that all the lands and seas themselves are made from the bones and blood of the great serpent god Veles and are naturally imbued with the arcane and divine power of the Great Dragon herself. Below are a few examples of nature magics in Midgard.

Crystal of Veles

Wonderous item, rare (requires attunement by a bard, cleric, druid, warlock or wizard)

This large, blue-white translucent crystal seems to glimmer with an inner light when found. Once per day, any unattuned character can hold up the crystal to their temple and receive a brief vision lasting one round (although the vision may feel much longer subjectively to the character). The vision is determined by the GM and can be anything from the mundane (a Zobeck baker arguing with his wife) to an epic event (a city sinking beneath the waves). The events can take place anywhere in Midgard, in the past, present or future, and may or may not be true—sages theorize the visions are the crystallized memories and/or dreams of Veles.

Any spellcaster attuned to the crystal casting a scrying spell gains one step in knowledge, if applicable (i.e. firsthand knowledge becomes familiar and the save modifier becomes -5). The target of the spell also gains disadvantage on the Wisdom saving throw.

Magic Beans of Faerie

Wonderous item, rare (no attunement required—see text below)

These plain, brown beans appear unremarkable upon inspection but identify as magical, and they often come in a leather pouch carved with obscure runes. No one knows their exact origin, but they are likely a magical snare of Loki or the Twilight Courts of the elves. If planted in black earth under a full moon and watered with blood and tears, they will grow into an enormous beanstalk that seems to reach up to the clouds.

Characters can make a single Athletics check to reach the top of the magical beanstalk safely. It does not enter the clouds however: it is a misty portal to the fey lands. If the characters climb into the mists at the top, they emerge in a location in the fey lands of the GM’s choice: a pool of mists at the bottom of a mossy crevasse, a slough of mists in the nest of a giant roc or eagle or even a swirl of mists at the bottom of a hungry hill giant’s iron cauldron. After twenty-four hours, the beanstalk splinters into a flurry of leaves and twigs that harmlessly blow away, the mists disperse, and the portal closes.

Magic Mushrooms of the Margreve

Wonderous item, rare (no attunement required—see text below)

These bulbous purple mushrooms are said to grow only in the deepest, darkest parts of the Margreve Forest near Zobeck. Any potion brewed with these mushrooms as an ingredient requires only half the normal creation cost, and the effect or duration of the potion is doubled, or the DC of the relevant save is increased by +2, as determined by the GM. Alchemists and wizards often hire brave adventurers to hunt the Margreve for this rare magical component, or foolhardy ones to bargain with Baba Yaga for a sample.

Nightsoil Periapt of Marena

Wonderous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

These amulets are filled with unholy gravesoil and profaned by the ghoulish priests of Marena. So long as they are attuned and worn, the wearer gains resistance to necrotic damage and any undead they attempt to turn or destroy have disadvantage on their Wisdom saving throw.

Curse: This item is cursed and contains an imprisoned shadow. Once attuned, the wearer has disadvantage with all saving throws versus spells cast by clerics of Marena. The periapt can’t be removed unless a banishment or remove curse spell is cast upon it. Either spell temporarily breaks the curse, but releases the shadow. If the shadow kills the cursed character, the character becomes the new shadow imprisoned in the periapt and the curse continues. If the shadow is destroyed, the curse is permanently broken and the periapt becomes a Periapt of Health.

Staff of the Treant

Weapon (staff), very rare (requires attunement by a druid)

While wielding the staff, the user’s skin becomes brown and bark like, and any hair on their head transforms into a chaplet of green leaves; while transformed, they are under the constant effect of the barkskin and pass without trace spells. The staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff that grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.

The wielder also gains resistance to Cold and Necrotic damage types, but vulnerability to Fire and Lightening damage types. The wielder also gains advantage on all melee and spell attack rolls versus all monsters of the aberration or undead type, but gain disadvantage on all contested rolls and saving throws against spell attacks by creatures of the fey and plant types.

Once per day, as an action, the wielder can animate a tree to fight for them as per the Animate Tree ability of a treant, but they may only animate one tree. Once per month, even if not normally able to cast the spell, the wielder may cast the awaken spell through the staff as a ritual, awakening a Huge tree as a treant ally.

Stone of Jörmungandr

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This plain, grey stone appears to be a normal water-smoothed stone but identifies as magical and contains the strength of the World Serpent within it. Once attuned, so long as the owner keeps it near their skin (in a pocket, in a leather thong around their neck, and so on), they gain a +2 bonus to all Athletics checks, and gain advantage on all Strength checks involving bending, breaking or lifting a physical object. If the stone goes farther from the character’s skin than their arm’s reach, they must reattune to the stone or lose its magical benefits.

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