#dmposting

A famine in your heart

An aching to be free

no? okay well i'll tell you anyway.

it's called the orb of questionable light, and its a 3 inch diameter plastic orb. it's constantly glowing.

when it's used to attack, it does a two for one in terms of damage. it's technically a ranged weapon, bc i didnt know how to categorize it otherwise. anyway, when you throw it at someone, they have to make a dexterity save, then an intelligence/wisdom save depending on preference. if they fail the dex save they take 2d6 + 2 bludgeoning damage (doubled on a nat 20), if they fail the int/wis save they take 3d6 + 2 psychic damage (doubled on a nat 20), from the sheer confusion of being hit/almost being hit by whatever this is.

regardless of wether it hits or not, they have to make that int/wis save.

what is it, though? is it a stupid plastic orb? yeah! but if you look closer... well, the true answer is hidden behind both a dc 20 arcana check and/or a dc 20 investigation.

a successful investigation allows you to double bludgeoning damage on any successful hit that's over two points higher than the opponent's ac, and deal half bludgeoning damage on any unsuccessful hit if they miss the dex save. you also get advantage on luck checks, and 5 temp hp as long as you are holding the orb.

a successful arcana check allows you to find out that this orb is both a potential arcane focus, and a potential familiar. if the player is able to succeed in three consecutive dc 10 animal handling checks, a familiar that fits their personality and theme and whatever will hatch from the orb. you will no longer have the orb but now you get all the benefits of a familiar, and advantage on luck checks.

Ive been so nervous about returning to dming. I know, in theory, that I'm not a *bad* dm, but I can't help but wonder sometimes if my players really like my stories, or if they just like me. But seeing everyone hop back into character, listening to their laughter and their little gasps as they connected dots they didnt even realize had been present? The way several players asked me about ideas to further developed their characters through roleplay? It was the best feeling in the fucking world