Artifacts of Antiquity

As my conversion of the 3.5 Spell Compendium into 5e was drawing to a close with the final Spells of Antiquity bundle ready to go up on DMsGuild, I started looking into what project I wanted to do second. Following the common DM trope, I already had a dozen or two partially-finished projects that in various states of completion. What I settled on was a full conversion of the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This project won't be finished any time soon. With over 6,000 items in the Encyclopedia, published over a series of volumes where each has around 100 different items, I'll be at this for quite a while. Just as I did with the Spells of Antiquity, each one is being released as PWYW (pay what you want), which makes the series completely available to anyone who wants to spice up their games with some wacky items from back in days of old.

I've taken a slightly different approach this time than I did with the Spell Compendium. While converting spells, I didn't hesitate to hack down spells and discard them entirely if they didn't really fit into the current edition. Largely, this was due to balance concerns- spells have levels and certain amounts of power that can reasonably fit into those levels. Not to mention,  several mechanics from 3.5 either no longer exist or are different enough that they no longer have a strong function (ability damage, alignment-based spells, etc). This isn't as much of an issue when it comes to magic items. 

Magic items in general don't seem to have nearly as much structure in 5e. Sure, there's rarity and a cost range associated with it in the DMG, but other than that the system seems to assume magic items aren't necessary and ignores them for balance purposes. With that being the case, there's a lot more freedom to just go wild and make whatever you want. With that in mind, I did try to keep as many items as possible and avoid cuts where I could. The rare exceptions that have come up so far are when magic items are virtually identical to one another (so think: Amulet of Protection from ESP vs Amulet Against ESP) or items that have multiple entries that are the same item, just with a slightly different word choice.

Current Volumes:

1) Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 1

2) Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 2

3) Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 3

4) Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 4

5) Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 5

6) Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 6

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Perpetual Youth and Inexperience

 

Amulet of Perpetual Youth and Inexperience

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)

Aura: Moderate Necromancy

This amulet glows with a faint blue light, this amulet temporarily stops the wearer from aging. The amulet has 30 charges. For every full year the amulet is worn, one charge is expended. The amount of time is cumulative, even if the amulet changes hands (if one person wears it for 6 months and a second person wears it for another 6 months, the amulet loses 1 charge). When the last charge is expended, the light flickers out and the amulet loses all magical properties.

Curse. This amulet is cursed. While wearing the amulet, your Charisma, Intelligence and Wisdom scores are reduced to 8, unless they would normally be lower.

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Another item from the old 2e Encyclopedia Magica converted to 5e. This one is essentially the Amulet of Perpetual Youth, only the cursed variation. So, you get to stay young, but with all the follies of youth thrown in.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Perpetual Youth

 

Amulet of Perpetual Youth

Wondrous Item, Rare

Aura: Moderate Necromancy

This amulet glows with a faint blue light, and temporarily stops the wearer from aging. The amulet has 30 charges. For every full year the amulet is worn, one charge is expended. The amount of time is cumulative, even if the amulet changes hands (if one person wears it for 6 months and a second person wears it for another 6 months, the amulet loses 1 charge). When the last charge is expended, the light flickers out and the amulet loses all magical properties.

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One more item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This one is similar to Phelthong's Amulet with regards to providing some limited protection against aging, though it is a slightly more limited version that doesn't provide any additional benefit.

Encyclopedia Magica: Phelthong's Amulet

 

Phelthong’s Amulet

Wondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement by a wizard or sorcerer)

Aura: Very Strong Conjuration and Transmutation

Named for a drow wizard of fabled power, these rare fist-sized obsidian pendants are only given to the most accomplished and powerful Master Mages of Sorcere. You are constantly under the effects of the comprehend languages spell while you hold this amulet.

This amulet has 13 charges and regains 1d6 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing it, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and Spellcasting ability modifier:  Darkness (2 charges), Dimension Door (4 charges), or Time Stop (9 charges).

Power transference. You can speak a command word and touch this amulet to another magic item that has charges and is not being worn or carried. When you do so, that item loses 1d6 charges and the amulet regains an equal number of expended charges. If this reduces the magic item to 0 charges, and that item isn’t a legendary item or artifact, that item is destroyed. Once you have used this property, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.

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One more item from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica converted to 5e. Here's a legendary one thematically tied to any underdark or Drow-centered adventure, though regardless of the scenario it's very powerful.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of the Papyrus Scepter

 

Amulet of the Papyrus Scepter

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)

Aura: Moderate Transmutation and Necromancy

This amulet appears to be a sheaf of papyrus leaves, which grants vigor and youth. When you first attune to the amulet, your choice of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution is increased by 1 (to a maximum of 20). In addition, you no longer age while wearing the amulet. Once the amulet has stopped a creature from aging for 10 years, it becomes unattuned to that creature and they cannot attune to it again.

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Another item from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica converted into 5e. This one is the first of several themed around youth, this one also increasing an ability score while doing so. It has a limited duration, though usually plenty of time to last through a campaign or two, unless you have liberal amounts of down time and wear it throughout.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Neutrality

 

Amulet of Neutrality

Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)

Aura: Minor Abjuration

Amulets of neutrality are often used by fiends and undead to shield their nature and walk among mortals undetected. While wearing this amulet, you can cast Nystul's Magic Aura at will, targeting yourself. If you take off the amulet while still under the effects of the spell, the illusion ends immediately.

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One more item from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica converted to 5e. This one was a little bit of a relic from older days when paladins walked around with their detect evil radar. Still, the idea of masking information about yourself is a solid one, so here's something that should work.

Encyclopedia Magica: Orcish Amulet

 

Orcish

Wondrous Item, Uncommon  (requires attunement)

Aura: minor transmutation

Created by orcish shamans, the benefits of these amulets are unpredictable at best. When you first attune to this amulet, as well as each day at dawn, roll a d12 to determine which benefit the amulet provides from the table below. 

d12	benefit
1	+1 bonus to your AC.
2	+1 bonus to weapon attack rolls.
3	+1 bonus to weapon damage rolls.
4	+1 bonus to saving throws.
5	+1 bonus to ability checks.
6	+2 Strength (maximum of 20)
7	+2 Dexterity (maximum of 20)
8	+2 Constitution (maximum of 20)
9	+2 Wisdom (maximum of 20)
10	+2 Intelligence (maximum of 20)
11	+2 Charisma (maximum of 20)
12	Choose one of the above benefits.

Curse. Some versions of these amulets are cursed. If you have a cursed Orcish amulet, the result rolled provides a penalty rather than a bonus to the trait instead (+2 Strength becomes -2 Strength, etc)

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One more item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This one is brought to you by inconsistent orcish shamans, who apparently make amulets with no real idea how they will end up- to the extent that some are really just cursed.

Encyclopedia Magica: Palm Sign Amulet

 

Palm Sign Amulet

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)

Aura: Moderate Abjuration and Evocation

This amulet was designed as a weapon, intended to help the wearer drive back efreeti. While wearing the amulet, you have resistance to fire damage and know the ray of frost cantrip. When you first attune to this amulet, you can choose Charisma, Wisdom or Intelligence as your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.

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Another item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. Though this one mentions efreeti specifically, it is pretty generally useful for resisting fireballs as well, and who doesn't love extra cantrips?

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Magic Resistance

 

Amulet of Magic Resistance

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)

Aura: Moderate Abjuration

You have advantage on saving throws against spells while you wear this amulet.

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One more magic item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This one is pretty much just the amulet form of the Mantle of Spell Resistance, this time including an aura for those who love to investigate things with their detect magic spells.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Metaspell Influence

Amulet of Metaspell Influence

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement by a sorcerer)

Aura: Moderate Evocation

Whenever you modify one of your spells using your Metamagic class ability, or create a spell slot of 3rd level or higher using your Flexible Casting class ability, the sorcery point cost is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

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Another magic item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. Here's a special one for sorcerers to help cast a lot more of your fanciest metamagics.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Life Protection

 

Amulet of Life Protection

Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)

Aura: Minor Necromancy

This amulet serves as a small measure of protection for the wearer’s mind and soul. You have advantage against spells or magical effects that would charm you or allow another creature to possess your body. In addition, if you die while wearing the amulet, the amulet automatically casts gentle repose on you. Once the amulet has done so, it cannot do so again for 1 month.

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Another item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica to 5e. This one is your pretty standard protective item against all manner of undead-type intrusions, be it possession or animation.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Leadership

 

Amulet of Leadership

Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)

Aura: Minor Transmutation

Your Charisma score is 19 while you wear this amulet. It has no effect on you if your Charisma is already 19 or higher without it.

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Another item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This one follows that tried and true ability score boosting formula found on several magic items in the DMG.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Lathander

 

Amulet of Lathander

Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by a character of good alignment)

Aura: Strong Evocation

This hammered platinum amulet was fashioned by powerful priests of Lathander. The amulet has 10 charges. While wearing it you can use an action and expend one or more of its charges to cast the cure wounds spell with it. For 1 charge, you cast the 1st-level version of the spell. You can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional charge you expend. 

If you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright and the amulet still has any charges, all remaining charges are expended and the amulet casts the heal spell, targeting you.

The amulet regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn.

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One more magic item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This one is very powerful for healers, and even better if you reserve at least 1 charge for your last ditch self-heal.

Encyclopedia Magica: Kaleen's Undead Stone

 Kaleen's Undead Stone

Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by a cleric)

Aura: Strong Abjuration

This potent amulet bolsters the wearer’s powers against Undead. When you use your Channel Divinity class feature to turn undead, each affected Undead has disadvantage on its Wisdom saving throw.  In addition, the amulet constantly repels Undead near you. If an Undead attempts to move within 5 feet of you it must first succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or else it cannot move within 5 feet of you until the start of its next turn.

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One more magic item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This one is a powerful tool for fighting off undead, just for clerics with both a boost to their existing class feature and also a general zombie repellant field.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Insect Repellency

 

Amulet of Insect Repellency

Wondrous Item, Common

Aura: Faint Abjuration

This piece of jade is carved into the shape of an insect and suspended from a light chain. While it is worn, regular insects will not come within 3 feet of the wearer. This item has no effect on any insect with a Challenge Rating greater than 0.

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Here is one more item from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica converted to 5e. A pretty basic item, effectively just mosquito repellant in jewelry form- but at least it doesn't require attunement, so you can just stack on it with anything else.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Inescapable Location

 

Amulet of Inescapable Location

Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)

Aura: Minor Divination

This device is typically worn on a chain or as a brooch. While wearing it, you are protected from divination magic and magical scrying as though under the effects of a Nondetection spell.

Curse. The amulet does not actually protect the wearer from divination magic and magical scrying. Instead, any such attempts are made as though the caster were familiar with the target and had a lock of hair available, and you have disadvantage on saving throws to prevent such effects.

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Another item from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica converted to 5e. This time, it is essentially the cursed version of the Amulet Against Crystal Balls and ESP, which appears to be beneficial, but only causes you sadness in the end.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Immunity to Charm

 

Amulet of Immunity to Charm

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)

Aura: Moderate Abjuration

This small amulet, typically made of brass or bronze, is imbued with a strong measure of protective fey magic. While wearing this amulet, you are immune to being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.

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One more item converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e. This time, it's effectively the Amulet of Charm Resistance only the next step up, turning from advantage on saves into flat out immunity.

Encyclopedia Magica: Amulet of Hunting

 

Amulet of Hunting

Wondrous Item, Common

Aura: Faint Divination

Whenever you make an ability check related to hunting or foraging for food in the wilderness, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to that ability check.

Curse. Some of these amulets are cursed. If you have a cursed version of an Amulet of Hunting, when you roll a d4, the number is subtracted from your ability check rather than added to it.

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Here is another 2e item from the Encyclopedia Magica converted to 5e. It's a very very basic one, for some of that brief downtime between setting up camp and taking your long rests while traveling- only with a rude version potentially out there. At least it's common, so no attunement slots needed.