A powerfully built humanoid with the head of a dog appears both serene and ready for action, with a greatsword strapped across its broad back and an expression that indicates intelligence and protectiveness.
Anklet of Levitation
Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)
Aura: Moderate Transmutation
While you wear these anklets, you can use an action to cast the levitate spell, targeting yourself, at will.
Anklet of Sinking
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)
Aura: Minor Transmutation
While wearing this anklet, you are able to move across any liquid surface- such as water, acid, mud, snow, quicksand, or lava- as if it were harmless solid ground (if you cross molten lava you can still take damage from the heat).
Curse. The anklets are cursed. Whenever you attempt to cross a liquid surface, the anklets stop functioning at some inconvenient point, instead increasing in weight until they weigh 100 pounds. When they stop working, all other spells and magical effects that allow you to walk on liquid surfaces are also dispelled.Anklet of Sure Footing
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
Aura: Minor Transmutation
Woven from kelp to help adapt to a life at sea, these anklets are designed to be used while on seafaring adventures. While wearing them, you are unaffected by seasickness and can move at normal speeds across ship decks, even under the most treacherous of conditions. You automatically pass any ability checks or saving throws to maintain your footing while on a ship and gain a climb speed equal to your walking speed.
Anklet of Walking
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)
Aura: Minor Transmutation
While wearing this anklet, you are able to move across any liquid surface- such as water, acid, mud, snow, quicksand, or lava- as if it were harmless solid ground (if you cross molten lava you can still take damage from the heat).
Here are some more items converted from the Dungeons and Dragons 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e and published on the DMsGuild under Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 1. Other than that, there's not much more to add: have some fancy magical anklets, some more cursed than others.
4th-level conjuration
You enclose yourself in a fluid sheath of acid for the duration. You can end the spell early by using an action to dismiss it. This sheath grants you resistance to acid damage and any creature that touches you or hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you takes 2d4 acid damage. If you are in a grapple, other creatures in the grapple take acid damage once per round at the beginning of their turn.
In addition, your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 acid damage.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage you deal when a creature touches you or hits you with a melee attack increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 4th and the additional damage dealt by your melee attacks increases by 1d4 for every two slot levels above 4th.
The creature appears to be a monstrous spider, but it has two small humanlike arms below its mandibles.
- Dungeons and Dragons v3.5 Monster Manual
Hands of the Healing Spirit
Wondrous Item, Artifact (requires attunement by a bard, cleric, druid, or paladin)
Aura: Overwhelming Abjuration and Evocation
This powerful amulet was crafted during the Age of Dreams by the god Sirrion and gifted to the goddess Mishakal so that she would intercede on his behalf against another member of their pantheon. Since then, the amulet has changed hands among a number of mortals. It appears as an elegant amulet made of white gold, formed by three crooked arms, with three hands clasped together at its center.
Attunement. While attuned to the amulet, you feel a strong desire to provide succor for the oppressed and aid for the injured. Your alignment becomes neutral good, and you gain the following traits:
Divine Wisdom. Your Wisdom score becomes 20, unless it is already 20 or higher.
Mirri’s Love. You are continuously under the effects of the protection from evil and good spell. You know the light cantrip.
Mishakal’s Blessing. You stop aging while you wear this amulet, are immune to poison and disease, and are immune to poison damage. You regain 1d6 hit points every 10 minutes, provided that you have at least 1 hit point.
Spells. This amulet has 10 charges. You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the amulet’s charged to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spellcasting ability modifier: cure wounds (1 charge), healing word (1 charge), prayer of healing (2 charges), lesser restoration (2 charges), greater restoration (5 charges), heal (6 charges)
The amulet regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn.
Random Properties. The amulet has the following randomly determined properties:
2 minor beneficial properties
1 major beneficial property
Anklet of Growth
Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)
Aura: Moderate Transmutation
While you wear these anklets, you can use an action to cast the levitate spell on yourself at will.
Curse. This anklet is cursed. Whenever you use the anklet to cast levitate, you grow six inches taller over the course of the next hour, and your Dexterity is reduced by 2. These changes revert over the course of 24 hours if the anklet is removed.
Anklet of Hobbling
Wondrous Item, Common
Aura and strength
While wearing one of these anklets, a creature must spend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves. While wearing two of these anklets, that creature must instead spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves. Once one of these anklets is clasped around a creature’s ankle, it magically seals itself until the command word is spoken. Escaping the anklet requires a successful DC 25 Dexterity check.
Here are some more items converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e and published on the DMsGuild under Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 1. Though I've mostly been releasing them in alphabetical order, back in the day when I still attempted to generate some AI art for each item the Hand of the Healing Spirit was a bit of a problem because, well, AI hands. At the time I skipped it, but now it's back!
1st-level evocation
You exhale a cloud of acidic droplets. Each creature in a line 30 feet long and 5 feet wide must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
A large creature stands on four stiltlike legs. It has a birdlike body, round and plump, about the size of a small pony, balanced atop its legs. Feathers that range in color from brown to red cover its body, and its terrible claws and beak glint like burnished metal.
Ra’s Ankh
Wondrous Item, Artifact (requires attunement)
Aura: Overwhelming Evocation
This ankh is bestowed directly to Ra’s avatar in the world. It carries the power of the sun and is anathema to undead.
Beacon of the Sun. This holy symbol shines with bright light in a 20-foot-radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. As an action you can command the ankh to suppress or reactivate this effect. This light is sunlight.
So long as this effect is active, you are immune to radiant damage and the first creature you deal damage to each turn with a spell or attack takes an additional 4d8 radiant damage.
Greater Turning. As an action, you can present this holy symbol to repel Undead. Each Undead within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. If a creature with a Challenge Rating of 5 or lower fails its saving throw, it is destroyed instead.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
You may use this property up to three times a day and regain all uses each day at dawn.
Random Properties. The ankh has the following randomly determined properties:
-2 minor beneficial properties
-1 major beneficial property
-2 minor detrimental properties
Destroying the Ankh. The ankh is no more difficult to destroy than a nonmagical ankh. If destroyed, it reforms in the hand of the creature that most recently attuned to it the following dawn. Only after the deity that created the ankh has been slain does the ankh no longer reform.True Ankh
Wondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement by a creature of Challenge Rating or Level 15 or higher)
Aura: Very Strong Evocation and Abjuration
The True Ankh is dedicated to a single deity when it is created. If a follower of another deity or a creature unable to attune to the ankh willingly touches it, that creature takes 10d8 + 20 radiant damage and is stunned until the start of its next turn.
Raise Dead. You can use this ankh to cast the raise dead spell any number of times. Once you have used this property on a creature, that same creature cannot be raised using the ankh for 100 days.Equus Anklet
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)
Aura: Minor Conjuration
This silver amulet is inscribed with the image of a mount or other beast of burden. As an action, you can cast the find steed spell using the amulet. When you do so, the amulet transforms into the steed, which takes the form of the animal inscribed on the amulet.
Once you have used this property, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Here are some more items converted from the 2e Encyclopedia Magica into 5e and published on the DMsGuild under Artifacts of Antiquity Volume 1. Finishing up the ankhs means some more Egyptian flavor pretty directly with the Ra reference. This is a pretty easy fix, depending on whatever pantheon you're looking to run, just slot in Pelor, Amaunator or some other sun-themed deity. After that, we're moving back into more mundane magic items with anklets.
3rd-level abjuration
You attempt to absorb a spell that targets only you. If the spell is of 5th level or lower, the spell is absorbed. If the spell is 6th level or higher, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10+ the spell’s level. On a success the spell is absorbed. An absorbed spell has no effect.
Additionally, when you successfully absorb a spell you briefly store that spell’s energy, which can be used to power your own spells. Until the end of your next turn, you may use the stored energy to cast a spell that you have prepared or know without expending a spell slot. The maximum level of this spell is equal to your spellcasting modifier or the level of the absorbed spell, whichever is lower.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the absorbed spell has no effect if its level is less than or equal to the level of the spell slot you used.
One of the spells from my conversions of the entire 3.5 Spell Compendium into 5e and published in Spells of Antiquity. This one is a little bit like counterspell, a little bit like dispel magic, but also a little bit of its own thing.
Ankh of LifeWondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement by a cleric or paladin)
Aura: Very Strong Evocation
This powerful symbol of divinity is made of birchwood and bereft of ornamentation. It has the following powers:
Spells. The ankh has 10 charges. While holding 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 modifier and spell save DC: protection from evil and good (1 charge), lesser restoration (2 charges), revivify (3 charges), regenerate (7 charges).
The ankh regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn.
Divine Light. This holy symbol shines with bright light in a 20-foot-radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. As an action you can command the ankh to suppress or reactivate this effect.
Turn Undead. As an action, you can present this holy symbol to repel Undead. Each Undead within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
Once you have used this property, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Ankh of Power
Wondrous Item, Legendary (requires attunement by a cleric or paladin)
Aura: Very Strong Evocation and Abjuration
It is believed that only a dozen of these priceless objects exist. While holding this ankh, any spell you cast using a spell slot of 1st level or higher is cast as though you had used a spell slot one level higher.
Sunbeam. As an action, you can cast the sunbeam spell using your spellcasting modifier. Once you have used this property, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Divine Health. You are immune to all forms of poison and disease and have immunity to poison damage.
Holy Ankh. This holy symbol shines with bright light in a 20-foot-radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. As an action you can command the ankh to suppress or reactivate this effect.Nithian Ankh
Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
Aura: Moderate Evocation
These magical totems are given by the immortals, usually in times of need and as rewards for worthy deeds. Their powers vary depending upon which immortal created it. This ankh has one spell of up to 5th level associated with it. While holding the ankh, you can cast that spell using your spellcasting modifier and spell save DC.
Once you have used this property, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Divine Light. This holy symbol shines with bright light in a 20-foot-radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. As an action you can command the ankh to suppress or reactivate this effect.
1st-level illusion (ritual)
You touch an unattended object, which seems to meld into your body. The object must be tiny or smaller. It cannot be detected with even a careful search, although detect magic reveals the presence of a magical aura. The only evidence of its presence is a faint blotch on your skin shaped vaguely like the object. You may have a maximum number of objects stored with this spell equal to your spellcasting modifier.
As a bonus action on your turn, you may touch the spot to cause the object to appear in your hand, ending the spell. If the spell duration expires the object appears in the hand originally used to touch the object. A sentient magic item can make a Wisdom saving throw to resist the effect of this spell.
One of the spells from my conversions of the entire 3.5 Spell Compendium into 5e and published in Spells of Antiquity. Originally, this was a spell specifically for the assassin class. I debated whether it would just make a nice feature for some rogue subclass out there somewhere, but in the end it seemed a neat niche spell for artificers and wizards. Of course, being illusion means that rogues still gain access if they go for arcane trickster.
