Aaldarian Divining Rod

Aaldarian Divining Rod January 11, 2024

Wondrous item, common

dnd dnd-5e tier-1 tier-2 tier-3 tier-4

The Aaldarian Divining Rod can be activated with the command word “exitus” While in any indoor or underground structure, this will activate the rod which will glow blue and gently guide the wielder on a route toward the nearest exit from any indoor or underground structure.

If the user is outside the rod will momentarily activate and then deactivate.

The rod is mostly reliable, but sometimes complications can occur. Roll on the table below to determine the complication:

Roll Outcome
1 The route leads outside without any complications. This could either be a straight route outside or something more flavorful like guiding the creature to an NPC that knows the way.
2 The route leads to an unclear route. For example, a hidden door, or maybe an NPC who doesn’t know that they can help.
3 The route is difficult to traverse. For example, an open window in a castle with no safe area to land, or an underground river that eventually leads above ground.
4 The route is partially blocked. For example, a boarded-up window or a tunnel partially collapsed.
5 The route is completely blocked. A window is barred or a tunnel is completely blocked off for an unknown distance.
6 The route is potentially deadly. For example a portal to an unknown location or a deep hole in the cavern floor.

Alternate image of Aaldarian Divining Rod

DM Note

If you are running a campaign inside something like a mega-dungeon or an underground cave system, the definition of an “exit” is at the discretion of the DM. An exit could be to escape completely, or simply from one area to another. The “boundary” is determined but the DM.

Attribution

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.