Starwhisper Cloak

February 20, 2024

Wondrous item, common

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

Elmia pulled the cloak tightly around her. The night air had a bite to it, and a thick fog was settling in the forest. The underbrush was pretty heavy here, and ancient paths created by the forest inhabitants branched out in every direction.

Elmond was leading the way but now he stood still at an overgrown intersection with a multitude of potential pathways. Elmia had been walking 10 paces behind him but now she slapped her hand on his shoulder, startling him. She said nothing as she walked directly in front of him and brandished her worn cloak, revealing their way forward.

Starwhisper cloaks are nondescript-looking cloaks that are rather common in Astarfell. Adventurers heading into Dragon Park use the cloak to guide them through the dense forests at night. The thick foliage and canopy of the forests can make navigating difficult, but the cloak makes the way clear.

After sundown, an action can be used to activate the cloak which illuminates the back with glowing green stars that match the pattern in the sky to guide the party’s way. Even if only a small portion of the sky is visible due to forest or cloud cover, adventurers can distinguish the patterns that will guide their way.

The wearer of the cloak is the only one who can activate it, but obviously can’t see the back while it’s being worn. The effect lasts for several minutes, so the cloak can be removed to view the star pattern. That way a solo traveler can still benefit from the effects.

DM Note

Feel free to rule that the Starwhisper Cloak doesn’t need direct visibility of the stars. Maybe being outside is enough, even if the sky is overcast. The cloak could have the stars form a map of waypoints instead of mirroring the constellations.

You may not want this to be a “get out of jail free” card that works every time… feel free to have this item work, or not work, as is convenient for you. You can also have your players perform an Arcana or Survival skill check, even with a low general DC like 10, just to let them know it’s not a foolproof solution to navigating. Inclement weather or unfamiliarity with the terrain could increase the DC needed to interpret the map.

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.