The best magic items in Dnd are those that reveal the Player Characters; what’s more revealing than a mask?
Use these Magic Masks as you see fit. They could be scattered around an amphitheatre-shaped valley, carved by masked kings in the Dawn Age. Maybe you find them worn by a gang of mischievous goblins, using their powers to ‘haunt’ a theatre. Or maybe you just pick out your favourite and throw it into the hoard of your hexcrawl’s second-largest dragon.
Whatever helps!
The Masks
The Child
Appearance: Smooth and round, with a rosy, pearl-like colour.
Effect: If the mask-wearer hears something funny, they must save against Hideous Laughter (Wisdom, DC 13). If they fail their save, all creatures who can hear them must also save against Hideous Laughter.
Special Feature: If someone is wearing the Elder Mask within 30ft and a negative magical effect (other than Hideous Laughter) would affect the person wearing the Child Mask, it affects the Elder instead.
The Elder
Appearance: Black, glass-like crystal columns arranged in a twisted yawn.
Effect: You may Speak With Dead once per day. Outsiders, such as Devils and Angels, cannot lie to you. You can read all writing over 100 years old. Removing the Elder Mask is extremely painful. It requires a second person’s help and ages the wearer by 2d20 years.
Special Feature: If someone is wearing the Monster Mask within 30ft, the Elder automatically fails all Saving Throws.
The Stranger
Appearance: Padded black cloth. Somehow handsome looking, despite its plainness.
Effect: You may cast Invisibility as an Action, up to seven times a day; you don’t need to concentrate on it. Other characters must make a Wisdom Save (DC 13) to name you or target you with spells. You cannot tell people apart unless they’re wearing masks.
Special Feature: If someone is wearing the Elder Mask within 30ft, your Invisibility spells end. If someone is wearing the Sorcerer Mask within 30ft, you cannot speak.
The Monster
Appearance: An array of nested mouths, ringed with horrific, alien teeth. No two fangs are quite the same.
Effect: Reroll all 1’s and 2’s on your Damage dice. Characters you can see making Death Saving Throws automatically fail.
Special Feature: If someone is wearing the Child Mask within 30ft, this Mask loses all its magical powers.
The Hero
Appearance: A large, golden wedge, giving the impression of a bird of prey or a thunderbolt.
Effect: You both deal and take Critical Hits on rolls of 19, as well as 20. When you deal a Critical Hit, you may choose to Turn Undead, as a Cleric of your level, or to fly 30ft.
Special Feature: If you deal a Critical Hit, you deal damage to the wearer of the Monster and Sorcerer Masks as well as your target, should the Masks be within 30ft.
The Sorcerer
Appearance: A platonic solid, mirrored on every surface. Characters perceive it to be the same shape as their class’s hit die.
Effect: You may change the appearance of anyone you see, as if they had cast Disguise Self. These changes last until someone else wears the Sorcerer Mask.
Special Feature: If someone wearing the Stranger Mask says your name, the Sorcerer Mask flies away to hide itself. If someone wearing the Hero or Monster Mask rolls maximum damage, the Sorcerer turns ethereal for 1 minute.
Like this article? We’ve got some Dream– and Moon-themed magic items as well! Or maybe check out Seven Sealed Spirits for some similar weird fantasy.