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What good is the Cloak with Nystul's magical Aura spell in J22? What do I
and/or the PC's do with it? The only thing I can think if is to say it
is something else (like a cloak or resistance) and let the PC's think
that is what it is.Thanks
Thats exactly what that "illusionary" arua does. It gives a "false" reading of having magical properties, but in fact it's useless.
Robert
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Being able to fake a magical aura is hardly useless!
It just depends on your imagination (and your bare-faced cheek!).
Having such an item is great for selling or trading for something you really want from someone else.
Of course, it works best if the alleged properties of the item are ones without visible or noticeable effects. Tell someone you have a flametongue sword, and they'll ask for a demonstration, but tell them they've put on a cloak of protection, and how are they to know? (I suppose you could fireball them...but whether they make or fail the resulting save, it can't be proved how much the item contributed, if at all...).
Don't forget that, as players, you are allowed to see a lot of numbers and DCs that should be 'invisible' to your characters. It is, strictly speaking, metagaming to know such things, but most DMs allow it to save time and improve the flow of the game.
Adding a false aura to a potion is also good, since the buyer might not test the goods until in absolutely dire straits, and then, if he dies, no refunds! And if the buyer survives, you can always claim you were ripped off by the person who sold it to you...
Other uses for this hilarious spell;
Masking the aura of a real item, prior to the identification & division of treasure. The item can be made to appear totally non-magical, or more subtly, especially for blatantly magic items (such as wands) they can appear as an item of much lower value, so as to maximise your share (especially if you have the monopoly on one school or source of magic).
“Masterwork sword? Bag it with the others, and I guess I can sell it…”. If someone suggests that they witnessed the item performing magic; well, that must have been a temporary spell effect…
Forcing a burglar to waste time 'disabling' a magical trap (see also Leomund's Trap);
Forcing enemy casters to waste a dispel on a 'warded' area (a brick/pillar/flagstone, etc).
Forcing enemies to waste a buff or protection spell, vs a property the item doesn't have. Even more ironic if a whole party protect themselves against the totally opposite energy type, based on a rumour of what equipment you carry...
As a tracking device, added to a coin and passed to a target. Follow, using detect magic. Not much use for fast chases, but good if the mark is casually milling around a crowded area. Once found, the tracker can 'feel' if the target moves from his seat, without having to risk being spotted watching him...
As a decoy, slipped to a victim before he walks through a checkpoint, where guards are known to scan visitors. He gets a full-cavity search, while you slip through, with your possessions' auras masked (see the alternate use of this spell). Even funnier if the aura you plant on your mark is something vile, such as necromancy, since very few people will be prepared to give the benefit of the doubt that this is some harmless trinket...ho ho!
To create a case of mistaken identity, by faking someone else's gear, especially if that person is famous/infamous. E.g. Raise an alarm that a notorious wizard-assassin has infiltrated the King's ball, using his hat of disguise , so the guards should scan the room and shoot on sight anyone with a magic hat (because he’s obviously too dangerous to let speak, as he’ll turn you into a toad…!). Of course, the fact that the cloakroom attendant is a wizard with this spell will not prejudice the resulting chaos in any way…tee, hee!
Some of the above obviously work best at low levels of play, before magical gear and sophisticated detection magic becomes commonplace, but it goes to show that those low-level spells can still be a pain in the backside against opposition who think themselves beyond any danger from minor magic effects. None of the above require the caster to be high-level, so can be carried out by henchmen posing as faceless shop assistants, waiters or cloakroom attendants.
It also helps to show how, even in a magic-rich setting, many people will prefer to solve their problems with mundane means that can be trusted, rather than rely on the word of notoriously shady characters as wizards, and why the typical set-up of the ‘magic shop’, so common to modern D&D campaigns, would be so fraught with problems as to be unviable, since anyone who waltzes in with a bag of gold and trots out with an untested item deserves to be ripped off, meaning potential buyers would demand testing areas, second opinions from independent adjudicators, etc…
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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What good is the Cloak with Nystul's magical Aura spell in J22? What do I
and/or the PC's do with it? The only thing I can think if is to say it
is something else (like a cloak or resistance) and let the PC's think
that is what it is.Thanks
Just tell them the type of magic it radiates and let them ponder the mystery.
As far as how to use it, I like to think of the cloak as a "social" trap. Imagine the PCs sell the cloak to Skie, then later she discovers the truth. She's not going to be easy on the folks who passed shody merchandise and if as the DM you want she might even take the matter up with Skellerang. Or perhaps the Last Laugh catches wind of it and decides to make an example of those who would mess with Skie.