Ardalkhayan Gnomes: Inventions (Ardalkhayan Supplement)
The gnomes of Ardalkhayal are well-known for creating a great many things, capable of combining their innate magical abilities with steam-powered objects to create a plethora of useful items; from elemental bombs, to magical lockboxes that only open to the touch of their owner, to wearable mechanical armor, to giant flying ships. Chances are, if there is ever a magical metallic marvel you encounter while exploring, the Ardalkhayan gnomes had a hand in its creation.
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Below are just a few ideas of famous inventions for your campaign:
Unique Mechanics
Sometimes gnomish creations are a little... less-than-cooperative. Occasionally you will find an item with a property such as Gnomish Engineering. Items with these properties follow what is written below, unless otherwise specified.
Gnomish Engineering
If an object with this property takes damage there is a chance that a malfunction will occur. If the malfunction is not specified, roll on the Malfunction Table relative to the object to determine what the malfunction is.
Autognome Malfunction
Roll a d8 and apply the following effect.
- The autognome shuts down, becoming incapacitated for 1d6 rounds
- The autognome’s eyes malfunction, causing it to become Blinded
- The autognome’s left or right leg joint fails, reducing speed to 5 feet
- The autognome begins attacking itself until destroyed
- The autognome’s Non-weapon (explorer) or Rapier (soldier) arm falls off
- The autognome’s Pickaxe (explorer) or Pistol (soldier) arm falls off
- The autognome’s self-destruct sequence activates, causing it to become incapacitated for 1+1d4 rounds, using self-destruct on the last round.
- The autognome’s memory is erased. The autognome “awakes” next round believing itself to be a real gnome
Frizzbang's Flask bombs
A unique type of potion contained within a thinner-than-normal glass flask, these items can be smashed onto objects to cause an explosion unique to their type.
Frostchunk Bomb
Potion, Common
This flask is filled with a white liquid that turns into a quickly growing block of ice. As an action, you can throw this flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. Alternatively, you can shoot it from a Copperbonk's Potion Launcher to increase the range to 60 feet. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the flask as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 cold damage and becomes restrained by growing ice if the creature is Large or smaller. A creature can end this condition by using its action to make a DC 13 Strength check to break the ice. Any fire damage dealt to the ice ends the restrained condition immediately.
Thunderclap Bomb
Potion, Uncommon
A flask filled with crackling blue liquid. As an action, you can throw the flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. Alternatively, you can shoot it from a Copperbonk's Potion Launcher to increase the range to 60 feet. Every creature other than you within 10 feet of the impact point must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 1d4 thunder damage and suffers one of the following effects depending on its remaining hit points:
Hit Points | Effect |
---|---|
25 or fewer | blinded and paralyzed until the end of your next turn |
25 to 50 | blinded and incapacitated until the end of your next turn |
50 to 100 | incapacitated until the end of your next turn |
100 or more | No effect |
For the purpose of this item, a creature is always treated as having more than 100 hit points if it can take legendary actions, or has the Legendary Resistance feature.
Meltburn Bomb
Potion, Uncommon
This flask contains a bright glowing green liquid. As an action, you can throw the flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. Alternatively, you can shoot it from a Copperbonk's Potion Launcher to increase the range to 60 feet. All creatures within a 10 foot radius must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 acid damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful save. The acid burns the ground in the area of effect for 1 minute. Creatures that enter the area or end their turn there take 1d6 acid damage.
Common Inventions
Wixie's Wrist Whacker
Armor (shield), Common
This shield is made up of several parts that fold up into a small bracer, offering no bonus to AC when not in use. While it is in this form, you can transform it and don the shield as a bonus action using a flick of your wrist. While deployed and donned in this manner, a Wixie's Wrist Whacker is effectively identical to a mundane metal shield. After a Wixie's Wrist Whacker has been deployed, you can fold it back into its bracer form as an action.
While Wixie's Wrist Whacker is deployed, it has the following property:
- Gnomish Engineering 1 When you block a melee attack with this shield, roll a d8. If you roll a 1, the collapsing mechanism is damaged, and cannot be collapsed back into a bracer until it is mended out of combat at a quarter of its cost.
Slicktorque’s Greasy Lantern
Wondrous Item, Common
While lit, this lantern burns for 6 hours on 1 pint of oil, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. A small lever can be pulled on the side of the lantern that causes the lantern to dump its oil, duplicating the effects of the grease spell (save DC 10) centered on yourself. Once this effect is used it cannot be used again and the lantern can't emit light until it is refilled.
Plinko Permaslam's Power Prosthesis Mark I-V
Plinko Permaslam, now deceased, was the great-grandfather of medical magechanics. He was the first to create magical prosthetic limbs, and currently holds the only patent on them. Anybody can choose to undergo the connection to a prosthesis, but the advanced means of doing so requires knowledge only possessed by gnomish medics.
Due to the wondrous arcane nature of these items, you can only connect one limb to yourself, or else their magical fields would disrupt each other and cause a, well, let's just say that you don't want to find out what would happen.
There are multiple tiers of prostheses you can use, but all require a large sum of gold to buy. The amount here is a base price, for gnome-sized (small) creatures. Increase the price by 20% for every size level above small.
4P MKI
Wondrous Item, Common
These artificial limbs have no special or magical enhancements beyond their ability to move based on their holder's will.
Unarmed strikes made with this limb use a d4 for damage.
Because the limb is not flesh and blood, it can be used for blocking attacks; if the prosthesis is an arm and it's not carrying or holding anything, your AC increases by 1.
4P MKII
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
These limbs are designed to serve another function in addition to their use as a limb; usually these limbs have a concealed weapon or a set of tools. These additional functions can be used at will.
Unarmed strikes with this limb use a d6 for damage. If the limb contains a weapon, that weapon uses a d6 for damage, deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (as decided during the limb's creation), and counts as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage immunities and resistances.
Because the limb is not flesh and blood, it can be used for blocking attacks; if the prosthesis is an arm and it's not carrying or holding anything, your AC increases by 1.
4P MKIII
Wondrous Item, Rare
These limbs are designed to shift, adjust and grow; prostheses made of wood can grow organically and form branches, flowers or small fruits, or form bludgeons or staffs. Metal limbs can shift to form blades, bludgeons, tools or whatever other form the host can imagine, but cannot gain or lose mass. Unarmed strikes with this limb use a d6 for damage. This limb can emulate any simple or martial melee weapon, dealing damage appropriate to the emulated weapon, and counts as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage immunities and resistances. Any weapon that isn't heavy is used with proficiency. While it is emulating a two-handed weapon, the user must use both hands to wield it as normal. Your AC increases by 2 as long as you are not using a shield
4P MKIV
Wondrous Item, Very Rare
Plinko Permaslam's final creation, these physics-defying limbs are constructed out of elemental energy, fastened with a metal connector at the base of the limb, and are formed of their respective element, water, earth, fire or air. These limbs can be altered into any form at will, provided they have the sufficient mass, and the mass of the limb can be added to by materials of the same element. Unarmed strikes made with one of these limbs deal damage according to the limb's respective element, and count as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage immunities and resistances. Your AC increases by 2 as long as you are not using a shield. In addition, each limb provides you with specific attacks or abilities.
- Air Elemental Limb
- Air Ability: Air Form. The limb can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide.
- Air Attack: Whirlwhind (Recharge 3-6). As an action, you can create a vortex that throws enemies around like stones in a tornado. Each creature in a 30 ft cone originating from you must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage and is flung 1d20 ft in a random direction and falls prone. If the creature strikes an object, such as a wall or floor, the target takes an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 ft it was thrown. If the saving throw is successful, the creature takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn't flung away or knocked prone. If the creature is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take the same additional damage and be knocked prone. This ability cannot be used in an environment with little or no air.
- Simple Attack: Unarmed strikes made with an air elemental limb deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
- Loose Grip: Because the limb is simply animated air, it cannot reliably carry any materials heavier than a few pounds; this limb cannot wield weapons or use shields.
- Air Ability: Air Form. The limb can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide.
- Water Elemental Limb
- Water Ability: Water Form. The limb can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide
- Water Attack: Whelm (Recharge 3-6). As an action, you can elongate your water limb to constrict and suffocate enemies. Each creature in a 30 ft line originating from you must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage. If it is Large or smaller, it is also grappled (Escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, that creature is restrained and unable to breathe unless it can breathe water. If the saving throw is successful, the creature is pushed out of your space. You can grapple one creature equal to your size or up to two smaller creatures at one time. At the start of each of your turns, any grappled creatures take 1d8 bludgeoning damage. A creature within 5 ft of a grappled creature can use an action to pull it out of the grapple by making a DC 13 Strength check. This ability cannot be used without a large supply of water
- Simple Attack: Unarmed strikes made with a water elemental limb deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage.
- Water Ability: Water Form. The limb can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide
- Earth Elemental Limb
- Earth Ability: Earth Glide. The limb can travel through nonmagical unworked earth and stone within 5 ft of you. While doing so, the limb doesn't disturb the material it moves through
- Earth Ability: Siege Weapon. Unarmed strikes made with this limb deal double damage to objects and structures.
- Simple Attack: The first time you make an unarmed strike with the earth elemental limb each turn, it deals 2d8 bludgeoning damage. Otherwise it deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage
- Earth Ability: Earth Glide. The limb can travel through nonmagical unworked earth and stone within 5 ft of you. While doing so, the limb doesn't disturb the material it moves through
- Fire Elemental Limb
- Fire Ability: Fire Form. The limb can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide. A creature that touches the limb takes 1d4 fire damage.
- Fire Ability: Illumination. The limb sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.
- Fire Ability: Extinguishable. If the limb is doused in water, it loses its form and all abilities and cannot be used until the dousing material is removed and you use a bonus action to reignite it.
- Simple Attack: The first time you make an unarmed strike with the fire elemental limb each turn, it deals 2d6 fire damage. If the target is a creature or flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns
- Loose Grip: Since the limb is animated fire, it cannot reliably hold heavy materials; this limb cannot wield weapons or use shields. In addition, any flammable object held by the limb will ignite.
- Fire Ability: Fire Form. The limb can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide. A creature that touches the limb takes 1d4 fire damage.
4P MKV
Wondrous Item, Legendary
Rumor speaks about a fifth version Plinko was working on, lost to time, nothing more than some blueprints.
While deactivated, these limbs seem to be little more than simple golden plates, but once attached and active these limbs appear as masses of solid light forming whatever shape their host imagines. Unarmed attacks with these limbs deal 2d10 radiant damage. Your AC increases by 2 if you are not holding a shield.
Gritspigot’s Piston-Powered Exo-Gloves
Armor (gloves), rarity varies
While you wear these non-magical gloves, the weight you are able to push, drag, or lift is potentially increased. The gloves do not affect your carrying capacity, your encumbrance, or anything else dependent on Strength. These gloves come in three varities.
- Common PPEG, or "Bronze Exo-Gloves," enable you to push, drag, or lift up to 450 lbs if you otherwise could not. This is the equivalent of having a Strength score of 15.
- Uncommon PPEG, or "Steel Exo-Gloves," enable you to push, drag, or lift up to 660 lbs if you otherwise could not. This is the equivalent of having a Strength score of 22.
- Rare PPEG, or "Mithril Exo-Gloves," enable you to push, drag, or lift up to 900 lbs if you otherwise could not. This is the equivalent of having a Strength score of 30.
Urmacog’s Thermaclub
Weapon (club), Common
This rod contains pairs of zinc and iron discs, separated by cloth and surrounded by brine. It has 5 charges. When you hit a creature, you can expend a charge to deal an additional 1d6 lightning damage.
There is no known way to recharge this nonmagical weapon. When all the charges are expended, it can only be used as an ordinary club.
Sparkfire Pipeweed (1 gram)
Wondrous Item, Common
The gnomes of Ardalkhayan, in their endless need to become famous for creating The Next Big Thing, have invented this vaguely glittering moss that when burned grants outlandish abilities to those who are either brave or foolish enough to partake. Consuming a dose of sparkfire pipeweed grants you advantage on ability checks and saving throws for one ability score of your choice. However, you suffer disadvantage on all other ability checks and saving throws. Both effects lasts for 1 minute. Every gram of sparkfire pipeweed produces two half-gram doses.
Uncommon Inventions
Wizmore’s Conductive boots
Armor (boots), Uncommon
These leather boots are covered in a magical, hard yet bouncy, conductive coating. While wearing these boots you are immune to thunder damage, instead directing it into the boots, to a maximum of 50 hit points worth of thunder damage, at which point these boots turn to ash.
Trixfizz’s Trove
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
This small chest weighs 10 lbs. and is made entirely of brass or iron. The box holds 3 cubic feet or 75 lbs. of items, and objects within are considered to be under the effects of a nondetection spell. Only the creature attuned to the box can open it freely. It has no keyhole, handle, or outside mechanism, making all standard non-magical means of opening it (like lock-picking) impossible. It can be broken open with a Strength check of DC 25.
The arcane lock spell can be cast upon the box as a ritual. If the alarm spell is cast upon the box as a ritual, its duration is twice as long. If the knock spell is cast upon the box, the caster must make a DC 15 (or DC 20 if the box is secured with arcane lock) ability check using their spellcasting ability. If the check fails, the spell does not open the box. If the dispel magic spell is cast upon the box, the spells affecting the box are considered to be 5th level.
If a creature attuned to the box is more than 100 feet away from it, they do not loose their attunement until 1 week has passed (rather than 24 hours).
Flickford’s Lifter
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
This item can be affixed to any piece of chest armor, taking 1d6 hours, or half that if proficient with tinker's tools. As a bonus action, you can flick a lever on your chest, causing two wings on the back of the armor to extend. The wings are 5 feet long, each, made of brass and cloth, are susceptible to fire damage (HP: 10+2d6), give you a flying speed of 40 ft (+10 for every size below large, to a maximum of 60 feet at small or lower) and last for 10 minutes. The armor regains use of this effect at dawn. Armor containing this add-on may be worn by any creature of huge or larger size, but they are unable to use this item to fly.
Coreblitz’s Bag of Colding
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
This item resembles a bag of holding, but is cool to the touch and emits visibly cold air while opened. It can only hold 100 pounds of items, but any perishable items do not degrade while within the bag. It is otherwise identical to a bag of holding.
Modmore’s Switchblade Shield
Armor (shield), Uncommon
This rare and finely-crafted but otherwise nonmagical shield has a bladed edge, which you can retract (giving the shield the appearance of a normal shield) or extend on your turn by pressing a button on the grip as a bonus action. On your turn, if the shield is bladed, you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet of you with the shield. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 slashing damage.
Hawkeye Kohl (1 gram)
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
This charcoal-black plant, 1 foot tall, with four spade-shaped leaves, can be found growing near gnomish wastepiles. It is commonly ground up and mixed with water to make Hawkeye Kohl Paste, used by gnomish archers and hunters to enhance sight capabilities.
Hawkeye Kohl Paste
Potion, Uncommon
When applied around the eyes, this black paste allows the wearer to shoot ranged weapons they are proficient with up to their maximum range without disadvantage for 8 hours or until removed. In addition, the user gains advantage on Perception(Wis) checks to detect movement, so long as the check relies on sight. Hawkeye Kohl is especially valued in sunny regions due to its light absorbing property, which conversely can prove a detriment in poorly lit conditions, taking the form of a 20ft line of sight penalty in dim light.
Hawkeye Kohl Paste is typically found in a small earthen pot with 3 applications within.
Rare Inventions
Cardsharp’s Magical Deck of Many Misdirections
Wondrous Item, Rare
When you play a game of cards with this deck, it alters itself to match the deck typically used in that game, gaining, losing and changing the appearances of cards as required.
While you are holding this deck of cards, you can use a bonus action to speak its command word. For 1 hour, when you draw or deal a card from this deck, you can choose the card. To creatures other than you that handle the deck during this time, the deck appears to be a mundane deck of cards.
Hammerbat’s Hooded Cloak of Hiding
Armor (cape), Rare
This cloak is made of simple unassuming materials, it seems tattered and rough as if it has been used for years and not cared for. Wearing this cloak makes you seem unimportant and beneath notice. Creatures must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to be able to notice you. The check is a DC 10 if you are not in a public place. Attacking or other "obvious" actions ends the effect for any creature that can see the action.
Gilspot’s Clockwork Bow
Weapon (shortsword, shortbow), Rare
This black metal clockwork bow is made of two shortswords connected at their pommels. You may use a bonus action to change between bow form and dual sword form. In bow form, it acts like a shortbow, but does not use arrows, and instead uses an arcane bolt of magic as its projectile. In dual sword form, each sword acts like a shortsword. In whatever form this weapon is in, it deals an additional 1 piercing damage on damage rolls.
Cogblade’s Wristwraps
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement)
These bandages, fashioned from arcane cloth, can be worn underneath armor. While you wear it, you can use a bonus action to speak a command word and cause glowing rings to form around your hands and weapon. Melee attacks made with weapons you are proficient in, including your unarmed strikes, deal additional 2 psychic damage.
Copperbonk’s Potion Launcher
Firearm (pistol), Rare
This marvel appears as a hollow mithril tube about the length of a forearm, with a small funnel on the top of the back end, designed to direct a flask inside it. Once this ammunition has been placed inside, the flask can be fired by squeezing the trigger on the bottom of the back end of the tube. This causes magic force to launch out a flask at high speed as a ranged weapon attack. This firearm has the following properties:
This weapon shoots through incorporeal objects, and deals no damage, but instead immediately shatters any flask launched upon hitting anything, activating its effect centered on whatever point or creature it hits. If the flask doesn't specify a range of effect upon being shattered (for example, a potion of healing), it only affects whatever is within 5 feet of the impact point.
Very Rare Inventions
Airship
Airbourne Vehicle, Very Rare
A gnomish inventor whose name has been lost to time theorised the blueprints for the first airship, but it wasn't until many centuries later that Bidnizz Pipebrain actually managed to create a successful prototype. By fashioning a massive oblong sphere out of arcane cloth, binding an air elemental inside it, and connecting it to an everyday sea vessel Bidnizz created the marvel we see today.
Airships have a cost ten times that of a ocean vessel of the same size class, and has a flying speed 24 x the swim speed of a water vessel of the same size. An airship has a maximum altitude of five miles. An airship can be upgraded to house a maximum of 120 cannons that cause 4d4 bludgeoning damage each on a hit and an additional 1d8 for every 1000 feet the ammo falls through the air in addition. For every 1000 feet away from the target that you are, you suffer a -1 to hit. It takes three rounds to reload a cannon.
Autognome
The gnomes of Ardenkhayal harnessed powerful magical energies to create semi-sentient constructs known as autognomes. They performs those tasks that are deemed too dangerous for flesh and blood gnomes. Two different versions exist, the explorer and the soldier. These constructs populate all gnomish settlements, often outnumbering real gnomes. However, these constructs suffer from the same flaw as many other complex gnome creations; they very seldom work as intended. Because of their unreliability, no other race besides gnomes dare to utilize the autognome.
The gnomes guard the secret of building autognomes jealously, though no one but gnomes wants to build the things.
Autognome Explorer
Small construct, unaligned
AC: 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 23 (5d6+5)
Speed: 25 feet
Str: 12 (+1) Dex: 6 (-2) Con: 12 (+1)
Int: 10 (+0) Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10 (+0)
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60feet, Passive Perception 10
Languages: Gnomish, Common, Binary
CR: 2 (450 xp)
Magic Resistance. The autognome has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
Gnomish Engineering 25 If a lost or abandoned autognome is encountered there is a 50% chance that it has already malfunctioned.
Self-destruct. When the autognome reaches 0 HP its body can no longer contain the magical energies harnessed within. The autognome explodes, hurling wood and metal outwards. Each creature within 20 feet must make a DC15 Dex save, taking 14 (4d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
Actions
Pickaxe: Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage
Autognome Soldier
Small construct, unaligned
AC: 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 32 (7d6+7)
Speed: 25 feet
Str: 14 (+2) Dex: 10 (+0) Con: 12 (+1)
Int: 10 (+0) Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10 (+0)
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60feet, Passive Perception 10
Languages: Gnomish, Common, Binary
CR: 3 (700 xp)
Magic Resistance. The autognome has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
Gnomish Engineering 25 If a lost or abandoned autognome is encountered there is a 50% chance that it has already malfunctioned.
Self-destruct. When the autognome reaches 0 HP its body can no longer contain the magical energies harnessed within. The autognome explodes, hurling wood and metal outwards. Each creature within 20 feet must make a DC15 Dex save, taking 18 (5d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
Actions
Multiattack: The autognome soldier takes two attacks, one with its pistol, and one with its rapier
Pistol: Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 30/90 feet, one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+2) piercing damage
Rapier: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) piercing damage
Legendary Inventions
Legendary inventions exist as nothing but blueprints, with very few exceptions. The skill level required to create one of these items is generally beyond that of any gnome, even the Ardalkhayans themselves.
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