I remember the first time I laid eyes on the orb. It was a silvery sphere, no bigger than a clenched fist, sitting innocently on a cluttered table. The orb was cold and smooth in my hand, like a winter river stone. I felt a faint vibration, almost imperceptible, as if it were alive.
The purveyor leaned in close, his voice barely a whisper. “They say it belonged to a vampire who lost his teeth. Used it to draw blood from his victims.” I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. But there was something in the way the old man spoke, a shadow of truth behind those words. He shrugged, “Others say it was a trepanning device, used to drill into skulls. Got possessed by a spirit, driven mad by its own purpose.” Driven by curiosity, I bought the orb.
Days later, I encountered a band of marauders on the road. Fear gripped me as they closed in. I unleashed the orb, and it flew towards them, extending its drill with a malevolent eagerness. It bored into one man’s chest, his gurgling scream cut short by the relentless motion. The others fled, and I stood there, breathless, the orb hovering back to me, now smeared with blood. The stories were true, I realized. The orb was a tool of violence, driven by a dark, insatiable hunger.
Orb of Drilling
Wondrous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement)
As an action, you can command the orb to fly at a creature within 60 feet of you. The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the orb attaches to the creature and activates its drill, dealing 2d6 piercing damage. Until the orb is detached, this damage is repeated at the end of the creature’s turn.
As an action, a creature within 5 feet of the orb can attempt a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, detaching the orb on a success. As a bonus action, you can command the orb to detach. The orb returns to you if it is not attached to a creature.
Check out last week’s item: the book of the magic-user.
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