The Dock Rats thieves’ guild and the Rushing River monastery struggled to thrive in the eastern metropolis of Stone Harbour. The Dock Rats’ small-scale operations were constantly thwarted by the city guards, while the monks faced harassment and intimidation from both dockworkers and guards. In order to help each other out, the Dock Rats offered to protect the monastery and the monks agreed to pay them for their services.
Together, they formed an alliance and created the Cord of Devious Strikes as a symbol of their partnership. They also made more powerful versions of the Cord and gave them to their most important members as they grew stronger. The combination of the Dock Rats’ protection and the monks’ resources allowed both groups to thrive in the bustling metropolis.
Cord of Devious Strikes
Wondrous Item, Varies (Requires Attunement by a Monk or Rogue)
This item is a simple belt made of braided hemp that is dyed red with a colored trim.
While wearing this belt, when you use a bonus action to hit a target with a weapon attack or an unarmed strike, that target takes additional damage of the same type determined by the belt’s rarity.
| Rarity | Damage | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Uncommon | 2 | Green |
| Rare | 4 | Black |
| Very Rare | 6 | Purple |
| Legendary | 8 | Gold |
Story hooks for DMs:
- The characters arrive in a new city and hear a cry of pain. They see two small, cloaked figures being attacked by a group of dockworkers, including a minotaur with a maul. A human named Kael is trying to defend them with a short sword, standing over his unconscious companion. If the party helps Kael, he rewards them with three gems worth 75 gp each and a blue pin that signifies they are friends of the Dock Rats thieves’ guild. Any monks or rogues in the party may earn a cord of devious strikes by impressing the guild leader, Shipjack, with a heist of the nearby city guard barracks.
- While traveling, the party sees three large stone statues of hulking two-headed figures amidst the ruined walls and rubble piles of what used to be a town square. One statue holds a cord of devious strikes in its fist. If the players try to take the cord or damage the statues, they animate and attack the party. Treat the statues as ettins with the earth elemental template. The item is of rare quality.
- While exploring a dungeon, the party comes across a 200-foot-long chamber filled with traps and fog. To cross the chamber by foot or flying, a creature must make three consecutive ability checks using Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). If they fail, they are knocked prone and flung back to the start of the chamber, taking damage in the process. At the end of the chamber, the party finds a pedestal with a cord of devious strikes on it.
