Boons

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GM James R

A Boon is a powerful ability passed on directly from a greater power such as a god, via a small essence of themselves.

The most powerful artifacts in existence are sometimes thought to be boons, though their usage is typically limited to a sole effect or a passive ability. 

Some boons are passed on directly via communing with the greater power, while others are already extracted and contained into an item or artifact, ready to be absorbed by each new owner.

Boons of the Dark Powers

(Transcluded from the Dark Powers page, for more detail see Dark Powers)

• The Boon of the Chameleon: As an action, alter your clothing to resemble (identically or similarly) the clothing of a creature within 120 feet. When wearing the altered clothing, you speak any and all languages shared by the creature, including druidic, thieves cant, or other methods of conversation. If the creature speaks telepathically, you duplicate the telepathy language and ability. When disguised in this manner, other creatures have disadvantage on insight checks against you, and you gain advantage on charisma based checks against them.
• The Boon of the Long Sight (Psions only): Your passive perception increases by 5. When performing Psionic Investigation on an object, person, or place, you can view 24 hours of information from the object's perspective, pulling from any point of time from the last 100 years of the object's existence. Psionic sensors implanted into objects linger for an additional 30 days, and can be viewed from other planes of existence.
• The Boon of the Piper’s Sight: Turn up the sound to see all around. You gain a magical blindsight of 120 feet when concentrating on a spell with a verbal component, the sound of your magic echoes off the chambers and allows you to see your way.
• The Boon of Night Spirit: While completely in an area of dim light or darkness, you can become invisible as an action. You remain invisible until you take an action or a reaction.
• The Boon of Shadow Dancing: As a bonus action, teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. The space must be in dim light or darkness.
• The Boon of Night Martial: Replace any piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage from a weapon, or any damage type from a spell, with necrotic damage.
• The Boon of the Frozen Volley: As an action, slow time and make one ranged attack against every opponent within 10 feet. After the last target has been attacked, time resumes as normal and all hits or misses take effect.

Erathar's Boons of the Mask

(Transcluded from the Mask of Erathar page, for more detail see Mask of Erathar)"

The Mask of Erathar bestows many gifts upon the wearer of the mask (provided they have the spirit's blessing or have it subdued).

Unearthly Charisma

The wearer of the Mask of Erathar is blessed with a sense of presence that one can only describe as otherworldly. Whether it be irresistible beauty or an overwhelming aura of power, the wearer of the mask becomes exceptional at leading others. While in the past this has led to the creation of several dangerously fanatical cults, it is intended to make the wearer a proper leader of Gol Zenagi.

Gift of Foresight

The ability of the wearer to see the future depends on several factors, including how magically inclined they were before receiving the Mask of Erathar and if the spirit within is willingly giving the wearer these gifts. However, every wearer is aware of the future Erathar predicted, and if they focus, they can generally foresee at least a few minutes into the future. The more powerful of the users have even been said to foresee every attempt at assassination or theft, allowing them to keep themself and the mask safe.

Spellcasting

Whether or not the wearer could cast before the mask, they can now feel the fabric of magic all around them, and manipulate it into casting any spell they want. The power level they can safely channel depends on how long they've worn the mask. Going above that safe level can lead to complications in the magic and has been the cause of death of several previous mask bearers.

Sage Guidance

Whether Erathar is content or subdued, their knowledge can be drawn upon by the wearer. This can take the form of asking advice of the mask's spirit, demanding information, or even delving into the memories of the spirit (which includes anything it saw or experienced while born by previous wearers of the mask). No matter how the wearer chooses to access the information, it never comes to the wearer in words. Usually it is quick images that much be sifted through, though powerful users have been able to experience whole scenes in a matter of seconds.

Corellon's Boon of Immortality

Corellon's Boon of Immortality holds a microscopic piece of the god Corellon's essence, placed within a magical horn instrument said to have once belonged to him. A creature who harnesses the horn and attunes themselves to it is granted complete immunity to the effects of aging. If the creature is middle aged or older, they instead age DOWN every year until they appear to be a young adult.

• For nearly a millenium, Archmage Nimz was the realm's secret wielder of this boon, allowing him to rule Jewelspar single-handedly until the boon was unattunted to him, killing him by instant-1000-year-aging.
• The next creature to wield the boon would be Anema E. Core

Vecna's Boon of Undetectability 

Vecna's Boon of Undetectability was contained by a book, said to once have belonged to the lost god Vecna. The creature who reads the book is attunted to the boon, allowing them to designate an area of their choice to be shielded from all divine magics, essentially rendering it invisible to the gods themselves.

• The Boon of Undetectability was attuned to Solomon in the mid 700s PR, though upon his death at the news of his sister Iris the Hag's passing, the Boon became free to be attuned to anyone else.

See Also

• Draconic Boons, sometimes called Dragonmarks, passed on by dragons of great power in a similar fashion.

• List of Magic Items