D&D 5E Balance Issues With This Magic Item?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The Cloak of Cold resistance - made you immune to the common cold

Yoinking.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Maybe they could just be friendly and well-disposed to the user rather than magically compelled?

That sounds like an hilarious item.

Yeah, probably more how it worked. I never asked the DM. It WAS hilarious!

 

[Shadowdweller00]

This item is basically the Find Familiar spell, and yeah that spell is perhaps excessively good, at all levels.

My only concern with that magic item would be that you're basically giving away a core class feature to all classes. This is not necessarily a problem, just a concern to think about.

That was one of my concerns. Technically most familiars have additional or better abilities...but maybe it still steps too much on that features' toes; at least in early levels.

 

[Deset Gled]

Item is hat or bag. Someone attuned to the item can reach into the container as an action and produce a tiny creature. The creature can understand and speak in any language known to the user; and obeys their commands to the best of its ability. The creature takes whatever general form the user desires but can be no larger than a guinea pig or medium-sized rabbit; it may possess a climb, swim, or flying speed of up to 30 feet. The creature has bonuses to stealth and perception equal to the user's highest stat bonus plus their proficiency bonus. It can bite or claw an enemy (once per round) with a bonus equal to the user's highest stat bonus plus their proficiency bonus; however its tiny attacks only deal one point of damage. There is no limit to the number of times the container may be used per day, but only up to three such creatures may exist at any one time. After 24 hours of life, or after taking 2 points of damage, or if the user commands it to do so, any creatures created by the bag disintegrate into puffs of colored smoke that smell of incense and quickly drift away..

(Base stat block to be provided for creatures)

Item is (I imagine obviously) intended for low-level characters. My main question is: Can anyone think of any balance considerations / abuses / exploits posed by such an item at CL < 3

Why not just stick with a regular Bag of Tricks? This seems like reinventing the wheel a bit, and I see potential for abuse.

If you want to stick with this, I would recommend the following changes to keep it low level:

• Limit the number of uses per long rest. I'd say 3 is good, but I'd take arguements for more.
• Either don't allow creatures with a fly speed, or make the creature that is summoned random.
• Make a note that directing the creature in combat requires a bonus action.

 

[jayoungr]

This item gives the PCs potentially endless aerial scouting. Reach in, pull out a small bird (or, if dark, a bat), send it off to scout the area, and when it returns it can freely report what it saw as it has the built-in ability to speak the item-user's languages.

On the other hand, it can't report until it gets back, as it doesn't have the "see through your familiar's eyes" telepathic link. You also have to speak to it verbally or at least in whispers, which could interfere with trying to stay hidden.

 

[Lanefan]

On the other hand, it can't report until it gets back, as it doesn't have the "see through your familiar's eyes" telepathic link. You also have to speak to it verbally or at least in whispers, which could interfere with trying to stay hidden.

All true, but given how often in our games at mid+ level we have Nature Clerics shapeshift into birds for just this reason (and they have to return and report), giving this to a low-level crew really jumps up their capabilities.