Okay, so I 
magic items waaaay too much. I’m even a Patron of a popular magic items maker. But I love sentient items most of all (shhhh, don’t tell the players in my Elixia campaign, but they have one in their possession). Occasionally, something truly special in the ‘magic items’ milieu arrives that I cannot help but latch onto. Almost like it is, ahem, a magic item. Sentient, by Plot Hooks, is one of these.
magic items waaaay too much. I’m even a Patron of a popular magic items maker. But I love sentient items most of all (shhhh, don’t tell the players in my Elixia campaign, but they have one in their possession). Occasionally, something truly special in the ‘magic items’ milieu arrives that I cannot help but latch onto. Almost like it is, ahem, a magic item. Sentient, by Plot Hooks, is one of these.This fantastic accessory is filled with sentient magic items. What Dungeons & Dragons DM doesn’t need more of them?! But these are also items that are thought out—motivations, interests, and hungers are all clear and understandable. The writing matches the wondrousness of the items—I particularly like the quotes and sayings from past magic users, victims, and the items themselves.
“Murk fills the cup, as Murk fills your soul. Drink each drop up, and you will be whole.”
—Murk, the Venomous Chalice (Cult chant)
That leads to the best compliment I can give a written game accessory: It’s a blast to read. The evil, the goodness, the malice, are joys to take in from the perspective of a Dungeon Master. It borders on “edge of your seat” reading. My one criticism is that it’s only 24 pages long.
Breadth of Sentient Items
Items go from the simple and secretive, like a sentient d6 die, to the massive and unmistakable, like a living frigate. There’s something to fit any campaign. I can even see a few in low-magic worlds, where the magic is infused by the life-force of the sorcerer, making the magic seem more real in a place where granting an enchantment takes a massive toll on the caster, but with benefits that could be worth it to the right person.
Structurally, with each item, you get lore, its functions and powers, the sentients’ stats, and some (pun intended) plot hooks. I really appreciate the sentients’ origination lore. It helps connect the item to a history that you can use (or alter) to fit your game.
Art
As I am discovering, Plot Hooks art is always fantastic. The Ludovico Tellatin cover features a Paladin whose face is exactly how I would picture her as she reaches for what could be the most terrible decision of her life—picking up a malevolent halberd (unless she’s already evil). All the inset illustrations are excellent too.
Sentient comes with printable DM and player cards. DM cards help you “fully understand what makes the artifact tick,” while the player cards have “all of the item’s abilities without all the extra stuff.”
Conclusion
I recommend Sentient to anyone running a Dungeons & Dragons campaign in any setting. I don’t think I’ve ever said that. Only $3.99 from the DMsGuild
Contributors
| Name | Contributions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plot Hooks | Publisher | @plothooks | @plothooks | @plothooks |
| Samuel Branch | Writer, Layout | @TOBranch | @TOBranch10 | |
| Ludovico Tellatin | Illustrator | @Sapphhyra | @Sapphhyra | @ludovico.tellatin |
| DMs Guild Creator Resources | Illustrations | @DMsGuild | @dms_guild | @DungeonMastersGuild |
