Highborn Luxuries

T
wo words serve as the

defining traits of heredi-

tary nobility in fantasy worlds: luxury
and treachery. Those born to wealth
and privilege seek to keep what they
have so they may enjoy it, and many—
perhaps even most— seek to gain more
at the expense of their fellows.
This leads to a never-ending game
played with subtle pieces for lethal
stakes. Any meal might be poisoned,
every bit of correspondence might be
intercepted, and a lackluster showing
at a party or a moment of perceived
weakness on a fox hunt today could
find one at the bottom of the social
WRITING Peter Martin
pecking order tomorrow...or a shallow COLOR ART Júlio Rocha
EDITING Mike Myler
grave. It is a world of decadence, LAYOUT Frank Michienzi
duplicity, and death.

Enchanted Trinkets: Highborn Luxuries  |  EN World EN5ider

 Naturally the nobility make for an
incredible market for the enterprising
mage. Nobles will pay for anything
that they think can give them an edge
or enhance their decadent lifestyle,
and they have the finances to be a
repeat customer. Yet nobles aren’t the
only ones that can benefit from such
This fire poker can be used as an improvised
melee weapon that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
While attuned to it, you can use an action to grasp
its handle and speak its command word to subtly
shift the poker’s weight distribution. The fire
poker becomes a martial melee weapon that deals
1d6 bludgeoning damage and has the Finesse
property. Damage dealt with the fire poker is not
magical damage.
Alternatively, you can speak a second command
word to burn out the item’s power and transform it
into a rapier that lasts for a minute before rusting
away to nothing. Damage dealt with the rapier is
not magical damage.

trinkets. Clergy, traveling merchants,

and of course adventurers often find I won a bet with mine.
ingenious uses for these items. Some upstart young bravo was
convinced he could beat me in
Defensive Fire Poker a duel. I let him think I was
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement;
cost 150 gp)
handicap ping myself by choosing
One thing that’s very common in noble residences
are fireplaces, and the wealthy tend to keep a lot of
a fire poker from the hearth. I
tools nearby to fuss with and manage the flames
within as they burn. Due to the cutthroat nature
hope he enjoys his lack of hair
of politics among nobles, sometimes these humble
implements are snatched up to defend against an
this winter. Perhaps he’ll find
attack—or perform one. someone to knit him a hat.
—Lady Lirel S“ wiftblade ” Talinien
Open Game Content | The game rule information in this
article is designated Open Game Content. All other material
in this article, including maps and illustrations (including
illustrations in the public domain), in-character and out-of-
character narrative and descriptive text, character and place
names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,”
EN Publishing product and article titles, and
EN World and EN Publishing logos, are designated
Product Identity.

Enchanted Trinkets: Highborn Luxuries  |  EN World EN5ider


Guardian Glassware
Wondrous item, common (cost 100 gp)
Alcohol (particularly fine alcohol) is found at
almost every nobleman’s meal, and the discerning
aristocrat has the twin problems of poison and
undesirable temperatures to contend with. Guardian
Glassware solves both of these problems. Each piece
is enchanted to serve a specific type of alcohol. Any
liquid you pour inside it remains at the desired
temperature for the intended beverage and changes
color to a vibrant, sickly green when the liquid is
poisoned. The glassware does not detect substances
that are not poisonous on their own (and require a
second substance to activate) or substances you are
allergic to.
Alternatively, you can speak a command word
to instantly neutralize any one poison in the glass.
The glassware loses its enchantment and becomes a
mundane item.
I swear this humble drinking
glass has saved my life more
times than my bodyguards.
And there’s nothing like
forcing a would-be poisoner to
drink the contents themself
once it’s turned green. That
looked painful. Too bad it was
over so quickly.
—Duke Argan “Ironjaw” Cavorot
Enchanted Trinkets: Highborn Luxuries  |  EN World EN5ider
I set one of these up as a distraction
once. T he ogre guard just sat down and
let the stand read him bedtime stories
while I robbed his master blind. Tucked
him in and made my escape. Best thing
I ever stole.
—Skirvan Twelvefingers
Narrating Book Stand
Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 115 gp)
This book stand is carved from fine hardwood
and decorated with intricate carvings. It is large
enough to accommodate most ordinary books,
though larger tomes may be too big to stay on it.
When an opened book is placed on the stand and
you speak its command word, the stand reads the
text of the book aloud. The stand’s voice is pleasant
but monotone. Once reading has begun, the stand
magically turns pages to keep up with what it is
reading aloud, and it will keep your place if told
to pause as long as the book remains on the stand.
If the text in the book is magical, the stand does
not trigger the magic. For example, it will not begin
casting spells out of a wizard’s spellbook if one is
placed on it or set off a magical trap triggered by
reading text if one is inscribed in the book. The
book stand provides no protection from informa-
tion contained in the text that has a deleterious
effect on you (for example, traumatizing you or
triggering a flashback). Each book stand knows one
language (chosen when it is created) and can only
read text written in that language.
Alternatively, you can speak a second command
word to have the stand read out a single spell scroll
of 2nd level or lower, casting the spell inscribed
on the scroll. If the spell has a target, it targets the
closest eligible creature or item within range. If the
spell has an area, it is centered on the bookstand.

If the spell emits a ray, cone, or similar effect, it
affects the area directly in front of the book stand.
If something would cause the spell to fail, the scroll
is wasted. Once the book stand has been used in
this way (successfully or not) it loses its enchant-
ment and becomes a mundane item.
Pen of Immaculate
Correspondence
Wondrous item, common (cost 75 gp)
These ordinary-looking quill pens exert very
subtle control over a writer’s mind and muscle
movement, cleaning up penmanship and giving
them a much better chance of writing without
errors. Each can only provide its corrective benefits
with a single language. You can still make mistakes
on purpose if you desire (perhaps as part of a code).
The pen also never runs out of ink for writing.
When you use a pen of immaculate correspondence,
roll a d20 once per page. On any roll other than a
1, it gently and subtly corrects any errors in your
penmanship, spelling, and diction. On a 1, some-
thing may slip by on that page.
Alternatively, you can speak its command word
to have the pen dictate a single document of no more
than 500 words. The pen animates and transcribes
the words spoken to it flawlessly, with perfect
penmanship and no errors. The pen then loses its
enchantment and becomes a mundane item.
I have taken to lighting one of these
while taking confessions for certain high-
born folk. The truly contrite are reassured
by the knowledge that their confession is
in confidence, and those looking to make a
show of their piety are taught a valuable
lesson in humility as their boasting draws
no attention from others. And for wealthy
parishioners, buying more candles for the
church is a fitting penance.
—Father Gregor Haldeigh
Private Candle
Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 150 gp)
When you light this ordinary-looking white
wax candle it sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius
and dim light for an additional 5 feet. Within the
range of the bright light cast by the candle, sound
is normal. In the dim light, it is muffled, and a crea-
ture in the dim light has disadvantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks made to hear noise from within
the bright light. Beyond the dim light no sound
escapes. Outside sounds enter the radius of the
candle unimpeded. Once lit, the candle lasts for up
to 10 minutes or until its flame is extinguished.

I have always been better on the battlefield than the study,

but my lady love was patient enough to give me one of these for
corresponding with her. It was absolutely wonderful. Whoever
thought a simple pen would be my most treasured possession?
—Sir Bertrand the Protector, High Marshall of Cedar Peak

Enchanted Trinkets: Highborn Luxuries  |  EN World EN5ider

Security Seals
Wondrous item, common or uncommon (cost 65 gp for the
magic signet ring, plus 1 gp in wax per letter for level 1,
60 gp per letter for level 2, or 80 gp per letter for level 3)
These rings look just like ordinary signet rings
with wax that comes in a variety of colors. Some
nobles use different colors to indicate different levels
of security or different command words, but most
pick something that matches their house colors.
• Level 1: When you press the signet ring to
make a wax seal and speak the command
word, the wax becomes enchanted. If a creature

You are encoura ged to

breaks or removes the seal without speaking
the command word, it begins emitting an ear-

choose a random, hard-to

splitting shriek that can be clearly heard up to
300 feet away and does not stop until the wax

guess comman d word rather

is completely destroyed (burned, dissolved,
etc.) or the command word is spoken.

than the name of your beloved

• Level 2: Instead of shrieking when tampered
with the seal incinerates the correspondence,
dealing 2d4 fire damage to the paper and any
creature in contact with it.
steed, your heir’s birthda y,
• Level 3: Instead of shrieking when tampered
with the seal explodes, dealing 2d8 fire damage
or the name of your childhood
to the paper and any creature and objects within
5 feet of it (no saving throw). In addition, if you
fencing tutor. It only takes
are on the same plane as the seal, you receive
a determined spy a few
a telepathic warning that your correspondence
has been tampered with. weeks of asking around at
Alternatively, you can use an action to remove
the signet ring and crush it underfoot. Doing so court to dig up this kind of
immediately causes all sealed correspondence
created with the ring to combust as if a level 2 seal information, and then all of
had been broken. The signet ring loses its enchant-
ment and becomes a mundane item. your correspondence might
as well be unseale d.
—Spymaster Rantson Mikatos

of Northriver

Enchanted Trinkets: Highborn Luxuries  |  EN World EN5ider

 Most people who buy these use
them instead of actual musicians.
Amateurs. I’ve found they work
even better when you use them as an
accompaniment . I set up twenty,
then hired minstrels to play the same
tune. My guests were swooning at
the beauty of it all.
—Countess Irinia Steinfel
Symphonic Music Boxes
Wondrous item, common (cost 100 gp)
When you press the catch on this music box it
plays the sounds of a single musical instrument
performing a specific piece of music. When you
line up and interlock together more than one of
these music boxes, starting one simultaneously
activates all of the music boxes in the chain,
producing effects as simple as a duet or as impres-
sive as a full symphony.
Alternatively, you can use an action to break the
catch, making the music box explode in a burst of
ear-splitting sound as it plays every note at once.
The music box emits a discordant screech in a
15-foot radius for 5 rounds. Each creature in the
area makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw at
the start of its turn or is deafened for 1 minute. The
sound can be heard up to 300 feet away. The music
box is destroyed by the process, becoming a loose
mass of broken mechanical parts.
Enchanted Trinkets: Highborn Luxuries  |  EN World EN5ider
Tidy Luggage
Wondrous item, common (cost 150 gp)
Any clothing you place inside of this simple, unas-
suming handbag is kept clean, dry, freshly-pressed,
and wrinkle-free regardless of its condition when it
enters the bag. The bag does not repair any damage
or wear to clothing. You may store up to two suits of
clothing and one suit of light armor in the bag. Any
other items placed inside are immediately ejected
back out.
Alternatively, you can use an action to speak its
command word and burn out the bag’s magic. The
bag immediately magically teleports the armor
stored in it onto your body. The handbag loses its
enchantment and becomes a mundane item. e
These were made for nobles
on long trips, but let me tell you,
those trunks get anything out of
anything. I’ve come out of some
pretty horrible swamps and
dungeons covered in things I’d
rather not contemplate—and the
bag has cleaned it all off with
nary a trace left. After walking
back to town in clean clothes once
you’ll never leave without it again.
—“Blackshield ”