~Magic Items ~

Advanced
Parasitic Weapons
P
lanar exploration suggests a

great many things but one

certainty: the horrors that exist

in the beyond confirm that there

is malign design behind many of

the multiverse’s creations. It also

proves that whenever there is

room for some thing to exist, life

finds a way—even if that existence

requires binding to another

creature. Parasites, infections,

symbiotes and the like are found in

many forms but the most advanced

and complex of them do more

than feed upon a host, making the WRITING Tyler Omichinski

COLOR ART Rafael Benjamin
creature to which they’ve bonded EDITING Mike Myler
LAYOUT Frank Michienzi
better able to survive.

Magic Items: Advanced Parasitic Weapons  |  EN World EN5ider

Parasitic Weapons
Though there are a great variety of parasitic and
symbiotic creatures found in places of glory and
peril, those utilized by adventurers have a number
of similarities. Each has at least a rudimentary level
of intelligence through which to communicate with
its host. These are often subconscious through the
addition of memories or knowledge that the host
did not find anywhere else. In some instances, they
can communicate through dreams or other ways.
Attuning to a symbiotic magic item1 requires
a creature to bond with it. Once a creature has
bonded to a symbiotic magic item, unless otherwise
noted it can only be unattuned and removed in a
painful process that deals 5 (1d10) magical piercing
damage per hit die of the creature, and requires the
casting of a lesser restoration spell (if it is common,
uncommon, or rare) or a greater restoration spell (if it
is very rare or rarer).
In addition, while a creature is not attuned to a
symbiotic magic item but possesses it throughout
a long rest, the creature must make a Wisdom
saving throw (common or uncommon: DC 10, rare:
DC 12, very rare: DC 14, legendary: DC 16). On a
failure, when the creature awakens the symbiotic
magic item is attuned and bonded to the creature,
as though the creature had attuned to it voluntarily.
1
Symbiotic magic items were first introduced in
EN5ider #419: Parasitic Weapons.
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Magic Items: Advanced Parasitic Weapons  |  EN World EN5ider
Blood Swarm
Wondrous item (symbiotic), very rare (requires attunement)
A dark reddish ooze covers this swarm of gnat-
like creatures when they are not within a hive
woven throughout a decaying body either found
or infected prior to its death. They lay hundreds of
thousands of eggs in a corpse, each the size of a dust
mote, as it deteriorates the blood swarm is spread
across an area by scavengers. Though an infection
may be rare, when one does occur the blood swarm
can reproduce prodigiously. Only living creatures
with blood or blood-like fluid are able to attune to
the blood swarm.
When you attune to and bond with the blood
swarm it burrows into your skin and lives within
your body where it builds structures, reproduces,
and grants you the following two features.
Swarm Vomit. You can use an action to exhale
a viscous swarm of bugs and bile in a 15-foot
cone. Each creature in the area must make a
Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency
bonus + your Constitution modifier), taking 4d6
magical piercing damage on a failed save, or
half as much damage on a successful one. When
you deal 20 or more damage with swarm vomit
you must expend a hit die or take force damage
equal to 2d10 × your level.
Wound Burst. When you take damage of any
type other than bludgeoning or fire, you can
use your reaction to make your wound explode
with hardened blood slivers in a 30-foot radius,
dealing force damage to yourself equal to 1d4 ×
your remaining hit dice. Each other creature in
the area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC
8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution
modifier) or take magical piercing damage equal
to 1d10 × your current number of hit dice.
At the end of each long rest, you must spend 1 Hit
Die to feed the blood swarm. After two consecutive
long rests left unfed, the blood swarm takes its due
from you without asking, dealing magical force
damage equal to 2d10 × your level. You cannot use
the blood swarm until you have voluntarily fed it over
the course of at least three consecutive long rests.
Burrowing Crystal
Wondrous item (heavy armor, symbiotic), very rare
(requires attunement)
Appearing to be an unfinished or unrefined
gemstone, this dangerous parasite is often picked
up amongst a pile of treasure to infect an otherwise
lucky host. They are capable of some basic movement
through rudimentary legs that resemble those of
a bug, which in turn are used to dig into a host’s
body. Over time the crystal grows and multiplies,
creating crystal growths across the body of its host.
Autopsies of creatures who have died while under
the influence of a burrowing crystal have revealed
that they grow all the way into the host’s bones.
Host Seeker. While you are not attuned to the
burrowing crystal but pick it up, you must make a
DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the
burrowing crystal becomes attuned and bonded
to you, using up an attunement slot as though
you had done it voluntarily.
While attuned to the burrowing crystal you cannot
wear armor as placing anything heavy overtop them
is exceedingly painful, giving you disadvantage on
ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. The
burrowing crystal counts as heavy armor that grants
an Armor Class equal to 10 + your proficiency
bonus + your Constitution modifier. In addition,
the burrowing crystals glow and flicker, casting a
dim light for 10 feet around you and giving you
disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to
be unseen.
When you take damage from a spell or magical
effect, you gain resistance to that type of damage
until you next take damage from another spell or
magical effect. The crystals and their glow shift
color to convey the change to their magical charge.
Each time you take 25 or more damage (after
resistances), you must make a Strength saving
throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Constitution modifier). On a failed save you take
1d6 piercing damage from your crystals and your
AC is reduced by 1 until you finish a short or long
rest (minimum AC 10).
Magic Items: Advanced Parasitic Weapons  |  EN World EN5ider
Crystal Recharge. After finishing a long rest,
you may expend Hit Dice to reduce the burrowing
crystal’s penalty to Armor Class by 1 for each Hit
Die expended in this way.
Fel Worm
Wondrous item (symbiotic), rare (requires attunement)
Though they begin life as relatively cute long-
necked water-based lizards, fel worms grow into
particularly disgusting parasites that latch onto
the walls of a host’s stomach and take over several
life-giving processes. Despite this some cultures
cultivate these creatures and even consider hosting
one a great honor. Their name is slightly incorrect
as they possess four legs, but once mature they
are never seen as they remain within their host at
all times. If well fed and cared for, fel worm hosts
can live normal lives but when the symbiotes are
underfed their hosts are consumed by intrusive
thoughts of great violence and bloodshed.
Once you have attuned to the fel worm, you can
use a bonus action to enter a blood frenzy that lasts
for 1 minute. While in a blood frenzy, you cannot
talk, consume potions, or otherwise use your
mouth as the fel worm forces its way out through
your jaw, pressing your mouth open. You may still
cast spells that require a verbal component during
a blood frenzy, the fel worm fulfilling that part of
the bargain for you in its own dark language. While
in a blood frenzy, the fel worm makes opportunity
attacks using worm lash without using a reaction.
At the start of each turn where you are adjacent to
another creature who is not undead, you must use
a bonus action to attempt to grapple it (if there is
more than one creature, you may choose which.)
Worm Lash. During a blood frenzy you gain
a natural weapon attack from the fel worm, with
a reach of 5 feet and the finesse property. Using
this attack requires an action, or a bonus action
if targeting a grappled creature. On a hit your
worm lash deals piercing damage equal to
your 1d8 + your Strength modifier or Dexterity
modifier (your choice), and you regain hit points
equal to half the damage dealt.
 When you have not consumed blood from a living
creature or meat from a recently killed creature
since your last long rest, at the end of a long rest you
must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your
proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier + 1
per previous save). On a failed save, whenever you
take 5 or more damage from a single attack, effect,
or spell you must make a Wisdom saving throw
(DC 8 + the damage dealt) or enter a blood frenzy.
Shell Swarm
Wondrous item (symbiotic), very rare (requires attunement)
These beetle-like metallic creatures nestle in the
skin of the infected only to flit into action and
swarm around their host as a protective measure.
When without hostless they go into a dormant state
where they appear to be blank silver coins. Upon
being picked up or otherwise handled, the warmth
of a creature returns the shell swarm to life, and
they begin to attempt to burrow into the body of
their new host. The infected have dreams where
they are driven to build strange fractal structures,
many report hearing faint whispers they cannot
understand during these experiences, and they
tend to refer to themselves as a collective rather
than a singular being.
While you are attuned to the shell swarm and not
wearing any armor, you can use a bonus action to
activate or deactivate it. When active the shell swarm
makes your Armor Class equal to 10 + your Strength
modifier + your Constitution modifier. In addition,
you gain resistance to nonmagical damage dealt
by ranged weapons and you become vulnerable to
thunder damage.
Fake Appearance. While the shell swarm
remains motionless, it can only be distinguished
from inanimate silver coins with a DC 15
Wisdom (Perception) check.
Feeder (1d4). Whenever you regain hit points,
roll 1d4. On a result of 1, you regain no hit points
as the shell swarm feeds too heavily on your body.
In addition, your total hit dice are reduced by 2.
Magic Items: Advanced Parasitic Weapons  |  EN World EN5ider
Host Seeker. While you are not attuned to
the shell swarm but pick it up, you must make a
DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the
shell swarm becomes attuned and bonded to you,
using up an attunement slot as though you had
done it voluntarily.
Soulshadow Caul
Wondrous item (cloak, symbiotic), rare (requires attunement)
A creature of shadow and darkness, it is unclear
whether a soulshadow caul is undead, demonic, or
of some other origin entirely—investigations both
magical and mundane remain inconclusive. The
symbiotes are often found in exceedingly dark places
where they lay over prone creatures. Once they have
bound to a creature, the host casts a second shadow
in even the brightest of lights, a silhouette that
appears to move and shift on its own.
While attuned to the soulshadow caul you gain the
following features.
Soulshadow. You can use a bonus action
and expend a hit die to activate a soulshadow,
an inky black shadow that moves around you
of its own accord. A soulshadow lasts for up
to 1 minute or until you use a bonus action to
deactivate it. While you have a soulshadow, your
AC increases by +2 against ranged attacks made
by creatures 20 feet or more away from you.
Soulshade. You can use an action and expend
1d4 Hit Dice to create a 30-foot radius of shadow
around you, making the area lightly obscured.
As a bonus action, you may move the obscured
area around yourself, though you must remain
within it and it cannot move through solid walls.
Also as a bonus action, you can expend a Hit Die
to teleport to an unoccupied square within the
lightly obscured area.
At the end of each long rest, you must spend 1
Hit Die to feed the soulshadow caul. After three
consecutive long rests left unfed, the soulshadow
caul detaches itself from you (dealing an amount of
magical piercing damage equal to 1d10 × your level)
and crawls away seeking a different host. e