The Three Words

Three rings of entangled pearlescent stone,

carved with words in an unknown language that
tremble with improbable meaning.

“The Chicken! Yes!”

—Alvanoraset, Prophet of the Unmaking, final words

Kenny Webb John MarkS

 The Three Words
item, legendary, single use

Shatter the three rings upon the ground as

you speak exactly three words.

Every sentient being on your plane hears

the words you speak, and the meaning
resonates with them forever.

If the words are a statement, many will

believe them as truth, and those that don’t
will always wonder.

If the words are a command, many will

obey, and those that don’t will always feel
the echoes of the compulsion.

If the words are nonsense, scholars and

mystics will always ponder their meaning.

Cost 100,000 gp

©2022 Cloud Curio, LLC. thecloudcurio.com

 The Three Words
Three rings of entangled pearlescent stone,
carved with words in an unknown language that
tremble with improbable meaning.

“The Chicken! Yes!”

—Alvanoraset, Prophet of the Unmaking, final words

Kenny Webb John MarkS

 The Three Words
item, legendary, single use

Shatter the three rings upon the ground as

you speak exactly three words.

Every sentient being on your plane hears

the words you speak, and the meaning
resonates with them forever.

If the words are a statement, many will

believe them as truth, and those that don’t
will always wonder.

If the words are a command, many will

obey, and those that don’t will always feel
the echoes of the compulsion.

If the words are nonsense, scholars and

mystics will always ponder their meaning.

Cost 100,000 gp

©2022 Cloud Curio, LLC. thecloudcurio.com

 The Three Words
Designer Notes: Kenny Webb
Did you happen to watch the obscure 2009 show FlashForward? I’m
going to take a guess and say “no,” because it was canceled after
just one season. At the time, I decided to give it a try because I was
watching/disappointed in Lost, and I was really hankering for a new
weirdo mystery to sink my teeth into.
And the hook of the mystery does draw you in. The show kicks off with
an event called the Blackout: everyone on Earth loses consciousness
simultaneously for 2½ minutes. During that time, people get a
glimpse into their own lives six months in the future.
This premise has a lot of fun things to work with, but what really gets
my gears turning is the idea of a shared global event that takes
place over just a few moments. If you want a more modern example
that perhaps a few more people have seen, there is the Thanos Snap
(or the Blip) from the MCU’s Infinity War and Endgame.
I wanted a simple, clean version of such a shared global event, which
leads us back to the Three Words. So what would happen if everyone
on the planet heard a strange voice in their heads speaking the
same short message?
Effects of Using the Three Words
Benefits of the Three Words. Characters may use the Three Words
to achieve some of the following results:
y Send an instantaneous message to a specific person or group
with no limits on distance.
Š For example: “seal the gate,” “Mormex is here,” “spring
the trap,” or “take him away.”
y Effect sweeping change in public opinion.
Š For example: “start the revolution,” “the Regent lies,”
“believe Arvya’s words,” or “fear the arcane.”
y Mimic divine revelation or prophecy.
Š For example: “behold my heir,” “hark, the bloodied,”
“forsake your hypocrisy,” or “three guiding lights.”
y Cause planetwide chaos, either as a distraction or for fun.
Š For example: “find the squirrel,” “Ach! Beware the—,” “just
eat cheese,” or “It’s coming; hide.”
Unintended Consequences. The invocation of the Three Words will
change the course of history, driving the story of the game world
in new, exciting directions. Consider the following questions when
exploring how the use of this event impacts the story:
y What factions will investigate the event? What do they hope to
discover?
y Who will take advantage of the event, perhaps by claiming that
they are responsible?
y What explanations emerge as a result of the event?
y What organizations emerge as a result of the event?
thecloudcurio.com
Where Did the Three Words Come From?
The Three Words can fit into a fictional world in any number of ways,
including allowing the item’s origin to remain a complete mystery.
However, for those wishing to flesh out the item and make it a key
feature of their world, the following origins can serve as inspiration:
y A trickster god created the item and left it to be discovered to
sow chaos in the world.
y The item is the final catalyst in an eons-long genetic
experiment, triggering an embedded code that sends the
message through the nervous system of all sentient beings.
y The item is a leftover relic from a creation myth. In the
beginning, many such items were used to record the story of
creation. Now they retain a remnant of that creative power.
y An isolated civilization created the item as a means of making
contact with other theorized cultures.
Limiting the Power of the Three Words (GM Tip):
If you’re concerned that the Three Words will be too strong in your
game, or you’re concerned about the difficulty of running a game
with an item of such boundless consequences, consider the following
options:
y Literally just three words
Š The power of the item is simply to broadcast three words
to all sentient beings on the plane.
Š The words do not have any special power to influence
beliefs or behavior.
Š This version of the Three Words is rare instead of
legendary, and it costs 10,000 gp.
y Give NPCs an option to save
Š When the Three Words are invoked, relevant NPCs that
would be affected by the item are permitted a saving
throw against any additional effects beyond merely
hearing the words. The DC of the save is left to the GM’s
discretion.
y Enforce a duration of effect
Š Place a limitation on how long the effects of using the
Three Words linger. Perhaps the effects last only for a
year, or a month, or just a few minutes. Let the players
know this limitation when they obtain the item.
y The truth is discovered
Š Factions in the world will work to discover what caused this
global event. If one of these factions finds evidence of the
truth, they may undo the effects to some degree.
A quick note on how we approach 5e: Occasionally you might see
statistics and other choices we make in our publications that make
you say, “Huh. I wonder why they did it that way?” You can check out
this page dedicated to explaining how we approach 5e.