GREAT SHINOBI OWL

A reward in my Oriental Adventures campaign.  Posted here for my PCs to reference. I am using the nemuranai tag for OA magic items since in Japanese Mythology magic items are not forged or made (this is seen as disrespectful to the indwelling spirit).  Instead the items awaken through various processes – spontaneously, or through powerful magic.

Inspired by Owl in Sekiro.

GREAT SHINOBI OWL

Wonderous item, legendary (nemuranai, requires attunement)

Omen: The owl leaves an ethereal trail behind it which glows with a dim, soothing, radiance.

The great shinobi owl is a figurine of wondrous power– a statuette of a spirit owl small enough to fit in a pocket. You can use an action to speak the command word – tatarimokke – and throw the figurine to a point on the ground within 60 feet of you, the figurine becomes a spectral owl. If the space where the creature would appear is occupied by other creatures or objects, or if there isn’t enough space for the creature, the figurine doesn’t become a creature.

The owl is friendly to you and your companions. It understands your languages and obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, the creature defends itself but takes no other actions.

The owl exists for a duration specific to your proficiency bonus. At the end of the duration, the creature reverts to its figurine form. It reverts to a figurine early if it drops to 0 hit points or if you use an action to speak the command word again while touching it. When the creature becomes a figurine again, its property can’t be used again until a certain amount of time has passed, as specified in the figurine’s description. The owl can telepathically communicate with you at any range if you and it are on the same plane of existence.

A spellcaster with access to the find familiar spell can use the great shinobi owl as its familiar gaining all the benefits of that spell.

• +2. You summon an incorporeal owl (see below for changes) for up to 8 hours. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your owl’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the owl has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. Can only be summoned once every two days once it is destroyed or its duration expires.

• +3.  You may choose to summon a giant spectral owl. The owl can change size per your command between its two forms. It may also be commanded to distract an opponent imposing disadvantage on the target until the owl is destroyed or you command it to stop.

• +4. The owl may cast vanish on you with a recharge of 5 or 6. Vanish works identically to invisibility except it has a duration of 1 round.

• +5. The owl is invisible (as the spell) unless you command otherwise, or it takes an attack or distract action. It must be visible to use its distract action. After using its vanish ability it may use its action to teleport you to a point you can see up to its fly speed. In giant owl form it imparts its incorporeal trait to its rider. The owl also gains the following action:
  • • Phoenix Trail (1/Day). The owl turns into a flaming projectile that travels 60 feet in a line that is 10 feet wide. All creatures in the line must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your dexterity bonus Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) fire damage.

• +6. The owl is now permanent and appears/disappears at your command. You now gain the following action:
  • Shadowrush (1/Short Rest). You and your owl disappear. You move in a straight line up to the owl’s fly speed and may make 1 melee attack against all targets you move past with advantage (unless the targets can see invisibility). You appear at the end of this movement and this consumes all the owl’s actions.

Owl and giant owl have the following changes:

• Its type is changed to celestial (kami) for good and neutral characters or fiend (oni) for evil characters.
• It gains the incorporeal movement trait.
  • Incorporeal Movement.The spectral owl can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

• At level 13 it gains the following traits:
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained

Tsukumogami

Nemuranai were man made items of exceptional quality that had had their kami awakened, either through the skill used in creating them or through their association with great deeds. These items can usually only be attuned or used by a single person. They grow in power as the hero who owns it also grows in fame, honour and power.