Bowrickle's Puzzle Box
Wondrous Item · Artifact
- Wondrous Item
- Artifact
- Artifact
Wondrous item, artifact tier — Bowrickle's Puzzle Box is usable without attunement (weight 5 lb). A faintly-ticking clockwork cube that, when solved, opens a portal to a clockwork mansion in another plane. Rules: A faintly-ticking clockwork cube that can be held in one hand and was created long ago by Bowrickle, a legendary gnomish artisan and fabricator of clockwork devices, for his personal use.
Item Details
- Type
- Wondrous Item
- Rarity
- Artifact
- Weight
- 5 lb
- Consumable
- No
- Attunement
- Not required
Description
A faintly-ticking clockwork cube that can be held in one hand and was created long ago by Bowrickle, a legendary gnomish artisan and fabricator of clockwork devices, for his personal use. Various parts can be physically manipulated and it's clear to anyone that picks it up that it is a puzzle. A creature can spend one hour to make a DC 25 Investigation check to work out the solution, and they can repeat that process as many times as necessary. Once a creature finds the solution they can reproduce it perfectly from memory and can teach the process to other creatures without effort, though the complicated series of movements always requires one minute to reproduce.
When the puzzle has been solved the box splits in half, each half suspended in the air. The two halves then float apart, and a portal opens between them that is large enough for Large or smaller creatures to enter. The portal remains open for one minute and cannot be prematurely closed. When the time is up the two halves slam together, the portal closes, and the puzzle box falls to the ground. The portal leads to a clockwork mansion that floats on a large chunk of rock in the astral plane.
There is a bricked-off doorway in the mansion's foyer with a small button next to it. Clicking that button opens a portal that fills the doorway; this portal opens wherever the puzzle box currently is back on the plane you left when you entered the mansion.
Depending on your GM's preference, the mansion may function in one of a few ways:
- Magically Mutable: The portal casts the Magnificent Mansion spell, and you have full control over it.
- Immutable: The mansion's layout is fixed, though you may interact with it and its contents as you would any other building.
- Hybrid Mutability: The mansion's layout is fixed until you find the Bowrickle's ring, somewhere in the mansion. Until then, its defenses may not be very welcoming to unexpected guests.
- A Bastion: Your GM may make this a remotely-accessible bastion for one or more characters in your party, using the 2024 bastion rules.
The puzzle box can only be solved once per long rest, otherwise its moving pieces are locked in place.
Related Magic Items
Frequently Asked Questions about Bowrickle's Puzzle Box
- What rarity is Bowrickle's Puzzle Box?
- The rarity on Bowrickle's Puzzle Box is artifact, which places it at campaign-defining (level 17+ or DM placement).
- Does Bowrickle's Puzzle Box require attunement?
- No attunement is needed for Bowrickle's Puzzle Box. The item activates as soon as the character picks it up and uses it.
- How much does Bowrickle's Puzzle Box weigh?
- The listed weight on Bowrickle's Puzzle Box is 5 lbs.
- What kind of magic item is Bowrickle's Puzzle Box?
- By 5e classification, Bowrickle's Puzzle Box is a Wondrous Item, which means it doesn't fit any of the standard 5e item slots.
- What does Bowrickle's Puzzle Box do?
- The published summary reads: A faintly-ticking clockwork cube that, when solved, opens a portal to a clockwork mansion in another plane.