Rod of Alertness 5e
Rod, very rare (requires attunement)
This rod has a flanged head and the following properties.
Alertness. While holding the rod, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on rolls for initiative.
Spells. While holding the rod, you can use an action to cast one of the following spells from it: Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, or See Invisibility.
Protective Aura. As an action, you can plant the haft end of the rod in the ground, whereupon the rod's head sheds bright light in a 60-foot radius and dim light for an additional 60 feet. While in that bright light, you and any creature that is friendly to you gain a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws and can sense the location of any invisible hostile creature that is also in the bright light.
The rod's head stops glowing and the effect ends after 10 minutes, or when a creature uses an action to pull the rod from the ground. This property can't be used again until the next dawn.
Commentary by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
If you’re sick and tired of going last in initiative, maybe you should seek out a Rod of Alertness. This handy dandy detection stick offers a myriad of nifty detection methods on top of being able to create bubbles of safety to bolster your party’s defenses.
Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, and See Invisibility all require concentration, meaning you can’t have multiples of their effects up simultaneously.
Being able to sense an invisible, hostile creature doesn’t remove the benefits it gains from the invisible condition.
Once the rod is planted, it must remain in the light and benefits to persist.
The bright light can be cloaked by physical objects or magical darkness, mitigating benefits the rod would otherwise provide.
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