Wand of Wonder

The campaign uses a homebrew procedure for the Wand of Wonder. A wielder can still use the item as an arcane focus and can cast their own spells normally, but when they activate the wand's random magic, they roll both the wand's random-effect result and an Arcana check.

• Category: Magic item / homebrew item procedure.

The Wand of Wonder is a slender wand carved from an alder tree struck by lightning. It can be used as an arcane focus.

When a wielder chooses to cast randomly with the wand, they roll the Wand of Wonder's random-effect result and also make an Arcana check.

The DM determines the random magical effect. The Arcana check does not choose or change the effect. Instead, the quality of the Arcana check tells the wielder whether the coming effect seems better aimed toward an enemy, an ally, the wielder, open space, or somewhere else. A good Arcana check might reveal that an Enlarge-like result should be aimed at a friend, while a poor check might leave the wielder uncertain until the magic fires.

This procedure is player-facing because any character who gains a Wand of Wonder should use the same table rule, not only Caleb Gandalfson.

• Caleb Gandalfson
• The Drums Beneath Stonehome
• Atlantean Arcanist's Guide to Wandcraft

Played. Caleb Gandalfson used his Wand of Wonder during the Stonehome ritual-room fight, producing decisive Fireball and Lightning Bolt results. His table rule included rolling Arcana after the d100 result to understand whether the effect should be aimed at a friend or foe.

• Confidence: high that Caleb's Wand of Wonder uses this Arcana aiming procedure, based on user-provided canon notes and the rpg-character-cards project.
• Confidence: high that this homebrew addition should apply to future Wands of Wonder in the campaign, not only Caleb's wand.