Before you charge into battle, take a moment to research your enemy. Discover their strengths and weaknesses, and exploit their vulnerabilities as best you can. With the right equipment and the right preparation, even the mightiest of monsters can be slain.
This chapter introduces magical oils and ways you can use them to enhance your weapons and armor.
Magical Oils
Oils are magically-infused ointments that can imbue weapons and armor with a temporary magical effect—resistances, additional damage, etc.
You can apply a magical oil to a weapon or piece of light, medium or heavy armor in one of two ways:
- Coat Spend one minute carefully applying the oil, which lasts for up to one hour.
- Splash Spend a bonus action to apply the oil, which lasts for up to one minute. When you splash on an oil, reduce the number of charges it has by 1.
You must have at least one free hand to do this, and you can't apply an oil to anything held by an unwilling target. An item can only benefit from one oil at a time—when you apply an oil, it replaces any currently active oil on the item.
In the Spiteful Halls, Krazak fights the Lord of Cinder—a fire elemental vulnerable to cold damage.
Krazak spends a bonus action to splash one whole vial of Royal Oil of Frost over his greataxe, adding +1d4 cold damage to his attacks for the next minute. Because the oil was splashed on, it has only 2 charges instead of the usual 3.
Creating Oils
If you are proficient with both a) arcana and b) an alchemist's kit, you can turn gemstones into magical oils. There are three steps to follow:
1Pick an Oil
First, you must decide which oil you want to craft—the oil's recipe will tell you which gemstone is needed.
2Get a Gemstone
Next, you must acquire a suitable gemstone and grind it into dust. Your gemstone must be a) cut and b) either royal, lucent, or astral in quality (as specified by your oil).
3Craft the Oil
It takes 8 hours of work with an alchemist's kit to turn gemstone dust into oil. Once you have spent this time, roll to see if your efforts were successful. Make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against the quality of your gemstone dust: royal (DC 15), lucent (DC 20), or astral (DC 25).
- Critical Success Your oil was perfectly formed—you were able to create three vials of oil.
- Success You were able to create two vials of oil.
- Failure The mixture's gone bad and can't be used.
During a long rest, Clanda wants to create some Oil of Destruction. She buys a royal onyx and, after 1 hour, rolls a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana)—with a result of 18, she creates two vials of Royal Oil of Destruction.
Oil Recipes
| d100 | Jewel | Gemstone | Armor | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01-10 | Blessing | Diamond | Divine Protection Reduce necrotic damage you take, and spend a charge to gain a bonus to your saving throws. | Judgement Flare Deal additional radiant damage, and spend a charge to blind your enemy. |
| 11-20 | Blight | Emerald | Poison Tongue Reduce acid damage you take, and spend a charge to spit poison onto an adjacent creature. | Plaguebearer Deal additional poison damage, and spend a charge to poison your enemy. |
| 21-30 | Destruction | Onyx | Dark Harvest Reduce radiant damage you take, and spend a charge to inflict wounds onto an adjacent creature. | Obliterate Deal additional necrotic damage, and spend a charge to disintegrate your enemy. |
| 31-40 | Energy | Topaz | Unlimited Power Reduce thunder damage you take, and spend a charge to shoot a bolt of lighting. | Static Shock Deal additional lightning damage, and spend a charge to stop your enemy from taking reactions. |
| 41-50 | Flameheart | Ruby | Volcanic Fury Reduce cold damage you take, and spend a charge to burn all adjacent creatures. | Ashen Soul Deal additional fire damage, and spend a charge to burn your enemy with ongoing flames. |
| 51-60 | Frenzy | Amethyst | Twisted Voice Reduce force damage you take, and spend a charge to hurt a creature with psychic whispers. | Mind Warp Deal additional psychic damage, and spend a charge to punish your enemy for attacking other targets. |
| 61-70 | Ice | Sapphire | Winds of Winter Reduce fire damage you take, and spend a charge to hurt your enemies with a cone of frozen wind. | Frostshock Deal additional cold damage, and spend a charge to freeze your enemy in place. |
| 71-80 | Spellshock | Aquamarine | Force Repel Reduce psychic damage you take, and spend a charge to gain a magical bonus to your AC. | Spellbreaker Deal additional force damage, and spend a charge to punish your enemy for casting spells. |
| 81-90 | Spite | Peridot | Fabulous Bile Reduce poison damage you take, and spend a charge to spray painful acid at your enemies. | Corruptor Deal additional acid damage, and spend a charge to reduce your target's AC. |
| 91-00 | Storms | Alexandrite | Sonic Boom Reduce lightning damage you take, and spend a charge to create a painfully-loud sonic boom. | Thunderwave Deal additional thunder damage, and spend a charge to push your target away. |
Oil of Blessing
Armor Divine Protection
-
Reduce any necrotic damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, whenever you make a saving throw, you can spend 1 charge to gain a +2 bonus to your roll (you may decide this after you make your roll).
- You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and the saving throw bonus increases to +4.
- You gain immunity to necrotic damage, and the saving throw bonus increases to +6.
Weapon Judgement Flare
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 radiant damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to blind the target until the end of its next turn (Constitution save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
Oil of Blight
Armor Poison Tongue
-
Reduce any acid damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to spit poison on an adjacent creature. The creature takes 3d6 poison damage (Constitution save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to acid damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to acid damage, damage increases to 5d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Plaguebearer
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 poison damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to poison the target until the end of its next turn (Constitution save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
Oil of Destruction
Armor Dark Harvest
-
Reduce any radiant damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to inflict wounds on an adjacent creature. The creature takes 3d6 necrotic damage (Dexterity save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to radiant damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to radiant damage, damage increases to 5d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Obliterate
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 necrotic damage. When you reduce a target to 0 hit points with this weapon, you can spend 1 charge to disintegrate it.
- Damage increases to +2d4.
- Damage increases to +3d4.
The deva stood atop the crystal stairway, eyes burning with rage. "Mortals, you stand accused of blasphemy against the most holy Dark Lady. How do you plead?"
"Guilty as charged," replied Truth smoothly. His armor gleamed with a freshly-coated oil of destruction.
"Yea," said Krazak. "The dragon queen can get f—"
"I think they get the point," interrupted Truth.
Oil of Energy
Armor Unlimited Power
-
Reduce any thunder damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to cast lightning in a 5 ft by 15 ft line from you. Each creature takes 2d6 lightning damage (Constitution save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to thunder damage, damage increases to 3d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to thunder damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Static Shock
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 lightning damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to stop the target taking reactions until the end of its next turn (Constitution save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
Oil of Flameheart
Armor Volcanic Fury
-
Reduce any cold damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to unleash a burst of flame all around. Each adjacent creature takes 2d6 fire damage (Constitution save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to cold damage, damage increases to 3d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to cold damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Ashen Soul
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 fire damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to burn the target with ongoing flames. The flames last for up to one minute or until the target spends an action to put out the fire (Constitution save, DC 13). A burning target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of its turn.
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
Burn your enemies away with Volcanic Fury...
Oil of Frenzy
Armor Twisted Voice
-
Reduce any force damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to speak dissonant whispers. Choose one creature within 20 ft that can hear you—the creature takes 3d6 psychic damage (Wisdom save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to force damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to force damage, damage increases to 5d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Mind Warp
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 psychic damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to give the target disadvantage on attack rolls that don't include you until the end of its next turn (Wisdom save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
Oil of Ice
Armor Winds of Winter
-
Reduce any fire damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to create frozen winds in a 15 ft cone. Each creature within range takes 2d6 cold damage (Constitution save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to fire damage, damage increases to 3d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to fire damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Frostshock
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 cold damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to reduce the target's speed to 0 until the end of its next turn (Strength save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
Oil of Spellshock
Armor Force Repel
-
Reduce any psychic damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as a reaction, you can spend 1 charge to gain a +3 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.
- You gain resistance to psychic damage, and the AC bonus increases to +4.
- You gain immunity to psychic damage, and the AC bonus increases to +5.
Weapon Spellbreaker
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 force damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to give the target disadvantage when casting spells until the end of its next turn (Intelligence save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18.
The lich crackled with arcane power. "Accept your fate, cleric. The ritual will complete. Join me in death."
Valiant reached into his pouch and uncorked his oil of spellshock, splashing it onto his mace. Immediately, it started to vibrate with raw, spellbreaking force.
"You'll have to kill me first," challenged Valiant.
Oil of Spite
Armor Fabulous Bile
-
Reduce any poison damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to spray acid in a 15 ft cone. Each creature within range takes 2d6 acid damage (Dexterity save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to poison damage.
- You gain immunity to poison damage.
Weapon Corruptor
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 acid damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to reduce the target's AC by 2 until the end of its next turn (Dexterity save, DC 13). This AC reduction is not cumulative.
- Damage increases to +2d4, AC reduction increases to 3, and DC increases to 15.
- Damage increases to +3d4, AC reduction increases to 4, and DC increases to 18.
Oil of Storms
Armor Sonic Boom
-
Reduce any lightning damage you take by half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).
In addition, as an action, you can spend 1 charge to unleash a sonic boom. Each adjacent creature takes 2d6 thunder damage (Constitution save, DC 13).
- You gain resistance to lightning damage, damage increases to 3d6, DC increases to 15.
- You gain immunity to lightning damage, damage increases to 4d6, DC increases to 18.
Weapon Thunderwave
-
When you hit a target with this weapon, you deal +1d4 thunder damage.
In addition, you can spend 1 charge to push the target back up to 10 ft from you (Strength save, DC 13).
- Damage increases to +2d4, DC increases to 15, distance increase to 15 ft.
- Damage increases to +3d4, DC increases to 18, distance increase to 20 ft.
As goblins swarmed around him, Viridian sang out a command word. There was an explosive thunderclap. The goblins collapsed, blood pouring from their ears.