Orb of the Mapmaker

wondrous item, major tier, artifact (attunement optional)

Written by Jesús Blanco Artero

This orb made of ever-shifting, magically engraved metal bands is a very powerful tool for magically storing spatial information, and there does not seem to be a limit to how much information can be preserved within.

Record Mode. While holding the Orb, you can use an action to speak its first command word, causing it to start recording the placement of permanent structures (and items that serve functionally to partition space) within a 60-foot radius. This property is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood, but can detect objects around corners or through openings. The Orb can record in all directions while active in this way and adds information so long as it continually moves no more than 30 feet per round. The Orb records for up to 1 hour or until its command word is spoken again, whichever happens first.

Once it stops recording, any information gathered is permanently stored within the Orb. You must immediately give a name by which you can reference this information in the future. Any individual recording may be later expanded upon by activating the Orb from anywhere within the recorded area. This item cannot record the presence of temporary or moving items, nor the location of living or dead creatures. Once this property of the item is used, it cannot be used again until the next dawn.

Show Mode. As long as Crawler Mode is not active, you may speak the second command word and the reference name of a stored recording, causing the Orb to display a translucent, shimmering image of all information recorded at that location. This image can be rescaled or moved at will, and it remains visible until you speak the second command word again. The image does not occupy space and cannot be interacted with other than to change its view.

The Mapmaker. Attuning to the orb reveals to the attuned creature that the orb holds the consciousness of its creator, the Mapmaker, who can impede the user from attuning to it if they so wish to. The Mapmaker is a sentient entity of chaotic neutral alignment with an Intelligence of 20, a Wisdom of 16 and a Charisma of 14, and prefers arcane spellcasters over other classes when it comes to attuned users. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 feet and can communicate telepathically with attuned creatures in any language they know.

Spellcasting aid. Once attuned, you may use the orb as a spellcasting focus. If you are an arcane caster, the following spells are added to your spell list for as long as you are attuned to the orb: arcane gate, dimension door, gate, misty step, plane shift, teleport, teleportation circle, and word of recall. Furthermore, if you are a wizard, you may use the orb as a spellbook in which you can copy your spells at half the usual cost.

Once per day, if you expend a number of spell slots with combined levels no higher than your proficiency bonus, the Mapmaker may additionally provide a bonus to your spellcasting attack bonus and save DC equal to half those levels (rounded down, to a minimum of +1). This benefit lasts only until the end of your next long rest.

Charged casting. The Mapmaker may also allow you access to a number of charges equal to 1 + the combined levels of expended spell slots, which you can spend to cast spells as per the following table, so long as they are of a spell level available to you. Any charges not spent are lost at the end of your next long rest.

Charges	Spells
2	Misty Step
3	Thunder Step
4	Dimension Door
5	Teleportation Circle
6	Arcane Gate, Word of Recall
7	Plane Shift, Teleport

Item type

Unique Artifact