I was scrolling through TikTok the other day (things I never thought I would say as a 36 year old, but here we are) and I came across an interesting concept. DND content creator @mrshickadance was talking about the new Dungeons and Dragons themed block for Magic: The Gathering. If you somehow missed this news – Wizards of the Coast very recently released a Forgotten Realms themed Magic: The Gathering set including classic Dungeons and Dragons items, characters, and modules. In this video he put forth the concept that since so many DND classics have now crossed over into Magic, it seemed only fitting that the reverse should happen. And I really like that idea. There are lots of great cards that would work well as magic items, creatures, or even spells for DND 5e.
We’re going to start this by turning the Blight Sickle artifact into a magic item.
These weapons were created by a cult that sprang up around a perversion of the goddess Chauntea to be carried by their most devout as badges of office. The cult was eventually eradicated by the actual church of Chauntea, but these weapons disappeared with it. They are occasionally found by adventurers, but their tainted legacy means that only the more unscrupulous of them deign to use them.
This card has an ability that can translate pretty effectively into 5th Edition rules. Wither makes a target weaker by giving it a -1/-1 counter which could ultimately destroy the target if they are made weak enough. What 5e mechanic does that sound like? Exhaustion. It may not be an overly impressive magical item for the characters to wield, but a group of cultists trying to bring the original group back carrying these weapons could really make for a bad time for the characters especially if Constitution is not their strong suit.
What are some of your favorite Magic cards that you think would make the transition to DND 5e well? Let me know and maybe you’ll see them in a future installment.
Ben Erickson
