Back towards the end of the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 life cycle, the Magic Item Compendium introduced a new concept called item sets. These items were unique in that they were items that were thematically linked that grew more powerful the more pieces of that set you collected and equipped. It was an idea that I really enjoyed that I would have liked to see them do more with. I have seen several attempts to replicate this concept in Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and it is building off of their materials that I took a stab at my own, with a mythical set of arms and armor.
The Crusader’s Armaments
The figure known as the Crusader was a Paladin of no small renown in the distant past. No one is really sure who or what they really were, but they came at a time when the realm was facing a particularly aggressive incursion from the Abyss. As demons bled into our realm, there proved to be very few warriors capable of pushing them back and the grounds they gained were frightful to behold. And then the being that would become known as the Crusader appeared on the battlefield. With sword and shield they stood as a bulwark against the forces of evil. They proved an inspiration for the defeated people of the realm who once again took up arms and armor and fought back with renewed hope and renewed ferocity. And just as abruptly as they appeared, the Crusader disappeared. Some say they gave their life in the battles. Others say they ascended back to the heavens that they originally came from. Others are convinced that they pursued retreating forces into the Abyss itself. And still others say that they have seen someone bearing their likeness to this day in areas and conflicts where all hope seems to be lost and the forces of evil prove overwhelming.
The truth of the matter is that we may never know what happened to the original Crusader, but their arms and armor have shown up time and again making legends out of new people. Where the need is greatest, it is said that these mythical artifacts will show up to help turn the tide.
New Rule: Item Sets and Attunement
As the rules stand, you can only attune to three magic items at any time in 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. However, these item sets are often more than three items – so how do we solve the problem of attuning to all of these items to our character to get the full benefits of the item set? Simple – Item’s that are part of an item set gain a new magical item descriptor of “set” along with what item set they belong to. These items are particularly harmonious. Attuning to the first item from an item set works as normal. Attuning to any further items from that same item set do not count against your limit for attuned items. However, you can only be attuned to any one item set at any given time. If you ever wish to attune to a magical item from a different item set, you must end your attunement with the other item set. This does not stop you from attuning to any magical items that are not part of an item set, but you are still limited to the three item maximum (or one item set and two items not from a set).
Ben Erickson
