Immovable Button (Patreon)

Wondrous item, common

As a bonus action, you can press this iron shirt button against a piece of fabric and speak its command word, “hold”. When you do, the button magically attaches to the cloth, fixing itself in place even if it is defying gravity. The button must be attached to a piece of fabric that is either unworn or worn by a willing creature. It can hold up to 500 pounds of weight and magically prevents the cloth from tearing due to tension. More weight causes the button to deactivate and fall.

A creature can use an action to make a DC 20 Strength check, moving the fixed button up to 10 feet on a success. A creature can make a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check to determine that this button is magical, and if already activated, knows that the fabric around the button can be cut away. The button remains fixed in place for 1 minute before falling. The button’s magic is lost once it’s been used in this way.

Ponsin was agitated. It was unlike them to be late like this. Normally they'd have been here in the crowd already. She looked to the executioner to her left, his meaty hand on twitching on the lever.

"Any last words, scum?" his voice grumbled from behind the mask.

She snarled, "Did your parents ever hold you as a child, cretin?"

The lever was pulled and the floor dropped from beneath her. The crowd gasped as she hung there, unmoving, seemingly suspended in midair. Ponsin looked up and addressed the crowd: "I am the mighty sorceress Yllmesa! Bow before me, and grant me safe passage out of your wretched city!"

She knew her time was limited. She had to lie and play every card she had until her companions could reach her. Ponsin clung to the little iron button in her pocket that held her aloft.

As if by cue, a bolt of lightning lashed out from above, severing the noose hanging around Ponsin's neck. The crowd broke, scattering in a sudden panic. From the corner of her eye she saw a wizard, hand outstretched and gasping for breath on a neighboring rooftop. Her other two party members came up beside him, recognized her situation, and began their hastened descent down to the alley.

With a slight exhale, Ponsin began to relax again. "Late." she repeated to herself.