Precipit, the Formless (Patreon)

Staff, artifact (requires attunement)

This magic coral staff was first found within the Great Reef of the Elemental Plane of Water. Its origins beyond that are entirely unknown, with some suggesting it was made by the plane itself rather than forged or crafted by a mere creature's hands. Attuning to the staff bestows some of its planar powers to you, allowing you to breathe underwater and ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment. In addition, while holding the staff, you have resistance to cold damage.

This staff has 15 charges which are used to power its various properties. The staff regains 1d8 + 7 expended charges daily at dawn.

State Change. The staff has a powerful control over the various states of water. As a bonus action, you can mentally command the staff's ever-present bounty of water to change its state into a gas, liquid, or solid. The properties of each state are listed below. Alternatively, you can expend 1 charge as a reaction when you are the target of an attack or spell to force the staff to change its state more rapidly. When you do, the staff's change is immediate: potentially affecting the outcome of the incoming attack or spell. You take this reaction when you know you are the target of the attack or spell, but before knowing the result of the roll.

Gas. When the staff enters its gaseous state, the water surrounding the staff becomes a fine mist. While holding the staff in this state, you gain the following properties:

• You are resistant to bludgeoning and piercing damage.
• Your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.
• You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
• You can pass through a hostile creature's space without reducing your movement speed. • Attacks of opportunity against you are made with disadvantage.

Gas Spells. While holding the staff in its gas state, you can expend 1 or more of the staff's charges on your turn to cast the following spells from it (save DC 18): cloudkill (5 charges), fog cloud (1 charge), gaseous form (3 charges), misty step (2 charges), or wind walk (6 charges).

Tailwind. While holding the staff in its gas state, you can expend 2 charges and speak the staff's command word as an action to grant additional powers to you and nearby allies. Until the end of your next turn, you and friendly creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you can take the Dash action as a bonus action and don't provoke opportunity attacks by moving.

Liquid. When the staff enters its liquid state, the water surrounding the staff becomes a swirling torrent. While holding the staff in this state, you gain the following properties:

• You are resistant to bludgeoning and slashing damage.
• Your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.
• You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
• You can stand on and move across any liquid surface as if it were solid ground.
• When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.

Liquid Spells. While holding the staff in its liquid state, you can expend 1 or more of the staff's charges on your turn to cast the following spells from it: blur (2 charges), control water (4 charges), create or destroy water (1 charge), mirror image (2 charges), or water breathing (3 charges).

Tide Turner. While holding the staff in its liquid state, you can expend 3 charges and speak the staff's command word as an action to send out a wave of ethereal magic water to buffet and push your enemies. Hostile creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you are forced to make a DC 18 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage and is pushed either 20 feet toward you or away from you (your choice). On a successful save, the creature takes half as much bludgeoning damage and is not pushed.

Solid. When the staff enters its solid state, the water surrounding the staff becomes a frozen shell. While holding the staff in this state, you gain the following properties:

• You are resistant to piercing and slashing damage.
• Your movement speed is reduced to 5 feet.
• You gain a +3 bonus to AC.
• If you're pushed against your will, the distance you are pushed is halved.
• You gain 10 temporary hit points at the start of each of your turns that last until the staff changes state.

Solid Spells. While holding the staff in its solid state, you can expend some of the staff's charges on your turn to cast the following spells from it (save DC 18): cone of cold (5 charges), ice storm (4 charges), ray of frost (no charges, or 1 charge to cast at 5th level; +10 to hit with ranged spell attack), wall of ice (6 charges).

Deep Freeze. While holding the staff in its solid state, you can expend 4 charges and speak the staff's command word as an action to send out a chilling blast to freeze your enemies. Hostile creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you are forced to make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 cold damage and its speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much cold damage and its speed is halved instead.

Random Properties. Precipit, the Formless has the following random properties:

• 2 minor beneficial properties.
• 2 minor detrimental properties.

Destroying the Staff. The only way to destroy the staff is to keep it untouched by water for one hundred years while on the Elemental Plane of Water, at which point it crumbles to dust. Any amount, such as a puff of misty air, a drip of water, or the touch of ice during that time reinvigorates the staff's bounty of water.

The sea is a vessel for life, for time, and for change. How will you live in its watery embrace? Will you be swept up in its currents? And what kind of change is it that you seek to make? The choice is yours.