Patch of the Mallard (Patreon)

Wondrous item, common

This canvas patch can be magically attached to a piece of clothing by pressing it against the clothing for 1 minute. The patch remains on the clothing until you remove it.

You can remove this patch as a reaction when you fall. When you do, your rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round for 1 hour or until you land. If you land before the effect ends, you take no falling damage and can land on your feet. If you land in water, you remain buoyant for the rest of the duration. Alternatively, you can remove this patch using an action to become magically buoyant in water for 1 hour, floating on the water’s surface for the duration. If you start your turn underwater during this effect, you rise up to 30 feet toward the water’s surface. If you are carrying more than twice your weight, you lose this buoyancy.

Once a patch has been removed from a piece of clothing it's attached to, the patch loses its magic and becomes a mundane patch. If the magic patch is removed from a robe of useful items, the patch has a 50 percent chance to keep its magical properties and can be reattached to a piece of clothing again.

The young boy sat on the dock, only stopping to rub the rings under his eyes each time his needle caught on the thimble. Each patch was finished with care, before, after a short rest, he set to work again.

And, with an exhausted smile, he handed each to a sailor just setting out. They took the patches, bemused or grateful, but he always made sure they took them.

Because the last he remembered of his father was a smile, and a call to look after the place until his promised return.

So he looked after the dock, because he knew what it was like when someone couldn't keep that promise.