The Shattered Weave & Attunement Instability
The Shattered Weave & Attunement Instability
A World Anvil Article for M’Brell
• Tears in leyline junctions
• Reversal currents in arcane nexuses
• Weakening of natural magical boundaries
• Unstable connections to other Planes
• “Echo bleed” from other planes
As a result, attunement—which is effectively a spiritual handshake between a creature and an item’s arcane echo—can now backfire, misfire, or unleash stored Weave recoil. Most creatures feel only a faint “pressure behind the eyes.” Attuners feel the full force.
1–10 (Minor Side Effects – harmless, temporary)
1. Mild headache for 1 hour; disadvantage on Perception.
2. Fingers tingle; object feels cold for a day.
3. Vision blurs briefly; no mechanical effect.
4. Small static sparks when touching metal for 1 hour.
5. Hair stands on end; looks ridiculous.
6. Momentary nosebleed.
7. Harmless illusions of fluttering lights for 10 minutes.
8. A faint ringing in the ears.
9. Warmth radiates from the chest for 5 minutes.
10. You sneeze uncontrollably for 1 minute.
11–30 (Moderate Magical Feedback – mild penalties)
11. 1d4 psychic damage.
12. Disadvantage on Wisdom checks for 1 hour.
13. Temporary color blindness for 10 minutes.
14. You speak only in whispers for 1 hour.
15. Sudden vertigo; speed halved for 10 minutes.
16. You forget a recent memory from the last hour.
17. Shadows cling unnaturally to you for 1 hour.
18. You hear whispers in an unknown language for 5 minutes.
19. Your reflection lags behind your movements for 1 hour.
20. Hands glow dimly for 10 minutes.
21. 1d6 force damage.
22. You can’t speak your native language for 10 minutes.
23. You smell faint sulfur for 1 hour.
24. A minor ghostly echo of yourself follows you 1 step behind for 10 minutes.
25. Your voice is deeper or higher for an hour.
26. Your skin becomes cold as stone for 1 hour.
27. You hear your name whispered once from behind.
28. Your shadow disappears for 10 minutes.
29. You hiccup small sparks for 1 minute.
30. You temporarily forget how to read for 10 minutes.
31–60 (Serious Magical Backlash – mechanical consequences)
31. 2d6 psychic damage.
32. Frightened of the item for 1 hour.
33. You believe someone is watching you for 1 hour (no mechanical penalty).
34. You lose the ability to cast spells for 1 hour (if applicable).
35. You are deafened for 10 minutes.
36. You are blinded for 1 minute.
37. You involuntarily cast a harmless cantrip in a random direction.
38. Your hands temporarily pass through nonmagical wood/stone for 10 minutes.
39. Disadvantage on all attack rolls for 10 minutes.
40. Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1d4 for 24 hours.
41. A random prepared spell or known spell fizzles out for 24 hours.
42. You fall unconscious for 1 minute.
43. Disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws for 1 hour.
44. You exhale a cloud of insects (harmless) and cough for 1 minute.
45. You lose the sense of taste for 24 hours.
46. A ghostly hand touches your shoulder; take 1d8 cold damage.
47. You speak in rhymes for 1 hour.
48. Your skin becomes translucent for 1 hour.
49. The Weave rejects you: disadvantage to all spellcasting for 24 hours.
50. A nearby mirror cracks spontaneously.
51. A random minor magical item on your person becomes inert for 24 hours.
52. You become frightened of your own reflection for 10 minutes.
53. You involuntarily shout a secret when startled (DM chooses).
54. A 10-foot radius around you smells like ozone for 1 hour.
55. Your veins glow faintly for 10 minutes.
56. Your eyes turn pitch black for 1 hour (no mechanical effect).
57. Your touch deals 1 lightning damage for 10 minutes.
58. You gain a temporary phobia of the dark for 1 hour.
59. 3d6 psychic damage.
60. You find yourself standing in the Shadowfell, from 1 - 10 minutes.
61–90 (Major Catastrophe – lasting impact or severe risk)
61. You lose 1d6 hit points permanently.
62. A hostile spirit whispers your true name.
63. You become stunned for 1 minute.
64. You lose one spell slot (random) for 24 hours.
65. Roll on the Wildmagic Table.
66. A random magical item in your pack becomes cursed.
67. Your become hyper-aggressive for 24 hours. Any resistance to you by anyone / anything sends you into a rage and you enter into combat, regardless of who it is.
68. You are knocked prone and take 4d6 psychic damage.
69. A fragment of your soul is displaced; disadvantage on death saves for 24 hours.
70. A frightened apparition of yourself appears and flees.
71. You briefly swap senses with a creature within 60 ft for 10 minutes.
72. A small demon or spirit takes interest in you (DM decides how).
73. You lose the ability to lie for 24 hours.
74. You hear every heartbeat within 30 ft for 1 hour.
75. You are paralyzed for 1- 20 minutes.
76. You teleport 10–100 ft in a random direction.
77. The Weave brands your skin: glowing sigil (permanent but cosmetic).
78. Anyone buried within a grave within 1 mile rises and comes to greet you.
79. You age 1d10 years.
80. You are knocked unconscious for 1 - 12 hours.
81. A random enemy becomes aware of your presence.
82. You become invisible for 24 hours (druids sense this).
83. Your shadow becomes an entity and moves independently for 24 hours.
84. You take 6d6 force damage.
85. You lose the ability to sleep for 48 hours.
86. A random spell in the area triggers, with you and/or your allies as the target (DM choice).
87. A vision of your death flashes before your eyes; frightened for 1 hour.
88. You forget a loved one’s name for 24 hours.
89. You take 5d10 psychic damage.
90. You scream uncontrollably for 1 minute.
91–100 (Severe / Fate-Altering Consequences)
91. You are tranported to the Astral Plane. Take 6d10 psychic damage upon arrival.
92. You lose a limb (magical restoration required).
93. Your body withers and you appear as an Undead (cosmetic only).
94. A rift opens under you: you fall prone and take 8d6 force damage.
95. Your soul is briefly torn; lose 1 CON permanently.
96. A hostile planar entity marks you as prey.
97. You lose 1 experience level.
98. You vanish into another plane .
99. You die instantly (death save allowed at DC 20).
100. Catastrophic backlash: massive Weave detonation, 20-ft radius, 10d10 force damage to all.
Overview
Magic across M’Brell has changed—subtly at first, then unmistakably—after the first Black Dragons crossed into the world through the Weave-tunnels forced open by the Kult Drachen. The Weave, once a gentle and omnipresent lattice that permeated all living things, now behaves like a pulled thread, frayed and unpredictable wherever planar stresses are greatest. Most of the public has not yet noticed anything amiss. But mages, priests, warlocks, druids—and now those who wield attuned magical items—feel the consequences intimately. This instability manifests most dangerously during attunement, when a mortal soul aligns itself with a magical relic. The process is no longer safe, predictable, or guaranteed.Every attunement now carries risk.
Why the Weave Broke
The Cult of Drakken’s ritual forced planar fissures open between M’Brell and the Shadow Cosm, allowing Black and Green Dragons to manifest. This strain caused:• Tears in leyline junctions
• Reversal currents in arcane nexuses
• Weakening of natural magical boundaries
• Unstable connections to other Planes
• “Echo bleed” from other planes
As a result, attunement—which is effectively a spiritual handshake between a creature and an item’s arcane echo—can now backfire, misfire, or unleash stored Weave recoil. Most creatures feel only a faint “pressure behind the eyes.” Attuners feel the full force.
The Attunement DC
The DC (Difficulty Class) represents how violently the Weave reacts to the binding attempt.Baseline DC by Item Rarity
- Common (attuned): 8
- Uncommon: 12
- Rare: 15
- Very Rare: 18
- Legendary: 22
- Artifact: 25+
Add Power Modifiers
- +0: Mild or mostly utility
- +2: Strong item or major benefit
- +4: Multiple abilities or powerful spells
- +6: World-shaping effects, planar, draconic
Add Sentience / Lore Modifiers
- +0: Non-sentient, neutral
- +3: Partially sentient, aligned, bound to history
- +5: Fully sentient, planar-tied, divine, or draconic
Final Formula
Attunement DC = Rarity + Power Modifier + Sentience ModifierAttempting Attunement
To attune to any magical item requiring attunement:- Spend the required time with the item (usually a short rest).
- Make a Wisdom saving throw.
- Add all normal modifiers.
- Compare result to the item’s attunement DC
- If the roll meets or exceeds the DC → normal attunement succeeds. If the roll fails → roll on the table below.
The d100 Attunement Consequences Table
DM Secret Roll 1d100 if the character fails the attunement check.1–10 (Minor Side Effects – harmless, temporary)
1. Mild headache for 1 hour; disadvantage on Perception.
2. Fingers tingle; object feels cold for a day.
3. Vision blurs briefly; no mechanical effect.
4. Small static sparks when touching metal for 1 hour.
5. Hair stands on end; looks ridiculous.
6. Momentary nosebleed.
7. Harmless illusions of fluttering lights for 10 minutes.
8. A faint ringing in the ears.
9. Warmth radiates from the chest for 5 minutes.
10. You sneeze uncontrollably for 1 minute.
11–30 (Moderate Magical Feedback – mild penalties)
11. 1d4 psychic damage.
12. Disadvantage on Wisdom checks for 1 hour.
13. Temporary color blindness for 10 minutes.
14. You speak only in whispers for 1 hour.
15. Sudden vertigo; speed halved for 10 minutes.
16. You forget a recent memory from the last hour.
17. Shadows cling unnaturally to you for 1 hour.
18. You hear whispers in an unknown language for 5 minutes.
19. Your reflection lags behind your movements for 1 hour.
20. Hands glow dimly for 10 minutes.
21. 1d6 force damage.
22. You can’t speak your native language for 10 minutes.
23. You smell faint sulfur for 1 hour.
24. A minor ghostly echo of yourself follows you 1 step behind for 10 minutes.
25. Your voice is deeper or higher for an hour.
26. Your skin becomes cold as stone for 1 hour.
27. You hear your name whispered once from behind.
28. Your shadow disappears for 10 minutes.
29. You hiccup small sparks for 1 minute.
30. You temporarily forget how to read for 10 minutes.
31–60 (Serious Magical Backlash – mechanical consequences)
31. 2d6 psychic damage.
32. Frightened of the item for 1 hour.
33. You believe someone is watching you for 1 hour (no mechanical penalty).
34. You lose the ability to cast spells for 1 hour (if applicable).
35. You are deafened for 10 minutes.
36. You are blinded for 1 minute.
37. You involuntarily cast a harmless cantrip in a random direction.
38. Your hands temporarily pass through nonmagical wood/stone for 10 minutes.
39. Disadvantage on all attack rolls for 10 minutes.
40. Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1d4 for 24 hours.
41. A random prepared spell or known spell fizzles out for 24 hours.
42. You fall unconscious for 1 minute.
43. Disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws for 1 hour.
44. You exhale a cloud of insects (harmless) and cough for 1 minute.
45. You lose the sense of taste for 24 hours.
46. A ghostly hand touches your shoulder; take 1d8 cold damage.
47. You speak in rhymes for 1 hour.
48. Your skin becomes translucent for 1 hour.
49. The Weave rejects you: disadvantage to all spellcasting for 24 hours.
50. A nearby mirror cracks spontaneously.
51. A random minor magical item on your person becomes inert for 24 hours.
52. You become frightened of your own reflection for 10 minutes.
53. You involuntarily shout a secret when startled (DM chooses).
54. A 10-foot radius around you smells like ozone for 1 hour.
55. Your veins glow faintly for 10 minutes.
56. Your eyes turn pitch black for 1 hour (no mechanical effect).
57. Your touch deals 1 lightning damage for 10 minutes.
58. You gain a temporary phobia of the dark for 1 hour.
59. 3d6 psychic damage.
60. You find yourself standing in the Shadowfell, from 1 - 10 minutes.
61–90 (Major Catastrophe – lasting impact or severe risk)
61. You lose 1d6 hit points permanently.
62. A hostile spirit whispers your true name.
63. You become stunned for 1 minute.
64. You lose one spell slot (random) for 24 hours.
65. Roll on the Wildmagic Table.
66. A random magical item in your pack becomes cursed.
67. Your become hyper-aggressive for 24 hours. Any resistance to you by anyone / anything sends you into a rage and you enter into combat, regardless of who it is.
68. You are knocked prone and take 4d6 psychic damage.
69. A fragment of your soul is displaced; disadvantage on death saves for 24 hours.
70. A frightened apparition of yourself appears and flees.
71. You briefly swap senses with a creature within 60 ft for 10 minutes.
72. A small demon or spirit takes interest in you (DM decides how).
73. You lose the ability to lie for 24 hours.
74. You hear every heartbeat within 30 ft for 1 hour.
75. You are paralyzed for 1- 20 minutes.
76. You teleport 10–100 ft in a random direction.
77. The Weave brands your skin: glowing sigil (permanent but cosmetic).
78. Anyone buried within a grave within 1 mile rises and comes to greet you.
79. You age 1d10 years.
80. You are knocked unconscious for 1 - 12 hours.
81. A random enemy becomes aware of your presence.
82. You become invisible for 24 hours (druids sense this).
83. Your shadow becomes an entity and moves independently for 24 hours.
84. You take 6d6 force damage.
85. You lose the ability to sleep for 48 hours.
86. A random spell in the area triggers, with you and/or your allies as the target (DM choice).
87. A vision of your death flashes before your eyes; frightened for 1 hour.
88. You forget a loved one’s name for 24 hours.
89. You take 5d10 psychic damage.
90. You scream uncontrollably for 1 minute.
91–100 (Severe / Fate-Altering Consequences)
91. You are tranported to the Astral Plane. Take 6d10 psychic damage upon arrival.
92. You lose a limb (magical restoration required).
93. Your body withers and you appear as an Undead (cosmetic only).
94. A rift opens under you: you fall prone and take 8d6 force damage.
95. Your soul is briefly torn; lose 1 CON permanently.
96. A hostile planar entity marks you as prey.
97. You lose 1 experience level.
98. You vanish into another plane .
99. You die instantly (death save allowed at DC 20).
100. Catastrophic backlash: massive Weave detonation, 20-ft radius, 10d10 force damage to all.
Type
Metaphysical, Arcane
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