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Pipes of the Sewers

D&D 5e · 2014·Wondrous items·Uncommon·Requires attunement

Pipes of the Sewers

Wondrous item, Uncommon · requires attunement


Type
Wondrous items
Weight
Not specified
Attunement
Required
Rarity
Uncommon
Price
Not specified

Magic. Requires wind-instrument proficiency. Action plays, Bonus Action spends 1–3 charges to call swarms from available rats within half a mile; insufficient rats waste charges. A separate Charisma vs Wisdom contest within 30 ft. controls a swarm while you keep playing each round. Losing hearing/control prevents reswaying it for 24 hours.

What Pipes of the Sewers does

  • This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
Pipes of the SewersWondrous item, Uncommon · requires attunement
You must be proficient with wind instruments to use these pipes. While you are attuned to the pipes, ordinary rats and giant rats are indifferent toward you and will not attack you unless you threaten or harm them. The pipes have 3 charges. If you play the pipes as an action, you can use a bonus action to expend 1 to 3 charges, calling forth one swarm of rats with each expended charge, provided that enough rats are within half a mile of you to be called in this fashion (as determined by the GM). If there aren't enough rats to form a swarm, the charge is wasted. Called swarms move toward the music by the shortest available route but aren't under your control otherwise. The pipes regain 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. Whenever a swarm of rats that isn't under another creature's control comes within 30 feet of you while you are playing the pipes, you can make a Charisma check contested by the swarm's Wisdom check. If you lose the contest, the swarm behaves as it normally would and can't be swayed by the pipes' music for the next 24 hours. If you win the contest, the swarm is swayed by the pipes' music and becomes friendly to you and your companions for as long as you continue to play the pipes each round as an action. A friendly swarm obeys your commands. If you issue no commands to a friendly swarm, it defends itself but otherwise takes no actions. If a friendly swarm starts its turn and can't hear the pipes' music, your control over that swarm ends, and the swarm behaves as it normally would and can't be swayed by the pipes' music for the next 24 hours.
Full item details & properties

Magic properties

Activation
Requires wind-instrument proficiency. Action plays, Bonus Action spends 1–3 charges to call swarms from available rats within half a mile; insufficient rats waste charges. A separate Charisma vs Wisdom contest within 30 ft. controls a swarm while you keep playing each round. Losing hearing/control prevents reswaying it for 24 hours.
Consumable
No
2014 rules
Requires wind-instrument proficiency. Action plays, Bonus Action spends 1–3 charges to call swarms from available rats within half a mile; insufficient rats waste charges. A separate Charisma vs Wisdom contest within 30 ft. controls a swarm while you keep playing each round. Losing hearing/control prevents reswaying it for 24 hours.

Charges & recharge

Maximum charges
3
Recharge
1d3 expended charges, daily at dawn

Tags & related references

Uncommon →MagicalRat SwarmsRequires AttunementWind Instrument ProficiencyWondrous Item →

Pipes of the Sewers FAQ

Does Pipes of the Sewers require attunement?

Yes. You need to attune to this item to use the properties that require attunement.

Is the listed price a guaranteed purchase price?

The source does not specify a price for this entry. Ask your GM about availability and cost.

Rules source: System Reference Document 5.1 ↗

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. JustRoll independently checked 2014 item text, tables, properties, prices and weights against official SRD 5.1; converted currency to GP and structured mechanics and edition-specific tags. Identity links to 2024 do not transfer rules. Original API snapshots remain unchanged.

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0