Veilborn
Veilborn was sewn in the death-chambers of a civilization that refused to let its champions fall. The weavers bound the essence of their grief directly into the fabric, believing that a hero preserved at any cost was worth the price. The civilization is gone. The cloak remains, still hungry, still preserving, still feeding.
Mechanics
A cloak woven from the remnants of a curse absorbs incoming harm and repays it as a tide of frightful force, but its hunger cannot always be controlled.
Shroud of the Ancients
While wearing Veilborn, you have resistance to necrotic damage. Ancient sigils stitched into the lining also grant you a +1 bonus to all saving throws.
Tide of Dread
When you take damage that reduces you to half your hit point maximum or fewer, you can use your reaction to release a pulse of dread from the cloak. Each creature of your choice within 15 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. You can use this reaction once per short rest.
Curse of the Hungry Weave
Veilborn is cursed, and the curse reveals itself the first time the attuned wearer would be reduced to 0 hit points: the cloak surges with cold, hungry energy, stabilizing the wearer at 1 hit point instead. This act of preservation feels like salvation, but the cloak has marked the wearer as its own. While cursed, the wearer cannot willingly remove the cloak or end attunement to it, and each night at midnight they must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion as the cloak feeds on their vitality in sleep. The exhaustion fades normally but will recur each subsequent midnight until the curse is broken by a remove curse spell or equivalent magic.
DM Notes
Balance note: the resistance to necrotic damage and the +1 to all saving throws together make this cloak competitive at its rarity tier, so the curse should be taken seriously. The midnight Wisdom save at DC 14 is a meaningful threat that accumulates, particularly on extended expeditions without access to remove curse. The Tide of Dread reaction is powerful as a defensive pivot but limited to once per short rest, which prevents abuse in sustained fights. The curse's stabilization trigger functions as a once-in-a-rare-moment safety net, but the exhaustion engine that follows will pressure players to seek a cure rather than simply tolerate the cloak. Introduce remove curse access naturally in the world so players feel resolution is possible without it being trivial. The cloak works best in groups with a cleric or paladin who can eventually remove it, creating a compelling mid-arc tension.
Generated with: Level 5 · Cursed ancient theme · Heroic · Rare