Rod of the pact keeper 5e attunement d&d

The Rod of the Pact Keeper, one of the most important creations of the Phandelver Pact, is a smooth coal-black rod measuring about 1 inch thick and 2 feet long. It is engraved with Infernal and Dwarven runes of binding. It requires Attunement by Warlocks.

This rod gives you a +1 bonus on spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs for your warlock spells. While holding the rod, you can also regain one slot for warlock spells. This property can’t be used again until you have completed a long rest.

Rod of the pact keeper costs 12000gp

It is a rare magical object: Rod, rare (+1) or very rare (+3). (Requires attunement from a warlock). The rarity of each item is different, so it’s impossible to compare them and expect an even playing field. A simple weapon with +1 power is more powerful than a Gust of Wind spell that can be cast once per day from a Wind Fan that’s been used less than 5 times before it’s destroyed.

Is the dnd rod of the pact keeper 5E too powerful for its rarity?

Let’s look at it as a magic weapon. It has the same rarity and the same bonus.

This weapon has a common resistance against non-magical damage. It also adds a bonus to attack or damage. It can be used by anyone and does not require attunement. That is more important than you might think, as you can only have three attuned items.

Only warlocks can use the rod. It only affects spell attack and DC of Warlock spells. The Warcaster feat does not help because the rod isn’t a weapon or shield.

There is a lot of restrictions to add to an object. The bonuses are great, including +to attack spells (mostly Eldritch Blast), but not an increase in damage. It allows EB to be competitive with fighters using a weapon without taking as much damage. However, if you concentrate, you can repel. However, this starts consuming many of your Invocations (min. 2, 3, or 4 of a maximum of 8).

One extra spell per long break is nice but not very significant. It’s only about 1/6th of the spells at low levels (if you use 3 rests per day), but it becomes 1/9th (1/12th, and finally 1/16th), so it gets less benefit at higher levels.

Combining these features with restrictions will make it less useful than a magic tool.

However, the spell save DC is significant. It is one of two items that I know about (the other being the Robe of Archmagi, which provides a lot more benefits but is legendary and requires attunement). That should be considered a significant benefit. That is, however, not true for spells that are limited to warlock spells.

The DC benefit could be applied to another full-caster who has a lot of DC-based spells. That would be very powerful. A warlock has one DC-based spell that you can optimize, but you will lose the benefit. You have spell power (Spell slots x level) close to that of a wizard’s. Your spell slots are equivalent to those of a half-caster (paladin ranger, artificer). Spells with high DC can be useful on fewer spells, and that low-level spells won’t become more powerful due to the DC. You may have a better Hypnotic pattern, but you’re casting it with a fifth-level slot. That only compensates for spells that don’t increase in power. You can see that there are very few spells that will benefit from the warlock spells.

1st: Arms of Hadar and Charm Person, Hellish Rebuke and Witch Bolt. So 2 of these spells are very poor, with Charm Person being the only one really good. (Hellish Rebuke at 1st is great. But when cast as 5th level spell, it is equivalent damage to most areas of effects wizard/sorcerer spells, so a DC benefit of a DC is minimal.

2nd: Cloud of Daggers. Crown of Madness. Hold Person. Ray of Enfeeblement. Only Hold Person can be used as an upcast spell.
3rd: Fear and Hypnotic Pattern. Neither of these has an upcast advantage
4th: Banishment, Blight

5th: Dream (for 3D6 damage), Hold Monster and Scrying

The DC isn’t very useful, except for the Hold Spells and Banishment, Blight, Charm Person, and select 6-9th-level spells. What you’re getting is quite minor. True Polymorph has a +3 DC. However, it is not that powerful.

It helps to level the playing field in favor of a generic magic weapon. If you consider the rarity of the item versus its demand, it’s a completely different story. While many warlocks would like one, Eldritch Blast’s attack bonus is worth more. Because many classes could use certain weapons, the demand for them would be greater. Will you use Rod of Pack keeper 5e in your game?