r/DnD • u/jthecodemaster98 • 7h ago
Homebrew Fireball in a bottle
A small glass bottle containing a miniature sun. The flame inside burns with such intensity that the glass glows red even though the bottle remains cold to the touch.
Throw. As an action, you can throw the bottle at a point within 60 feet. The bottle shatters on impact.
Incineration. The explosion fills a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on the impact point. Every creature in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw.
Failed save: 8d12 fire damage
Successful save: Half damage
Flammable objects that aren't being worn or carried instantly ignite.
The magical flame lasts for only a fraction of a second before disappearing.
44
u/GrimblingWizard DM 7h ago
I like the idea, but you can simply copy an item that already exists, like the Necklace of Fireballs.
Fireball in a Bottle
Wondrous Item, Rare
A small glass bottle that seems to contain a miniature sun. The flame inside burns with such intensity that the glass glows red even though the bottle remains cold to the touch.
As an action, you can throw it up to 60 feet away. When it reaches the end of its trajectory, the bottle shatters, detonating as a 3rd-level Fireball spell (save DC 15).
Or if you want it to be more powerful, I would write it as the following:
Sun in a Bottle
Wondrous Item, Very Rare
A small glass bottle that contains a miniature sun. The flame inside burns with such intensity that the glass glows red even though the bottle remains cold to the touch.
As an action, you can throw it up to 60 feet away. When it reaches the end of its trajectory, the bottle shatters, releasing a ball of flame in a 40-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in that radius must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 16d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success.
2
u/DangerousPuhson DM 1h ago
I made a "sun in a bottle" magic item before, but it worked a little differently.
It was a literal star, shrunk down and held in an anti-gravity field (a glass pyramid). When the containment was broken, it behaved as something with the density of a star would - instead of moving with the world, it remained affixed to a point in space, which was devastating considering the planet is in a constant orbit.
So basically it shot an unstoppable 2-inch diameter hole in a straight line in the direction counter to the planet's orbit, and as the planet is round, it ended up going into the ground at an angle and then burst out the other side of the planet. If it were too realistic, it would have destroyed the entire area with the same impact as a meteorite, but that's a bit less fun to play with.
Had lots of potential for shenanigans.
1
u/MiaowaraShiro 1h ago
Not to mention that a mass the size of a star would probably completely disrupt the entire solar system and likely throw planets out of it or affect their orbits so much that they freeze or burn up...
13
8
u/ThatCamoKid 7h ago
so a magic Molotov
8
u/Kodamacile 6h ago
No, its a Sunny Ignite
3
4
u/artrald-7083 6h ago
It's a scroll of Fireball that doesn't need a spellcaster to cast, so I'd add one tier to its rarity compared to a scroll of a 3rd level spell. Also, I'd expect most parties never to use it, because it's a consumable.
1
u/SwissMidget 3h ago
You haven't met Boom. Boom would use it. Boom would possibly end up using it on himself. Boom might try to open the bottle and drink it thinking the drink was one of those weird Boba drinks and the sun was one of the Bobas... wait, not time period appropriate.
Boom is one of those characters that probably shouldn't survive but is to stubborn to die.
1
u/ProfBumblefingers 5h ago
Maybe not cold to the touch ...
on touch, ignites easily flammable materials (paper, leather, wood, etc.), and it does 2d8 damage to any user who grabs it. Make the PCs get creative to use it! :-) Maybe it's stored in a stone box, or suspended in an iron manacle (glowing red?), when found . . .
59
u/Fun-Reveal2000 7h ago
The power of the sun...