Couatl Feather

Wondrous item, uncommon

A magnificent feather that brings to mind the mythical couatl, red at its core and fading into gold at the edges like a wisp of fire. It is soft and somehow comforting to the touch. If you are touching the feather for at least half of the duration of a long rest, you regain one additional hit die (which can put you over your maximum), and as long as the feather is on your person, the next time you would fail a saving throw by exactly 1, you succeed on it instead.

Due to the nature of its magic, the feather has no effect on a creature which does not sleep or is protected from divination.

 

 

DM’s Eyes Only

The reason the feather resembles that of a couatl is simple: It is. One of these celestial serpents plucked out one of its feathers, infused it with magic and set it loose on the world.

The long rest spent touching the feather creates a mystical connection between its bearer and the couatl, which it can use to cast detect thoughts and scrying on the bearer, even if they are on different planes. (In this case, it can cast these spells at will, without concentrating on them, and allowing no saving throw). Once it has learned enough it will, at a time of its choosing, contact the bearer by casting dream.

The couatl is highly intelligent and entirely benevolent, and it has made influencing others towards the cause of Good the purpose of its existence. It is capable of deception, but neither willing or able to outright lie. It is willing to admit the dream is magical in nature, or reveal its nature and motivations, if it feels doing so will help it further its goal.

The nature of the dream the couatl sends is carefully tailored to the recipient. Generally, a good-aligned dreamer will receive a dream intended to encourage or aid them - for example, the couatl might show visions of the people they’ve aided, or aid them in overcoming a recurring nightmare, or simply allow them some respite, relaxing among celestial nature or nestled in its own coils. The coatl can also choose another creature to act as its messenger, even if it means finding the soul of a loved one of the bearer in an afterlife plane, all in the name of providing some closure.

When dealing with a neutral-aligned dreamer, the couatl will seek to gently steer them towards good. For example, faced with an intellectual, it might take the form of a mysterious, erudite host who invites them to a lengthy and intriguing philosophical conversation that only lightly touches on subjects of altruism and the nature of good and evil. If the dreamer is driven by vengeance, it might show them a vision of them succeeding which focuses on it feeling hollow, what was sacrificed to achieve it, and how to avert it. If they value justice, it might perform them a kindness (for example one of the beneficial dreams), asking only that it is paid forward.

If the dreamer is evil-aligned, the couatl will make a genuine and heartfelt attempt to put them on the path to redemption. It is an experienced storyteller, and might use its control over the dream to craft elaborate scenarios that, delivered with care and subtlety, feature themes of selfishness being self-defeating, doing good feeling good, and it never being too late to seek a better way. For example, they might dream of being treated with warmth and kindness by strangers, who will later require their protection from an outside threat. The coatl doesn’t expect the dreamer to convert overnight - it hopes only to plant the seeds.

The couatl can use the nightmare option of the dream spell, but will only use it if it finds the dreamer utterly irredeemable; never to coerce. At the conclusion of the dream, the feather disappears, gently burning up into celestial light to reapper elsewhere on the plane, unless the coatl tasked the dreamer with finding somebody to give it to.

The bearer’s rest is supernaturally restful, and they gain additional Hit Dice equal to their Proficiency Bonus, even if it puts them above their maximum. The couatl may also cast greater restoration on them.

Additionally, in the likely situation that the coatl is pleased with the dreamer, it may bestow a blessing of its choice upon them, for example:

• The dreamer retains the benefits of touching the feather even after it disappears.
• The couatl casts bless on the dreamer and up to five other creatures within 30 feet. The spell has a duration of 24 hours but it ends for a target after it turns a failure into a success.
• The coatl casts sanctuary on the dreamer. The spell has a duration of 24 hours and when it would end early, it is instead suppressed for one minute.
• The coatl teaches one spell it can cast to the dreamer, who can cast it once without spending a spell slot, and regains the ability to do so when they finish a long rest.
• The coatl shares a secret with the dreamer, which has the effect of an Eldritch Invocation of its choice, given out by a celestial patron.