Coin of the Lost Patron
Part Three of the Embervault Series
“By Trickin’s cursed coin purse, it flipped itself. That’s never good.”
Mike’s Warning: Luck Has a Sense of Humor — And It’s Usually Cruel
I’ve carried a lot o’ cursed junk in me life. One time, I wore boots that screamed every time I walked uphill. Another, I had a helmet that whispered the word “regret” every third Tuesday. But nothin’ — nothin’ — made me question reality quite like this damn coin.
The Coin of the Lost Patron is older than most cathedrals, and twice as confusing. No one agrees on who the Patron was — a forgotten trickster deity? A dead warlock’s sugar daddy? The world's unluckiest banker?
What matters is this: when ya flip the coin, somethin’ happens. Could be good. Could be weird. Could be you’re now legally married to a spectral hedge. The point is: it grows with yer story, like the rest of the Embervault relics, and favors adventurers who live life one gamble at a time.
The full Embervault Series includes:
A Flip Worth the Risk
This trinket’s perfect for chaos-loving bards, wild sorcerers, gamble-happy rogues, or anyone with a death wish and a winning smile. Not a stat-booster — a story-shifter.
Item Type: Wondrous Item (Trinket)
Rarity: Uncommon → Very Rare (scales with level)
Trait – Patron’s Flip:
Once per long rest, flip the coin. Call it: Heads or Tails.
Level 1–4:
Heads: Gain advantage on your next saving throw.
Tails: A faint whisper in your ear offers cryptic advice — GM may grant a clue… or a distraction.
Level 5–9:
Heads: Regain 1 expended spell slot or feature use (DM’s discretion).
Tails: You are randomly targeted by a minor wild magic effect, unusual charm, or minor debuff. Nothing lethal… probably.
Level 10–14:
Heads: Choose one: immediate healing (2d8), auto-succeed next skill check, or gain 10 temporary HP.
Tails: The coin becomes ethereal and summons an echo of the Lost Patron — a translucent entity who offers aid… with consequences.
Level 15+:
Heads: The Patron smiles. Gain the benefit of the Foresight spell for 1 minute.
Tails: The Patron frowns. Summon a misfortune elemental (CR 8) that only you can see and must reason with.
Drop It Where Luck Ran Out
Want to mess with yer players? Drop the Coin into a dungeon guarded by nothing but traps… and no treasure. Let the rogue find it in a pile of dust where a corpse should’ve been. No explanation. Let the coin flip itself once during a short rest. They’ll either thank you or burn down the table.
Tails Never Just Means “Bad”
📌 If yer party’s scared of Tails, they ain’t lived.
👉 This coin ain’t just for gamblers — it’s for story-hungry fools who want to walk the weird road. If that’s yer bard, yer cleric, or yer chaotic uncle with a glaive, this is their prize. Track down the other relics from the Embervault Series and send yer cursed theories to Mike.
FAQ
Q: Can a player flip more than once per day?
A: Aye — if they’re willin’ to suffer uninvited consequences. The coin doesn’t like greed.
Q: Can the Patron be identified or banished?
A: Not really. The Patron ain’t bound by yer rules or yer lore. It was someone. It is no one. It might be your next NPC. Good luck.
Q: Can other players use it?
A: Once bonded, it only flips for the original owner — everyone else just hears the coin laugh when they try.
Yer Fate Ain’t Always in Yer Hands — But Yer Coin Might Be
📌 By Trickin’s own coin purse, this is the worst best thing you’ll ever carry.
👉 If yer table wants loot that flips the session on its head, this is yer trinket. Pair it with Grudgeplate for a petty frontline gambler or wield it beside the Emberhook Blade and Verdant Ironmail for a luck-fueled firestarter. Or just ask me what side I’d call — I’ll tell ya… after you flip.
