I recently came up with a Magic Item for Dungeon World (whose name is inspired by a certain Discern Realities host)…

I recently came up with a Magic Item for Dungeon World (whose name is inspired by a certain Discern Realities host) and I’m trying to put some finishing touches on it and thought you fine folks might have some ideas.

The Crystal Compass of Captain Cordova: When attempting to Undertake A Perilous Journey over a body of water, drop a widow’s tear onto the needle, whisper your destination to the Crystal Compass, and roll +CHA. On a 10+ the jeweled needle points true and guides you on a safe and direct path, avoiding potential dangers and ensuring you make good time. On a 7-9, the fickle needle wavers and sends you off course towards an interesting detour or potential threat.

It’s alright, but I feel like it could use something extra. Any thoughts?

For those interested, here’s some context on the history of the Crystal Compass…

In my current Dungeon World campaign things have taken a very nautical turn, with the party currently attempting to assist a seaside town whose livelihood has been halted by a mysterious fog that’s enveloped the harbor. The Party has discovered that a few years ago an order of traveling clerics sought to occupy an island off the coast and build a temple to their goddess. Townsfolk were hired to assist in the building, but no one on the mainland has seen the members of the order since the completion of the temple. Recently, people have begun going missing in the dock district and fishermen have gone out to sea and never returned. More recently, this strange fog showed up and that has the strange property of swallowing up/or redirecting ships back to shore.

During our last session the dock district was assaulted by a hoard of monstrous Fish Men that are believed to be connected to all of this. The players fought them off and are now attempting to figure out a way to get to the island to do some investigating. Problem is, any ship that’s gone out so far either gets turned around or doesn’t come back at all and no one with a boat is willing to take them out.

One of the plot threads I’ve dropped in relation to this has been some townsfolk chatter about “an old sea hag who lives in a shack overlooking the bluff” and several of the townsfolk are blaming her for these strange happenings. In reality, Dythelia is just a lonely old lady who knows a thing or two about magic, but doesn’t have any great insight on the situation with the fog. One thing she does have, though, is the Crystal Compass of Captain Cordova and she’ll agree to give it to the party if they agree to help her with something.

As for the history of the Crystal Compass: There was one a captain of a great Merchant Vessel. This man, Captain Cordova, was in love with a much younger Dythelia and had promised to marry her when he returned from a long voyage that would make him rich, but his letters ceased and he never returned, and so Dythelia has grown into an old eccentric woman as she waits for her long lost Captain. During the many years since, Dythelia has crafted the Crystal Compass using her knowledge of magic, hoping that it might direct her to her long loss love, but a part of her gave up hope long ago and she’s never set out to use it.

Part of the request she’s going to make of the party will involve them heading out across the map to a location called The Sea of Bones to find any remnants of her Captain’s ship so that she can finally get some closure.