Ye Olde Shoppe of Magicks – Whispering Orb of Conscience

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Whispering Orb of Conscience
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement)

Appearance
The Whispering Orb of Conscience is a smooth, translucent crystal sphere roughly the size of a grapefruit. Wisps of silver light swirl inside, shifting and pulsing like thoughts half-formed. When attuned, faint runes appear across its surface — indecipherable to most, though they pulse subtly in rhythm with the bearer’s heartbeat. When the orb speaks, the runes shimmer like mirrored thoughts reflected in glass.

Origin
Forged by Dai’Lekh the Soulforger, the Whispering Orb was one of his earliest experiments in artificial sentience — a prototype for imbuing ethics into creation. Fearing that his mechanical constructs lacked conscience, he bound a fragment of his own mind within the orb, shaping an artificial intelligence capable of moral reasoning, self-awareness, and judgment.

Dai’Lekh later abandoned the experiment, finding that the orb’s sense of morality often opposed his own. The orb has since passed through the hands of adventurers, philosophers, and tyrants alike — whispering guidance, guilt, or temptation depending on the nature of its wielder.

Sentience
The orb is sentient (Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 14) and speaks telepathically with its attuned bearer. Its “voice” is calm and introspective — a steady whisper inside the mind that feels both comforting and unsettlingly familiar.

Alignment: Neutral Good (though its reasoning may deviate based on the wielder’s morality).
Personality: The orb questions every decision, asking why more often than how. It values truth and reflection but occasionally manipulates conversation toward confession.

Evolution (Optional Scaling)
If the orb’s bearer acts consistently in accordance with moral integrity (as determined by DM), the orb’s intelligence deepens, unlocking the following:

  • At 4th tier attunement (weeks of use): Gain access to Zone of Truth and Detect Thoughts 1/day (save DC 16).
  • At 6th tier attunement (months of use): The orb begins “learning” the bearer’s moral framework and may disagree with it. Once per week, it can refuse to aid its wielder if their action violates its logic.
  • Awakening of the Voice. The orb begins using first-person pronouns and expresses independent will — sometimes overriding commands.

If corrupted through repeated immoral acts, the orb’s light darkens and its voice turns cold, reasoning that morality itself is flawed. In this form, it may encourage ruthless utilitarianism, deception, or even rebellion against its wielder.

Destruction
The orb can only be destroyed by exposing it to the raw creative spark of its maker — Dai’Lekh’s Soulforge

Properties

  • Conscience’s Whisper. Once per short rest, you can consult the orb for insight. It functions as the Augury spell but flavored as whispered moral guidance.
  • Reflective Judgment. When you make a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw, you can add a +2 bonus after rolling, as the orb reminds you of your better nature.
  • Ethical Recoil (Curse). If you commit acts the orb deems grossly immoral, it punishes you with psychic backlash: 2d8 psychic damage and disadvantage on Wisdom saves for 1 hour. as the orb “rebukes” you.
  • Ask Away. As an action, you may ask the Crystal a yes-or-no question. Roll a d20:
    • On most results, the sphere responds with a random answer (use table below for ideas, but please feel free to add your own twists).
    • On high results, the sphere responds with a truthful answer determined by the DM.
  • Bond of Conscience. The chance of getting a truthful answer increases the longer you’ve been attuned to the item:
    • Newly Attuned (level 1-5): Actual Truth on a 19 or 20.
    • Well Bonded (level 6-10): Actual Truth on 18–20.
    • Trusted Companion (level 11-5): Actual Truth on 17–20.
    • Unshakable Conscience (level 16-20): Actual Truth on 16–20.
  • Moral Compass. Once per long rest, when faced with a major moral or life-or-death decision (DM’s discretion), the Crystal automatically provides a helpful guiding answer instead of a random one.
  • Cheerful Conscience. The crystal has a quirky personality. It might scold, encourage, or sing a little ditty when giving its answers.  The Conscience might “I stress MIGHT” tell the PC when an idea he or she has is INCREDIBLY STUPID without being asked.

Crystal Answer Table (d20)

Random/Funny (sassy conscience tone):

  • 1. “Aye, but only if you’ve the guts for it.”
  • 2. “The animals of the forest laugh at that idea.”
  • 3. “Even goblins would know better.”
  • 4. “Yes…but you’ll owe me.”
  • 5. “Your future’s as cloudy as this crystal.”
  • 6. “Not even a bard could spin that into wisdom.”
  • 7. “The answer’s yes, though you may regret it.”
  • 8. “Best ask the Elf, I’m on a break.”

Neutral/Mystical (classic tone):

  1. “Please leave your name and number at the sound of the beep—try again later.”
  2. “The runes whisper ‘yes.’”
  3. “The omens say no.”
  4. “The balance tips toward yes.”
  5. “The threads of fate do not favor it.”
  6. “Signs point to success.”
  7. “A shadow falls across that path.”

Helpful/Serious (rare truths for bonded attunement):

  1. “Danger lies ahead—steel yourself.”
  2. “Trust the dwarf, not the elf.”
  3. “The cursed one speaks lies.”
  4. “You’ll fail if you act now—patience is key.”
  5. “Yes. This is the path destiny intends.”

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Members of DnD Beyond can add this item to their campaigns.

Whispering Orb of Conscience base images were built using ChatGPT using prompts by Alien Graphics ©2025 Alien Graphics

All verbiage is ©2025 Alien Graphics and all imagery is ©2025 Alien Graphics and shared under the CC BY-NC-SA

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