Wondrous Item
Cloak of Elvenkind
At a Glance
Type: Wondrous item · 5e rarity: Uncommon · 5e attunement: Required · Legacy weight: 1 lb.
Effect: Enhanced stealth and reduced chance of being noticed. The 2024 rules apply while wearing the cloak; in 2014, Pathfinder 1e and 3.5e the hood must be raised. Rules and bonuses differ by edition below.
A cloak of simple grey cloth that becomes almost impossible to distinguish from its surroundings once its enchantment takes hold. The wearer still leaves tracks, makes noise and must take care around guards and watchful beasts.
These garments are prized by travellers crossing uncertain country, scouts carrying messages through watched passes, and those who would rather arrive without announcing themselves. The cloth is not a substitute for good judgement; it is a tool for making concealment count.
Rules by Edition
D&D 5.5e / 2024
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)
While wearing the cloak, the bearer gains Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Creatures attempting to perceive that wearer make Wisdom (Perception) checks with Disadvantage.
Activation: No separate action specified beyond wearing the attuned cloak. Raising its hood is not a required action in this edition. Charges: None. The cloak does not automatically bestow the Invisible condition or remove the usual rules for hiding.
D&D 5e / 2014
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
While the wearer has the hood up, creatures make Wisdom (Perception) checks to see them with disadvantage, and the wearer has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide as the material takes on its surroundings.
Activation: Raising or lowering the hood takes an action. Charges: None. The wearer must still meet the rules for hiding; the benefit is not invisibility.
Pathfinder 1e
Aura: Faint illusion · CL: 3rd · Slot: Shoulders · Price: 2,500 gp · Weight: 1 lb.
This cloak reflects its surroundings in subtle ways. With its hood drawn up, the wearer receives a +5 competence bonus on Stealth checks.
Construction
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, invisibility, an elven creator. Cost: 1,250 gp.
D&D 3.5e
Aura: Faint illusion · CL: 3rd · Slot: Shoulders · Price: 2,500 gp · Weight: 1 lb.
When the hood is drawn around the head, the cloak grants a +5 competence bonus on Hide checks. It does not give a Move Silently bonus.
Construction
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, invisibility, elven creator. Cost: 1,250 gp plus 100 XP, and 3 days under standard 3.5e crafting rules.
What Changed Between Editions?
In 2024 the cloak functions while worn and protects against attempts to perceive the wearer generally. In 2014 the hood must be raised with an action, and the Perception penalty concerns seeing the wearer specifically. Pathfinder 1e applies a +5 competence bonus to Stealth, while D&D 3.5e applies the bonus to Hide. Pathfinder does not use the 3.5e XP expenditure for item creation.
Wearing the Cloak
A scout can use the cloak to move between cover, but rattling equipment, an obvious trail and a watcher’s determination remain real problems. The 2024 and 2014 versions aid concealment without automatically making the character invisible. For the older d20 versions, the hood and the normal limits of Stealth or Hide still matter.
Adventure Possibilities
- The guarded quay: A courier must reach a boat without being recognised; the watch challenges everyone carrying a pack.
- Craftsmanship claimed: An elven traveller recognises the weave on a cloak stolen years ago. Who should own it now?
- The empty road: A grey mantle lies abandoned beside a track where the owner’s footsteps simply stop.
Related Rules
- Hide — the skill modified by the D&D 3.5e cloak.
- Craft Wondrous Item — prerequisite for legacy crafting.
- Invisibility — a construction spell, not a granted power.
- Magic and Wondrous Items — further items.
Sources and Licensing
D&D 2024: Basic Rules 2024; SRD 5.2.1 material © Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. D&D 2014: Basic Rules 2014 and SRD 5.1.
Pathfinder 1e: Archives of Nethys, from Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and Ultimate Equipment. D&D 3.5e: 3.5e System Reference Document, Open Game Content under the Open Game License 1.0a. Original practical and adventure material is distinct from the source rules.
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