Buy me a coffee“Tongue Studs of Hell Breath: Infernal Jewelry That Unleashes Fiery Doom”
“Tongue Studs of Hell Breath: Legendary infernal magic item that lets wearers exhale deadly hellfire, feared by adventurers and warlocks alike.”
The Tongue Studs of Hell Breath are tiny pins of blackened gold, etched with curling infernal runes. When worn, they are pierced through the tongue, and the wearer’s breath carries a faint sulfurous scent. In darkness, the runes glow dimly red, hinting at the heat contained within.
Origins
The studs were forged in the furnaces of the Nine Hells by infernal smiths, blending fire, metal, and the cries of the damned. Smuggled into the mortal world by secretive cults, they were traded to ambitious mercenaries, warlords, and rogue spellcasters who sought power and fear as their allies.
Stories and Folklore
The earliest known wearer was a warlord who used the studs to scatter his enemies with bursts of fiery breath. When his keep fell, his tongue was found blackened and destroyed, and the studs had vanished. Tales persist of bandits who used them to frighten entire villages, of guards who defended caravans with sudden heat that blistered wood and flesh, and of travelers who discovered a lingering glow and faint smell of sulfur in abandoned inns.
Mysterious Qualities
The studs are said to whisper at night, offering hints of cruel schemes and dangerous ambition. Those who wear them often find their voice fading, their tongues scarred, and dreams haunted by fire and torment. Though not inherently legendary or sacred, the Tongue Studs of Hell Breath are feared curiosities, known for the danger they bring and the infernal presence they carry into the world of men.
Tongue Studs of Hell Breath 5e 2024
Tongue Studs of Hell Breath, Pathfinder 1E
Tongue Studs of Hell Breath 3.5
Tongue Studs of Hell Breath
Wondrous Item (requires attunement), Very Rare
Appearance
These small studs of blackened gold are etched with curling lines that glow faintly red when worn. They are pierced through the tongue, leaving a faint scent of sulfur on the wearer’s breath.
Lore
Forged in the furnaces of the Nine Hells, the Tongue Studs of Hell Breath are said to bind infernal fire to the mortal body. Scholars claim they were smuggled into the mortal world by devil cults, offered to warlords and assassins eager to terrify their enemies. Folktales speak of their terrible price: bearers often lose their voices, their tongues blackening and splitting with time, while whispers of infernal temptation echo in their dreams.
Abilities
While wearing the Tongue Studs of Hell Breath, you gain the following benefits:
- Hellfire Breath. As an action, you can exhale infernal fire in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 15). On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 fire damage and 4d8 necrotic damage; on a successful save, it takes half as much. Once used, this ability cannot be used again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Whispers of the Hells. While attuned to the studs, you can understand Infernal, though you cannot speak it. At night, you may hear whispers that urge cruelty, ambition, or betrayal. The DM may call for a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13) when you resist acting on these impulses.
- Sulfurous Aura. You have disadvantage on Deception checks made to conceal your magical nature, as the studs cause your breath to smell faintly of brimstone and your mouth to glow faintly red in darkness.
Drawbacks
- Damned Voice. After each week of wearing the studs, roll a d20. On a roll of 5 or lower, your voice becomes permanently hoarse, reducing your ability to speak above a whisper.
- Mark of Hell. Creatures sensitive to fiendish influence (celestials, paladins, and some clergy) may immediately recognize the studs as infernal in nature.
Potential Uses in Gameplay
- A terrifying tool for a warlock, sorcerer, or rogue looking to wield raw infernal fire.
- A cursed treasure that tempts ambitious characters while sowing paranoia in the party.
- A story hook: infernal cults, mercenaries, or bandits may seek the studs, leaving a trail of scorched victims in their wake.
DM Tip: Use the Tongue Studs of Hell Breath not just as a weapon, but as a roleplaying catalyst. Their drawbacks invite tension, forcing players to weigh raw power against creeping corruption.
Tongue Studs of Hell Breath
Wondrous Item, Very Rare, requires attunement
Aura: Moderate transmutation; CL: 7th
Slot: Mouth (tongue)
Price: 35,000 gp
Weight: —
Description
These small studs of blackened gold are pierced through the tongue, etched with curling infernal runes that glow faintly red in darkness. Those who wear them gain the ability to exhale bursts of infernal fire. The studs are rumored to have been forged in the furnaces of the Nine Hells, smuggled into the mortal world by cults to grant mercenaries and warlords terrifying power.
Legends tell of the first wearer, a cruel lord who used them in battle to scatter entire armies. His body was later found tongueless and charred, and the studs had vanished. Common folk whisper that the studs carry the whispers of Hell itself, urging cruelty, ambition, and betrayal.
Abilities
Hellfire Breath (Su): Three times per day as a standard action, the wearer can exhale a 30-foot line of fire. Each creature in the line takes 4d6 fire damage + 4d6 unholy damage, Reflex half.
Infernal Tongue (Ex): The wearer can understand Infernal but cannot speak it. Once per day at night, whispers from the Nine Hells may tempt the wearer toward acts of cruelty. The GM may call for a Will save (DC 15) to resist.
Sulfurous Aura: The wearer’s breath smells of brimstone, and glowing runes reveal the item’s magical nature. Bluff or Disguise checks to conceal the studs take a –2 penalty.
Drawbacks
Damned Voice: After 1 week of continuous use, the wearer must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15) or permanently lose the ability to speak above a whisper.
Mark of Hell: Creatures sensitive to infernal influence (celestials, paladins, certain clerics) recognize the studs as infernal in origin.
Construction
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, burning hands, unholy blight, creator must have access to Infernal components.
Typical Uses
- Mercenaries or assassins use them to terrorize or burn foes.
- Roleplay hooks: infernal cults, bounty hunters, or morally conflicted characters.
- Story element: physical corruption, temptation, and moral dilemmas for the wearer.
Tongue Studs of Hell Breath
Book of Vile Darkness 3.5
By Monte Cook
These golden studs, pierced through the tongue, turn normal breath passing over them into a 50-foot line of Hellfire three times per day. This Hellfire deals 3d6 points of unholy (not fire) damage. There is no saving throw.
Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Hellfire; Market Price: 35,000 gp; Weight: -.