Sphere of Annihilation 5e
Wondrous Item, legendary
This 2-foot-diameter black sphere is a hole in the multiverse, hovering in space and stabilized by a magical field surrounding it.
The sphere obliterates all matter it passes through and all matter that passes through it. Artifacts are the exception. Unless an artifact is susceptible to damage from a sphere of annihilation, it passes through the sphere unscathed. Anything else that touches the sphere but isn't wholly engulfed and obliterated by it takes 4d10 force damage.
The sphere is stationary until someone controls it. If you are within 60 feet of an uncontrolled sphere, you can use an action to make a DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a success, the sphere levitates in one direction of your choice, up to a number of feet equal to 5 × your Intelligence modifier (minimum 5 feet). On a failure, the sphere moves 10 feet toward you. A creature whose space the sphere enters must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be touched by it, taking 4d10 force damage.
If you attempt to control a sphere that is under another creature's control, you make an Intelligence (Arcana) check contested by the other creature's Intelligence (Arcana) check. The winner of the contest gains control of the sphere and can levitate it as normal.
If the sphere comes into contact with a planar portal, such as that created by the Gate spell, or an extradimensional space, such as that within a Portable Hole, the GM determines randomly what happens, using the following table.
Sphere of Annihilation vs Planar Portal or Extradimensional Space Results Table
| d100 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-50 | The sphere is destroyed. |
| 51-85 | The sphere moves through the portal or into the extradimensional space. |
| 86-00 | A spatial rift sends each creature and object within 180 feet of the sphere, including the sphere, to a random plane of existence. |
Commentary by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Spheres of Annihilation are the black holes of D&D- they eat everything within range, and have fun tug-of-war contests between arcanists to push it around. Neat!
“Obliterating” all matter isn’t exactly what 4d10 force damage equates to for most creatures at this tier, but it will destroy most little mundane objects that interact with it.
The sphere’s controller is whoever last succeeded on a check to move it; the controller can attempt the check again to move it again, or a different creature can attempt a check against the controller to move it instead.
Getting Spheres of Annhilation across planes is incredibly challenging, as half the time moving them through a gate blows them up, and 15% of the time it causes a massive rift that pulls everything around it to a random plane of existence.
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