Horn of Valhalla

• Category: Wondrous Item
• Rarity: Rare (Silver or Brass), Very Rare (Bronze), or Legendary (Iron)

You can take a Magic action to blow this horn. In response, warrior spirits from the plane of Ysgard appear in unoccupied spaces within 60 feet of you. Each spirit uses the Berserker stat block and returns to Ysgard after 1 hour or when it drops to 0 Hit Points. The spirits look like living, breathing warriors, and they have Immunity to the Charmed and Frightened conditions. Once you use the horn, it can't be used again until 7 days have passed.

Four types of Horn of Valhalla are known to exist, each made of a different metal. The horn's type determines how many spirits it summons, as well as the requirement for its use. The GM chooses the horn's type or determines it randomly by rolling on the following table.

If you blow the horn without meeting its requirement, the summoned spirits attack you. If you meet the requirement, they are Friendly to you and your allies and follow your commands.

1d100	Horn Type	Spirits	Requirement
01-40	Silver	2	None
41-75	Brass	3	Proficiency with all Simple weapons
76-90	Bronze	4	Training with all Medium armor
91-00	Iron	5	Proficiency with all Martial weapons

Tactical Applications

Combat Strategy: Summons berserker warriors to fight alongside the user for one hour. Provides significant battlefield reinforcement and tactical advantage through temporary allies.

Class Synergies:

• Any Class: Universal utility for combat reinforcement and tactical support
• Leaders: Perfect for characters requiring additional forces for battle
• Support Builds: Excellent for characters who coordinate allies rather than fight directly
• Outnumbered Scenarios: Essential for characters facing overwhelming enemy numbers

Build Considerations: Provides temporary but powerful allies with limited daily uses. Most valuable in campaigns featuring large-scale combat and tactical warfare.

Acquisition Methods

Crafting Requirements: Requires warrior spirit binding, berserker enchantments, and heroic soul materials. Creation cost 15,000-30,000 gp and takes 4 months.

Common Sources:

• Ancient battlefields and warrior burial sites
• Treasure hoards of legendary war leaders and berserker chiefs
• Commission from enchanters specializing in spirit binding magic
• Found in the collections of military historians and war museums
• Rewards from grateful warrior spirits and battle gods

Alternative Acquisition: Sometimes discovered in abandoned barracks or obtained from heroic spirit encounters.

Value & Trade

Estimated Value: 20,000-35,000 gp, with higher demand among military leaders and characters facing large-scale conflicts.

Trade Considerations: Popular among commanders, war leaders, and anyone requiring battlefield reinforcement capabilities.

Character Integration

Roleplay Elements: Suggests experience with large-scale warfare, leadership roles, or connection to warrior traditions and battle spirits.

Character Concepts:

• Military commander requiring battlefield reinforcement
• War leader with connections to berserker traditions
• Character with extensive large-scale combat experience
• Tactical coordinator specializing in allied force management

Adventure Hooks

The Outnumbered Battle: Combat scenarios where summoned allies provide crucial reinforcement against overwhelming odds.

The Siege Defense: Fortress defense missions where additional warriors enable successful resistance.

The War Campaign: Large-scale military operations where tactical reinforcement determines strategic outcomes.

The Spirit Alliance: Supernatural scenarios where berserker spirits assist in battles against otherworldly threats.

Variants & Customization

Greater Horn of Valhalla (Legendary): Summons more powerful warriors with enhanced abilities and longer duration.

Horn of Eternal Warriors (Artifact): Binds legendary heroes who retain memories and personalities across summons.

Specialized War Horn (Very Rare): Summons warriors with specific combat specializations and tactical roles.

Specialized Variants:

• Commander's Horn: Summons organized military units with tactical coordination
• Berserker's Horn: Summons frenzied warriors with enhanced combat abilities
• Guardian's Horn: Summons defensive specialists optimized for protection

Lore & History

Origins: Created by ancient war leaders who needed reliable methods for reinforcing their forces during crucial battles.

Historical Significance: These horns enabled legendary military victories and the development of supernatural warfare tactics.

Cultural Impact: Represent the connection between mortal warriors and the spiritual realm of eternal battle.

Magical Craft: Demonstrates mastery of spirit binding magic and the complex enchantments required for warrior summoning.

Balancing Notes

Introduction Timing: Appropriate for levels 8-15 when large-scale combat becomes common and tactical reinforcement is valuable.

Campaign Impact: Provides significant combat assistance without overwhelming encounter balance through limited duration.

Combat Scaling: Summoned allies should be balanced against campaign encounter design and party composition.

Encounter Design

Recommended Challenges:

• Large-scale battle scenarios where additional allies provide tactical advantages
• Siege warfare situations where reinforcement determines success or failure
• Outnumbered combat encounters where summoned warriors balance odds
• Strategic military operations requiring coordinated force deployment

Tactical Adjustments: Encounters may need scaling to account for temporary allied reinforcement.

Related Items

Summoning Items: Figurines of Wondrous Power, Summoning magic items, and other allies-creating equipment.

Military Equipment:

• Items that enhance large-scale combat and tactical warfare
• Equipment for military leadership and force coordination
• Tools for professional warfare and battlefield management

Complementary Equipment: Items that enhance leadership abilities or provide additional tactical options.

Roleplay Opportunities

Military Leadership: Characters develop expertise in tactical coordination and large-scale combat management.

Warrior Traditions: Connection to berserker spirits creates opportunities for exploring warrior culture and battle traditions.

Strategic Command: Learning to coordinate multiple allies teaches advanced tactical thinking and battlefield awareness.