A phylactery was an item used to display or hold holy text, verses, or prayers, or to contain small sacred relics.[1][2]
Description[]
Two kinds of phylactery were common. The first were wrappings inscribed with holy text or verses, while the second were small containers of any shape or size (such as a tube or a small black box). They were typically worn tied around the forehead or wrist, or wrapped around the upper arm or thigh. They were usually small enough to concealed in one's hand or about one's person if the wearer feared theft.[1][2]
Powers[]
A phylactery itself typically had no magical and little monetary value. Rather, its value lay in the importance of its contents to the wearer's faith, or its own intrinsic value.[1][2]
However, a number of phylacteries were noted for their magical power.[1][2] Such magical items were usually worn around the head and were associated with morale and alignment.[3]
Notoriously, liches stored their life-forces or souls in items also called phylacteries. A common form of lich's phylactery resembled the traditional phylactery in some respects, being a box containing strips of parchment bearing magical phrases, but they could really take any form whatsoever.[4][5][6][7]
Notable Types of Phylactery[]
- See also Category:Phylacteries
Appendix[]
Background[]
Phylactery, from Ancient Greek (via Latin) for "protectant", is a term for a charm or amulet, a Christian reliquary, or a translation of the Jewish tefillah. It is also the term for "speech scrolls" in Medieval art. These are the inspirations for the above items.
However, in Dungeons & Dragons and across fantasy fiction, the term "phylactery" has become widely associated with liches and "soul jar" concepts, as discussed at the phylactery article.
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- Dungeon #29, "Ex Libris"
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Dale Henson (February 1993). The Magic Encyclopedia, Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), p. 105. ISBN ISBN 978-156076563.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 slade et al. (February 1995). Encyclopedia Magica Volume II. (TSR, Inc.), p. 830.
- ↑ Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams (July 2003). Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 214, 264, 288. ISBN 0-7869-2889-1.
- ↑ Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook (October 2000). Monster Manual 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 216, 217. ISBN 0-7869-1552-1.
- ↑ Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 167, 168. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 202–203. ISBN 978-0786965614.