Tuesday Toot!! | Amulet of Unseen Minions

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Amulet of Unseen Minions ::

Summary
The item can summon a weak force; or (only once) a mass of weak forces

Detail
Once per day – the item can summon an ‘unseen minion’.

The minion is in fact a ‘soft force’ that obeys the user’s will. When focused, the force can exert a force of up to about a pound. It can turn a door handle, lift a latch, knock over a vase. The force is not hard enough to do inflict HP damage directly. But, a knocked vase falling on someone’s head is another matter. The force only works in line of sight of the user.

Once, and only once – the item can summon 100 to 1000 minions. This action completely depletes the item of unseen minions, thereafter rendering the item useless.
This mass of minions could be used for example to:
• slow the passage of a foe through a corridor as a plethora of minions grasp at them;
• slow/break a deadly fall; minions grasping and pulling against gravity
• form a ‘human pyramid’ for the character to climb;
• combine together to generate enough force to nudge a heavy object, e.g. nudge a boulder down a ravine

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Baton of Three Strikes

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Baton of Three Strikes ::

Summary
This item can capture and store up to 3 spells

Detail
This item is useful in powering up a cleric or magic user character a bit.
This item allows them to take 3 extra spells into the dungeon, and at a risk, use the item defensively to suck up spells used against the party. The item might for example also allow a fighter to carry a ‘curing stick’ with him with healing spells stored inside.
The item stores spells – Therefore, spell-like abilities do not count, e.g. a stare attacks.

Use – the item has 3 gems on its shaft. Pressing a gem allows a single spell to be captured and stored by that gem. That is, provided the spell effect is directed at/near the item.
To release a spell stored in a gem, the other two gems must be pressed simultaneously. Spell can be released from the item by anyone without penalty.

Failure – there is a % chance that the gem capturing the spell is denatured/destroyed instead of capturing the spell.

Level of spell – The % chance of failure is equal to the spell level of the spell being captured (e.g. a 5th level spell has a 5% chance of destroying the gem).

Hostile spells – The % chance of failure is 10 times larger if the spell being capture is hostile to the user (e.g. a 5th level hostile spell has a 50% chance of destroying the gem).

Class conflict – anyone can use the item to capture a spell, but if they are not familiar with that branch of magic there is a +25% increase in the chance of failure.

Table summary:

Spell Lv	Friendly Base %	Hostile Base %	Class Conflict modifier
1	1%	10%	+25%
2	2	20	“
3	3	30	“
4	4	40	“
5	5	50	“
6	6	60	“
7	7	70	“
8	8	80	“
9	9	90	“

Examples
(a) A cleric (or fighter) trying to store a (non hostile) Web spell (i.e. a 2nd level magic-user spell) would have a % failure chance of 2%+25%=27%.

(b) If the above spell were hostile, then (2%x10)+25%=45%.

If the cleric were a magic user instead, then the +25% class modifier would not apply, so (a) would be 2% and (b) would be 20%.

Therefore, it is far safer to ‘bank’ your own spells prior to an adventure, rather than trying to catch a foe’s spell on the fly. That said, sucking a hostile fireball into the item might save the party’s skin!

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Blackstone’s Bracelet of Cauterised Cutting

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Blackstone’s Bracelet of Cauterised Cutting ::

Summary
Allows cutting without drawing blood

Detail
When the bracelet is put on, the hitting surface of any held weapon is covered in a thin layer of super-hot air.

Edged weapons
The super-hot layer of air, riding the edge of the blade like a razor, instantly cauterises any wound caused by the weapon. So, when used, no blood is spilled in combat.
Therefore, this item allows (those) clerics who are not normally allowed to spill blood in combat, to use bladed weapons.

The damage caused by cauterisation is cancelled out by the reduction in blood loss, so no extra damage is caused.

Blunt weapons
The sheath of hot air actually makes blunt weapons more unwieldy, and so harder to hit with (-2 to hit); but it does do some extra searing damage (+2 damage).

Cold Ones & others
Clearly creatures not fond of ‘heat’ will find this weapon especially vexing.
In addition, the cauterisation effect might interfere/prevent special creature abilities, e.g. the regeneration ability of trolls.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Blade of Blinking

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Blade of Blinking ::

Summary
The user ‘blinks’ (i.e. teleports locally) when an adversary is hit

Detail
This weapon takes the form of a slicing weapon. Appended to the weapon is part of a Blink Hound, usually its tail.

Whenever a successful hit is made on a target, the user will ‘blink’, i.e. teleport locally, but still within striking range of the target.

To Hit Roll

• Natural 20 – the target is so befuddled by the ‘blinking’ they are unable to attack the user with their next attack opportunity;
• Successful Hit – the user ‘blinks’; see below for Blink Location;
• Natural 1 – the users blinks, but ends up with their back exposed to the adversary

Blink Location
The ‘blink location’ is indexed to the weapon damage roll (see below). Where multiple dice are used for weapon damage (e.g. 3D6), then only the lowest die roll of the set is used to determine the ‘blink location’:

• 1 Rolled – user blinks, but ends up front and center of the target (no advantage gained by the user or target);
• 2 or 3 Rolled – user blinks to the side/flank of the target (next attack is: +1 to hit target; and -1 for the target to hit user);

•  4+ Rolled – user blinks behind the target (next attack: +2 to hit target; -2 for the target to hit user). Thieves also get an opportunity to backstab with their attack.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Bottle of Misadventure

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Bottle of Misadventure ::

Summary
When players miss ‘game night’, what happens to their characters? Where do they go? Into this item of course!

Detail
In the real world, this item serves as a way to rationalize where characters “go” when their players fail to turn up for a gaming session.

In the characters’ world, the bottle is an accursed and capricious item, taking one or more characters into its confines without warning. It also returns the characters without warning.

The normal looking bottle is located randomly on one of the party members who are outside the item. Like many cursed items it cannot be thrown away.

The characters inside the bottle are housed in an inter-dimensional space, and can only dimly perceive the outside world through the item’s thick smoky walls. The trapped characters cannot be communicated with. Time-based effects ceases when inside the bottle. Therefore, no rest, HPs or spells are gained etc. when inside the bottle. If an item (e.g. a key) is needed from a character inside the bottle, it is “possible” that the character briefly appears, only to be taken again, but not before the needed item (e.g. the key) is transferred.

:O|

Looking from the outside in, the trapped characters look still and strangely blurred, as if time-lapsed.

When the characters return from the item (i.e. when the players return to the game), it is as if the characters had never left their world. What the characters perceived while in the item will be the same as that told to them by the GM or by the other players by the other players.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Flutter-by of Misdirection

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Flutter-by of Misdirection ::

Summary
This item is most often used to distract a sentry or guard

Detail
The item is an enamel broach in the shape of a small flying creature, such as a butterfly, bee, moth, glow-worm, hummingbird, etc.

If thrown, the item transforms into a living version of the creature, and flies towards the target.

The target becomes bewitched (similar to charm magic), and will follow the flying creature up to 300 yards in a random direction, and always away from the user.

When the enchantment wears off, the target is free to return to whatever they had originally been doing (e.g. a guard returns to her post). Other than feeling slightly uplifted by the experience, the target will not think anything unusual or untoward has occurred.

While the item has only a single use, it is often found in sets of five, e.g. five differently coloured butterflies; or five different kinds of flying critter etc.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Garb of Fast Changes and Filching

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Garb of Fast Changes and Filching ::

Summary
This item allows for a swift change in attire

Would look a bit like this:

Hussein Chalayan is a magician pic.twitter.com/kpTPGsUcn5

— Bliss Foster (@BlissFoster) October 14, 2019

Detail
The item resembles a shear bodysuit made of Phase Spider silk. The fabric is exceptionally fine allowing the item to fit in one hand when scrunched up.

Application – The bodysuit can be pulled over whatever the user is wearing, including fairly bulky armor. The only things not covered by the bodysuit are the hands, feet and head.

Whatever is covered by the suit is located in an impossibly thin inter-dimensional space under the bodysuit. No benefit is gained from the covered items.

The wearer is then free to put on a new set of attire over the bodysuit.

Use – When the user wishes to change their appearance (i.e. to don the attire hidden under the bodysuit) they simply need to yank on an exposed portion of the bodysuit.

In a split second the outer attire appears to be replaced by the attire under the bodysuit.

When yanked, the bodysuit transverses through the ethereal plane, flips inside-out and ends up in the user’s hand like a scrunched-up handkerchief. In the process, the (then) outer attire (e.g. the clothes and armor) is dragged into an inter-dimensional space located inside the inverted bodysuit, leaving the user wearing the previously hidden attire.

Items like swords, boots, hats, backpacks, rings etc. are not affected, and so are not dragged into the inter-dimensional space. In some ways, the process resembles pulling a tablecloth off a laid table, revealing a new table cloth below, while leaving all the dishes in place.

Typically only light, e.g. leather, armor can be worn over (or under) the bodysuit. Heavier armor risks getting the bodysuit jammed halfway on/off,” and the user being tangled/crushed/constricted between the two layers of apparel.

The item is favoured by thieves and diplomats. It can be used for an instant change of clothes (for disguise or to evade tracking); to change from black-clad night prowler to innocent bystander; or simply as a way for a character to wear armor without looking like they are.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Globe of Futures Forestalled

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Globe of Futures Forestalled ::

Summary
An item that gives a player a chance to undo an event

Detail
The globe shows the viewer various fates they may wish to avoid.

Armed with this knowledge, the character can make different life choices, so as to avoid an event (for an adventurer, the event to be avoided is usually their death).

Essentially, the item gives a player a “mulligan”.

The way it works: if the player dislikes a gaming event, the player needs to tell the GM that this was the event their character witnessed in the globe, and the character wishes to avoid that event.

To avoid the event, the player must tell the GM how far back in time the character chose a different path, (thereby the character’s timeline diverging from the fate seen in the globe), this can be up to 24 hrs of in-game time.

For example, the GM announces that a boulder falls on the player character killing her. The player then tell the GM that this was the event the character foresaw in the globe and that she chose a path to avoid this fate. The player elects to go back in time only a few minutes. This time, when she heads down the passage she knows about the trap (i.e. as seen in the globe) and steps around the pressure plate.

Please note this is not time travel per se, the events being ‘rewound’ never happen, they are merely the events as seen in the globe (and now being actively avoided).

The character could go back in time as little as one combat round, e.g. to re-roll an attack they fumbled, or they could go back to a point in time before the start of the dungeon (as long as 24hrs has not expired).

Obviously, all gold, XP, items etc. gained during the period of time being ‘rewound’ are lost. However, things lost (e.g. HPs) are regained. This applies to the whole adventuring group.

Clearly, ‘rewinding’ time poses some logistical difficulties for the players/GM. The players and GM should do their best to get the characters (and the dungeon) back into the state they were prior to the moment time divergence. The player and GM can try to agree a convenient divergence-time that makes most sense. Any discrepancies should be attributed to the vagaries of quantum-time-shivering :O/

It’s important to note that the information obtained from the globe can only be used once. This is because, from the moment that the timelines diverges, the information from the globe is defunct. The globe’s information now concerns the timeline that is now being avoided. Therefore, even if everyone in the adventuring party looked into the globe, only one person can make use of the information.

Looking into the globe more than once leads to insanity without any benefit.

The Globe of Futures Forestalled is a unique item, often kept in the highest of temples and tended to by great seers. The last time it was seen, it was in the hands of the Medusa Oracle.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Helm of Sound Sight

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Helm of Sound Sight ::

Summary
This item allows the wearer to ‘see’ sound

Detail
The helm functions in 4 main ways:

(1) Passive mode – the wearer can literally see sound waves, and where they are coming from. The sound waves are superimposed on the wearer’s normal vision.

This mode is only really effective in relatively quiet environments. When it’s too noisy the sound waves become indistinct. Seeing sound waves is not the same as hearing them.

The wearer needs to actively concentrate on the sound waves to see them properly.

(2) Active mode – the wearer can use echo‑location (sonar) to see around them. To use this mode a faceplate is flipped down/up/across obscuring the wearer’s face, such that they cannot see properly in a normal sense.

From a crest on top of the helm, high pitched clicking sounds are emitted. These sounds cannot be heard by most creatures. Like a dolphin (or bat), the helm uses the reflected sound waves to generate an image of the surroundings. In this case, the helm generates a monochrome image on the inside of the faceplate/visor.

In this mode, the wearer can see clearly for about 30 feet in a 180 degree arc. Vague shaped can only be made out in the range 30 to 60 feet. Nothing can really be seen beyond 60 feet.

Because the helm uses sound to see, it can be used to see in the dark (even magical darkness), and will pick up invisible or camouflaged creatures.

In this mode, the wearer is immune to ‘stare’ attacks, e.g. petrification gaze.

(3) Probe mode – once a day, the wearer can generate a short-range focused beam of penetrating sound. This allows the wearer to see into things, a bit like x-ray vision, i.e. about 20 cm into flesh, 5 cm into wood and 1 cm into metal or stone.

(4) Blast mode – alternatively, the strong pulse of sound used in (3) can be used to nudge things, range 3 feet, with a force equivalent to that of a finger poke.

– – –

Me on DriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural:
:: High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea,
:: Wilderness Hex Crawl – In the Heart of the Unknown,
:: Dungeon/network generator – In the Heart of the Delve & Dangerous

Tuesday Toot!! | Hosiery of Ten Steps

Edit: in my haste to publish another post, I’ve managed posted this one a day early!

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Hosiery of Ten Steps ::

Summary
Magical socks, stockings, tights etc. that allow the wearer to project their footfalls

Detail
Once a day the wearer can, without moving location, project their footfalls as 10 steps in any direction away from themselves.

The combined distance of the 10 footfalls cannot exceed about 30 feet. Each footfall following on from the last. The combination of steps must be something the wearer could naturally do. If fancy footwork is involved, an ability check may be required.

For example, if the user wanted to stride forward and kick a door, they could do this without actually moving from the position they were standing in. Indeed, they could do this even if they were restrained or tied up.

Therefore, the user should be able to put this item to creative use, e.g. creating a diversion, testing for traps, ‘walking’ past a portcullis and kicking a duck, checking the sturdiness of a rope bridge etc.

The wearer also has the option to choose to get some sensory feedback from the projected footfalls, as if they were actually doing the walking/striding/jumping. While the wearer’s weight is projected with the footfalls, it is optional if an accompanying sound is also included.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

Tuesday Toot!! | Oil of the Arcane

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Oil of the Arcane ::

Summary
An oil that makes an ordinary weapon magical for a limited time

Detail
The oil contains essence of magic. When applied to a weapon (or even hands/feet) the item is imbued with a magic surface for about 24 hours.

This allows the weapon to hit creatures that can normally only be harmed by magic weapons.

When the oil is freshly distilled the treated weapon can also hit creatures located in the ethereal/astral planes etc.

Rarely, sometimes the oil has added components that give bonuses to hit specific creatures. For example, the oil with added silver flecks may give a bonus to hit lycanthropes.

It is reputed that the oil is made from the brains of psionic creatures. An unopened bottle normally contains enough for 6 applications. The oil’s smell elicits memories of tears.

A small rodent skull is usually found in the bottle as this helps to stabilise the oil.

The item offers the advantage that a party can fight a creature only hit by magic items without the GM having to give the whole party magic items.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

Tuesday Toot!! | Peaster’s Cylinder of Alchemy

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Peaster’s Cylinder of Alchemy ::

Summary
The item allows low value coins like copper pieces to be upgraded to a smaller number of higher value coins (albeit at a cost)

Detail
The cylinder-like item is made up of 4 hoops of metal (in the order copper; silver; electrum and platinum – note there is no gold hoop). The cylinder has a mouth 6 inches to a foot wide.

When copper (CP), silver (SP) or electrum (EP) pieces are dropped through the cylinder, the metal is upgraded to the next most precious category in the sequence (i.e. copper to silver; silver to electrum; electrum to platinum). The coins coming out the bottom of the cylinder are stamped with a fox and a fish.

In the sequence copper, silver, electrum and platinum, each metal is 10 times more valuable than the last. So if no value was lost in the transferring process, then the number of coins obtained in the conversion process would be 10 times fewer each time.

Personally, I would recommend in the transferring process that some of the money is lost (possibly syphoned off by the creator of the magic item).

I would use the following sliding scale:

• For every 20 CP put through the item 1 SP is produced (i.e. 50% levy)
• For every 12 SP put through the item 1 EP is produced (i.e. about 17% levy)
• For every 11 EP put through the item 1 PP is produced (i.e. about 9% levy). That is:

Input coins	–>	Output coin
20 CP	–>	1 SP
12 SP	–>	1 EP
11 EP	–>	1 PP

As an example, if 2640 CP were put through the cylinder three times, 1 PP would be obtained (i.e. 2640 CP –> 132 SP –> 11 EP –> 1 PP).

Or just take some of the converted coins away!

Generally, a sensible party will only use the item when they have more coins than they can carry.

Imagine a dragon hoard being boiled down to platinum (and unconvertible gold); or a copper golem boiled down to a handful of platinum.

Reverse
Sometimes the item works in reverse. If the item is used upside down, it will do the revere of the process described above, but in this case the item does not take a cut of the money during the exchange, i.e.:

Output coins	<–	Input coin
10 CP	<–	1 SP
10 SP	<–	1 EP
10 EP	<–	1 PP

As an example, if 1 PP were put through the cylinder in reverse three times, 1000 CP would be obtained (e.g. 1 PP –> 10 EP –> 100 SP –> 1000 CP).

Mono-exhangers
Sometimes, the item comes as a paired down version, and will only exchange one type of coin, i.e. copper to silver. In that case the item will be made of two bands, one copper and the other silver.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

Tuesday Toot!! | Platter of Phantasmal Food

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Platter of Phantasmal Food ::

Summary
An emergency source of food

Detail
The platter generates translucent, delicious-tasting phantasmal food (i.e. real-seeming but illusionary food) tailored to the taste of the eater.

Up to 30 people (or 15 mounts) can safely eat from the platter for up to 30 days without suffering ill effects. Eaters will feel well, but their appearance begins to look appropriately wizened/starved over time.

Upon resuming a normal (real food) diet, the eater must eat double the usual amount of food for the same number of days that the platter was used. This replenishes their body’s missed food.

If an eater fails to consume the required amount of extra food afterward, they take starvation damage. Eaters who are ill or seriously wounded when taking starvation damage may require a save vs. death.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

Tuesday Toot!! | Portable Pocket of Pickpocketing

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Portable Pocket of Pickpocketing ::

Summary
Allows the possessor to reach into someone else’s Bag of Holding

Detail
The item looks like a pocket-sized bag or large handkerchief with a rip/tear in it.

It is believed that these items are faulty (or damaged) Bags of Holdings. It is also possible that they were made deliberately. Please note, all references to ‘Bags of Holding’ in this item write up include ‘Portable Holes ‘.

The ripped portion of the item is inherently unstable, and is seeking to ‘anchor’ itself in the ‘non-dimensional space’ of a normal Bag of Holding.

Mechanic – When the item is within 60 feet of a (normal) Bag of Holding, the rip in the item will automatically form an inter-dimensional conduit (i.e. link) leading into that nearby Bag of Holding.

In this way, the item will allow the user to reach into the linked Bag of Holding. Things can be taken out, or placed into the linked Bag of Holding. The hole is too unstable to allow living beings to move through it.

This item could be used as a ‘shortcut’ entrance to one’s own Bag of Holding, or to allow two people to share the same Bag of Holding.

Predictably, thieves prize these items as they can ‘pick-bag’ a person’s most treasured possessions in relative safety. The thief might even plant ‘evidence’ in the linked Bag of Holdings to implicate others.

Sometimes these items will have thieves cant sayings embroidered around the rip, a translation might read.:

“Money is a miser’s passion, not a thief’s”

“Hunger makes a thief of any man”

“The traveler with empty pockets will sing in the thief’s face”

The item tends to link to the nearest Bag of Holding, if there is a choice.

When not linked to a Bag of Holding, anything put inside the item falls through the rip. However, anything held partly in/out will look odd. The bit poking through the rip will look ghostly transparent.

The two main limitations of the item are:

(i) when the item links (or detaches) from a Bag of Holding, there is a slight tug on the Bag of Holding that the perceptive might notice;

(ii) other than moving away from the location, there is no way to readily detach the item from a linked Bag of Holding.

One might imagine a ‘Big-Bad’ pulling the characters’ own items out of their Bag of Holding and using them against the party – even handing these out to his goblin henchmen like candy!

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

 

Tuesday Toot!! | Pouch of Offensive Coin

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Pouch of Offensive Coin ::

Summary
Coins placed in this accursed pouch acquire an offensive illusionary quality, making spending the affected coins nearly impossible. The illusion is not visible to the bag owner. Only charitable use can remove the illusion

Detail
The money pouch (sometimes a money belt) is well made. It often has a bawdy scene embroidered on the outside in silver thread and the phrase:

“If money be the root of evil, then least be charitable the shoots therefrom”

This pouch acts like a small bag of holding, but accepts coins only. Other items are rejected by it. Coins placed in the pouch will appear to disappear, as if falling down a long dark well, but the coins can be readily retrieved again.

To the owner of the pouch (and friendly eyes), the retrieved coins will appear bright and shiny as if newly minted, as if magically cleaned by the pouch. The affected coins will look more valuable.

However, the coins will appear completely different to anyone potentially receiving the coins in payment/gift.

That is, casual viewing by a third party (i.e. who are not actually being paid with the affected coins), will not note anything unusual about the affected coins.

The affected coins are now covered by an enchantment/illusionary veneer. The illusionary veneer adapts itself to be as offensive as possible to the potential recipient of the coin (but again this illusionary veneer is not visible to the bag owner). The illusion has the ability to catch the eye of a potential recipient, even in very low light.

The illusionary veneer can take many forms.

It might contain a vulgar image, perhaps of a body part, it might look like it is covered in blood or faeces, it might contain a blasphemous image, unholy symbol, unlucky portend, libelous/propaganda statement, or simply look like the coinage of a mortal enemy (e.g. Orcish coin).

Basically, anyone except the truly emotionless (like the undead) will be offended by being offered the coins in payment.

At best the potential recipient will angrily refuse payment, and ask the character to leave, or at worse become immediately violent and attack the coin giver.

The coin recipient will of course assume the coin giver knows what offensive image lies on the coins. Any denial by the coin giver will likely offend the potential recipient even more.

The illusion/enchantment can only be removed when the coins are freely given/spent in charity. Thereafter the coins are normal again.

Melting down the affected coins causes the coins to explode, doing 1 damage per coin to anyone nearby. The coins are atomized in the explosion.

It is speculated that the item was created by a paladin sect who wanted to ensure that coins once acquired, could only be put to good use (i.e. once placed in the item, coins are all but useless for any other purpose than for charitable use). To most others, the item is an accursed monstrosity.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

Tuesday Toot!! | Ring of Alignment Kind

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Ring of Alignment Kind ::

Summary
The wearer can manipulate alignment detection attempts directed toward them

Detail
The wearer automatically senses when their alignment is being read/detected, and if desired, may interfere in one of these ways:

(1) reflect the detection, so the detector unwittingly reads themselves

(2) project any alignment (of the wearer’s choice) to the detector

(3) attempt to reverse it, and read the detector’s alignment instead (see below)

Reflected, projected, and reversed readings only convey alignment details that the spell or effect would normally provide. (e.g., Detect Evil only reveals evilness, not lawful/chaotic details.)

Reversal Mechanic
For option (3), the wearer rolls one die of their choosing. Upon seeing the roll, they can choose to proceed with option (3), or pick option (1) or (2) instead.

If the wearer chooses to proceed, roll two of the same die for the detector (but don’t add them together). Whoever got the highest single number reads the other’s alignment, and learns the location of the ring; the loser learns nothing. On a tie, both parties ‘win’. If the detector learns nothing, they might suspect foul play.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.

Tuesday Toot!! | Shield of Corroding

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Shield of Corroding ::

Summary
Can corrode metal edged weapons striking it

Detail
A shield covered by the magically-preserved, hide of a Rust‑o‑pede (a centipede-like creature that turns ferrous metal items to rust). The shield incorporates the creature’s antennae (its rusting parts), stretched and pulled into the bumpy leather, sheathing them from casual contact.

Only edged weapons that cut deeply enough into the hide are subject to corrosion.

Mechanic
An attacker (using an edged weapon) that misses its attack roll by 1 (e.g. needing 12 to hit, but rolling 11), triggers the corroding effect, and the weapon decays into dust. Magic weapons may save vs corrosion.

Tampering with the shield (e.g. trying to remove the antennae) upsets the magical preservation, ruining its corrosive properties in a few rounds.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural adventure ‘Carapace‘ about a giant ant colony and my ‘1998 Dungeon‘.

Tuesday Toot!! | Stick of Thorns

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Stick of Thorns ::

Summary
Wooden sword with thorny vines growing around and through the blade, that can entrap the target

Detail
The weapon operates like a scimitar (e.g. D8 damage), but with vines writhing like a sawing edge, and thorns that drink the blood of its targets. Occasionally, the weapon puts forth small pink, white, and/or yellow flowers after combat.

Druids and rangers intuitively recognize the nature of the weapon.

:: Combat Quirks
Natural 20 – the blade vines unravel and grow, grabbing and tearing at the target (double damage), and enveloping them in a thorny cage of vines. In addition, one unravelling vine grows earthward, boring in to the ground and taking root, firmly anchoring the cage in place. The weapon is essentially useless at this stage.

Carefully pruning the sword away from the thorny cage and root-anchor allows it to be reused. A carnivorous vine grows from the cage in a few months.

Breaking free of the cage takes two rounds of effort, causing rending damage each round (D8). Alternatively, friendly hands outside can cut out the ensnared victim.

Natural 1 – the blade vines unravel and grow as above, forming a cage and anchor, but in vain, since it missed the target.

:: Other Wielders
When handled by someone other than a druid, ranger, or woodland creature, the wielder often pricks their hand on the thorns. This annoyance hints at a more dangerous drawback:

When the rooting-stem grows, it tries to grab the wielder’s forearm. The wielder must succeed at a Agility/DEX check, or become entangled, taking 1 damage, and requiring 1 round to disentangle or cut free.

:: Background
In the besieged vale of Nether Stowey, an enclave of druids created several of these weapons, by magically grafting a carnivorous vine to a wooden sword. The druids wielded these weapons in defence of the vale, and also used them as pit stakes, to ensnare trespassers.

The carnivorous vine’s snaring instinct remains within the vine, making the weapon unpredictable as described above. These weapons are usually found poking out of (and ensnared in) a thorny briar, growing around crumbling bones. Recovering the weapon requires clipping it away from the main briar. Druids and rangers can do this without the vine attacking.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural adventure ‘Carapace‘ about a giant ant colony and my ‘1998 Dungeon‘.

Tuesday Toot!! | Studs of Wonder

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing gone. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk-some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: Studs of Wonder ::

Summary
Magic studs that enhance normal leather armor

Detail
Usually 2D8+4 of these studs are found together. Each-thumb thick stud looks like the kind that is attached to leather armor, albeit perhaps unduly large.

If a stud is placed against normal leather armor, it will automatically attach.

If 4 or more studs are attached to normal leather armor, then they confer a +1 defensive bonus. If 10 or more studs are attached to normal leather armor, then they confer a +2 defensive bonus. If 18 or more studs are attached, they confer a +3 defensive bonus.

In addition, 4 or more of the same kind of stud will give resistance to one of:

• Acid (stud looks corroded)
• Cold (etched with a snowflake)
• Fire (etched with a flame)
• Lightning (etched with a thunder bolt)

If a stud is plucked from the leather armor and thrown, the stud will detonate doing D8  damage. The kind of damage being the same as the kind of protection it grants, i.e. protection from acid stud does D8 acid damage. If the number of studs is reduced to below 4 the defensive properties conferred by the studs are lost.

Throwing Quirk
If a stud is thrown, hit or miss there is a 5% (i.e. 1 in 20) the thrown stud will instead do one of the effects listed for the Wand of Wonder (in the 1e DMG; page 136); or if the GM prefers, it will enact a randomly selected spell:

Spell class/type

Acid stud = druidical
Cold stud = clerical
Fire stud = magic-user
Lightning stud = illusionists

Spell level (roll a die):

Odd number = 1st level
Even number = 2nd level
Highest number = 3rd level

Select a spell at random from that spell class and level.

Of course the chance that the spell will make no sense in the circumstances, in that case improvise or ignore.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural adventure ‘Carapace‘ about a giant ant colony and my ‘1998 Dungeon‘.

Tuesday Toot!! | The Tickler

Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.

The Master’s Hoard is a compilation of quirk some magic items which I posted on my G+ page over a period of weeks. The compilation of magic items can be downloaded for free here: Link

:: The Tickler ::
Summary
A sword partly on the ethereal plane

Detail
This weapon looks like a longsword snapped to a third of its original length, and so resembles (and handles as) a short sword or hefty dagger. The Tickler is particularly suited for use by halflings.

On close inspection, the ‘missing’ part of the sword manifests as a ghostly image, phasing in and out of reality. Brushing the ghostly part of the blade against a person gives the sensation of being tickled with a feather. However, in combat the non material part gains a little substance and inflicts damage as described below.

Mechanic
When attacking, make two separate attack rolls:
(1) one roll for the ‘material’ part of the blade (treat as a +1 short sword or dagger); and
(2) another roll for the ghostly part of the blade, treating the target as armorless (e.g. AC 10), but dealing only 1 damage. This is because the insubstantial blade glides past any armor/hide. The damage is low as the ghostly part of the blade only is not fully in the material plane.

Combat Quirks
• Natural 20 on the ghostly roll – the (insubstantial part of the) blade briefly become fully substantial within the target (i.e. fully phasing into the material plane), and causing catastrophic damage; 2D8 damage (at the GM’s discretion double damage may also apply).
• Natural 1 on the ghostly roll – the weapon inverts its phasing polarity. The material blade (inclusive of handle) becomes ghostly, and the ghostly part of the blade becomes material, causing the blade to fly out of the wielder’s hand, in the direction of the swing. In D4 rounds the blade reverts to its prior state.

Hitting Ethereal Creatures
The ghostly part of the blade appears substantial on the ethereal plane, allowing attacks against ethereal creatures, at +2 to hit by a wielder on the Prime Material plane.

Back story | Phase Spiders
This unique sword took this unusual form upon stabbing a Phase Spider at the very moment it transitioned out of the material plane. The part that was inside the spider became unstable and now exists in this transient state, not quite in the material plane
The blade deals double damage against Phase Spiders. Upon killing a Phase Spider, there is a 50% chance the blade’s two parts synchronize their phase, forever turning the blade back into a normal longsword.

– – –

Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural adventure ‘Carapace‘ about a giant ant colony and my ‘1998 Dungeon‘.