israel@qantel.UUCP ( Renegade) (06/19/84)
In response to the request for new magic items, I offer the following five descriptions of objects I have introduced in my own campaigns. I have tried to be thorough and explicit in the use of these items (perhaps overly so), but you are, of course, at liberty to adapt them to your own world as you see fit. I have also included brief descriptions for some of these as to how they came to be created. All of them, except for the wand of embarrassment, are usable by anyone. I think you'll find the characters will have an interesting time identifying some of these items, assuming they even think of checking some of them for magic detection ("What do you mean, the SOAP is magical?"). It should be a particularly entertaining occasion watching a non-chaotic mage cast an identify on the wand mentioned above (might be fun to roll for an encounter then). Over-zealous fighters who find a ring of revenge could end up killing the party with it if they're not careful. But then again, that's what adventuring is all about... Guardian Bell This object appears as a minature alarm bell mounted on small stand about three feet high. If detect magic is cast on it, a magical aura will be present on the bell. The bell is used as an intruder alert to its user. It requires knowledge of three command words to operate - an activation word, password, and deactivation word. While holding the stand with one hand, the user speaks the activation command word - the bell then generates a detection field radiating out in a 4 inch diameter sphere (including underground). This detection field extends to the ethereal and astral planes, as well as the prime material. Any creature larger than a normal insect (including un- dead or invisible) which enters the detection field without first uttering the password will start the bell ringing. The bell will continue to ring as long as the offending creature remains in the field. The sound of the ringing will be audible from as far away as 20 inches, except for the user which activated it - the user will be able to hear the bell ringing from anywhere on the prime material, astral, or ethereal planes (ie, the prime material plane that the bell is on, not a parallel plane). The detection field is turned off by holding the stand and speaking the deactivation word. Anyone knowing the deac- tivation command may turn off the the bell, not just the one who activated it. Five percent of these bells are intelligent (int: 12; aligned LN), and hence may be instructed to ring only upon certain circumstances when intruders appear, such as if any evil characters approach, or any dwarves approach during a full moon, etc. (as per a magic mouth spell). Such instruc- tions are issued immediately after activation. New instruc- tions can be issued only after first deactivating the bell. Guardian bells are considered precious by merchants, as well as by party members camping out. They typically sell for 5000gp, and are worth 2000 exp. points. Note - such devices are a bane to thieves - NPC thieves which are made aware of the presence of such a device will frequently go out of their way to destroy it. Ring of Illusionary Alignment This ring was developed by a neutral illusionist who wanted to adventure freely with any alignment, without the potential conflicts developing. It was later stolen by an unknown assasin. The ring has the power to alter one's aura, and make it seem as if the wearer was of a different alignment then he actually is. Thus a lawful evil might wear the ring, and project a lawful good aura, and would so appear to anyone casting a know alignment or detect good/evil. (This includes weapons or items which have such powers). Further, the ring also permits the wearer to comprehend and converse in the tongue of the illusionary alignment he is currently projecting, in addition to his usual alignment tongue. Only one illusionary alignment can be projected at any one time, and the illusion can be switched from one to another in one segment. If, however, the wearer is unconcious or asleep, his true alignment is then detectable in the usual manner. Note that wearers of the ring are still subject to the limitations of their true alignment as regards behavior. However an intelligent sword (or other weapon) will not see through the illusion, permitting the wearer to use such items althought he would not normally be able to. Woe to thee, though, that lapses long enough for the wearer's true alignment to be detected by the sword, for in its vengence it will then do double normal damage to the wearer if he is normally not permitted to use it. Once such a sword has detected true alignment, it will not be fooled by that same person again. The ring is worth 2000 ep and 4000 gp. Ring of Revenge Legends describe an aging magic-user who, through a series of unfortunate encounters, kept finding himself involved in hand-to-hand melee, before having a chance to throw a spell. Consequently, he devised a way of turning his opponents attacks against themselves by creating a ring that could be activated whenever he took damage. What it does is return any damage inflicted upon the wearer. If, for example, the user suffers 15 hp of damage, then the next time the user hits an opponent, he does his usual damage, plus any bonuses he's got coming, PLUS the additional 15 hp which the ring returns. Damage is not retu- urned in the same round it was inflicted, but in subsequent rounds. After damage is returned, the ring is completely discharged until the user suffers damage again. The ring can accumulate multiple attacks, i.e., if the user is hit by 3 different opponents, or by 1 opponent 3 times, and suffers 5, 10, and 7 hp from the 3 attacks, the ring will return all 22 points. The attacks can also occur in different rounds. The ring can accumulate up to 50 hp, all damage in excess of that amount simply dissipating. All accumulated damage is returned in one blow, that is, the user cannot save part of it to use later on. Furthurmore, damage is returned only thru the use of hand- held weapons (i.e., is ineffective when used with missle weapons or spells, although it will work with magical hand- held weapons). Also, it will always be returned on the next hit in rounds subsequent to receiving the damage. Two such rings won't work in parallel, but can be used in series. Hence, if 20 hp are suffered, then 20 hp are stored in one ring, but none in the other. If 75 hp are suffered (and by some miracle you're still standing) then 50 hp are stored in one ring, and 25 in the other. The ring on the weapon hand will 'fill up' first. The most awesome feature about the ring is its behavior when the wearer is killed. Should the wearer ever reach negative hp, the ring will explode, doing d100 in damage to all beings within a 10' radius of the wearer, with a save vs. spells resulting in half damage. (There is no save for damage normally returned by the ring.) The corpse of the wearer will suffer no additional damage in the explosion, so if he's just past zero (-1, say), a cure spell may be suffi- cient to revive him (DM's option). The ring is irrevocably destroyed in the explosion. The ring is usable by all classes, and damage returned may be received by the user in any form, i.e., weapons, spells, wands, etc. Damage suffered by one person can be returned by someone else by changing users before the ring is discharged. The ring is worth 5000 e.p., and sells for 40,000 g.p.. Stingray's Magic Soap This strange artifact was created by an elvish magic- user that liked to go skinny-dipping in a pond next to his forest. He used it to ward off thieves that would attempt to make off with his clothes while he bathed. The story of the soap spread from one thief to another, until it was told to a particular thief named Stingray. Greatly intrigued by it, Stingray sought to steal it for himself, but soon after he discovered that the magic-user had died, and the soap was never seen again. Stingray has searched for it ever since. The soap itself appears as a glowing bar of household soap. It can in fact be used as soap, except it doesn't wear away like ordinary soap. Its real power, however, is its use in combat. The wielder moistens the soap (only a few drops are necessary - spitting on it is sufficient), rubs it to work up a good lather (takes about 1 round), says "Oops!", and while concentrating on his opponent, throws the soap. The soap will then continue sliding along the ground under its own magic power toward said oppenent, at a continually accelerated pace, until it reaches its tar- get. It will then unerringly slide into position such that the victim will slip on it and fall to the ground for one whole melee round, during which the victim gets no attacks, plus takes 1D2 for small, 1D4 for medium, and 1D8 for large creatures as damage resulting from the fall. After the creature falls, the soap then slides back to the wielder, moving so as to avoid causing the wielder to slip on it as well, until such time as the wielder again picks it up. It takes one full round to prepare the soap for use, so it can be used to trip the opponent at a rate of once every two rounds. The soap can only trip one victim per attack run, namely the one the wielder was concentrating on when the soap was thrown, but the next attack can be a different vic- tim. It is not necessary for the wielder to continue con- centration after firing it. If the the wielder is killed, the soap will continue on to trip the target, but will not attempt to return. Also, the soap is only effective against 2-LEGGED NON- FLYING CREATURES. Multi-legged, snake-like, or flying creatures cannot be tripped in this manner, and in fact the soap will return immediately to the user without attacking such a creature. It also cannot "see" illusionary creatures, and hence will not attack illusions, nor non-two-legged creatures attempting to appear as two-legged. Thus the soap is also useful in revealing such deceptions. Should the soap be broken or crushed (as might result from attempting to trip a giant), it will stop where it was and cease glowing. It can still be repaired in this state by dropping the broken pieces in sweetwater and casting a mend spell over it (note that the mend spell itself does not do the actual mending, but instead acts to trigger a spell residing within the broken pieces of the soap. This is the same spell responsible for preventing the soap from wearing out). When attacking, the soap has a 5% chance of being bro- ken by small creatures, 20% by medium, and 50% by large. Remember, however, it will only be broken in the process of tripping its target, since it will slide as to avoid any attacks upon itself, hence the victim will still fall. The soap can only be irrevocably destroyed by fire. It is not known exactly how many bars of soap actually exist, as the elvish magic-user's spellbook disappeared as well as the soap, so it is likely that someone out there might have the spell for producing them, and sells them. They are, for the most part, not generally heard of, except among certain thieves, and it is not known who might have one. If for sale, it would go for a base price of 5000 g.p., and is worth 1000 e.p. as treasure. Wand of Embarrassment Developed by a chaotic magic-user with a fondness for practical jokes, the wand of embarrassment's only power is its ability to completely strip anyone naked. The user points the wand, says power word "HA-HA", and the wand emits a thin beam directly towards its target. One segment later, all the victim's clothes fall off. This includes armor, robes, cloaks, rings, gauntlets, girdles, amulets, broaches, jewelry, helms, necklaces, etc. None of these items will be harmed in any way, and the victim may put everything back on again immediately (assuming he's not otherwise engaged, such as in melee, etc.), although the wand can be used on him again. Victims are entitled to a saving throw vs. wands. Those that make it will have only one item fall off, deter- mined by random roll or selection, as the DM prefers. The wand is only usable by chaotic magic-users. Anyone else who touches one will also lose their clothes, with no saving throw (this will not use a charge). Paladins that touch one will also be required to receive an atonement within one week for being such a twit, and generally making lawful goods everywhere look bad. The wand is rechargable, and is worth 1000 ep and 3000 gp. If you have any questions about these items, or might like to see some more, just let me know. Paul Israel Renegade of Berkeley ucbvax!dual!qantel!israel "What do you mean she's an Auntie Paladin? You don't have an aunt..."