These 4 horseshoes will be found in a group and will appear to the eye as normal iron shoes. They will emanate a dim
magick if magic is detected for.

When the 1st of the shoes is physically moved (by means of
physical contact or a spell), that shoe will turn jet black in color
and will thereafter appear to be made of some foreign, unknown
material. (If all 4 shoes are moved simultaneously, the black
shoe is determined randomly.) If a sage is consulted or a Lejend
Lore or similar sort of spell is cast upon the single shoe, there is a
slim chance of it being identified as an object native to a middle
lower plane, specifically Hades. The black horseshoe will emit a
strong aura of magic and a dim aura of evil, if those qualities are
detected for, but the other 3 shoes remain as before.

When all 4 of these shoes are attached to the hooves of a
normal horse of any type (war horse, riding horse, draft horse,
etc. but NOT a mule or donkey), the horse is magically transformed into a Nightmare (see Monster Manual) with 33 hit
points. This creature will surprise on a 1-5 (d6) and in combat
will attack all material life within a 3” radius. If it SLAYS all material
life within that space it will disappear into the astral plane,
horseshoes and all, presumably to return the horseshoes to
Hades. If it is SLAIN, the corpse will assume the form of the
original horse, which will be wearing 3 normal horseshoes
— and the black one will have disappeared.

If a character is sitting on the horse’s back when the final shoe
is attached to a hoof, he/she will be thrown by the nightmare
immediately after the transformation and will suffer 3-18 points
of damage from the fall. When the nightmare 1st appears, it will
breathe smoke, with effects as outlined in the Monster Manual,
before attempting to attack with fangs and hooves.

Experience point value: 1,500. Gold piece sale value: 3,000.
 
 

Dragon

Dragon 47

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Magick Items

1st Edition AD&D