| Dragon | - | Magick Items | - | Dragon 30 |
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A problem that confronts most DMs is that of the
substantial effect most magic items have. Almost any item on the
Miscellaneous Magic Table will
almost immediately have a marked
influence on play. This means there is a large gap between just a
treasure of gold (“Just”, did he say?) and any magic item. In some
opinions, this aspect is further emphasized by the fact that a Magic
Sword or similar item has a quite specific use and can therefore be
effectively used by the most novice dungeoneer. Although an experienced
player may find a novel use for some items, most are employable
with very little imagination or planning.
The Extraneous Magic Table was created to add a new challenge for
experienced players and to enable a DM to reward a player with a
“magic” item for a large number of accomplishments.
The items on the Extraneous Magic Table are designed so that they
are of no obvious immediate value. These items are for the most part
magically endowed with an unusual power that makes them extraordinary,
but not inherently useful. By their very nature, they challenge a
player to find a use for their treasure. Watching a player trying to
find a
profitable way to employ an Obedient Hourglass or a Rag of Drying can
also be an amusing and enjoyable experience for the DM.
A majority of the Extraneous Magic Table items were once part of
the household of Orlow the Indolent, a 27th Level Magic User. Orlow
created many of the items for convenience, for his hobby of gardening,
or to pacify his rather strident wife, Frantasy the Vocal. When Orlow
disappeared more than 1,000 years ago, his household was abandoned
and its contents have since been distributed across the world. (Most
were probably carried off by the servants when they left.) A few items
are not of any known background and may have been created for
unknown uses by less beneficent forces.
If tested, these items will show magic to a Detect Magic spell. Those
that resemble other more potent items will be similar in appearance.
Extraneous Magick Table
Match of Many Lights was created
to save Orlow from having to
search for a match to light his pipe. It has a maximum of 100 lights,
but
may be partially used.
The_Brush
of Colors was
designedby Orlow
to save him
the
bother of cleaning
or changing
brushes.
It will
magically produce
enough paint of
any color named
to paint a
2’ x 2’ surface daily.
<cf. color cantrip>
The Lasting Pipe may be found with
the Match of Many Lights
and will give up to 24 hours continual use from one filling. (Saves
a
fortune on Pipeweed.)
The Torch
of Control was designed to save Orlow the trouble of
putting out the torches at night. Though lighting and burning like
a
normal torch, the Torch of Control will extinguish itself upon command.
Boots of Comfortableness
will fit any feet on any humanoid
creature of any size. They feel like house slippers (which they were)
but
are as durable as hard leather.
Quill of Longwriting is a writing
instrument that Orlow developed
to eliminate the bother and mess of inkwells. Treat as an everlasting
ballpoint pen.
Enlarging Glass is a simple (if
you already know about them)
magnifying glass that is approximately 2” in diameter and 5 power.
There is a possibility of 2 being formed into a set of crossbow sights.
The Obedient Hourglass (yes,
dear, I’ll be through in an hour)
was developed by Orlow to flow at any rate he desired. It will complete
its cycle in as little as 10 seconds or take up to 10 days to drain.
If
unordered, it will act as a normal hourglass.
The presence of Frantasy’s familiar
(a large white cat) caused
the
creation of the Potion of Housecat
Control. It will allow the user to
control 1 housecat for 6 plus his level’s turn. Unfortunately, it did
not
work on familiars, which was said
to have been 1 reason for suspecting
less than dire cause for Orlow’s disappearance.
The Scroll of Erasing was
developed as a note pad for Orlow.
Passing one’s palm over anything written on this scroll will erase
the
scroll complete. (It was also rumored that THE
WIZARD was enamored of a
local lass and would compose passionate poems to her on this pad.
Should Frantasy approach, he was then able to erase the incriminating
verse).
Frantasy's Kitchen
After a few weeks of subtle reminders from Frantasy, the Wizard is
said to have developed many utensils for her kitchen. (There is also
a
rumor that most of her efforts were inedible by even orcs,
but as there
are no records of survivors of her meals, this is speculation.)
To aid in baking, the Spoon of Stirring
was developed. This spoon
will stir upon command any substance up to the consistency of bread
dough until ordered to stop.
Perhaps to avoid tasting the food,
Orlow also created the Spoon of
Eating, which enabled him to eat an entire days rations in 1
bite
without indigestion. Being unable to bear his wife’s tears, the Magician
developed Sweet Onion (seed)
which grows an onion that tastes
normal, but smells like a rose. To
rid the kitchen of other odors (i.e.,
burnt food) the Bottle of Pleasant Odors was developed. This
will
cause any room up to 30’ x 30’ to smell of rose, lemon, or pine.
The Rag of Drying will absorb
and teleport into THE OCEAN 1
gallon of any non-caustic liquid per day.
The Mug of Warming was originally
designed for Orlow’s favorite
drink, mulled wine. It will keep up to 1 pint of any liquid warm
indefinitely. Cold liquids poured into it are heated in 2-7 turns.
The Mug of Dribbling may have
been created by Frantasy in
protest to Orlow’s fondness for wine. It is similar to the dribble
glass
found in joke shops.
The Mystical
Brown Coating Box is often used with the
Eternal
Peanut. Up to 12
grape-sized objects placed in this box per day will be
given a sweet and delicious brown coating. Also
often used with raisins.
The coating will melt in the hand if the coated
objects are held for too
long, leaving a sticky mess.
The Jug of Dyeing, Red
or Blue, will dye any object placed in it
the
appropriate color permanently. (One player put his hand in the Blue
one and quickly acquired a new nickname.)
For obvious convenience, the Broom
of Sweeping was developed.
It can sweep an area 10’ x 10’ clean of loose dust and small items
per
turn. These are left in a neat pile.
The Eternal Salt Shaker
will provide a small amount of salt for the
user each time it is shaken. (It cannot be poured.) The amount is small,
perhaps .25 grams per shake, but neverending if the player’s arm holds
up.
The Eternal Peanut will bring
a smile to your character’s face. This
peanut can be opened repeatedly and will provide up to 3 ounces of
peanuts in an hour. This will be enough to supply rations for one man
for half a day of travel or one evening of munchies for two.
The Ever-Damp Sponge is a 2”
x 2” sponge that is dampened for
one week with a single drop of water.
This is only damp and will supply
very little water if squeezed.
To make cleaning the family silver easier,
Orlow magicked up for
Frantasy a Cloth of Polishing.
This 1-foot-square cloth, when
rubbed lightly over any Metal surface, will remove all grime and tarnishes
and return the surface to a like-new luster.
The Ever-Clean Towel was developed
when Frantasy’s nephew
visited and left a small mountain of dirty towels and stained carpets.
This
1-foot-square cloth cannot be stained or dirtied in any way. It can
be
tom or burnt.
The Needle of Sewing will allow
its user to effortlessly sew through
up to one 1/2-inch of leather. It cannot penetrate the skin of any
living
creature, so the user can never prick himself with it.
The Sticks of Standing were
developed to hold up Orlow’s
tomato plants. These are 1/8-inch-thick, 2-foot-long pieces of wood.
When placed on any horizontal surface they will remain standing unless
moved by a living creature.
Tired of having to replant his flowers
every time a dragon traipsed
through his garden, Orlow developed the Trollflower (seed).
This is
what would be described as a very hardy perennial. This flower grows
slowly at the rate of 2” per month, but will regenerate
as a Troll within 24
hours (unless burnt, or course).
The Dragon Lily (seed 1-4)
may have been developed to contain
the Trollflowers. When the bright orange blossom
of the Dragon Lily is
disturbed, it will spout a small burst of fire
(can do 1 point of <fire> damage).
Attempting to smell the blossom will normally result in a singed beard
and eyebrows.
A Chain Daisy (seeds 1-4) looks
and smells like a normal daisy.
The plant, which stands about 1’ high, has a stem and leaves that are
tougher than cured leather. It is also highly resistant to fire
and acids.
The Goldbug
was developed by Orlow for unknown, but probably
unsavory, purposes. One story says it was developed
because, to
Orlow, the plants were important and gold was
plentiful. Another tale
tells of a greedy brother-in-law who used to
show up for prolonged visits
until one day he discovered his gold had disappeared.
The goldbug eats
gold. It takes one gold piece per day to feed
an active goldbug. (When
not in the presence of gold, the bug will hibernate.)
After consuming 20
gold pieces, the goldbug will lay 1 to 4 eggs
that will hatch in one more
day to begin consuming with their parent. Goldbugs
are illegal to
possess in most kingdoms. A.C. 2 and 1 HTK. <Goldbug,
FIEND FOLIO>
The Amulet of Caterpillar
Control allows the wearer to control
the actions of 4 to 24 garden-variety caterpillars.
After extended nagging by Frantasy
about getting his hands dirty, it
is said that Orlow developed the Bracers of Cleanliness. This
would
allow him to work in his garden and still have the clean fingernails
his
spouse felt were appropriate for his station (or at least hers). These
bracers, when placed around a wrist, will cause all dirt and foreign
matter to turn to dust and fall off. (This includes any gloves that
may be
worn, but not items such as jewelry
or rings.)
Dust of Fertilization, when
sprinkled on any plant, will cause it to
gain a year’s growth (or their full growth for shorter-lived plants)
in 1
week. Does not work on Ents or Enchanted
Plants.
Anyone reading the Manual
of Garden Flowers will immediately
be able to identify all garden flowers and plants from a seed, leaf
or
blossom.
Probably a pest-control device,
the Dust of Small Bird Repulsion,
when sprinkled on up to a 20’ x 20’ area, will prevent any bird smaller
than an eagle from landing there
for one year.
The Coal of Warmth is approximately
2” square and 1” thick. It
stays at a constant temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit regardless
of
its surroundings. It was thought to have been used as a hand-warmer
during winter trips.
The Socks of Dryness are a
pair of foot wrappings that repel water
like rubber, but which allow air to pass through.
The Canteen of Coolness
holds 1 quart of liquid and will keep
it at 40 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of its surroundings. It is said
to
work especially well with certain red wines.
The Hammer of Nailing looks
like a Dwarven Hammer, but is
really a carpentry tool. Use of this hammer allows the construction
of
wooden items in 50% of the normal Time.
It will always drive a nail into
any wood in 1 blow.
A Lodestone is a piece of magnetic
rock with enough attraction to
stick to iron. This is an unrefined lump and would need a skilled Mage
working with a very skilled artisan to turn it into a compass. Most
pieces
will be 1” in diameter.
The Returning
Penny may be the source of a well known cliche.
When cast away from the bearer, this penny-sized
copper piece will
return to the player’s hand from as far as 30’
away. It will avoid all
obstacles on its return flight.
The Ring of Marking will leave
a permanent green ring on the
finger of anyone who puts it on. This mark is similar to that left
by brass
and can be only removed with a Remove
Curse or a Wish. The ring can
be removed at any time, leaving the mark behind.
The Ring of Jasmine Odor
will change the body odor of the
wearer to a pleasant jasmine scent.
Cloak Clasp of Holding is a
small silver clasp that will hold or
release upon the command of the owner. It can hold only against 50
pounds of pressure and opens to clip to any object ½-inch thick
or less.
The Sphere
of Darkness was developed, it
is rumored, to block
the keyholes of the doors to Orlow’s study and
so prevent anyone from
noticing he was napping and not doing exotic
magic as he claimed.
These are spheres 1 inch in diameter that consist
of an area in which
light cannot exist (thus appearing a dark black).
They will obey any
command given by their owner, but will never
travel more than 20 feet
from him for any reason. When not specifically
ordered, a sphere will
float directly over the head of the player (probably
attracting unwanted
attention or even derision). They cannot be harmed
and will obey their
owner(s) until his death. Upon the death of its
owner, a sphere will obey
the next sentient being that touches it.
The Faithful Knot is actually
a foot-long cord that, once tied in a
knot, cannot be untied by anyone else. This cord can be cut by a sword
stroke or similar action.
The Glow Cube is a one-inch-square
cube of wood that glows a
pale green. It gives off too little light
to see by, but is visible from as far as
90’ away in a dark room. These were originally used to mark the edges
of the paths in the Orlow gardens.
Proof that some things have not changed is the Helm
of Blonding.
When this helmet is placed on the player’s head it will turn his or
her hair
blonde for a week. This has no effect, other than the fact that some
acquaintances may not recognize the player <character> immediately
(which can be
a bother if he is your banker or creditor). It is probably safe to
surmise
that the Helm was created at Frantasy’s request, as Orlow the Indolent
was said to be bald.
The Robe of Drying will remove
all the moisture from the skin of a
human-sized player. This robe was
created by Orlow to dry himself
quickly on cold winter mornings. It operates similarly to the Rag
of
Drying, but works once a day on less than
a pint of water.