Cloth of Steel
This 8'-long piece of enchanted cloth,
upon utterance of the command word
(usually found on the cloth), straightens
out as if wielded by someone who knows
the martial-arts maneuver Steel Cloth.
Unlike the regular cloth used in the
maneuver, the cloth remains straight even
when not in motion, remaining rigid until
a second command word is spoken to
return the cloth to its normal form. In the
rigid state, the cloth may be hurled; if
thrust or thrown, it strikes as a spear +1.
When rigid, the cloth is so hard that it
may be used as a crowbar or as a long
spike for stopping sliding walls.
    XP Value: 750
    GP Sale Value: 5,500
 

Shukenja Helm
This helm may be of any type (kabuto,
hanburi, jingasa, etc.), and may be worn
by any character who can wear helmets.
When worn, it gives the protection afforded
by the shukenja spell mental strength.
In addition, the wearer of the helm may
meditate for two hours a day (double that
if he can already meditate). In combat, the
helm gives the head AC -2, and, if the
wearer is striking to subdue instead of kill,
he gains a +1 advantage on both damage
and ?to hit? rolls.
    XP Value: 2,000
    GP Sale Value: 13,000
 

Multiple Rod of Dancing
Upon first glance, the rod appears to be
a normal three-piece rod. However, it is
+1 on both damage and ?to hit? rolls. The
rod may also be used as a dancing weapon,
but it always functions in this capacity
as if it were owned by an 8th-level monk
who specializes in martial-arts weapons.

Upon utterance of the appropriate command
words, the chain links of the rod
may, at the will of the owner, become any
of the following things: three dancing jo
sticks, a dancing jo stick and nunchaku, or
one or two jo sticks and a dancing nunchaku.
Other weapons may be wielded by the
user of dancing weapons. As before, the
dancing weapons fight for five rounds at a
time (or until recalled by the owner) as if
wielded by an 8th-level monk. When the
command word is spoken, the weapons
are fully responsive to the will of the
owner. When the rod dances in several
pieces, it can engage up to three opponents
at a time; the pieces may also concentrate
on only one or two foes. When
the command word of recall is spoken or
when the time limit for dancing is used
up, the detached pieces reunite and fly
back to the owner's grasp. All detached
dancing pieces are +1 weapons.
    XP Value: 4,500
    GP Sale Value: 25,000
 

Staff of the Ninja
This staff appears to be an ordinary bo
stick until checked for magic. It is +2 to
damage and ?to hit? rolls, and has other
special abilities as well. If the appropriate
command words are known, the following
things may occur at the user?s command:

1. A spear head slides out of one end,
turning the weapon into a shakujo yari +2.
The head retracts when the command
word is repeated.

2. A sword blade juts out of the other
end, turning the staff into a shikomi
zue +2. As before, the blade retracts if
the command word is repeated.

3. The staff has a saving throw vs. crushing
blows of 1, making it virtually
unbreakable.

4. The staff has balancing ability.

5. Once per day, each concealed weapon
blade may be envenomed. The venom is
wiped off and expended on the first successful
blow, acting as if it had come from
a dagger of venom.

6. The staff dances for five rounds,
attacking the enemy as if wielded by an
8th-level ninja. The staff can dance as a bo
stick, shakujo yari, or shikomi zue. The
form in which the owner wishes it to
fight, however, must be determined before
the weapon is made to dance. When time
runs out or it is recalled, the staff returns
to the hands of its owner.

7. The staff acts as a ring of water walking.

8. Four times a week, the bearer of the
staff can pass through stone or metal walls
up to 3' thick.
    XP Value: 5,000
    GP Sale Value: 25,000

Statue of Substitution
Upon close examination, this statue,
reveals a small cavity in its back. The
statue is hollow and large enough to hold
one pint of blood. In order to make the
statue work, the character to carry or use
it must have one pint of blood removed
from his body and poured into the statue,
which magically seals when full. Once this
bond has been created, the statue benefits
the character using it as if he were using
the shukenja spell substitution. The first
20 hit points of damage the character
takes in combat are absorbed by the
statue, which disappears automatically
when the limit is reached. The statue will
benefit no one but the character whose
blood it holds, and only one statue may be
so used by a character at a time. If small
amounts of blood from several characters
are poured in, the statue will not give each
of the characters limited benefits; it will,
in fact, be worthless.
    XP Value: 500
    GP Sale Value: 10,000
 

Stirrups of Horsemanship
When fitted on a horse, these stirrups
give any character who rides that animal
the same skills at riding that he would
have if he had the horsemanship proficiency
(this applies to riding skill, leaping onto
the animal, using two-handed weapons on
horseback while guiding the animal with
the legs alone, etc.). The stirrups may be
used on any horse or horselike animal (kirin,
unicorn, etc.), and must be attached to
the saddle trappings if they are to work
properly. No additional bonus is given to
characters who already have the horsemanship
proficiency.
    XP Value: 2,500
    GP Sale Value: 12,500
 

Tea Set of Skill and Grace
This tea set, made of the finest materials,
enables its owner to conduct a tea
ceremony as if he had filled a slot with the
tea-ceremony proficiency. Possession of
the set adds +4 to the chances of attaining
utter concentration while conducting the
ceremony; this benefit is the same whether
or not the character has regular proficiency
in the tea ceremony. The same +4
bonus applies if the character uses the set
when engaged in a contest. If the character
used the set while learning the ceremony,
he will still have +2 on the chance of
contest-winning and attainment of utter
concentration without the set.
    XP Value: 1,500
    GP Sale Value: 2,000
 

<Oriental> Dragon Lantern
This hooded lantern is shaped like the
head of an <oriental >dragon. When the handle is
manipulated to reveal the light, the
dragon?s jaws are opened. This special
lantern secretes that most brilliant of
illuminating agents, dragon fat, producing
enough so that the lantern may be used up
to 20 turns a day. (Incidentally, regular
dragon fat may be burned in ordinary
lanterns; the amount needed to fill a lantern
once is worth 3,000 gp.) The light
from this lantern brilliantly illuminates an
area equal to that covered by an ordinary
lantern?s light, but in this case, the lighted
area is equivalent to broad daylight. In
addition, the light can be seen from a
great distance, until the point the lantern
is at is hidden by the curvature of the
earth (thus, the lantern may also be used
as a signalling beacon). Any creature who
looks directly into the dragon jaws (equivalent
to the chance of being caught by the
gaze of a basilisk) is blinded for 10 turns
unless treated by cure blindness.
    XP Value: 3,000
    GP Sale Value: 12,000

Dragon Pearl
This is the magically-treated pearl carried
by every oriental dragon. It always
glows with a brilliant light so penetrating
that it can light up every room in even the
largest castle. (Only a special carrying sack
of dragon hide or similar special leather
will conceal the light.) When carried, the
pearl acts as a periapt of health. In addition,
it can increase the size or amount of
any ordinary substance it comes in contact
with. People and animals grow fatter and
healthier, crops grow larger, and piles of
food (such as rice) increase in size. If
placed in a barrel with a few drops of
water, oil, or some other liquid, the pearl
will soon have the barrel full to overflowing.
However, this ability only works for
ordinary materials; it cannot multiply a
pile of coins or make gems increase in
value. If buried, the pearl reveals its presence
by the fact that the grass over it is
always green and healthy, even in winter
or in times of drought.
    XP Value: 10,000
    GP Sale Value: 20,000
 

Dust of Revealing
This special dust is commonly found in
one or more eggshell grenades, the price
being that of one such powder-filled grenade.
When released into the air, the dust
magically expands to fill a 30?-radius ?area.
Everything in this area affected by disguises
is revealed for what it truly is.
Shapechangers (such as lycanthropes and
hengeyokai) are forced into their natural
forms, all magical and mundane disguises
are removed, and spells such as face and
apparition are nullified, Unlike dust of
appearance, dust of revealing does not
reveal invisible, astral, ethereal, or out-ofphase
creatures.
    XP Value: 1,000
    GP Sale Value: 4,000

Wand of Rust
This wand, which may be used only by
wu jen (magic-users), is a potent weapon
against armored foes. Every time a charge
is expended, a pencil-thin ray of a rusty
red color streaks out. Any metal object hit
acts as though a metal to rust spell had
been cast on it. Note: Because the beam is
so thin, a save vs. wands means that the
beam has missed, and could thus strike
something else. The beam will travel 100?
before dying out if it hits nothing.

As with the spell, the wand may also
transform rust to metal. If one charge is
expended while the wand is swirled around
in a pile of rust (here the rust may be due to
any cause), the affected item is restored as
per the spell. If less than 90% of the item?s
rust is in that spot, the spell will not work,
but the one charge will still be expended.
The wand may be recharged.
    XP Value: 6,000
    GP Sale Value: 35,000
 

Sword +1, Whirlwind Blade
This sword has from 8-16 charges which,
once used, are gone for good. Whenever
one charge is expended, the wielder of the
sword may launch a whirlwind attack in
the manner of an 11th-level kensai. All
strength bonuses and the like possessed by
the character still apply. Even a kensai may
use this weapon, provided that it is not a
magical version of his weapon of specialization.
A kensai of 11th level or higher, if he
can use the sword at all, may use the abilities;
he may also still use his own innate
whirlwind attack potential. If the character
expends a charge while conducting a whirlwind
attack of his own; however, no additional
benefit is gained, and the charge is
wasted.
    XP Value: 500
    GP Sale Value: 2,500



OCTOBER 1987