-

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons	Magic Items	-	Dragon	Dragon #91
-	-	-	-	-

This item is a magical horn, similar in appearance to a horn of
valhalla. Some specimens of this item appear to be battered, a few
seemingly about to fall apart. If the trumpet of doom is winded, all
human, demi-human, and humanoid skeletons and corpses within a
60? radius about the horn will be brought into unlife, as per the spell
animate dead. All of the undead will obey the bearer of the horn
without question, to the utmost of their ability.

The greater the number of undead animated, however, the shorter
the time that they will remain active. If only one skeleton or zombie
is animated, it will remain active for 60 hours under the hornbearer
?s control. If 2 are animated, they will be active for 30
hours, 3 will be active for 20 hours, and if 4 or more skeletons
and/or zombies are activated, they will be animated for only 10
hours before they collapse again.

The undead created by the trumpet of doom may be commanded
to ?go down!? (at which they will disintegrate into dust) if the user
of the horn wishes it; otherwise, the undead will serve until destroyed,
dispelled, or their time runs out. Use of a trumpet of doom
is not considered to be a good act, though sounding it to test its
properties is not evil. The trumpet of doom may only be sounded
once per month. Using it more often will produce no results.

Experience Point Value: 900
Gold Piece Sale Value: 5000
 

LETTERS

Trove revisited
-
Dear Dragon:
When a bard uses the trumpet of doom ("Treasure
Trove," issue #91), does the character get
any bonuses for using it in the way that bards
gain bonuses for using a lyre of building, horn of
blasting, etc.? If the bard does get bonuses, what
are they?

David Chan
Elmhurst, N.Y.
(Dragon #97)
 

A bard who winds the trumpet of doom will be
able to animate skeletons and zombies for double
the normal duration given. Thus one skeleton
may be activated for 120 hours, two zombies for
60 hours each, and so forth.

— RM
(Dragon #97)