Difference between revisions of "Magic Items"

Revision as of 20:39, 24 July 2007

Our various Greyhawk campaigns have spawned dozens of magic items. This page chronicles them in all their arcane (and occasionally downright weird) glory.

Armor

Armor Of Waterwalking

Crafted by Bizarre the Unprecedented, this armor appears to be leather armor +1, but when the wearer enters water, he automatically rises to the surface of it. The surface of the water feels like sand, but it does not hamper movement. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t work perfectly. Each round after the first there is a 10 percent cumulative chance that the armor will suddenly stop working, and that the wearer will plunge into the water. If not in combat, it will 10 minutes for the wearer to sink into the water.

Artifacts, Lesser

Crystal Skulls Of Nerull

Legends and Lore

The crystal skulls of Nerull are powerful artifacts of the God of Death, created by his followers for use in their holy rituals. These artifacts differ in power, design and construction, but their basic principals and use remain the same.

The skulls are generally carved from some sort of crystal – the most mundane are carved from quartz or exceptionally pure forms of glass, but others have been known to be made from emeralds, diamonds and rubies. The material that the skulls are created from is believed to have an influence on the final power of the skull, but this has never been confirmed.

Although one – an exceptionally powerful emerald skull – was found in the lair of a now-forgotten lich, most of these artifacts are used by powerful and evil cults worshiping Nerull. Only fragments of these skulls – most notably the Emerald Skull of Narceen – have ever recovered. The splinters of the Emerald Skull were enough to cause a serious mishap at the Guild of Wizardry, but the exact nature of that mishap isn’t commonly known and is kept secret by the guild.

Powers

Little is known about the powers of these skulls because so few have seen them and lived. Based on the maniacal boastings of those who have wielded them – and on rumors from those who have seen them first hand – the skulls are fearsome and deadly.

Priests of Nerull who wield the skulls have their powers increased – their death or negative energy spells become greatly enhanced. In addition, the priests are able to use the skull to attack their opponents mentally – they can transport their minds into the bodies of their enemies and then use that individual’s powers against his or her friends.

The diamond or clear cystal skulls seem to enhance mental abilities, while the ruby ones reportedly provide pyrotechnic or blood-stealing powers. The green ones allow powerful death magic to be cast.

The skulls themselves are alleged to have some sort of sentience, although how extensive this is has yet to be seen. There are reports of the skulls rising into the air and lashing out at opponents with blasts of lightning or worse, but its possible that those reporting them are confusing them with the legendary demi-liches of old.

Recent History

It is known that the Cult of the Shriven Sickle in the Free City of Greyhawk, and its off-shoot, the Cult of Death Undying on the Pomarj, possessed at least two of these skulls. Both of them were shattered by adventurers belonging to the Blackrazor Guild. The first was broken in the Obsidian Maze on the Pomarj in early CY 586, the second was crushed in a collapsed cairn outside of Greyhawk later that same year. The Blackrazors returned to the site of the collapse cairn in C.Y. 587 and successfully extracted the shards of the second skull. They promptly turned the skull shards over to the city's church of Celestian.

Emerald Skull of Narsceen

Legends and Lore

The Emerald Skull of Narsceen was found in the Cairn Hills in 332 C.Y. in the lair of the lich by the same name by a group Greyhawk adventurers known as the Stormriders. The adventurers managed to defeat the lich and seized the skull (easily worth 20,000 g.p.) as treasure.

The group was en route to the city when one of their members was suddenly overwhelmed by an evil entity. The individual killed three party members before the others could escape back to the city. The individual – a mage of some power – fled to the south. Within months news arrived in the city that he had taken over one of the Star Cairns and had begun building a new cult.

The surviving Stormriders recruited mercenaries and launched an expedition to hunt down their friend, who was clearly possessed in some way. The Stormriders hypothesized that the lich had somehow managed to transfer his lifeforce into the skull, and had then captured their colleague.

After a final, terrible battle in the Star Cairn, which saw half their number slain, the two surviving Stormriders managed to defeat the newborn cult and their friend. They then smashed the skull hoping that would free their friend. It seemed to work and the friends headed back to the city. After returning to Greyhawk they sold their story to the then-head librarian of the Great Library in return for a favor – the raising of one of their dead friends. They then left the city and passed into history.

A later expedition to the Star Cairn by the Guild of Wizardry recovered the fragments of the skull, but once they were back in the city an evil spirit attacked and controlled a mage – and then used him to kill five of his fellow magi.

Dreaming Eye

Legends and Lore

The Dreaming Eye, as it is known by the faithful of Tharizdun, is an alien intellect from another dimension. The Eye has exceptional powers to alter individuals perception of reality, and even reality itself. It has an intelligence of 19, making it brutally and sadistically brilliant. The Eye, when it has taken control of a new victim, will always attempt to gather a large number of souls into itself, a fraction of who’s energies are siphoned off to the dark god.

On this plane the Eye appears as a large 1 inch diameter ruby, worth at least 1,000 gold pieces. The priests of Tharizdun have increased its apparent value considerably by adding a lattice of gold that crisscrosses its facets. The entire gem hangs from a thin golden chain.

It has been theorized that the followers of Tharizdun captured the entity in the hopes of unleashing their god by channeling massive amounts of life force through the amulet. However, the slaughter of thousands of individuals did not release the god, leaving many of the high priests to believe that it would take the death of millions to create enough energy to release Tharizdun – a cataclysm on the same level as the Rain of Colorless Death.

Powers and abilities

2nd Ed. D&D Stats

The Eye can confuse the readings of its own magical aura and to enchant a mundane item or weapon with a false magical aura. If the vessel it is using is captured or killed, the Eye will attempt to pass off the "blame" for the deaths onto another item, usually a sword or edged weapon. It does this in hopes that those who defeat its host will attempt to turn over the "cursed" magical item while taking on the Eye as a magical item. When playing this trick, the Eye goes "dormant." Not even the strongest magical scrying can reveal that the Eye is anything more than a magical item that can do the following:

• Cast Alter Self: at will.
• Mirror Image: 1 charge
• Improved Phantasmal force: 2 charges
• Spectral Force: 3 charges

The Eye usually has about 20 charges when found. When the charges are almost depleted, the Eye becomes hungry. As the weilder sleeps, it forces him or her to hunt the streets or wilderness for victims. When the victim is slain, its life force flows into the gem. The Eye gains one charge for each level of experience of the victim. The weilder awakens in the morning feeling exhausted, but has no memory of the murders. If shown one of the corpses, the weilder may (saving throw vs. spell at -2) remember a dream of the murder, but nothing else.

When the Eye is in control, it can cast any number of powerful illusion spells, allowing it to go about its killing in peace and quiet. The bodies of its victims are always carefully dissected to maximize the effect that the murder will have on those who see the body. Entrails are strewn around the area. Muscles are sliced and spliced. Skin is pealed away from the bodies. The resulting mess has no overt or obvious religious significance, but research will reveal that certain tribes in the Amiego Jungle were reported to have performed ritual human sacrifices using similar techniques. The purpose of the ritual was apparently to expose the soul to the madness of the world, in hopes of attracting the attention of some ancient god. The belief was that some how this fed the god, and that the feeding could earn the natives favors.

The Eye has the following spell like powers

• Phantasmal Killer: 1x per day
• Improved Invisibility: 1x day
• Power Word: Blind: 1x day
• Power Word: Stun: 1x day)
• Send Dreaming: (allows it to send up to three dreams per day. These are extremely vivid dreams usually designed to attract the attention of a new servant.)
• Send Dream Minion: Allows the Eye to send 1d3 warriors into the dream of a victim. These nightmare warriors have dark skin and a vaugely elven look. They wear black chainmail armor and weild long swords and short swords -- and are specialized in them. Anyone killed in a dream by a minion has its soul transfered into the gem. The body remains behind, alive but unanimated.

Dream Minion; AC: 0 #At: 4 Dmg: 1d8+2/1d8+2/1d6/1d6 HD: 10 Thaco: 9/11 Mv: 12 AL: NE

Methods of Destruction

While it is undoubtedly possible to destroy the Eye, so little is known about it that no one can say exactly how this might be done.

Recent History

The artifact was recovered in the free city of Obsidian Bay by the Blackrazor Guild in Sunsebb of C.Y. 586. It was turned over to the Temple of St. Cuthbert in the city. It was stolen from the church by the su-doppleganger Su-quan in mid-C.Y. 587. Its present whereabouts are unknown.

Rings

Bizarre's Ring of Static Electricity

Once per day this ring can cast shocking grasp, as per the spell, once per day. It runs by drawing the ambient static electricity from the air and storing it for future use. There is, however, a 5 percent change per day that it isn’t discharged that the ring will go off of its own accord, shocking the next person the wearer touches after the ring fails its percentage shock roll.

Ring of Partial Invisibility

A flawed magical ring discarded by a forgotten mage as a useless waste, this ring provides its wielder with a limited form of invisibility. The wearer -- at will -- can order the ring to turn him partially invisible. The ring obliges by hiding half of the wielder. The wielder is able to control which half is hidden.

Example: Krysta is walking down a corridor when she hears footsteps. She quickly wills the ring into action, cloaking the front half of her with invisibility. Those heading towards her -- a group of goblins -- can see nothing. But anyone approaching from behind would see her as per normal.

Weapons

Darkbane

Legend and Lore

Darkbane was forged a century ago in the Principality of the Ulek to defeat a shadow-summoning mage from the Pomarj that was plaguing the small nation’s eastern frontier. Darkbane was crafted by the dwarven princes for use by one of their loyal human guardsmen. While the blade was specifically designed to defeat shadow-creatures, but had no special powers against other 'life' forms from the Negative Material Plane.

The sword was lost in during the dwarves' fight in the shadow mage’s lair. A hundred years later, in the common year 574, Damaculas Everton and a band of adventurers and defeated the lichified remains of the original mage and re-discovered the blade Damaculas decided keep the blade and wielded it for more than a decade.

Abilities and Powers

2nd Ed. D&D Stats

• +3 long sword, +5 vs. shadows

In addition to its effectiveness against shadow-creatures, Darkbane has the following powers:

• Light (15’ radius, on command)
• Continual Light (3x day)
• Dispel Magic (as 9th level mage 1x day)

Recent History

After the former Blackrazor Guildmaster's death at the hands of fellow guildmember Kalib Ironfist in C.Y. 586, possession of Darkbane passed to the new guildmaster -- Tanevir Calywyn.

Dryshek

Legend and Lore

Little is known about this powerful dwarven weapon. It is engraved with several symbols of Clanggedin, though members of that clergy have no references to the weapon as being a relic of their faith, and Dryshek does not radiate any priestly magic.

What is known is that Dryshek is a very powerful weapon. It possesses the abilities of the more common, but still legendary, Dwarven Thrower.

Powers and Abiliites

2nd Ed. D&D Stats

• Dryshek, +3, double bladed dwarven battle-axe.
• When it's truename is spoken, it can be thrown up to a distance of 180 yards. Any successful hit allows the user to add his strength bonus (if any) to the damage of the weapon. Dryshek then loops back to its wielder's hand. Dryshek can be thrown twice/round.
• If a natural 1 or 2 is rolled while throwing Dryshek, it misses its target and flies back to hit the wielder or one of his companions, causing full damage (plus any applicable strength bonuses).

Gransak the Goblin Slayer

Legend and Lore

Tuckintas Gransak, a headstrong gnome from the Flinty Hills, once wielded this axe which now bears his name. Gransak was a momentarily famous warrior who fought a brief, but furious and eventually futile campaign to cleanse a family gem mine of goblins in the Common Year 232. The goblins had invaded the previous year, sending Gransak's parents fleeing for their lives. Gransak, however, couldn't stand to loose all those gems, and, with visions of the humanoid scum desecrating them, he flew into a battle rage. He stormed the mine before any kind of help could arrive, succeeding in killing a dozen goblins before the rest of them -- a total of nearly a hundred -- swarmed from the shaft and overwhelmed him.

His axe, which until that day had been merely of exceptional quality passed down from his grandfather, became something more after the battle. A bit of Gransak's spirit stayed in the blade, granting it a perpetual sharpness, but also a blessing, or a curse, of sorts. Whenever the blade comes into the presence of a goblin, it flares bright red, shining through any pack or covering. Its wielder must immediately run to engage the creature -- if the weapon isn't out, the wielder draws it. The blade forces the wielder to fight until the goblins are dead or he is.

Powers and Abilities

• Handaxe +1, +4 vs. goblins

It has a simple cherry wood handle and a plain silver axehead. The quality, however, is exceptional, and would fetch a hefty price from any number of gnomish collectors.

Hawkins’ Reaper

Legend and Lore

One of the ancestral blades of the family of Hawkin, the Reaper has been passed down from son to son for generations. The Hawkins family, a minor member of Keoland's aristocracy, has long served its kingdom as charismatic cavaliers. They were rewarded for their fealty centuries ago with a land grant in the Poor March, but when that province was overrun by humanoids they were forced to flee back to their ancestral holdings.

Hawkins’ Reaper was forged during the time of that forced flight, and even since then the Hawkins family has sworn that one of its son's would wield the sword in battle when they returned to the Pomarj to reclaim their lost lands.

Abilities and Powers

2nd Ed. D&D stats

• Hawkins Reaper, +2 long sword, +3 vs. chaotic evil
• Bless (1x per day)
• Detect evil (3x day)

Hawkin's Reaper was forged to fight the chaotic monstrosities that overran the Pomarj, and it is most affective against their ilk (+3 versus chaotic evil beings). It also has the following special powers:

The blade shines with a 15' radius light yellow light when drawn from its scabbard. To use its powers, the wielder must draw the blade and concentrate for one round.

Recent History

Hawkins’ Reaper is presently wielded by Demetry Hawkins, the seventh son of the current patriarch of the Hawkins line. The young cavalier has undertaken his family's holy quest to reclaim their lands, and is presently a member of the Blackrazor Guild in Obsidian Bay. He is also the commander of that city's Order of the Vengeful Fists, an elite knighthood dedicated to lightning fast, brutal reprisals against humanoid raids.

Hextor's Glory

Legend and Lore

Hextor's Glory was forged over 100 years ago by craftsmen in the Church of the Iron Nation, in the North Provine of the Great Kingdom. It was carried as a ceremonial weapon by high church officials, but also saw a lot of bloodshed in the Greyhawk Wars.

Abilities and Powers

• +3 bastard sword
• Lawful - +2d6 damage vs chaotic creatures
• Intelligent

Int 15 – communicates telepathically

Special Abilities:

• Heal wielder, 1/day as the spell
• Free Action – constant
• Hold Person – 3/day vs any opponent struck by the weapon

Extraordinary Power: Bane Weapon vs. clerics and paladins of Hieroneous +5 total enchantment bonus to hit and damage, +2d6 unholy damage.

Ego: 20

Justiceseeker

Legend and Lore

Little is known about the origins of the man known as Justiceseeker. It is rumored that he spent the early part of his life adventuring through the interior of the Pomarj peninsula with a group of warriors and mages. At some point though, he renounced his adventuring ways, adopted the name Justiceseeker, and became the Free City of Obsidian Bay's first -- and only -- cleric of Trithereon.

Over the years, Justiceseeker attracted a small group of followers who sought adventure and vengeance on the peninsula. In C.Y. 585, when Justiceseeker advanced to the 12th level of ability, his most promising pupil arrived in the city. The pupil, a warrior-turned-cleric Kalib Ironfist, was a member of the Blackrazor Guild. The two quickly became, if not friends, professional acquaintances. More importantly, with another high-ranking cleric in the city, Justiceseeker was able to spend more and more time on his own, private expeditions and quests.

In early C.Y. 586, Kalib was abducted and replaced by an evil doppelganger. Justiceseeker declared a bloodquest to find his student. Almost immediately he got results -- the evil ones who had abducted Kalib had taken him into the sewers. Before he could share this with the Blackrazors though, he was cornered by agents of the nefarious Dark Circle. The murderers, led by the Blackrazor traitor Damaculas Everton, killed the cleric. As he lay dying, Justiceseeker whispered a prayer to Trithereon demanding that he be given the opportunity to avenge his own death. The god agreed, and transferred a portion of the cleric’s spirit into his sword.

Abilities and Powers

2nd Ed. D&D stats

• Justiceseeker, +3 bastard sword, +5 vs. murderers
• Int: 17 Ego: 21 Personality score: 38 AL: CG
• Special Purpose: Avenge murderers

The steel bastard sword has the word "Justiceseeker" is engraved in Common on both sides of the blade and an unadorned hilt. Justiceseeker lives on inside the blade, albeit in a limited form. The soul has lost its clerical abilities, but has retained its undying devotion to hunting down murderers and other evil-doers.

Although his god Trithereon advocates free will, Justiceseeker is not above nagging or harassing his wielder into doing what he wants -- which is always to track down murderers. In extreme cases, he will even take temporary control of his wielder to further his own goals. Justiceseeker can "encourage" wielders to drop him if needed through a blast of electrical energy. Furthermore, anyone of evil alignment touching the blade must automatically make an ego check against the sword -- those failing are instantly taken over by Justiceseeker. He then uses the individual to take him to a priest of Trithereon. Those who make their save are subjected to 6d6 points of electrical damage.

Justiceseeker has the following abilities:

• Speech: The sword can speak in common as well as elven and can communicate with its wielder using telepathy.
• Primary abilities: Detect evil 10’ radius, Locate Object 120’ radius, Clairvoyance 30’ range, 3x per day, one round duration.
• Extraordinary abilities: Cure light wounds, any chaotic good creature 3x per day.
• Special abilities: Commune, 1x month, must be used in the course of solving a murder.

Recent History

Kalib became the first priest of Trithereon to wield Justiceseeker after escaping from his prison in Harvester C.Y. 586 and finding the blade (as well as the decapitated head of his fallen teacher). He used it to slay Damaculas and carried it to Greyhawk where he wielded it while exploring the Star Cairns. He has found the blade to be useful, but its constant urging to hunt down and slay murders has begun to work on his nerves.

Slickblade

Legend and Lore

The dagger known as Slickblade is holds the spirit of a murdering thief who's true name is lost to time. How the thief's spirit was channeled into the dagger -- and when this happened -- isn't known. The results, however, are. The merging of the murderer with his weapon of choice has created a powerful magical item bent on the disruption of good and the murder.

Abilities and Powers

2nd Ed. D&D Stats

• Slickblade +2 dagger
• Int: 15 Ego: 10 Personality score: 25 AL: CE
• Special Purpose: Promote villainy, chaos and evil while undermining law, order and goodness.

Overview

The Slickblade is a +2 dagger with some very special properties. It acts as a dagger of venom, storing four hits of a lethal poison in its hilt. The poison is not instantly lethal – it takes 10 minutes to set in and the wielder is able to make up to 4 vials of antidote. The poison can not harm the wielder. The dagger magically refills the poison each day and the poison is untraceable by normal means – magical detection will reveal traces of death magic in the blood.

When wielded by an evil thief, the dagger boosts the thief’s armor class by two, and increases his or her thieving abilities by 10 percent across the board – the blade must be in the wielder’s possession in order to receive this bonus.

The blade is intelligent and insists on being its "master’s" primary weapon in melee combat. If the wielder tries to use another weapon for hand-to-hand combat, the blade will attempt to take control and force the thief to attack. It will relinquish control of the wielder after the combat is resolved.

The dagger’s purpose is simply to promote evil and villainy in the world. As a result, it will not take control of a thief unless it feels that he or she is not acting dastardly enough. This does not necessarily mean the thief must kill someone every minute – although it wouldn’t displease the blade – what it means is that the thief must actively be working on some sort of plan to undermine the strength of good.

The dagger will attempt to take control of any non-evil and/or non-thief individual who tries to use it. If it loses the battle of wills, the pins will erupt from the dagger’s hilt, pricking and poisoning the would-be wielder. The wielder must make a save vs poison at -4 or die instantly.

Recent History

Slickblade was last wielded by the leader of the Brainsmashers Gang, a group of ruffians operating in the Mudsitters District of Obsidian Bay. The Blackrazor Guild -- whose headquarters is also located in the district -- battled the gang in early CY 586 and recovered the blade.

Not realizing that the blade -- and not its weilder -- was the dangerous one, the Blackrazors left it along with a "redshirt." The low-level underling picked up the blade and was instantly possessed by it. The kid managed to kill the elven ranger mage Tanevir Calywyn before the rest of the guild's shareholders were able to subdue him. The blade was turned over to city's church of St. Cuthbert.

The current status of the blade is unknown -- it was believed stolen when the church was looted after the city's fall in late summer C.Y. 586.

Swiftblade Heirloom Scimitars

There are two of these Heirloom Class weapons, each with their own abilities. Currently, Alexander Swiftblade wields one and his older brother, James Swiftblade, wields the other.

Alex’s Blade has the following properties:

• +3 enchantment bonus
• Speed – 1 extra attack with weapon per round, at highest bonus
• Shock - +1d6 electrical damage per hit
• Lawful - +2d6 damage vs chaotic creatures

Wondrous Items

Bag of Almost Anything

Designed as resource for the archmage Bizarre the Unprecedented's fellow adventures, this bag allows the user to pull common items – candles, wooden blanks, vials, non-mechanical devices, etc. – from its maw. The bag of almost anything does have some severe limitations. First, nothing alive can be pulled (intentionally) from the bag. Second, every time the user attempts to pull something from the bag, he needs to roll 2d10 (percentages). If the roll is 85 or under, the user gets what he asked for. If it’s 86 or higher, then he gets something that is most definitely not what he asked for. The exact nature of the unwanted item is determined by the game master, but it’s usually something actively malignant.

If the party attempts to pull more than one item from the bag in the same hour, the chance that something nasty will be pulled from the bag increases by five percent.

Example: Ragnar the Barbarian decides to try and pull a log from the bag. He rolls an 87. Instead of a normal log, he pulls out a rotten one filled with angry hornets, which proceed to attack him. After running from the enraged insects, he decides to pull another item from the bag. Since this is the second item he’s tried to pull from the bag in the same hour, his chance of pulling what he wants from the bag is 80 percent. He rolls a 97, and instead of getting a log, he pulls a wood golem.

Bolts Of Infinite Stickiness

The mage Bizarre the Unprecedented designed these +1 light crossbow bolts, but they didn’t turn out quite the way he’d expected.

The original plan was to have the bolts explode when they hit their target, unleashing a burst of sticky goo which ensnared everything for a radius of 30 feet as per the web spell, but without the need for an anchor. Unfortunately, they have a problem. When the wielder is in combat – and only when he or she is in combat – and tries to draw a bolt, his hand gets stuck to the shaft. The only way to remove it is by pouring oil over the bolt, which is the one thing that dissolves the goo before its appointed time. If grabbed while wearing leather gloves soaked in oil, the bolts work as designed.

Marble of Stealthy Vision

Legend and Lore

The Marble of Stealthy Vision is a magical item that provides thieves and other sneaky folk with a unique perspective on hard-to-reach areas. The marble appears as a small, perfectly-smooth, reflective ball of silver. The ball never tarnishes, but it can be obscured by dirt, mud and typical dungeon muck.

No one knows who created this item, nor how many that person created. It's believed that more could be design if a powerful mage could find away to permanently bind a specialized wizard eye spell to a silver ball, but that is only conjecture.

Abilities And Powers

To use the marble, the wielder sends it rolling across a surface, normally a floor of some kind. Once the command word is mentally spoken, the wielder receives a 360-degree mental view of the 10 feet surrounding the marble.

Objects beyond the marble's range distance are visible, but very blurred. The view appears directly in the user's mind, and does not convey sounds, smells or any senses beyond site.

The command word can be spoken while the marble is in motion, but the wielder must immediately make a saving through versus poison to avoid the effects of overwhelming vertigo (-2 to dex and strength for 2d6 rounds). Those making their save find that they can make no sense of the marble's whirling visions until it comes to rest.

It can be used three times per day for a maximum of 10 rounds per use.

Recent History

The marble's current owner is Demetry Hawkins, who recovered it from the body of a bullywug on the river north of Swamphold.