New Magic Item: Blade of Woe

"Be careful of that one." the arms master warned the princeling.

"Why?" his still too high voice asked as he ran his fingertips along the leather wrapped grip.

"It's cursed"

"Cursed!?!" the boy snatched his fingers away.

"Well..." he hedged "Not cursed, exactly. But it's vicious! It's been known to draw the strength of it's wielder to use against their opponent, whether the man holding the blade wills it or not."

"But shouldn't a man use his strength to defeat an opponent?"

"Use? Yes. Drain away, leaving him weakened as if he'd been sliced by his own blade? No... not that."

Blade of Woe
This magical blade begins combat with a +1 bonus to attack and damage. For every round it faces the same opponent it gains an additional +1, however that additional power is drawn from the bearer's own hit points, drawing 1 the second round, 2 the third, and so on. These lost hit points can only be healed magically. When a new opponent is attacked, the enchantment reverts to +1 and the process begins again.

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Prop by Folkenstal, and based on the dagger from Skyrim.

New Magic Item: Stalhrim Dagger

The companions walked single file down the narrow dungeon corridor. Along both sides were half columns supporting arches every five or six steps. Rathgar's shield glowed a gentle red , while Feris' wand flickered and sparked with a blue-white light. The air was warm, dry and stale.

"I hate these corridors..." Nimble complained. "You can barely move, barely swing a dagger-"

"Maybe we can try to keep quiet?" Rathgar hissed.

"Sure, yeah, sorry..."

Allianora shook her head and sighed, her breath coming out in a cloud. "Guys?"

Everyone turned toward her, and felt the cold air.

A soft green light flashed behind her, a black cloaked figure swinging a dagger. Allianora felt the blade cutting into her, and the chill creeping up her back.

Feris pulled Allianora behind him and thrust his wand forward. The lighted tip illuminated the gaunt grey skin of their attacker's face. Her angular features were heavily tattooed, and she held the green blade aggressively before her. "You should not have come this way." Her breath billowed before her, as her form phased out.

"Couldn't keep quiet could you." Rathgar grumbled.

"That's frelling cold..." Allianora chattered.

Stalhrim Dagger

Forged from enchanted ice, this dagger causes the usual 1d4 points of damage, but also causes anyone wounded by it to become slowed. The blade constantly gives off cold, but the bearer never feels it, is immune to normal cold, and receives a +2 bonus to any cold based saving throws.

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The Stalhrim Dagger is from Skyrim, and this prop was created (and for sale) by Folkenstal. if you click the link you can see how me made it!

Prop Map of Numinor

There's just something wonderful about a map, even more so when put together in such a tableau as this.

I wish I had the time to create such wonderful maps and props for my games. Unfortunately it seems that most of the time I end up just printing something out, or even just showing a picture on the computer screen.

There have been a few times where I've gone and made maps and props like this for a game, but they've primarily been for LARPing, and usually for my own costume.

Have you ever made a prop map for your game? Poll off to the right, as usual!

Map by Tóbal, and found on his blog El Dodo Albino

Sunday Inspirational Image - Sculpted Demon Jars

Demons, Dark Gods, Beings from Beyond, or just creepy looking art? Whatever the answer, the chances they contain something good are rather low...

From The Parasite Dimension

Sunday Inspirational Image - Spell Books

Here are some classic spell book props all from the Propnomicon blog.I especially like the travelling spell book down at the bottom.

From http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-of-dni.html

From http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2011/12/realm-of-salama.html

From http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2011/12/travelling-spellbook.html

X is for X Marks the Spot!

Welcome to the Tower of the Archmage’s April A to Z Challenge!

Today’s post is brought to you by the letter “X” the number “24” and the support of readers like you.

Thank you.

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If there is anything else that will get an adventurer’s heart racing like a big pile of treasure, it’s a map that leads them to a big pile of treasure! I’ve had games where my players will find out someone else has a treasure map, and will spend an entire session just tracking it down, or figuring out how to steal it!

Now, as Professor Jones points out, X rarely marks the spot.

You know, except when it does.

In spite of the power they have, I’ve found that maps, and specifically treasure maps, are rarely used. Maybe it’s because it requires too much prep? I’m not sure. It could also be that DM’s don’t want to send players off the map, or the rails, as it were. Yet a treasure map can be a wonderful vessel for not only getting your players on the rails, but practically leading them on by the nose. Pick up an awesome new module? Tired of having your player hanging out and want to see something new? Simply promise them riches beyond imagining.

Of course not every treasure map actually leads to treasure. Some might be traps. Others may have been correct at one point but the treasure already collected. Others still may be completely false. The previous owner might be completely ignorant of the truth, no matter what they believe.

I heartily recommend making prop maps. For one thing, it’s fun, and generally doesn’t take a long time. For another, they don’t need to be - nay, shouldn’t be works of art! These are treasure maps made by ne’erdowells, not cartographers! While many online tutorials suggest using white paper stained by tea or coffee, I recommend brown paper. I also recommend ruining the map. Check out the one i did. How much of it is now illegible? How many times has it been folded and unfolded? Wrinkled, wadded up, longingly even lovingly caressed? Is the ink smeared, the page ripped? Burned? Stained with blood, beer, or even bile?Has it been sealed with wax? All of these are easy to do, and don’t require anything that you don’t already have in your house. I’d recommend paint rather than any actual bodily fluid however... But I promise you, hand that to your players, and they’ll be loading the horses and hitting the road!

Treasure Map/Magical Scroll Generator - Roll once on each chart

Medium - 1d12

1. Vellum
2. Parchment
3. Papyrus
4. Paper
5. Bamboo or Wood
6. Clay
7. Bone
8. Wax
9. Cloth
10. Metal
11. Stone
12. Special - See below

Special Medium - 1d10

1. Grain of Rice
2. Living being
3. Ice
4. Corpse
5. Undead creature
6. Glass
7. Memory Liquid Metal
8. Scale Model
9. Snow Globe
10. Inside a Locket

Via http://evildm.blogspot.com

Condition - 1d8

1. Pristine
2. Worn and faded
3. Intentionally damaged
4. Reused (Painted/written over)
5. Broken into multiple parts - some missing
6. Corroded/burned/stained
7. Roll 1d4+1 twice, ignore doubles
8. Broken into multiple parts - all included

Inscription Technique 1d6

1. Ink/Tatoo
2. Paint
3. Carved/Inscribed
4. Burned/Melted
5. Woven/Embroidered
6. Embedded

Accuracy 1d4

1. Nearly completely accurate!
2. Mostly accurate
3. There is some truth to it
4. If it’s right, it’s by accident

Araneae Macabre - aka Skull-spider

“Gah!” Feris cried out, as the sleeve of his jacket began to burn and smoke.  He quickly dropped his pack and pulled the now ruined jacket off.  His arm bore an angry purplish burn mark.

The party paused in the dark corridor, carefully scanning all around, looking for the source of the attack.  From a dark hole near the roof of the corridor a small skull grinned down at them, a bit of green ooze dangling from its chin. 

Allianora held up her holy symbol and ordered the abomination back.  The bone visage merely grinned back at her, the ooze falling from its chin and dribbling down the wall. 

Nimble hung back, letting Rathgar’s bulk shield him, but a soft tapping noise caused him to look over his shoulder.  Three more skulls on spider’s legs were behind him, two on the wall, and one on the floor.  A gob of green ooze shot out from the one on the floor towards Nimble’s face.  He ducked, and the ooze went past him harmlessly.  In return he tossed a dagger at the creature, lodging it firmly in the eye socket.  The creature went wild, legs flailing, spinning, crashing into the wall before it fell to its side, legs still twitching, oozing green ichor onto the floor.  

 

Araneae Macabre - aka Skull-spider

Armor Class: 4

Hit Dice: 4 (S)

Move: 180’ (60’)

Attacks: 1 acid spit (15’ range)

Damage: 1d8

No. Appearing: 0 (1d8)

Save As: F3

Morale: 11

Treasure Type: none

Intelligence: 0

Alignment: Neutral

XP Value: 75

Monster Type: Lowlife (Uncommon).

This soft bodied spider inhabits the skulls of animals, most often humanoids though other creatures have been noted, much as a hermit crab inhabits shells.  Unlike many other spiders, the skull-spider has no ability to weave or navigate a web, but instead uses its acid spit to dissolve its prey and create its nest.  They are immune to acid attacks themselves, though the skulls they inhabit are not.  Should they be successfully hit with an acid attack, their armor class drops to 7.  

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This beast is a Halloween decoration I picked up last year on clearance. 

Eyewalker

Rathgar noticed it out of the corner of his eye, a small white orb, clinging to the back of the curtain.  Had the window not been open, and the wind blowing, he never would have seen it.  Rathgar locked eyes with Nimble across the table, and then briefly looked again at the window just as the wind blew.  Nimble spotted it, and put down the mystic card.   

“Looks like I win this gambit!” Nimble smiles, pulling the gold toward him.  As his hands moved across the table, he palmed the knife next to the block of cheese.  Nimble twisted slightly as if to put the gold in his pouch, and flicked the knife toward the orb.  It crunched, and small shards of white glass tinkled to the floor.  For a brief moment a whiff of brimstone floated across the table, and then was gone. 

“So I guess we’ll replay that hand then?” Rathgar asked.

“Why would we do that?” Nimble responded.

An eyewalker is a magical construct of cartoonish appearance, a white orb upon 8 legs that only barely resemble spider’s legs.  They move with a jerky fluidity, appear to have no joints, and can climb any normal surface and any web.  The eyewalker has the following relevant stats:

Armor Class: 8

Hit Dice: 1hp (S)

Move: 120 (40)

When attuned to a magic-user these eyewalkers will transmit all it sees and hears – constantly.  This causes the magic-user to be distracted, suffering a -2 penalty to all initiative rolls and saving throws vs charm effects.  To attune or de-attune from the eyewalker, the magic-user must be holding it in his hand.  Should the orb be destroyed while the wizard is attuned to it he will continue to suffer the penalties for an additional 24 hours. 

They are powered by an entrapped imp, whose imprisonment can only be ended by the shattering of the orb.  An imp so released will do all it can to harass it’s former master before returning to the nether-regions it was spawned from.

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This item, in case you were curious, sits with its partner on my dining room table.  It's a salt shaker!

Stone Idol of Chaos

The small stone statue gazed balefully at them from the altar.  Standing only a couple of hands tall, the crude figure represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.  It’s pure black eyes seemed to absorb the flickering torchlight the adventurers brought with them into this oppressive chamber.  Various gems, coins, and a leather bound book were spread about it on the altar. 

Nimble slipped around Rathgar, who was gripping his sword tightly, and started to reach for the idol.  Allianora grabbed his pack, and hissed “DON’T!” Nimble turned to look at her in shock.  “Don’t touch it.  Don’t look at it.  Leave!  We must go!” She started to pull Nimble away. 

Rathgar nodded, and helped Allianora frog march Nimble from the room.  Feris trailed behind them, closing the door.  He turned and glanced through the slight opening, his eyes lingering upon the creature.  His spine chilled as he thought it looked back at him, and he pulled the door shut.

Stone Idol of Chaos

History: This greenish-gray statue is a representation of a being of chaos, a thing from before the universe was as it is now.  While the being is currently dormant, it is not a restful sleep.  Certain dark cults are driven by it’s dreams to worship this being and to perform a variety of perverse rites in its name.  The creation of an idol is a foul process involving many sacrifices of both unwilling lives and of willing souls.  If successful this idol will be attuned to the dreams of the being, and assist in furthering the primordial chaos

Description: Standing only a couple of hands tall, the crude figure represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind, perched upon a stone block 

• Powers: The Idol of Chaos has the following powers:
• Mass Charm, 120’ range (gaze attack).
• Polymorph Other, 120’ range, one target (gaze attack)
• Gate
• Growth of Plants, 120 range (area transformation)
• Immunity to Poison
• Immunity to Energy Drain
• Immunity to Paralysis
• Lore

Handicap: Anyone taking possession of the Idol will immediately begin to transform into an abomination.  They will grow extra eyes (which they will have no control over), extra mouths which will whisper gibberish, their limbs will be replaced with tentacles, all of which will reduce their charisma by 1 point and raise either their strength or constitution by 1 point (to a maximum of 18) for every week the idol is in their possession, until their charisma reaches 3. 

Penalty: The use of any of the Idol’s powers causes the possessor’s wisdom to drop by 1 point.  Each point may be regained with a days rest, a blood sacrifice, and a successful save vs Spells.  A failed save further reduces the possessor’s wisdom by 1 point.  Should the possessor’s wisdom drop to 3 they will lose any grip on sanity forever, and all physical changes they have undergone due to the Idol’s handicap becomes permanent. 

Note: This is an EVIL and CHAOTIC artifact, and it has corrupted all who have claimed it.  It will detect as both powerful and evil.  Normal animals will refuse to go within 200 feet of the idol, and lawful creatures will feel a great unease when near it.

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I built this guy out of paper mache and some water bottles.  Thought you'd all like to see it.

Ok, 46 of you follow my blog. Yet I only have 5 votes in my poll?  There's a 2 way tie, your vote could make it a 3 way tie! 

And because I know you aren't supposed to post anything like that without offering anything of value:

Here is a link to a fantastic Halloween prop website that does almost everything with paper mache.    I plan of showing off my own first paper mache very soon.