Ring of the Cobra

When this ring is worn, the wearer’s eyes transform to those of a snake, his tongue forks, lengthens, and flicks about, and he grows fangs. The wearer’s sight, hearing, and smell senses are dramatically heightened, giving a +2 ‘to hit’ in combat, providing a -1 bonus to armor class, and imparting additional benefits as appropriate.

Also, the wearer can attempt to bite an opponent, and a successful hit delivers 1d6 of damage. Bite victims must save vs. poison or become paralyzed in 1d6 rounds for 1d6 turns. Those that fail their saving throws by more than 4 will die at the end of the paralyzation.

The ring of the cobra, however, is not all beneficial. Once put on, the wearer must make a successful save vs. magic to remove it. This can be attempted each round and takes no extra time, failure simply indicating that the ring cannot be removed that round. Additionally, while wearing the ring, the owner is subject to all effects which affect snakes (example: snake charm); if able to remove the ring, this vulnerability vanishes immediately. Finally, the wearer suffers a -4 penalty to charisma while wearing the ring (for most creatures) due to his appearance. (Note: These disadvantages may not be immediately apparent to the ring’s owner.)

I prefer most magical items to have some downside. TANSTAAFL.

Fiery Gaze Potion

This potion causes the drinker’s eye’s to burn with a smoldering fire. That round and every other round thereafter for the duration of the potion’s effect, flames may be shot up to 20 feet at a target for 1d6+1 damage. A normal ‘to-hit’ roll is required, though misses may strike nearby creatures or objects. If something flammable is hit (either intentionally or accidentally) it must save vs. spells or be set afire and suffer damage in the subsequent round as well. The game master may rule that the fire spreads and causes further damage in following rounds.

The fiery gaze potion’s effects last for 1d6+6 rounds. A half-dose may be taken for 1d3+3 rounds duration.

The bugbear was closing in, and Emma knew she couldn’t keep ahead of it for much longer.

Emma made it to the corner just as she heard the bugbear growl in surprise. As she dashed on, the bugbear violently slammed into the wall behind her at a fantastic speed.

Yellow Husk of Slipperiness

This appears to be a discarded banana peel, though it won’t spoil or rot. The “inner” surface is astonishingly free of friction. When placed in the path of an oncoming creature, the target must save vs. petrification. Those succeeding manage to avoid the husk, but those failing either slip and crash violently to the ground (suffering 1d6 damage) or find themselves zipping onward, out of control, at a high rate of speed. Those speeding along usually have their journey ended suddenly as they crash into walls, trees, or other beings (suffering appropriate damage). There is a 50% chance for either outcome.

This item can only be used once.

Note: Game masters are encouraged to use the old Saturday morning cartoons for inspiration when determining the effects of this item.

The brigands closed in on the party atop the small hillock, their one-eyed leader grinning in triumph. A dozen of them against four adventurers, and wounded adventurers at that. The mage fellow looked like he could barely stand, and the dwarf’s head was wrapped with a bloody bandage.

At that moment, as if in answer to the horn, a wolf howled in the distance. Then another, much closer. And another…

Horn of the Pack

This copper horn, when blown strongly, magically summons 4d6 wolves to do the horn blower’s bidding. The wolves arrive in 1d3 rounds and need make no morale checks when fighting in the service of their master. The wolves will remain for up to one hour, after which they bound away and disappear.

Though compelled to serve the bearer of the horn, wolves have no love for their duty. The second time the Horn of the Pack is sounded, there is a 5% chance that the wolves will attack the blower and try to take the horn at the end of the hour before disappearing, and this chance increases by 5% each time the horn is used.

In addition to the power to summon wolves, the bearer of the Horn of the Pack may turn all sorts of wolves by brandishing it as a cleric turns undead with a holy symbol. Roll on the clerical turning table, treating the hit dice of the wolf as undead HD and using the bearer’s level as the clerical level.

After the 21st sounding, the horn cracks and loses all enchantment.

Grakkr led his gnoll troop into the clearing, laughing along with his warriors. The stinking human woodsman would be trapped against the cliff wall, and Grakkr and his clan would be eating well tonight.

Grakkr’s surviving gnolls didn’t hesitate. They turned and fled. There might not be human flesh to eat tonight, but at least one of them would be the new captain of the clan’s warriors…

Ruby Sword

This sword appears to be fashioned out of pure ruby. It functions as a magical +1 sword and has the added power of being able to, three times per day, surround the bearer with a sphere of red light similar to the red layer of a prismatic sphere. All missiles, including magic missile spells, are deflected and any creature touching the sphere suffers 12 points of damage (save for half). The sphere is immobile and has a maximum duration of three combat rounds.

Additionally, once per day the wielder may make an attack that will deal triple damage if it hits. This special attack must be declared before rolling to hit and gets the normal +1 bonus. If the attack misses, the special attack is lost for the day.

The ruby sword’s red sphere is negated by cold-based attacks.

I wrote this up with the intention of using it as the goal of a quest, but I never finished preparing the adventure and we never used the ruby sword in play. For two decades it’s been filed in my main folder, so I think it’s time it sees the light of day.

UPDATE: Ah. Reading through this I see I left out one thing and failed to consider another.

1. The sphere is immobile.
2. The sphere has a duration of three rounds maximum

I will edit these into the description. I also clarified that a triple-damage attack that misses expends the one use per day of the power and that a saving throw negates half of the damage caused by contacting the sphere.

“If you’re not interested, why do you keep trying to sneak a peek at these books?” Artimis responded. He leaned against a stump, holding a massive leather-bound book so the light from the campfire permitted him to read.

“It’s not to learn about cursed daisies, that’s for sure,” Melee answered. “I want to know what those books are, why you insisted on dragging them out of that labyrinth, and why you won’t let anyone else look at them.”

Artimis still didn’t look up. “I told you,” he said. “The books are about the history of daisy growing in the area. Who would ever have thought the subject could be so engrossing?”

Melee shook her head. The elf slept with an arm over the large sack which he used to haul around those ten huge volumes, never letting anyone get a chance to inspect them. Between the heavy sack slung over his shoulder all the time and an apparent preoccupation with blessed daisies, the elf seemed to be having trouble pulling his weight lately. After that encounter with the goblins, she recalled bitterly, the fool had sat down to read while everyone else bound their wounds.

“I’m more than aware that magical texts with great powers exist,” she said. “If you think you’re going to keep those books to yourself, you’ve got another thing coming…”

The Daisy Tomes

These ten large, heavy, leather-bound volumes are often found as a set. Except for a flower and volume number imprinted on the spine of the work, each book is unmarked. They detail the history of daisy growing in the area. Seemingly innocuous, they are, in fact, enchanted with a powerful sorcery. Upon reading even a single word of any volume, the reader becomes obsessed with the subject and has trouble concentrating on anything else, feeling an intense desire to read through all ten volumes in order. A saving throw vs. magic negates this effect but gives the reader no hint of the curse. Reading a different volume requires another saving throw, and only one who has successfully saved against all ten volumes may peruse them without risk.

Until all ten volumes have been fully read, the subject’s dexterity score suffers a -4 penalty due to preoccupation with daisies at all times. This obsession is particularly feared by spellcasters, as a save vs. magic is required each time a caster attempts to memorize a spell. Failure indicates that memorization has failed for the day. Additional penalties on efforts requiring concentration and mental ability may be ruled by the referee.

The books must be read in order, and each volume takes a minimum of five hours of reading in a relatively quiet and uninterrupted environment. Reading while walking or on horseback is not permitted, though reading while riding in a wagon or boat may be allowed. A remove curse can break the spell, but only for one book per casting (i.e., ten remove curse spells would be required to completely free the subject from the enchantment.)

Note that there is no restriction against these books affecting more than one person at a time.

These books may be found all at once or (deviously) only one or two may be initially encountered, requiring effort on the part of the subject to locate the remaining volumes. A possible method of using this in play would be to write up the effects on a slip of paper to be passed to the reader, directing the PC to act as if he or she is enjoying the books and to not reveal the curse.

UPDATE: I’m sad to report that the elf Artimis and the fighter Melee perished in combat with a trio of vicious thouls. They were played by my kids, and the passing was a very sad occasion. I reminded them that their characters would live on in the stories posted here on Lord Kilgore. Artimis, my son’s elf, had plowed through about half of the Daisy Tomes at the time.

No word on what the thouls did with the books. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the cursed volumes turn up again somewhere in the future.

Back in the shadows of the narrow alleyway, Agvo held the strange gold coin in his hand, inspecting its rough but gleaming surface. “Muult’plii,” he whispered, wondering if the sage’s information had been worth the high price and the days of waiting while the old greybeard poured through ancient scrolls and musty tomes.

At the sound of the magic word, the coin shimmered for an instant and then a second coin, a perfect duplicate of the first, appeared in his hand. Agvo’s jaw dropped open in surprise.

“Muult’plii,” he whispered again. This time both coins shimmered and two duplicates suddenly appeared. “Muult’plii,” he said again, not whispering. In a flash, he held eight gold coins in his hand. “Muult’plii!” he said excitedly. The eight became sixteen. “Muult’plii!” Thirty-two.

Out on the street, Kilgore hurried along as best he could without attracting attention. Any second now the city watch would spot them, and it would time to fight yet again. They had to get out of town before that happened. So where in the Abyss had Agvo got to now? In fact, why had he been skulking around since they arrived four days ago?

In the alleyway, Agvo gazed at the coin. This was going to change everything! No more picking pockets for a couple of coppers to buy a meal. No more creeping into dark dungeons in search of gold. No more listening to anyone telling him to be mindful of what he spent. Agvo’s day of leisure had come at long last!

“What the Hades is this?!?” a voice roared. Agvo was so startled that he dropped the coin. He turned to see Kilgore rushing down from the street. Behind him was the sound of a great commotion.

“Oh,” Agvo began. “Remember that coin in the box in that chamber with the tapestry and wine rack?”

Kilgore pulled up short, glaring at him. “Devil take the coin, the tapestry, and the wine!” he shouted. “The city watch is coming! Dig yourself out of whatever deviltry you’ve been fooling with and let’s get out of here!”

Agvo looked down. He was standing in a pile of gold coins up to his knees. He hadn’t remembered making that many. He was about to reply when shouts from a group of watchmen echoed down the alley. He reached down for a coin but Kilgore had yanked him up and out of the golden heap and was dragging him roughly down the alley. As he tried in vain to break free from the warrior’s iron grip, he saw the watchmen stop at the pile of coins and begin stuffing their pockets.

“My gold!” Agvo wailed.

“Whatever the Hades you were doing,” Kilgore muttered, “you’re better off without the trouble that always accompanies that sort of sorcery…”

Evermore Coin

At first glance, this coin appears to be a normal, if old and worn, gold piece. Detect magic reveals its enchantment, but only research by a sage or similar expert can reveal its power. Upon uttering the magic word “Muult’plii,” the coin duplicates itself. Every copy within 5′ of the original will also duplicate itself if the word is said again, meaning that the number of coins can be doubled as fast as the owner can repeat the word.

If this seems to good to be true, be assured that it is. Firstly, anyone using the Evermore Coin‘s power must save vs. magic or be overcome with greed and become unable to stop multiplying the coins without outside intervention. This could lead to disaster in enclosed spaces.

Secondly, all the duplicate coins will transform into iron after one hour, meaning that anyone who purchases something with duplicate coins may have some explaining to do shortly thereafter. The original coin, easy to lose among a pile of golden duplicates, remains golden and enchanted.

The recent discussions of coins and weight reminded me of this creation from back in my early days of DMing. I can’t recall if the PC (played by my brother) who discovered the power of this item managed to grab a coin from the pile he had half buried himself in or not. If so, it must have been a copy and not the original, because I don’t remember further uses of it. It obviously has a lot of potential to unbalance things economically, but the resultant excitement when the riches turn to iron is sure to deflate anyone’s grand plans of free and easy money.