Clerical Weaponry Option

My group has long used the "Clerics use the weapon that their god uses" houserule, rather than the "guess I'm using a mace" rule.  I'm considering implementing a system in which this specific weapon gains increased bonuses and other powers as the Cleric advances; for example, a bonus of +1 when 3rd lvl is reached, +2 at 7th, +3 at 12th...  Special Effects will be included as well; the weapon of a devotee of a "Fire god" might become a flaming sword, or have the power equivalent to a Burning Hands spell twice/day, maybe even a Flamestrike option at higher lvl, while the trident of a sea god's Cleric could grant Water Breathing, Create/Purify Water, etc.  A special ritual must be performed by the head of the Cleric's order once the appropriate lvl is reached, or perhaps a quest must be performed... the specifics differing depending on the god being worshiped.  Only the Cleric can access these powers; for anyone else, the weapon is not magical.  Of course, the Cleric must be mindful to use these powers only in the service of the god, else the power will be revoked or suspended.  I like the idea of the Player knowing he's gonna get something cool - provided he earns it!  "Can't wait until I'm 12th lvl, and I can Disrupt Undead with my spear!"

The "Thank You for Coming" Potion

Whenever a new Party or Character is created, the PC(s) automatically receive a "Thank You for Coming" (random) Potion, assumed to be part of their starting/current equipment.  Gives 1st Level PCs a little boost, makes new/"replacement" PCs feel welcome, and also makes them a bit less jealous of existing members and their preexisting loot!

Archway of Alteration

Passing through this portal causes an alteration in all Magic Items; each changes in Function, but possibly not form.  Any Potions carried are instantly tramsformed into different, random Potions, writing on Scrolls is replaced by different Spells, etc.  If there's a Magic Item Table for it, use it.  As for Misc Items, replace with completely different random Misc Items.  Let the dice fall where they may.

Shrewd Players with unused magic may attempt to use this for an opportunity to gamble on an "upgrade" of their current lot... sure, why not?  But, the Archway only works once/PC, and any previously transformed items will not change again.  Perhaps a Save applies, perhaps each Item  must Save, maybe a successful Save allows the Player to choose a favorite Item to be spared...

Amulet of Near Perfect Denial

A natural TH of 20 in my game during melee causes automatic maximum damage possible, no rolling required, and many games have similar "Natural 20" houserules.  The Amulet denies any attack rolls of 20 made against the wearer, these are rerolled once each and the second result applies, no special results allowed.  In addition, it is rumored to allow the bearer a Save of base 20 vs such magics as do not normally allow a Save. (result of Save is up to DM)

Monster Monday 2

ASHANE                     

Undead, always robed and hooded humanoids, faces obscured by Darkness and bearing a Rod topped with a crystal sphere containing a single Eye.  Spell use as Wizard, lvl 12 (Grand Ashane lvl 15).  Body is immune to non-magical damage, magic weapons do a Maximum of 6 HP/hit, although spells cause normal damage.  Mind resides in the Ashane’s staff, and it’s Spells are cast from this staff, Spells not cast upon the staff do not affect it directly, anyone touching the staff of an Ashane currently without a host body must Save or be Possessed, if this Save succeeds, the bearer of the staff can thereafter cast each the Spells currently memorized by the Ashane, but each time a Spell is cast, there is a % chance (Spell lvl x 10%) that the caster will be automatically Possessed (Make ‘em think they have some kind of “Archmagi” staff!)  Any Possessed will go into a coma until midnight the following night, when he reanimates as an Ashane, each following day the victim will be Drained of 1XP lvl, at 0 this can no longer be undone by any means.  Always encountered alone, although a Grand Ashane will always be accompanied by 1 or 2 Ashane apprentices.  Rarely ally with, employ, or otherwise interact with any others, are suspected worshipers of Azathoth.

(AC 4; HD 8-12, AT by Spell, or by Staff, +4, twice/rnd, MV 12")

Wonder Twin Powers... Activate!

Just watched "Gopher Moat" Wonder Twins vid @ Beyond the Black Gate blog... and that was weird... Got me thinking about ol' Zan and Jayna, and their "magic" rings.  Lots of potential here for a cool magic item for D&D...
So the PCs find a pair of rings, obviously a matching set, maybe with settings which appear to interlock (why else would anyone think to touch them together?...).  Wearing one on each hand and touching them together doesn't do much, or maybe causes some sparks or something (save vs Stun &/or minor electric damage), but if TWO PCs each wear one, and touch them together ("Wonder twin powers activate" command phrase optional, but fun!)... hmmmm....
- Each PC can transform as per the original W.Twins; one can assume the form of Water (wave, puddle, ice, steam?), the other can assume animal form (possibly incl "monsters", dinos, etc)
- Expanded options: maybe one is the "Elemental" ring, and wearer can transform into Fire, Earth, or Air... the other is the "Creature" ring, allowing Polymorph into any "natural" creature, or maybe just humanoids, reptiles, etc.
- Limitations/Parameters:  both PCs MUST transform (not just one or the other - this could lead to interesting scenarios), Dispel on either affects both, Limited duration of course (random, predetermined, or even a "set" duration, meaning one MUST remain transformed for the duration, cannot change back until it expires...), both must be conscious & mentally sound to activate/use
- Maybe specifics are randomly determined when found...

Elemental Ring (d4)                                             
1. Air (whirlwind, Gaseous Form)                      
2. Earth (boulder, Wall of Stone, statue)            
3. Water (pool, Wall Ice, maybe even snow...)     
4. Fire (req. fuel source?)                                      

Polymorph Ring (d4)
1. Natural Animal (no fantastic monsters)
2. Humanoid (PC race, Giant Class...)
3. "Monster" (specific type(s), any)
4. Plant, Slime, Dinosaur, Mammal, etc

This could be the kind of "thinking player's" item I love to introduce... maybe having the Thief become gaseous to enter a locked room is perfect, but having the Wizard assume the form of a Hamster at the same time is less than ideal... or wow, what we need is the Fighter to be a Pegasus, so I guess the Cleric will have to be an Ice Cube for a few turns... yeah, gonna do this!

Misc Gems

Not much to post lately, plus laptop is dying a lingering, ugly death.  New PC arrives this wk.

Some random ideas from This Week's Game:
- alien raygun, or other device, which requires gold for fuel.  A 10gp ingot, placed into the "battery compartment", will power the device for a certain number of shots/uses... and of course the Party will need a specially constructed ingot mold, and will have to smelt their GP into the necessary shape
- alien/tech device which requires Futurama-style "Dark Matter" to operate, "a pound of which weighs more than 10,000 pounds!"  Thinking a golfball-sized pellet might weigh about 1,000 lbs, and must somehow be lifted/moved and put into a slot or compartment in order to activate
- have been severely restricting the Gold flow to the PCs, so that they actually have to think about what to spend cash on, rather than throwing GP around like armor-clad rock stars.  Liking the idea of having the option of keeping cash treasure, or using it to "purchase" XP (1GP = 1XP), choice is up to the players
- Magic Item: quill or chisel which can be used to inscribe Glyphs of Warding, limited # charges
- Mace of Corruption: basically an anti-Mace of Disruption... killing blow turns victim into Zombie follower

the GNARKOTIC MANUSCRIPTS

THE IDEA: Wanted a means to generate/introduce new Spells, Monsters, PC quests/pursuits, adventure plots/subplots, add some "local color" to the new campaign world, and offer weird insights into the peculiar pursuits of the Ancients. Not a lot of specific details at this point, more like an idea generator. ("this scroll requires intensive study... get back to me next week"). I'll post details as I go.

THE THING: The Gnarkotic Manuscripts are scroll sheets of unknown, nigh-invulnerable gray metal, inscribed with the occult secrets of the Ancients. Sometimes found rolled and stored in scroll tubes, they remain flat once unrolled, and have the unusual property of clinging to any flat surface (think "post-it" note), even a plastered wall or door. Appear blank until touched by Magic-using being. Scrolls which require more than a full "page" of writing function just like a PDF file; the reader can "scroll thru the scroll" by touching/dragging lines of faintly-glowing script. There is a row of numbers & symbols (possibly a code?) across the top of each scroll... some believe the Gnarkotic Manuscripts comprise a single, incredibly vast compendium spanning the entirety of the Magic of the Ancients, while others maintain that they are more a collection of distinct works, and the number/codes are a form of indexing, as in a library. A complete archive is unknown. Note that any spells may be copied into Spellbooks and, if the Wizard is capable, made into a standard "one-shot" Scrolls, but may not be cast directly from the Manuscripts.

SCROLL CONTENT (d8)

1. "RITUAL MAGIC "; a spell which can only be cast at certain times/places/conditions for unusual effects, such as (d12)
1. The Gates of the Moons 2. The Sibilant Whispers of Hastur
3. The Invocation of the Colorless Fire 4. The Gate of Returning
5. Raising of the Black Ziggurat* 6. The Primordial Imprisonment
7. The Lamentation of the Lost 8. The Alignment of the Spheres of Xeg
9. The Crimson Cascade 10. The Banishment of Yith
11. The Avuncular Avatar of Azathoth 12. Binding of the Familiar

2. MAGIC ITEM CREATION; materials, Spells involved, etc., for any one item. Roll randomly on Magic Item tables

3 THE MASTERY OF LIFE ITSELF! arcane/alchemical instruction in the creating/breeding/manipulating/reanimating/perverting area...(d12)
1. Decantation of the Homunculi 2. The Gifts of Gnarlathotep
3. The Incubation of the Egg 4. Formulae of the Wrinkling Replica
5. Domination of the Doppelganger 6. The Aeonic Advancement
7. I am the Slime 8. The Shapes of Things to Come
9. The Gratuitous Graft 10. The Incandescent Imbuement
11. The Scales of the Serpent 12. The Internment of Invulnerability

4. "STANDARD" MISC SPELL; determ randomly at whatever level you feel appropriate, disregard any "common picks" and look for something more offbeat to add to the Wizard's Spellbook

5. SUMMONING SPELL; a specific creature for a certain purpose, or limited duration, if provided with proper appeasement (d12)
1. The Sufferance of the Shantak 2. The Eclipsing Swarm
3. The Angry Gnargoyle 4. The Putrid Eruption of Kyuss
5. Coalescence of the Congeries 6. Acquiescence of the Quasit
7. Subservience of the Shoggoth 8. Restraining Order of the Unseen Stalker
9. The Mycetic Malfeasance of MiGo 10. The Howl of the Byakhee
11. Accretion of the Algoid 12. The Solicitation of the Slaadi

6. "NEW" MISC. SPELL; from your latest blog-crawl. I don't have a table because I think 1st ed AD&D pretty much covers it, I'm rarely interested in what I come across, and I don't have much to offer in this area, either! (I'll post a few modest Ritual and Misc "New" spells next post, but here's my fave Spell Compilation, and there are some good ones here, too)

7. GLYPH or SYMBOL; the Ancients were all about magic runes and such, no doubt. I'm fond of 'em, too. General Effects:(d30)
1. Fire 7.Electricity 13. Insanity 19. Mutation 25. Weakness
2. Cold 8. XP Drain 14. Despair 20. Polymorph 26. Phasing
3. Paralysis 9. Blindness 15. Discord 21. Obsession 27. Stupidity
4. Stunning 10. Radiation 16. Rage 22. Giggles 28. Unseen Object
5. Fear 11. Slowing 17. Warding 23. Passion 29. Elder Sign
6. Cursing 12.Amnesia 18. Hypnosis 24. Suggestion 30. DM's Whim

8. LEGEND & LORE; "adventure hook" entry detailing a legendary person/place/thing, possibly incl a map or directions, clues, hints, enticements...

*see also here :)

HELLO, BOYS! I'M BAAACK!

Doesn't really have anything to do with this post

PYRAMID OF RESURRECTION Gnartian Artifact in form of smoky crystal pyramid, approx 6" along the edges, a construct of the Elder Serpent Folk.

When first handled, the PC doing so must Save vs Death once, or be drained of one XP lvl. Thereafter, the item will no longer drain that person (whether or not the attempt succeeded), and only that person may employ its power. Another may attempt to use the item once they also Save (or fail!), but only one person may command the Pyramid at any time.

Total # Charges/Uses is something I call "Level Variable"; meaning a base #, plus 1ch/lvl of the bearer. So, as charges are subtracted by one per use, they are also increased by one per lvl of XP gained. This Artifact has 1d4+XP lvl charges when first found, to be redetermined if it changes hands.(possibly it "starts over" at 1d4+lvl each time it changes hands)

Operates by "scanning" whatever scraps of the deceased (no pun intended) remain, and reconstructing a new body in perfect condition; full HP, all memories, personality, etc intact. Side effect: all Bad Mutations are removed, and any Good Mutations must ea make a save vs Spells/Mutations to be retained, any missing or ruined limbs, organs, etc are restored as well, all scars are gone

The Pyramid automatically restores any PC the first time it is used upon them, without penalty. If used a second time, a Resurrect Survival roll must be made, and each time thereafter this % is reduced by half, failure dissolves the remains into goo. Any PC resurrected more than once also loses an XP lvl each time the device is used upon them thereafter.

There is a 1in8 chance/use that the Pyramid does not Resurrect, but rather Reincarnates the deceased by creating a new, but different body, possibly from bits of other persons lying about, or floating on the breeze... maybe the "psychic residue" of a forgotten death.... I have a table of bodies for this, but its too specifically Gnartian to be much use to anyone else, and one can always use the Spell version. I think I'm going to allow them to retain Mental Ability Scores, HP, etc, because I have other trauma in mind:

Collateral Reincarnation Weirdness (d10/d12) (Gonzo version d12)
1. New body is very young; teenager, or even small child
2. PC retains all Class abilities as before, but has no other memories
3. PC's new brain seems to contain scraps of another personality, or repressed memories ("whispers")
4. Tragic mishap places PC into nearby corpse (of type as rolled), which claws to surface howling in agony, and attacks Party for their gross misdeed. Zombie PC retains HP & HD/lvl, but is otherwise slow and sloppy
5. New body exhibits Mutation(s), possibly even Good Ones! (or is oddly marked; tattoo, birthmark, runic brand)
6. PC is reincarnated into body which already has a soul/personality, and the two must share the same skull until the other personality "finishes its Gnarthly business" and moves on (seeks justice, revenge, completion, etc)
7. New body is of different gender than original
8. PC is driven a wee bit mad by the whole experience; roll on your fave table or just assign a weird mania
9, 10. Just your average reincarnation
(11, 12.) (same as 9, 10 above) or
(11, 12.) Check Out this awesome Random Reincarnator! You can adjust the circumstances with cool modifiers like "Who cares? The Crawling Chaos smiles upon me!"

The Pyramid also bears a Curse; whenever it is used, a Byakhee is Summoned and arrives w/in 2d4 rnds, and attempts to carry the user off to Hastur (dead or alive), unless slain. Perhaps this only occurs the first few times the Pyramid is used, or perhaps the Curse can be lifted... with the blood of a Serpent Folk Wizard...

...I once introduced the Rod of Reincarnation, which is exactly like the Rod of Resurrection from the DMG, but Reincarnates the deceased on either the MU spell table (75%) or the Druid version (25%), and that was fun, too. Congratulations! You're a Kobold! Badgers? We don't need no stinking Badgers!

20 FAVE MAGIC ITEMS from my GAMES

Was going through my old stuff from my previous games, looking for stuff that would translate into my new campaign, and found a few 10GP gems...honestly, most have been archived for so long I don't know if some were cribbed from old Dragon magazines or not, but I think these are my own ideas, or at least my versions of ideas I saw elsewhere.  Just wait, it'll happen to you, too.

1.  Ring of Recall:  Upon death, PC is instantly transported to a particular temple or shrine, hopefully to be Healed/Raised by the Clerics there.  Provided only to the members of the sect, or possibly those performing a special mission for the order.  PCs get fixed up, but have to trek back to the rest of party, if there's a time limit involved, maybe they're out, but it beats dead... used this in an "introductory adventure" for new players, 'cause I thought for sure someone was gonna get killed simply because they would make "newbie" mistakes, but they were so cautious I don't Recall it being used!

2.  Great Green Axe:  inspired by Gawain & the Green Knight, massive headsman's axe of greenish bronze (?), req STR of 16+ to wield, does 1-10/1-10 dam, +2, does dbl damage to green things.  I loved this 'cause ya never know when something green will show up!  I suggest that it be wrested from the cold, dead hands of a wickedly jolly green Giant of some sort

3.  Shield Ring:  as Spell; AC 4 vs most attacks, AC 3 vs missiles, AC 2 vs thrown weapons, negates Magic Missiles, but does not protect from the rear! The particular ring I recall generated an actual, though ghostly, shimmering shield when struck, and I think there was some sort of roll to see if MM were reflected back at the caster... 50/50 each seems reasonable

4.  A Scroll of a random Clerical or MU Spell "addressed" to a particular PC, which they can use regardless of Class...  "Dear Tremaine, this may come in handy one day..."  Maybe its only Hold Portal, but look how happy the Fighter is!  I dunno.  It was surprisingly well received.  I just rolled randomly to determ whose name was on it, but it became a temporary obsession to the PC who ended up with it, "Who left this?  How do they know me?!"

5.  "Skully":  a sage-like talking skull which can be consulted for information, % chance to know answer: Common Knowl 75%, Uncommon 50%, Unusual 20%, Specialized 10%, Esoteric 5%.  Can also "Legend Lore" famous, legendary, specific persons/places/magic, and relate legends/stories, 30%.  When owner dies, all factual knowledge of this person is gained by Skully, so as he is passed on, he becomes increasingly knowledgeable.  Looking back, think this was inspired by Land of the Lost Library of Skulls...   anyhow, great way to have an NPC that isn't expected to help in combat!  and, it just now occurred to me, maybe useful somehow in restoring another's memories, you tell me

6.  Stone of Invisibility:  just a small stone which renders one invis when held.  Because it must be held, certain actions are not possible while invis, like most Thief Abilities, Spellcasting, etc.  Can render several people invis if they link hands with PC holding the stone.  The thinking player's version of the all-too-abused Ring o' Invis.  The party used it to remain unseen in a cavern, against the wall, all holding hands (and their breath!), while Lizardmen trooped on by, and "popped out" to ambush them, looking like a death-dealing line of preschoolers being led to the cafeteria

7.  Vorpal Gurkha:  just a simple +1 dagger, but a roll of natural 20 gives the Magic-User the thrill of decapitating a (man-sized) foe!  (who else is going to end up with it, the Fighter?  he already got a Scroll of Hold Portal)  It's desperation time when the Wizard reaches for a dagger, anyway!

8. Pit Pellet:  rune-inscribed clay token, when tossed to the ground, creates a 10ft diam, 10ft deep Pit, one use only.  Oh, the fun that was had... and yes, you can toss one into a pit you already made and make it 10' deeper, and screw up what should have been a pretty challenging encounter, killing some poor schmuck by dropping him 10'/rnd until your pellets run out, dumping in some flaming oil, and listen to him crying out "I knew I should have taken that Levitation spell!!"

9.  Bloody Bestiary: sprinkling the blood of a creature on one of the (limited) blank pages produces a "Monster Manual" style entry, the bloody script informing readers of relative strength, powers, weaknesses, etc.  May or may not come with the first few pages "filled in"

10.  "Mirror-Mirror" of Opposition:  tortoise shell (?) framed hand mirror, creates duplicate identical in all respects, except the duplicate has a goatee.  Duplicate attacks original, and if any others interfere, their Mirror-Mirror duplicate appears as well.  If a duplicate kills an original, the corpse disappears, and the duplicate immediately ceases attack, explains that he/she is no longer hostile, and play continues with the duplicates assuming the roles of the departed as if nothing had happened!  The only difference is that the PC will forever after sport a goatee, and be subject to looks of suspicion!  The look on their faces when I said, "Gimme your character sheets", and quickly added a "II" after "player name", and a goatee to their "sketch", then handed them back and said, "OK, is the party continuing to search?"... hilarious  (for female characters, I suggest a Marilyn Monroe-style "beauty mark")  Oh, and somewhere down the road, say, "Remember when you were replaced by a duplicate?" and see the look of dread.  Then say something innocuous, like, "Well, you're stroking your goatee, and you notice the faint outline of a secret door"  The rest of the party will be soon be whispering about your "magical beard".

11.  Ring of Regeneration, While You Sleep:  regen 1 HP/hr, but only while asleep!(4+1d4 hrs/night?)  Like a daily Cure Light Wounds  Odd bonus side effect: gain 1d8 HP if subject to a Sleep Spell, which of course the party immediately exploited by using Sleep Spells as Cure Lt Wounds!  "Nap time!"

12.  Hand o' Glory:  just thought it was creepy cool.  10ch (two per digit?  dunno why I chose 10)  Three effects:

Find Treasure, Sleep Spell, Dark 15' radius (only the bearer can see by the light of the Hand), one ch ea  (What if you put a Magic Ring on it?  hmmm... and what if you found a Ring of Regeneration and the Hand of Vecna?  "Just a side project, but don't open that box... it's not finished... yet")

13.  Seasoning of Edibility:  when sprinkled upon any organic material (wood, bone, clumps of peat), becomes edible and nutritious.  In no way affects flavor.  My campaign had a "never-ending shaker", and  a freezer-burnt Mammoth haunch from a long-dead specimen frozen in a glacier was devoured, among other nasty things...

14.  Pincushion Arrow:  +1, becomes 1d4 additional arrows once in flight, roll TH for each

15.  Suture Spider:  brooch/pin shaped like a spider, limited charges, uses fangs, claws and webs to "stitch up" open wounds, healing for 1d4.  Anesthetizing venom is a nice touch.  Damn scary the first time, though!  Be sure to ask, "I just want to be clear - you are placing this metal spider directly over your open wound?"  Try to look worried.  That will teach them for dumping your evil wizard down that pellet hole!

16.   Scoobies:  compressed bars of mysterious origin and material (wood, bone, clumps of peat?), the smell of which is irresistible to carnivorous (animal INT) monsters.  Found sealed in an air-tight, screw-top tin, Scoobies will attract such an encounter from the current table w/in 1turn, and dbl such encounter rates for as long as the tin remains open.  Also, if tossed into the path of a ravenous beast intent on devouring the party, it will distract the beast long enough to chomp down the crunchy treat, maybe a rnd or two to locate and devour it.  Come in fun shapes, like stylized "bones", "hearts", and what the party may or may not recognize as "livers".  Great for guard dogs, too

17.  X (Enigma) Hole:  dark, one foot diam, impossibly thin "hole" in time and space, similar to the famed Portable Hole.  If any item is put in, another may be drawn out, 1/day.  The catch: no item may ever be repeated; after tossing in a copper once, a copper will no longer produce an effect, but anything can be tossed in; an iron spike, a rock, a banana, whatever.  Where this stuff goes, no one knows (but I thought it might be fun if years and XP lvls later, the Party discovers a "treasure" chest.  what's in it?  well, there's an iron spike, a rock, a mummified black wrinkly thing...)   What do you get back for tossing out all this junk?  The first time it is used, a Healing Potion comes out!  Thereafter, I tried to convince my Players that I had the weirdest table of all time hidden away in my stash, 'cause I rolled a concealed die and said things like "a 10inch diam stainless steel salad bowl" or "a pile of bones, maybe from a bird".  I was rolling a d30, but simply saying whatever weird item came to mind from my last few days, the version I was using tending to produce items totally unfamiliar to a fantasy world, like a butane lighter, "transistor radio" *...  However, if a 30 was rolled, the I'd roll for a minor magic item, like a minor Potion or Scroll of one 1st lvl Spell, which I think only happened once.  Planned on 100 uses, started a list of INs and OUTs, never got there.  Have to reintroduce one!  Maybe I'll make a table of odd bits from around my house (bongo drum, caulk gun, box of rubber bands)  Sooner or later, I guarantee, someone will actually bring up the idea of flushing a Magic Item down this thing, and someone will take a dump in it.  Oh, and what comes out of an X Hole cannot be put back in the X Hole.  Words to live by

18.  Robe of Useless Shit:  someone, somewhere, must have done this one.  Exactly like a Robe of Useful Stuff, or whatever, but every item is flawed somehow; torches sputter out, ladders snap under weight, war dogs piss themselves and whimper...  Gag becomes apparent quickly, but its fun!  I probably nicked this idea!

19.  Dart of Deadlacy:  only misses on TH of 1, and if a natural 20 is rolled, it embeds right between the eyes, damage is 6HP.  Not much for doing damage, but damn useful when you really need to hit, like when that robed guy is raising his arms and chanting... (basically a Magic Missile)

20.  Pick the item you like best from the Comments below.  :)

* received only one station, which played only Casey Casem's Top 40 Metal Show from an alternate universe, and had some sort of malfunction which caused it to "turn on by itself", allowing me to say things like, "scrrrrrchhh... This one goes out to Thongor and Company, who have just disturbed a sleeping Blue Dragon, somewhere below the Caverns of Quasqueton, its Black Sabbath with another metal monster, 'Electric Funeral'.  Good luck boys!" (cue music, Breath Weapon)

Temple o' the Toad pt 3

While investigating a Toad statue, the party is surprised by a relatively small yellow & green toad that had been lurking beneath the thing. I had said nothing more, but two of my Players, knowing my love of Futurama, said, "Do its eyes light up?/Does it start buzzing?", referring to the Hypnotoad from the cartoon. Thing was, it was a Hypnotoad, and so I said, "Yeah, everyone in the room make a Save!" I think they thought I was just going along with their inadvertent suggestion, but I swear, I had "Hypnotoad" written in the room description. Only one PC succumbed to Hypnosis, Xy the Mutant Mastermind. At this cue, the three Froglodyte Mummies hidden in plastered-up niches burst forth, also gaining surprise. These were top-of-the-line Spellcasting Froglodyte Mummies, former Wizards in life, and so in the first two rnd of action, one PC had been Hypnotized, Tarkas was Charmed and made to attack the party, one Mummy managed to cast Mirror Images (2), and the third Mummy cast Darkness, which enclosed both the hypnotized Xy and Quinn (thief) in inky black. Quinn took a cue from his opponents, and downed his Potion of Mirror Images in the dark, stumbling out afterward as three Quinns, two of which promptly disappeared in puffs of smoke as the Mummy in Darkness cast a spread of Magic Missiles at all three of them.* The unfortunate Rose (cleric) took the brunt of fellow PC Tarkas' Charm-fueled attack, and was soon mowed down by the death-dealing Fighter, but not before using a precious charge from her Horn of Valkyrie Summoning. Tarkas then went after the Wizard, Sot Palad, who had used his Potion of Human Control to attempt to take over control of the Charmed fighter, to no effect ("Sure, now I make my Save!"). Borune (cleric) took a Missile from another Mummy, ruining his Spell, as did Sot, but his Shield Spell negated it, allowing his desperation-driven Web to affect... two of the Mummies, as well as Quinn, but not the Charmed Tarkas, Dark Mummy or Xy (also took out the hypnotoad). It was then pointed out that the Hypnotoad could not function w/in the Darkness, so (with some cajoling) it was ruled out, and Xy, still w/in Darkness, engaged his Sonar Mutation, and attacked the Darkened Mummy. (oddly, this one had managed to cast Invisibility on itself, intending to exit the Dark at an advantageous point and attack, but since Xy's Sonar detects only a rough outline, the Mastermind, still in Darkness, didn't even realize his opponent was Invisible!) At this point, a shimmering Amazonian /Nordic Valkyrie appeared, attempting to take out the Mummy who held Tarkas in Charm and somehow managed to fail Save (and Magic resistance!), and was caught in the Web! While various pointless acts of desperation were performed, Quinn used a special property of his magic sword to cut himself free of Webs**, and those others who were Webbed eventually broke loose, the Mirror Image Mummy withered a few limbs with his Undead touch, Sot was reduced to near death by Tarkas in the hallway, and Borune attempted valiantly but unsuccessfully to overbear Tarkas. Quinn, low on HP, but plucky, joined the Valkyrie in beating on the Charm Mummy, as did Xy, who turned his back on his opponent to fire his Gnartian quill pistol at the Charm Mummy as well! (Tarkas on your side is great... but when he switches sides, all that damage the Party so loves becomes a serious threat!) Sot had fled, as did Borune, immediately after reviving the fallen Rose, who took advantage of her foe's Darkness, and hid in it from the other Mummies! Then, the tide turned; Charm Mummy fell, freeing Tarkas, who, along with the now unengaged Valkyrie, and doughty Quinn, finally eliminated the Mirror Images, and soon dispatched the second Mummy. Darkness Mummy, just about to attack the nearby, unsuspecting Rose, also soon fell - Borune had returned and cast Light, and the exposed final Mummy was borne down by everyone with any HP, plus the Valkyrie! Everyone took a deep breath, applied First Aid, and looked around at the carnage... everyone reduced to single-digit HP (Except Tarkas!) and totally depleted of Spells. It was near-perfect. It was at this point I realized I had forgotten the Mummies' Fear aura, and had not made the Party Save vs Fear at the outset!

(best Yakov Smirnov voice) "What a combat!"

Also, Sot Palad became aware of a rattling in his backpack; the Living Dagger of Venom was hungry. In one of those moves that make me love my Group, he took it upon himself to roll a d20 "vs Stupidity" (INT check), and said, "Yeah, I'm stupid enough... I open the box and take out the (unidentified, though certainly poisonous) dagger!" Using it to dispatch an unfortunate Sleeping Froglodyte, he realized that it was a potent weapon indeed, and wisely stowed it again for further examination later. Sometimes... he not so stupid!

MVP candidate: Xy, for exposing himself to near-certain limb Withering in order to do the most profitable action for the Party.

*if ya didn't know, MM is the ideal response to Mirror Images
** the Sword of Free Passage is a short sword +2, allows bearer to cut through Webs in 1rnd, Knock 1/day, and renders him immune to Hold/Paralysis when held

Temple o' the Toad pt 2

FEB 10, 2011

Both Gorn and Thorax remain in "room 11", lamenting their numerous Withered limbs, the result of a previous encounter with Froglodyte Mummies, sharing Quinn's "Ring of Regenerating (1HP/hr) While you Sleep", which apparently also restores atrophied limbs in lieu of its usual effect.(1limb/day). Thorax's idea!

A new Gnarticle was added to the lexicon when the tarry, coin-encrusted Froglodyte Mummy burst forth from what Tarkus Traptripper termed a "Gnarcophagus"! Rose employed her Silence Spell to great effect, rendering the Spellcasting abilities of the ancient amphibian Mummies useless.

After returning to the "locked, seemingly secure" room 11 for like the fourth time, the party finally decides to investigate the mysterious stone block with undecipherable runes! Xy the Mutant Mastermind used Psychometry to reveal a vision of the block being pivoted aside to reveal a cavity... from which Sot Palad drew forth a Dagger of Venom from a suspiciously-unlocked box, and Failed save vs Spells to avoid plunging it into his chest! Reduced to 2HP, the Wizard chose to immediately place the weapon "back in the box"... not realizing that the Save vs Suicide Stab was written as a one-time occurrence, which only happens the FIRST time a character handles the object! Otherwise, it is a semi-living um... thing, which produces up to 3 doses of Venom/day, doing 3d6 dam, save for 1/2. I had concerns that introducing this weapon would spur the combat-foolhardy mage into ill-advised melee even more often, or that the unscrupulous PCs would pull something like, "Would you trade that Potion for a Magic Dagger? Here, check it out..." However, in typically unpredictable fashion, nothing I anticipated occurred, and this potent, deadly weapon now lies "safe" in a box somewhere in Sot's backpack! Still, its gonna be fun when it gets hungry, and starts rattling around in there!

A second visit to the "Hatchery" room revealed that the strange reptilian egg remains incubating in its nest, and Tarkus once again expressed desire to take it, noting that "and least I could throw it at something", but is once again dissuaded, "at least till we leave the dungeon"

We leave off with the party entering the natural caverns where the natural pool is located, and being confronted by five table-sized Massive Toads...

("Temple of the Toad" is my version of The Fane of St Toad ... but there are so many Frog Gods and God Frogs and such... isn't it also the name of another adventure, or something?)

"NEGATE WOUND"

I thought a cool idea for a variant Healing option would be an item or spell that would completely heal any ONE wound received, no dice roll involved.  For ex: our hapless PC has run afoul of two sword-thrusts, doing 10HP and 7HP damage, respectively, and also a stray arrow for 3HP.  He decides to down his Potion of Wound Negation, which completely heals his worst unhealed wound, and so negates the first sword thrust and he is healed for 10HP.  Of course, players will try to hoard this one, but that's what dinosaurs are for.

MAGIC RINGS

Like anybody needs another Ring Table, but here's the one I'm using for Gnarth, which incl the classics, some variants, some restrictions and clarifications, and removes those I just didn't like

RINGS (d50) * = up to 10 Charges or 1/Day, Duration (if any), 1 turn

1. FLYING up to 6 trns/day
2. FREE ACTION immune Webs, Holds, Sleep
3. PROTECTION bonus to AC (1 in 10 Displacement +2)
4. WATER WALKING/BREATHING/ACTION
5. WIZARDRY memorize one additional spell of ea lvl
6. SPELL TURNING % as per Dispel Magic at 12th lvl
7. SPEAKING w/ANIMALS
8. SHOCKING TOUCH +1d4 dam by contact, 1/trn
9. ULTRAVISION 12"
10. HASTE*
11. HEALTH immune disease/sickness
12. LONG YEARS age at 1/2 normal rate, immune to unnatural aging
13. HYPNOTISM one sentient creature at any one time, of =/< HD/lvl
14. INVISIBILITY*
15. HEALING as Heal spell *
16. ALERTNESS improved/bonus to Initiative, Surprised 1 in 8, immune to Sleep
17. FEARLESSNESS immune Fear
18. SUSTENANCE need not eat/breathe for # weeks/days = to lvl
19. FREE WILL immune mental influence/control such as Charm, Hypnosis, etc
20. FIRE (or other) RESISTANCE as Scroll
21. TRUTH auto Detects Lies, user unable to lie
22. MAGIC MISSILES 2d4+1 missiles/day, fire up to 3/rnd
23. MAGIC DETECTION* glows if previously undetected magic enters w/in 10'
24. LIGHT & DARKNESS as Light spell, unlimited, plus Darkness 10' rad, 1/day
25. UNSEEN SERVANT 1/day
26. KNOCKING*
27. MIRROR IMAGES* 1d4 images
28. ETHEREALITY 1d4+2 charges
29. POLYMORPHING* 1d4 forms, predetermined &/or selectable
30. NON-DETECTION immune to scrying or detection
31. VENOM NEUTRALIZATION*
31. JUMPING*
32. BURNING HAND*
33. BLESSING* (1 in 10 apllies to 1" radius)
34. LUCK bonus to saves (1 in 10 auto Save, 1/day)
35. BLINKING*
36. FEATHER FALLING
37. TONGUES*
38. TALKING DEAD*
39. SHIELDING as Shield Spell
40. GAINFUL REST regenerate 1HP/hr, while sleeping only
41. COLOR SPRAY*
42. CHANGE SELF*
43. ESP 30’ range
44. WOUND NEGATION* completely heals any one specific wound/strike
45. IDENTIFICATION 10 charges
46. GASEOUS FORM*
47. STRENGTH* STR of 18
48. TRAP DETECTION*
49. ABILITY BONUS adds to Primary Ability, lowest Ability, or specific Ability
50. DM SPECIAL (new Ring, roll twice, etc, possibly limited ch &/or uses)