Roleplayer #28, April 1992
Wondrous Widgets
compiled by Drew Bittner
Conjuror's Cookfire
This item appears to be a small, half-burned log about 2 feet long and weighing
12 lbs. When placed into a cooking fire, it appears to burn, but it actually
summons a tiny and very minor fire elemental. This elemental will be bound
to the Cookfire log and cannot spread flames beyond the limits of the fire
itself.
Any food placed into the fire is properly and evenly heated, but won't burn,
even if left in the flames all night. The elemental regulates how much heat
goes into the food and cuts it down if the food begins to burn.
If the only available wood is wet, the Cookfire log can be ordered to ignite
itself, but this requires a successful Will roll. The elemental may not
wish to emerge during rain.
The Cookfire log will sustain the elemental, but the user has to spend 2
Fatigue points each time the item is activated.
Component Spells: Summon Elemental variant.
Asking Price: $50,000.
Blinkmail
Blinkmail was developed for the Elusive Knight, who ambushed and cruelly
murdered other knights. When he was finally brought to justice, the armor
mysteriously vanished, but was later duplicated. The original set of armor
has never been found.
An ordinary-looking suit of plate armor, Blinkmail is enchanted with the
Blink spell, allowing the wearer to tele-port short distances. Wearers without
the Body Sense advantage may become disoriented (-2 on all actions for one
turn). GMs may permit long-time Blinkmail users to buy Body Sense.
Blinkmail also has Deflect+1 and Fortify+1.
Component Spells: Blink, Power (3 points), Deflect, Fortify.
Asking Price: $500,000.
Magic One-Man Band
This "object" is a collection of different instruments all attached
to a harness. Instruments include a bass drum, harmonica, trumpet, xylophone,
horns and whistles. At the wearer's command, the instruments all begin playing.
If the wearer has any Musical Instrument Skill, the sound will be pleasant,
despite the diversity of the One-Man Band's components. If not, the sound
will be raucous and loud, provoking laughter and very little aesthetic appreciation.
Nobody knows who created the One-Man Band or why. It may have been nothing
more than a practical joke or exercise in absurdity. Certainly its owner,
if he knows how to use it, can earn a good living as an entertainer.
Component Spells: Voices variant.
Asking Price: $120,000.
Lightning Leggings
These gray and blue wool leggings go over hose or trousers and buckle into
place. When buckled, they cast Great Haste (level 20) on the wearer, who
pays all Fatigue costs.
The Leggings were made for Raldie the Clever, a courier for King Theobard.
Raldie used them for over two dozen years, until, at the age of 49, he disappeared
while on a mission; the Leggings turned up in a distant seaport a few months
later. Several knock-offs have been enchanted since then.
Component Spells: Great Haste.
Asking Price: $140,000.
Muscle Shirt
This white, sleeveless cotton shirt adds +3 ST and +1 DR to any wearer.
The shirt must be worn by itself for its magic to work; it can't be worn
with armor of any kind (not even Macho Leathers or a Chainmail Bikini).
The shirt pays the first two points of energy for the magic; the wearer
must pay the rest.
The Muscle Shirt also adds +1 to Reactions from any member of the opposite
sex impressed by large muscles. The wearer's muscles look big while the
Shirt is worn. This seems to be a side-effect of the strength-boosting spell
and not a separate illusion.
Component Spells: Might x 3, Armor, Power (2 points).
Asking Price: $253,500.
Cantankerous Tankard
This heavy, black-metal tankard casts the Emotion Control spell on whoever
drinks from it, putting him into a foul, combative mood. The drinker becomes
a "mean drunk" for the rest of the night, picking fights, insulting
other bar patrons and so on.
Repeated use may affect the drinker's Reputation, as well as get him into
serious trouble with the City Watch.
Component Spells: Emotion Control variant, Power (3 points).
Asking Price: $90,000.
Junk Jewelry
This object, a fabulously valuable gold necklace with a diamond pendant,
reduces the value of jewelry worn with it. Any other gems or precious metals
are gradually transformed into valueless base metal and glass, at a rate
of $100 every minute the Junk Jewelry is worn. It doesn't affect other jewelry
if kept in the same box; the effects only work when the Junk Jewelry is
worn.
Most wearers will not realize the Junk Jewelry's inimical magic until other
valuable items have been destroyed by it. A successful Professional Skill/Jeweler
or Merchant -2 roll will reveal Junk Jewelry for what it is.
Component Spells: Hypothetical "Reduce Value" spell,
Bane.
Asking Price: $245,000.
Crystal Vintner
This fine goblet, obviously a valuable piece of cut crystal, casts Water
to Wine whenever water is poured into it. The goblet's user can decide if
the wine created is white, red or champagne. The wine produced will be good,
but never remarkable.
The goblet's powers are Always On, and it has 2 points of Power. The tiny
runes engraved on the bottom of the cup-section glow a dim yellow when the
goblet performs its magic.
Goblets like this are enjoyed by rich folk who are more interested in novelty
and display than in the wine itself. True connoisseurs have no use for them,
as they would rather have genuine vintages.
Component Spells: Water to Wine, Power (2 points).
Asking Price: $135,000.
Death's Hourglass
Withered Jinfriyn was said to be the first holder (if not the creator) of
this macabre item, which has been the object of many treasure-seekers and
curiosity-collectors. It looks like a pair of crystal funnels holding a
quantity of glittery black sand. The framework holding the hourglass is
of tarnished silver, blackened yet gleaming; it resembles human leg bones,
with a small ring of silver skulls around the top and the bottom.
When inverted, the holder Casts Steal HT on any target within range of the
spell. The stolen HT goes to the holder. The spell lasts while the black
sand keeps running, a maximum of five minutes.
If the holder chooses, he can cast Steal Youth instead, with the same limitations
as the Steal HT power. The holder must pay all the energy points needed
for either spell.
Component Spells: Steal HT, Steal Youth.
Asking Price: $452,750.
Icebreaker
This metal whistle always feels chilly, though a user's lips will not stick
to the end even in subzero temperatures. It is made of blue steel and has
symbols resembling icicles engraved on its sides. There are many such whistles.
When blown, an Icebreaker makes a high-pitched, almost inaudible sound.
This sound is the exact pitch needed to shatter all ice in a fan-shaped
wedge up to 12 hexes from the user, to a depth of two hexes. Each toot costs
the user 3 points of Fatigue.
Icebreakers will also dislodge any snow covering crevasses or deep holes,
breaking up any fragile snowdrifts or crumbling ice gathered on cliff-faces
within range.
In glacial waters, such a whistle is very valuable. It can break up ice
floes and allow sailing ships easy passage, or shatter extra-thick ice for
ice-fishing.
Old ice-crossers believe walruses will hurry toward the sound of an Icebreaker.
This could be an old wives' tale . . . or a peculiar side effect.
Component Spells: Hypothetical "Shatter Ice" spell
Asking Price: $56,500.
Firebrand
This item is a foot-long torch-handle made of bronze, with a claw to grip
torches at its top. It was crafted specially for Vorigan the Demagogue,
the premier rabble-rouser of his day. He didn't care whether the cause was
just or noble; he simply enjoyed getting a crowd upset and agitated. The
Duke of Ambeshire eventually executed Vorigan and confiscated the Firebrand;
in his son's time, the item was stolen and quickly duplicated -- they are
now relatively common, but often illegal.
When a torch is set into the claw, its light becomes magical -- anyone who
sees it will believe whatever the holder says. The Firebrand allows a holder
to cast Mass Suggestion ("believe/trust me"), with all normal
Fatigue costs, at level 20. The gist of the spell cannot be altered, nor
can the Fatigue cost be paid with powerstones; the energy must come from
whoever holds the Firebrand.
Component Spells: Mass Suggestion.
Asking Price: $32,500 where legal, much more where outlawed.
Airstone
This small blue rock generates good air. It can be used once per hour to
cast Purify Air at level 20; if there is no air at all around it, it casts
Create Air instead. Whoever holds the Airstone determines how large an area
it will affect, and pays all Fatigue costs over the first point spent. The
Airstone glows pale blue while its magic is in operation.
An Airstone could provide air indefinitely for someone trapped in an enclosed
space; its 1 point of power would be enough to keep the user from spending
any Fatigue. If many people were trapped, they could still survive by taking
turns spending Fatigue to power the stone, using it to create larger amounts
of air once per hour.
Airstones will work underwater, creating bubbles of air, but there must
be some type of airtight container available for the user to breathe the
created air.
Component Spells: Create Air, Purify Air, Power (1 point).
Asking Price: $56,500.
Aircart
This object is a battered, blue metal box with white wings painted on the
side. Two human-sized figures can sit on the metal bench bolted to the floor.
When it is occupied, a black metal framework swings up from behind the Aircart,
fitting securely over the occupants' shoulders and latching securely into
place in front of them.
The latch does not lock. A simple bolt mechanism holds it secure. The passengers
are free to unlatch the frame at any time, but doing so deactivates the
Aircart's magic. Unlatching the frame in midair is a bad idea -- the Aircart
will go into a terminal power dive.
Once the frame is latched, the Aircart takes off, flying wherever the passengers
wish to go. Inconveniently, the Aircart moves like a low-flying jet, dodging
trees and flocks of birds, flying under bridges and over flagpoles, without
slacking its pace one bit (80 hexes/turn). The final deceleration is instant,
but magically safe for the passengers.
The riders can change their desired destination in mid-trip, but there is
no other way to control the Aircart's course.
Characters unfamiliar with flying must make a Fright Check or two during
the ride. Anyone must roll vs. HT or feel weak-kneed and dizzy when stepping
out of the Aircart (treat as 1d turns of Mental Stun if the roll is failed).
The Aircart has PD 6 (due to its speed) and DR 8 on the sides, 40 on the
bottom; its open-air construction doesn't give passengers much protection.
Riders are also -5 on any Active Defense they undertake in the Aircart,
due to movement restrictions imposed by the frame.
The Aircart weighs about 450 lbs. It has no wheels or any ground-movement
ability; it either flies or sits on the ground. It is not buoyant; if the
riders land on water, it will sink like a rock. It may be possible
to "fly" the Aircart underwater, but riders would need Breathe
Water or other air-producing magic to survive.
An extradimensional origin has been suggested for this device, but since
air-mages can build them, this is less than probable.
Component Spells: Hawk Flight x 2, Lighten Burden (-50%), Power
(8 points), possible unknown others.
Asking Price: $1,530,000.
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