The Vault: Rare and unusal stuff for the taking

[Two orcs]

The Sympathetic Axiom
A forgotten text rotting in a decrepid ruin. Reading, preaching and digesting the axiom takes a working week (48 hours), minus a number of working days equal to the Wisdom modifier of the preacher or reader. It can be done over many sessions. Those with a penalty to their Wisdom can never understand the Axiom. Once understood it cannot be forgotten. Everyone who understands the Axiom are subject to spell effects laid on any other who knows the Axiom, regardless of distance. If two Axiomatics are caught in the same spell at the same time (for example, hit by the same Fireball) they only suffer from the effect once.

If the Axiom spreads without control outside the confines of an adventuring party or cloistered group there is a high chance (an inevitability) that seemingly random spell effects take hold of a player character such as dreams of people Charming them, being Slept or Held or suffering magical damage or benefitting from magical healing. Another likely result if it spreads among normal men is that the great mass of them are slain at once if hit by powerful baleful magic. After this the Axiom gains a foul reputation and anyone preaching it is put on trial and likely tortured till they give up the location of the text so that it and the preacher can be burned (by magic as to kill any other carrier or by mundane fire if someone in authority fears for their own life).

 

[squeen]

You are running a wildly twisting campaign, sir!

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Damn this has some cool applications. You could give it to your whole party and then all of a sudden your single-target buff spells become universal. At high levels this could actually be incredible. But there is always the chance of a massive screw-job that will end in a TPK! What about magic items, like if I have gauntlets of ogre power...?

 

[Two orcs]

That would have to be a ref ruling as it would have big implications for the power of the thing. I'll go with yes as that makes teaching it even more tempting. However, the rule that the same effect happening at the same time doesn't transfer means you can't double up on rings of protection etc.

 

[Two orcs]

Summon Laufröng
7th level Arcane Ritual

Go to the shore and blow a horn carved from living oak. A longship, hull and sails made of overlapping oak leaves (mast, rudder and oars are made of oak), appear over the horizon and steers towards you with an invisible hand. It is green in the summer, red in autumn and brown the other seasons. It functions as a regular longship (60 rowers, 15 other crew, 20,000lbs cargo) but its lightness makes it 10% faster than others of its type. A single drop of blood falling on it and the ship disintegrates into a pile of leaves and branches. Each summoner may only call one Laufröng at a time.

 

[squeen]

Majestic!

 

[TerribleSorcery]

You are on fire this week baby!!

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Here's a throwaway I put in the wizard's kitchen of the current dungeon:

CURSED CHOPPER

A well-made but slightly rusty meat cleaver +1. Like a shortsword but 1d6 slashing.
Chaotic alignment (or CN for you 2-axis guys).

The chopper causes a critical hit on 19-20, but critically miss on attack rolls of 1-2 (randomly hitting the wielder or another ally in melee range). Its wielder rolls with a -1 penalty on the Death & Dismemberment table.

***
This one is probably a bit particular to my game. I am trying out one of those old OSR death & dismemberment tables from the day, you get to 0 hp and might get KO'd or lose an arm, or instant death. If you don't use that, maybe replace it with accelerated bleeding-out rate when below 0. I require critical hits to be confirmed, which makes them a bit less common (after rolling a 20, you must 'hit' with another attack roll). But with two 20s in a row, I pull out the feared Arduin critical hit table. So crits can be extremely dangerous, making this weapon a serious wheel of fortune.

 

[Two orcs]

Oneiric Mirror of Gaspard the Loon
If you sleep near the grave of Gaspard the Loon you will dream of his mirror - a polished opal surface with a gnarled handle. Gazing into it you see your face in a turmoil of expressions. By exaggerating an insane grimace or somber frown you can replenish lost hit points by sacrificing points of Wisdom, or vise versa. You may go beyond your maximum hit points or Wisdom this way, but the excess is lost the next time you sleep. If you pick up the mirror in the dream you will have it in other dreams and it will stay with you, till you die or deliberately leave it behind. If your Wisdom drops below 3 you become a gibbering lunatic unable to sleep.

 

[Two orcs]

I can imagine a slew of items you only carry in your subconscious and use in your dreams. Entire dungeons entered by sleeping on eldritch platforms.

Oneiric Cape of Gaspard the Loon
When you sleep rough you might dream of a place of filth. A colorful piece of cloth catches your eye. If you pull a voluminous and irridescent cape emerges from the sticky mud - miraculously clean. Donning the cape your sleep becomes pleasant and restful no matter the circumstances you sleep in, but your ego is inflated - you are full of yourself the next day suffering a -1 to reaction rolls (+1 if seducing a stranger). Each time you sleep you are tempted to wear the cape - to refuse it you must cast it back into mud (where someone else can find it).

 

[squeen]

I can imagine a slew of items you only carry in your subconscious and use in your dreams. Entire dungeons entered by sleeping on eldritch platforms.

Nice stuff and brings the Lovecraft vibe nicely. If you haven't read Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath...treat yourself to it!

suffering a -1 to reaction rolls (+1 if seducing a stranger).

This a beautiful use of the existing D&D mechanics. No need to invent a skill/ability/comeliness/etc.

These two are some of my favorites. I'm a sucker for the Dreamlands.

 

[Two orcs]

Grinning bullet mold
This cruel bullet mold (for sling or gun) sports a round face with an unnerving toothy grin, inside and out. The bullets thus shaped are cursed and embed in anyone hit preventing healing (of that bullet's damage) before the curse is lifted. One remove curse spell is enough to expel all bullets from the body of the victim. Unexpelled bullets will slowly grind against the wound preventing healing and will shift to avoid being pulled out. They confer no bonus to hit or damage but count as enchanted. Even regenerating creatures are unable to heal these wounds.

If kept in a bag the bullets will shift uneasily and grind against each other eventually wearing smooth, this ruins their enchantment. They keep good for a week unless individually wrapped, but they will grind through their wrapping in a week requiring re-wrapping.

Because of the intricate detailing required to get the curse to set you can cast at most 120 bullets per hour. If an army tries to supply itself with these bullets continously you get at most 20,000 concurrent bullets allowing you to supply at most 1,000 men for battle. Units taking damage from these bullets don't see their wounded return to battle unless amply supplied with remove curse. If the unit hit knows these bullets are used against them they suffer -1 to shock/morale rolls from this damage. Soldiers known to use these bullets can expect cruel treatment if captured (neutral to morale as fear of torture gives both incentive to run and incentive to fight to the last).

 

[Two orcs]

Hunter King's Helm
An open faced owl-faced helm, real feathers over gilt steel with a gleaming beak as the noseguard. The wearer is under the ears of the predator spell.

Ears of the Predator
3rd level Arcane Spell
Duration: 6 turns
You can hear the heartbeats of any creature within 60'. The sound may guide your weapons increasing your chance of a critical hit by 1. You may also detect their emotions, calm, nervous, scared, angry etc. and you may detect a liar 50% of the time (per conversation, though the specific deceit can't be pinpointed by this method). A known heartbeat may be recognized as well as the size of the creature it belongs to.

 

[Two orcs]

Oculars of the Omnipresent Ocean
In time, the Ocean will swallow all, these bulging crystal goggles cause you to live in that time. Donning the goggles, from your perspective everything is submerged in salt water up to all but the highest mountain peaks. You must swim to move, hold your breath or drown. Missiles and blunt weapons impact you less (-4 to hit or so, includes being unable to reach you at all). From everyone else's perspective you are swimming in the air. The water is actually there and you can drink it, have it suffocate fires, water damage your scrolls and so on.

 

[squeen]

Simply great. An underwater adventure starts anywhere!

 

[Two orcs]

Arresting Aegis
A shield of peacock feathers held taught in a wicker frame. It may be held in a staff grip or slung over the back. Anyone seeing the front of the shield (120 degree angle, 80 feet distance) is captivated by the staring feathers and must Save vs. Spells to be able to look away. If a third party or intervening obstacle causes line of sight to be broken no save is necessary. The flimsy Aegis provides no protection against missiles or strikes and fails any save to avoid being sundered by a strike or fire based attack.

 

[Two orcs]

Cetonic Cuirass +1
Cuirass like the body of a huge green-gold-irridescent beetle. It is imbued with a false life and can by its owner's will carry its own weight crawling or flying. While worn the wings can lower fall damage by 1d6 and the legs can grab small items or function as an extra hand when wrestling or clambering. Note wearing backpack, cloak or similar prevents the function of the wings. If used as a flying pack mule the continuous flapping will alert enemies and annoy allies. Continuous flapping while worn does not lower the weight because of the angle.

Speed: 40'(120') flying or 20'(60') crawling, half if bearing more than 15lbs.
Weight: 30lbs (or as scale armor).

 

[Two orcs]

Belt of Many Meals
By loosening the belt a notch you can eat another meal, healing 1d3 hp. Eating a meal takes 1 turn and requires 1lbs of food and 1lbs of drink other than water. The belt has 5+3d6 notches (normal use requires 4+strength mod notches, though halflings and other small races only need 1 notch). The food is digested during the night and the belt may be tightened once more. If the belt is removed before this the creature takes 3 damage per meal ingested, if brought to 0 hp or less their gut burst open killing them painfully.

 

[The1True]

You had me til the gut bursting bit...

 

[Yora]

Every magic item with powers of perception or deceiving is at least +18% more cool if it's a mask.