Veil of St. Iwe

So, because I have been meditating on an asian-themed campaign world, I was obliged to draw a picture of a temple guard armed with a testubo (because that is a fundamental image for me and all things asian-fantasy). As any artist can tell you, there are times when art just demands things of the artist that the artist wasn't really planning on. This is one of those times and things went a little weird:

Temple Guard of the Order of St. Iwe

Evidently, members of the Order of St. Iwe wear a veil emblazoned with an open eye surrounded by  divine light. Given that, as temple guards, these guys need to see, I decided a new minor magic item was called for:

The Veil of St. Iwe

This simple cloth emblazoned with a open eye surrounded by divine light must be worn over the face in order for this item to work. While wearing the veil, the user gains advantage on all visual perception checks; however, any attempt to hide, disguise or otherwise conceal the use of the veil will automatically fail. Every creature encountered will treat the user as a member of the Order of St. Iwe (whether the user is an actual member or not) with all of the discrimination and persecution that comes with it.

Saintly Saturday: The Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalie

Today is the Feast of the Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalie. One of the things I love about studying the lives of the saints is the realization that these people come from all walks of life from all around the world. Sts. Adrian and Natalie were a young married couple who lived during the reign of Maximian. Adrian was a pagan and Natalie was a secret Christian. Maximian was persecuting the Christians and they each were brought before the Praetor so that their names and responses could be recorded. Adrian was serving in the praetorium and witnessed Christian after Christian refuse to denounce Christ even though it meant a horrible death.

Finally he asked them why, and they responded that the rewards that awaited them for their suffering were beyond the human’s mind’s capacity to understand. In a moment of clarity, he presented himself to the Praetor and declared himself a Christian. When his wife Natalie heard the report that he was in jail, she ran to visit him and then rejoiced when she found out the reason why.

Through all the tortures, she encouraged her husband to hold fast to his newfound faith. Finally, the emperor gave up trying to convince St. Adrian and those Christians imprisoned with him to denounce Christ, so he ordered their death. The executioner ordered that all their legs and hands be smashed off on an anvil. Fearing that her husband would waver seeing such cruelty demanded that he be first going so far as to hold St. Adrian’s hands upon the anvil. As a consequence, she was able to abscond with one of his hands which she preserved as a relic. She fled to Argyropolis near Byzantium (which would become Constantinople) where she died shortly thereafter.

This is a rather grim tale that probably does not make much sense to most modern minds. In fact, I may very well have squeamishly ignored this story had I not have had to go through with the last several years of my life. One of my children has had to have multiple surgeries and countless painful procedures to keep her alive. By the grace of God, she is doing well, but I can tell you the only reason I could endure seeing (and some times helping) my own child go through that kind of pain was the knowledge and the hope that life and healing could only happen through that excruciating pain.

It is in this context that I completely sympathize with St. Natalie and what she had to go through encouraging her husband to endure torture and death to the point of aiding the executioner. This was her chance to see her beloved gain not just hope and life, but the eternal life offered by our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. — Matthew 16:24

***

Hand of the 10,000 Martyrs

These life-size hands are partially encased in bronze and attached to a chain that allow someone to wear them around the neck. The hands have a variable appearance according to the alignment of the viewer. A Chaotic will see a diseased and rotting hand, a Neutral will see a hand made of bronze and a Lawful will see a living hand that softly glows.

Chaotics who touch the Hand must make a Save vs. Death or suffer the effects of a Cause Disease spell. For Neutrals, the Hand is nothing more than piece of jewelry. When a Lawful character places the hand around their neck, they are bestowed with one of the following powers (roll a d20):

1-10. Lay on Hands as a paladin of the same level. Paladins have their Lay on Hands ability doubled.
11-15. Jarring Hand as a spell-like ability 3 times per day.
16. Interposing Hand as a spell-like ability once per day.
17. Forceful Hand as a spell-like ability once per day.
18. Grasping Hand as a spell-like ability once per day.
19. Clenched Fist as a spell-like ability once per day.
20. Crushing Hand as a spell-like ability once per day.

If a Lawful character should wear two of these Hands at the same time, the two come together as if in prayer and the wearer has the spell Prayer cast upon them permanently.

Saintly Saturday: St. Callinicus the Martyr of Gangra in Asia Minor

Today is the feast of St. Callinicus the Martyr of Gangra in Asia Minor. He was born to a Christian family in Cilicia (southern part of modern-day Turkey). In the early part of the 4th century, he became a wandering preacher, bringing many to Christ. Upon coming into the Galatian city of Ancyra (central part of modern-day Turkey) he was arrested by Governor Sacerdonus, a fierce prosecutor of Christians.

After resolutely refusing to denounce Christ and offer sacrifice to the idols despite being beaten with ox thongs and having his flesh torn with iron hooks, shoes with nails directed inwards were placed on his feet and he was paraded through the streets to the city of Ganga. The soldiers who were escorting him ran short of water, and asked that the saint pray to his God for relief. A spring welled up out of the ground to quench their thirst. Once in Gangra, the saint was burned at the stake. Despite being given the crown of martyrdom, his body remained incorrupt.

The Shoes of St. Arz

These magical shoes appear to be torture devices made of metal with spikes affixed to the soles of the shoes designed to penetrate the foot of the wearer; however, they give off a magical aura if detected for. Should anyone be brave enough to put these shoes on, they suffer 1d6 hp of damage, cannot remove to shoes until death (even with a Remove Curse spell) and can only surprise on a roll of ‘1’ instead of 1-2 on a d6. The wearer of these shoes cannot die of thirst, is immune to all normal fire, takes half damage from magical fire and may make a saving throw to reduce any damage from magical fire to 0.

Gamer ADD: Monster Manual II Part 8

Magic Items

Something I never did when I hypothesized a Moldvay Basic D&D with a Fiend Folio monster section was to see how that would affect the magic items detailed in the Treasure section. This was largely due to the fact that the magic items were fairly portable and made sense. Ironically, an MMII-based treasure section needs to be addressed because there are several magic items that require some kind of re-imagining.

Specifically, there are three items in Moldvay that have no meaning in an MMII world:

• Sword +1, +2 against lycanthropes
• Scrolls of Protection from Lycanthropes
• Gauntlets of Ogre Power

While there are lycanthropes in the MMII (foxwomen, seawolves and weresharks), they are either too powerful for a basic edition or would be better suited for an expert edition with its emphasis on wilderness exploration. Thus, there are no lycanthropes in the monster list that would appear in an MMII-based basic edition. Thus, any items specifically created to fight them are rendered irrelevant. In addition, the only ogres in the MMII are aquatic. Thus, like the MMII lycanthropes, they are far more appropriate for an expert edition. Therefore, this item needs to have a different reference point.

There are also a number of magic items that do not have the same import in an MMII world that they do in a normal D&D world:

• Sword +1, +3 against undead
• Sword +1, +3 against dragons
• Scroll of Protection from Undead
• Spell Scrolls
• Potion of Growth

As I have mentioned before, undead are scarce in the MMII and almost all of them are walking corpses created by necromancers. They do not have the frightening abilities that normal D&D undead do: level-draining, paralysis and disease. Thus, there really isn’t the same kind of incentive to create a magic item specifically designed to defeat them.

Unlike the MMI and the FF, the MMII does do not offer up a traditional view of dragons. Cloud and mist dragons are neutral creatures that literally live in the sky, far away from the cares of the world. Faerie dragons are small creatures that pose more of a threat as a spell users than as a fire-breathing monster. Shadow dragons are one of the few creatures in the MMII that have any kind of level-draining powers and certainly do not go around burning down villages.

As a consequence, there really wouldn’t be the same kind of demand for swords specifically made to fight these creatures.

Spell scrolls in Moldvay are specifically arcane in nature and are therefore listed as “magic-user/elf.” While I probably would not change this item at all for an MMII-based basic edition, it is worth noting that the only PCs that could use these are magic-users.

Finally, it should also be noted that a Potion of Growth is basically a watered-down version of what an MMII-dwarf PC can already do. This raises a question as to how these potions are created (from dwarf blood?) and how dwarves would feel about their existence and use.

The biggest generalized threat in an MMII-world are arcane spell users: necromancers, fey, chaotic elves, chaotic dwarves, faerie dragons and elementals. Thus, there would be a demand for Scrolls of Protection and Swords that did well against spell users. The latter already exists in Moldvay, but is a +1/+2 weapon. In an MMII world, this should be a +1/+3 weapon.

In terms of disease, mind control and being transformed into a minion, the biggest threat in an MMII world are plants and fungi. Items designed to fight these creatures would replace those originally intended to fight the undead.

It should be mentioned that there is a substantial reptilian threat in an MMII world. Dinosaurs and Ophidians are nothing to sneeze at.

Finally, the only basic-edition friendly creatures in the MMII that could inspire the idea of strength in the same way an ogre does is the cyclopskin. Without any other cyclops available to be kin to, however, I am just going to call them cyclops.

Therefore, here is a list of magic items that would be found in an MMII basic edition and the items they replace:

• Sword +1, +2 vs. reptiles replaces Sword +1, +2 vs. lycanthropes
• Sword +1, +2 vs. dragons replaces Sword +1, +2 vs. spell users
• Sword +1, +3 vs. plants replaces Sword +1, +3 vs. undead
• Sword +1, +3 vs. spell users replaces Sword +1, +3 vs. dragons
• Scroll of Protection from Plants replaces Scroll of Protection from Lycanthropes
• Scroll of Protection from Spell Users replaces Scroll of Protection from Undead
• Gauntlets of Cyclops Strength replaces Gauntlets of Ogre Power

Saintly Saturday: St. Anastasia the Great Martyr

Today is the feast of St. Anastasia the Great Martyr. She was born in Rome to a pagan father and a mother who was secretly Christian. As a result, her mother arranged for her teacher to be a Christian and she was brought up in the faith. After the death of her mother, her father arranged a marriage to a pagan.

Using one of her husband’s servants and his wealth, she dressed as a beggar and snuck into prisons in order to minister to the martyrs and confessors during the persecution of Diocletian and ransoming them when she could. The servant eventually told her husband who beat her and locked her up at home. Shortly thereafter, her husband died at sea.

She used her husband’s estate to give to the poor and continue her ministrations to captured Christians. She received the title Great Martyr because she was arrested and tortured several times. The first time, her torturer went blind and died. Out of fear, she was let go. The second time, she was left to starve, but received no harm. She was then sentenced to drown. Along with several other prisoners, she was placed in a boat with holes drilled into the hull. Through her intercessions, she and the other prisoners managed to get the boat to shore. Finally, she was captured, stretched between four pillars and burned alive.

Note the fact that St. Anastasia is depicted holding a bottle. Though her life is quite inspiring (especially when one reads a fuller account which includes some of the names of the martyrs she ministers to), the aspect of her story that fascinates me the most is a secondary title she has received as a result of the miracles worked through her relics — ἡ Φαρμακολύτρια, which literally means the one who ransoms or delivers from potions or poisons and is most often translated as The Deliverer from Potions.

In context of a typical D&D campaign, such a title seems odd since the vast majority of potions are beneficial. Indeed, until the release of Unearthed Arcana (which adds the Elixir of Madness, Oil of Fumbling and the Philter of Stammering and Stuttering) there were only two detrimental potions available: Delusion and Poison. Even then, if one used the random tables found in 0e, there is only a 2% chance of a potion being Delusion and a 4% chance of being Poison. This percentage doesn’t change much when one looks at both B/X (7% and 2% respectively) and AD&D (3% each).

The exception to this pattern is found in (where else?) Holmes. Twenty percent of all potions are either Delusion or Poison (at 10% each). Along with St. Anastasia’s moniker, this suggests an interesting alternative on how to handle potions in a D&D campaign.

One of the frustrations that I have as a Referee running LL is that there is no easy way to handle potions. One either has to keep detailed notes about each and every potion — noting how each is colored and smells, for example (something that I am not at all good at) — or allow players to take a sip and determine what the potion might be. Even if an Identify spell is available (as it is when my group plays AD&D), it seems like such a great waste to use it on a potion. As a result, my use of potions is not nearly as satisfying as I want it to be — especially since I have a bunch of players who regularly use potions when they are available.

What if Magic-Users could automatically identify arcane potions and Clerics could automatically identify divine potions due to their training? Or, if one wanted to cleave closer to Holmes, only Magic-Users could identify all potions. The way to make their use dangerous is to get rid of potions that are specifically Delusion and Poison (and Madness, Fumbling and Stammering) and to give every use of a potion a 20% chance of having a negative side-effect. A table could include the following:

1. Delusion — the potion does not work, but the imbiber believes that it does.
2. Delusion — the potion works, but as a randomly determined different potion. The imbiber believes that the effects are as the potion is supposed to work.
3. Poison — Potion works, but save vs. poison or die in 1d6 days.
4. Poison — Potion does not work. Save vs. poison or take 1d4 points of damage for 2d6 rounds.
5. Madness — Potion works, but gain an insanity.
6. Madness — Potion does not work. Save vs. poison or or gain an insanity.
7. Curse — Potion works, but imbiber is Cursed.*
8. Curse — Potion does not work, save vs. spells or be Cursed.*

*Suggested curses can include: Whenever someone fumbles (friend or foe) the cursed character fumbles instead; Henchmen automatically fail their morale check and the character becomes the prime target for all monsters.

This would then create a niche for magical items that protect characters from the negative side-effects of potions. For example:

Amulet of the Pharmakolytria

This silver amulet has an icon of a saint holding a potion. When worn, it reduces the chance of a potion having a negative side effect to 10%.

All of this makes potions a lot more exciting and (more importantly for me) easier for both the Referee and the players to keep track of.

More on Magic Swords

Yesterday, I mentioned that there were three steps within the process of making an Ulfberht Sword that invited elaboration. Given that I suggested a campaign world with no other magic weapons than swords, it got me thinking about how to take advantage of these elaborations in order to make each magical sword, if not unique, than one with a bit of a back-story.

Thus, I have endeavored to produce one of my favorite things — a series of random tables — in order to come up with the formula used to create a sword based on the aforementioned three steps (thus giving the sword the seeds of a backstory). These tables assume that a magic sword is automatically +1 and that various methods of forging the sword might result in additional powers. Note: all bonuses are cumulative.

Table 1.1 Carbon Source (d10)

1. Animal Bones = Speak with Animals 3 x per day with the specific animal used
2. Monster Bones = Bane +1 vs. monster type
3. Humanoid Bones = Bane +1 vs. humanoid type
4. Incense = Bane +1 vs. Chaotic/Evil creatures
5. Dragon Bones = +1 plus Bane +1 vs. dragons
6. - 10. Normal Charcoal = no extra powers

Table 1.2 Rune Etching (d20)

1. Stone Rune = Damage Reduction of 1 while wielding the sword
2. Serpent Rune = +1d6 damage; however, this damage is applied to both the victim and the wielder of the sword
3. Ice Rune = Protection from Fire; glows in freezing temperatures.
4. Torch Rune = Light with a 30’ radius
5. Luck Rune = +1 to Saving Throws
6. Tree Rune = The magic bonus of the sword can be used as either a combat bonus or an AC bonus
7. Journey Rune = Dancing Sword
8. Thorn Rune = The wielder can go into a berserker rage (+1 HD, +1 damage, + 1 to Hit -1 AC penalty)
9. Hero Rune = Allows the wielder to increase both the number and morale of retainers one shift up on the Charisma table. If the Charisma is already 18, the number of retainers is 10 and the morale is 11 (based on B/X and LL).
10. Cross = Protection from Evil 10’ radius if wielded by a Lawful (Good)/Christian character
11. Chi Ro = +1 Bane vs. Chaotic/Evil creatures
12. - 20. Animal Rune = no extra powers

Table 1.1 Quenching Liquid (d12)

1. Oil = Flame Tongue; +1 vs. Cold/Ice- based Creatures
2. Holy Oil = Flame Tongue; + 2 vs. Undead
3. Holy Water = +1 Bane vs. Chaotic/Evil creatures
4. Monster (less than 4 HD) Blood = +1 Bane vs. Monster Type
5. Monster (4+ HD) Blood = +1 for every 4 HD (4-7 = +1; 8-11= +2; 12+ = +3)
6. Humanoid Blood = +1 Bane vs. Humanoid Type
7. Dragon Blood = +1 + Bane +1 vs. dragons
8. Ice/Snow = Bane +1 vs. Fire-based creatures
9. - 12. Water = no extra powers

For example: With the rolls 10, 7 and 2, the sword in question had normal charcoal, was inscribed with a Journey Rune and was quenched in Holy Oil. Thus it is a +1 Holy Sword of Dancing, +3 vs. Undead. Given this basic background, one could imagine it was forged in order to arm a crusader who was marching against the incursion of a necromancer's army, and could thus bear the name of a crusader saint.

These tables are, of course, only a rough draft and are certainly open to further revisions and additions. Any suggestions?

Meditating on Magic Swords

I just finished watching the most recent episode of Nova, entitled Secrets of the Viking Sword. It focuses on the science of medieval weapons, in particular the Ulfbehrt Sword wielded by pagan Vikings from about A.D. 800 to 1000.

Most weapons of that time were made of inferior steel with low carbon content and slag impurities that made them brittle and therefore prone to break in battle. This stemmed from the fact that European forges could not get hot enough for the slag to separate from the iron ore and the fact that metallurgists of the time relied on the ashes of the fire to add what little carbon the steel had.

Ulfberht Swords, however, were made of a high carbon steel with very little slag called crucible steel — an art form that would disappear from European metallurgy for several centuries after the last Ulfberht swords were made. Crucible steel made these swords both stronger and more flexible — qualities that made them devastating in the the close-quarter fighting of viking combat. Indeed, the show had a demonstration of how, compared to a roman-style sword, the Ulfberht design could cut through chain mail.

I, of course, watched this show not only through the lens of history and science, but of a fantasist who loves to use history and science to inform how I play FRPGs. I couldn’t help but think about how the vast majority of magic weapons in OD&D are swords. The process for making an Ulfberht blade is extremely time consuming and unforgiving. Thus, they were rare and often given names. In other words, the magic sword of OD&D is the analog of these viking blades.

Some of the steps involved in the making of the blade invite FRPG elaborations:

• The carbon used to make steel from iron ore could come from bones — bones of ancestors, animals or (in a fantasy setting) monsters.
• All Ulfberht Swords are etched with the symbols “+ULFBERH+T.” Intriguingly, the use of the cross seems to indicate some kind of power (an attempt at stealing the powers of their Christian adversaries?). Thus, here we have an origin for named and etched swords.
• Once forged, the sword is hardened by dipping it into some form of liquid. This could be water, oil or even blood (again, of animals, humans or monsters).

The secret of creating crucible steel was most likely gained from the East, where they knew the secret of Damascus Steel, which differs only in the cooling process (which is much slower and results in its signature crystalline patterns). Thus, either the steel itself was imported via the Volga trade route or the secret of its creation was lost. This invokes the idea of mythical metals like mithril and adamantium.

All of this has me re-thinking the idea of magic weapons and weapon proficiencies in D&D. In context of a fantasy analog of medieval Europe, I could easily buy the argument that the only magic weapons available are swords. Crucible steel is not wasted on any other kind of weapon and therefore every other type of weapon is of inferior quality — non-magical.

In this scenario, I could also see the possibility of allowing every class to use any weapon with one major limitation — only fighters can wield those magical swords. This accomplishes several things at once:

• The old saw about wizards using swords in source material is acknowledged.
• There is a very serious tip of the hat to an historic reality.
• It gives fighters a form of magic unique to their class — Magic-users = arcane; Cleric = divine; Fighter = sword.
• Finally, it pays homage to the original rules set, where most magic weapons were swords.

St. Cuthbert & Dr. Holmes

Today is a convergence of two significant events, at least for those of us of an age who dabble in this singular hobby of ours. I am in good company with those who were introduced to the world of RPGs by Dr. Holmes’ edition of D&D. Today, of course, marks the anniversary of his death. How apropos that today is also the feast day of St. Cuthbert, that oft misunderstood saint who has been with us as part of our hobby since he was first mentioned in passing in Supplement 3: Eldritch Wizardry.

Since I have been dabbling with re-imaging the Slave Pits of the Undercity on an island once occupied by the followers of St. Cuthbert, I have been doing some research on various relics that might show up somewhere within the confines of the Temple once dedicated to the saint. There are two that inspire (sorry, neither of them are a mace). One is unique and the other is a type of item that could potentially be found or made in greater quantity. In honor of today’s feast and today’s loss I’d thought I would share.

For hundreds of years, the body of St. Cuthbert remained incorrupt. There are multiple accounts about how his joints were still subtle and how the items found on his body were as fresh as the day that they were made. One of these accounts noted that when his tomb was opened in 1104, therein was found a pocket-sized Latin translation of the Gospel According to St. John, which is now in possession of the British Library.

In a campaign that includes St. Cuthbert, this relic could miraculously produce pages within that function as cleric scrolls. When used to pray for spells, St. Cuthbert’s Gospel Book produces a number of spell-pages equal to the number of spell levels the praying cleric can cast. These spells are determined randomly and will remain until cast appropriately. Only one page per spell level will appear within the book.

The monks of Lindisfarne would make prayer ropes, necklaces and rosaries from crinoid fossils — the stalk of ancient sea lilies. These would either wash ashore or be exposed in the rocks around the island. The monks believed that St. Cuthbert would forge them out of the rocks at night so that the monks could find them the next day. They came to be known as St. Cuthbert’s Beads.

Sir Walter Scott makes mention of this in his poem Marmion:

But fain Saint Hilda's nuns would learn
If, on a rock by Lindisfarne,

Saint Cuthbert sits, and toils to frame

The sea-born beads that bear his name:

Such tales had Whitby's fishers told

And said they might his shape behold,

And here his anvil sound:

A deadened clang - a huge dim form

Seen but and heard when gathering storm

And night were closing round.

But this, a tale of idle fame,

The nuns of Lindisfarne disclaim. (canto 2, verse 16) 

For my purposes, I definitely plan to have a version of these beads in my own campaign. I will also scatter several across the island of Hucwind. They radiate of magic, and the larger ones will have either crosses or a short prayer carved into them. With apologies to Sir Walter Scott, it might go like this:

On a rock by Hucwind, St. Cuthbert sits, and toils to frame the sea-born beads that bear his name.

If one or more is in the possession of one who recites this prayer, they will be the recipient of a Sanctuary spell. This may be done three times per day and the spell lasts one round for every bead strung together on a prayer rope or necklace.

Saintly Saturday: St. Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland

Unlike so many other of the feast days that I have written about, today is a feast that is not only widely recognized outside of the Orthodox Church, but might be seen as anything but an Orthodox feast — St. Patrick’s Day. Also known as the Enlightener of Ireland, Patrick was born about the year A.D. 385 in Roman Britain, in a village called Bannavem Taberiae (possibly at the mouth of the Servern River in Wales). His was a Christian family (his grandfather was a priest and his father was a deacon). At the age of sixteen he was captured by marauders and sold into slavery in Ireland.

During the next six years, he not only learned the Irish language but learned to take great solace in prayer — something he would come to do up to a hundred times a day as he wandered the mountains as a swineherd. Subsequently, he had two visions: one telling him he would go home, the other telling him that his ship was ready. Therefore, he escaped, walked some two hundred miles to the coast, where he boarded a ship and was returned to his family.

His experience had stoked a fire within, however, and he was soon off to Auxerre in Gaul to study to be a priest under the tutelage of St. Germanus. Eventually, he was ordained and sent to Ireland around A.D. 432 to continue the work of missionaries that went ahead of him. Due to his familiarity of the culture and language, he was very successful (thus the monicker Enlightener of Ireland). Eventually (around A.D. 444), he established a see in Armargh. He died on March 17, 461 (or 492 depending on the source).

One of my favorite stories of St. Patrick is his use of the shamrock leaf, something he is often depicted as holding. He used it to help explain the doctrine of the Trinity — three persons (represented by the leafs) in one essence (represented by the stem). Modern English speakers might be tempted to say that the shamrock is a symbol or symbolic — it is a substitute or metaphor for the Trinity.

Interestingly, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, this is an incorrect understanding of the word symbol. It comes from the Greek συμβάλλω, which means gather/meet/join together or more literally to throw together. From a religious perspective, the two things joined or thrown together are the mundane and the divine. In this sense, the Body and Blood is a symbol — from the Orthodox understanding it is both the mundane (bread and wine) as well as the divine (the presence of Christ Himself).

This is a hugely useful understanding for anyone running an FRPG. When seen in a symbolic way, magic items take on a whole new life. As symbols, they bring together the mundane with either the arcane or the divine. For example:

• A Cloak of Protection allows for a guardian angel to physically manifest protective wings around the wearer.
• A Ring of Invisibility has an Invisible Stalker bound to the ring.
• A Helm of Telepathy has some kind of psionic creature bound to it.

Not only does this allow magic items to become magical again, but also a tad bit dangerous. There is a passive alignment associated with an item, depending on how the magic manifests:

• Would a Cloak of Protection work for someone who is actively working against God and His Church? 
• What happens to a character who subjects themselves to either the Ring of Invisibility or Helm of Telepathy for long periods of time? 
• Can the bound creatures ever escape and how much can they affect their bearers to provide them the means to escape? 
• If the Helm of Telepathy has a vile or cunning psionic creature bound to it (such as a Brain Lasher), is the information gathered by the Helm 100% accurate?

Suddenly, every single magic item can have a backstory that can be explored and have an impact on the campaign as a whole. I will grant that this is not necessary for every magical item to work this way, but even the presence of just one or two can shape an entire campaign.

Holmes & Cook: Magic Research and Production

In his section on Magic Research and Production, Cook gives us this interesting little gem:

[Those things necessary to produce magical items] should be difficult to obtain, and the spell caster will often have to adventure to acquire the items, for there are no magic stores.

This begs the question, especially since there are rules in both Holmes and Cook for creating various magic items, what are the economics of magic?

There are four different systems given in the pages of Holmes and Cook.

• Holmes indicates that any magic-user (but makes no mention of clerics) of any level can create scrolls for 100 gp and 1 week for every spell level to be inscribed upon the scroll.
• Cook notes that Alchemists, if given a formula or sample, can produce potions at half the normal cost and time. They can also do magical research on potions at twice the time and cost of magic-users. All of this incurs the extra cost in the alchemist's monthly stipend of 1000 gp.
• In his section on Magic Research and Production, Cook specifies that only magic-users and clerics of name level (9th level or higher) are able to create magic items. The cost for duplicating normal spell effects requires 500 gp and 1 week per spell level duplicated. Given that he fixes the price of a Wand of Fire Balls at 30,000 gp and a time frame of 4 months, this means that this price is for every single charge placed in the wand. These endeavors always have (at least) a 15% chance of failure (and thus creating a cursed item).
• Cook continues to give the DM much more leeway in determining the price tag on items that do not duplicate spell effects. For example, he suggests plate mail +1 should cost 10,000 gp and take 6 months.

Following these guidelines, here are the prices & time requirements for various magic items involving the spell Invisibility:

• Scroll of Invisibility — 200 gp/2 weeks
• Potion of Invisibility — 1000 gp/2 weeks
• Potion of Invisibility — 750 gp/ 1 week (Alchemist with formula/sample)
• Ring of Invisibility — DM's descretion (at least 10,000 gp/6 months)

Given that a suit of plate mail only costs 50 gp (Holmes) to 60 gp (Cook) and that something as exclusive as a warhorse in barding costs 400 gp, this places even something as relatively inexpensive as a Scroll of Light well out of the price range of what any but the most wealthy could afford. Remember that at least 3 in 20 of these items are going to fail, which makes the endeavor to pay for magic item creation even more expensive.

All of this indicates that Cook is right in his assessment that there are no such things as magic shops — these items are just too expensive to expect there to be any kind of market; however, by including the alchemist in his list of Specialists and Mercenaries he indicates that there is a demand.

The only social stratus that can afford to demand magic item creation is the very rich. Given the inherent danger of this kind of endeavor (at least 15% of items will be cursed), implies either some kind of social pressure that holds enough sway so as to outweigh the possibility of a curse and/or a disquieting level of comfort with all things decadent and corrupt.

Given that the majority of magic items duplicate magic-user spells rather than cleric spells seems to indicate that magic item creation and its inherent risks are primarily an arcane magic-kind-of-thing, possibly even a pagan-kind-of-thing.

Since it is the rich and powerful who are the ones who would demand magic item creation, it would seem that there is an inherent conflict between church and state, where the state is more inclined towards paganism and the arcane power that comes with it and the church is more inclined to frown upon magic item creation of all kinds (possibly even including divine magic items).

The implied Guild structure of magic-user training and the reduced price of scroll creation, however, leave room for a middle way. The church could oversee and sanction certain magic item creation. There might be a mechanism where cooperation between magic-users and clerics reduces the potential harm of a cursed item. Indeed, I might wave the 15% chance in the case of scrolls if the magic-user inscribing them either pays a registration fee or otherwise works in concert with the church directly or through the Guild.

In summary:

• Magic research and production is both dangerous and expensive.
• Such research can only be accomplished through a patronage system, where there exists a demand among rich and the powerful.
• The church sees both the benefits and the corrupting nature of magical research. While overall discouraging such research, it does work in concert with the Guild in order to make sanctioned research as safe as possible.
• The Guild willingly works in concert with the church because, while greater magic might be possible outside the confines of sanctioned research, it is certainly safer.
• Any overly-regulated economy is going to have a black market. In this case, given the corrupting nature of arcane magic, the word black is more than appropriate.
• Given a black market, there is more than likely some kind of Inquisition-type of institution within the church (whether overt or covert) that tries to keep such activities to a minimum.

Holmes & Cook: Magic Item Tables

A few notes: I decided to try and find different titles for Current and Intermediary. Although they are quite functional, I didn't much care for them. Thus, the following tables will use the term Common for Current and Quondam for Intermediary. The latter actually means "that once was" in addition to being a cool potential name for a lost civilization.

One thing that I like very much about these tables is that they infer a back story for each item and for the treasure hoard that they are a part of. Rather than merely asking the utilitarian "how would the denizens of this dungeon use this?" these tables also suggest "why is an item from this particular era here?"

BTW, apologies for only providing .pngs of these tables. They are complicated enough that they are beyond my limited ability in .hmtl to provide any other way:

Holmes & Cook: More on Magic Items

I realized today that I forgot to mention in my last post ye auld Ring of Protection (ROP). In Homes, the ROP +1 not only gives the wearer a +1 to their saves, but actually acts like platemail +1! Cook mentions an ROP +1 with a 5'r. This merely improves AC by 1 in addition to the saving throw bonus. Holmes' version may sound a tad bit on the powerful side, but remember that Magic Users don't have Dex bonuses for their AC and neither Holmes nor Cook has any Bracers of Defense. Therefore, in my amalgam of Holmes and Cook, I would include regular ROPs (as current magic); ROPs that have a 5'r. as well as an inferred version that acts as chainmail+1 (intermediary); and Holmes' platemail +1 version (ancient).

I'd also like to point out that the table for Scrolls in Homes has three very intriguing entries:

• Any potion spell except delusion or poison
• Any ring spell except wishes or regeneration
• Any wand spell

What I find particularly interesting about this is that these are treated as spells. Thus, when one gets to considering higher level spells, all of the various potion, ring and wand effects need to be there is some shape or form.

Finally, looking at both Holmes and Cook there are quite a few cursed items. The first time my current group came across a cursed item in my Lost Colonies campaign, they quibbled because they couldn't understand why anyone would make a cursed item — why waste all that time and effort to make something you are never going to use? I consider this a very good question. Fortunately, Holmes and Cook imply an answer.

When blending the magic items from Holmes and Cook, I have found it necessary to create three "eras" of magic: current, intermediary and ancient. Each of these represents a magic-using civilization with each successor being farther removed from the wonder that was the ancient era. Thus, it can be inferred that much knowledge has been lost. This is where cursed items come in. They represent attempts by people to re-create items of another age; however, these attempts fail and the result is a cursed item. They continue to float around, because their makers fail to understand their error and assume that their creation does what it was designed to do — normally to their own demise. Thus, cursed items abound — waiting to place their curse on anyone who is foolish enough to use them.

Holmes & Cook: Magic Items

One of the fun parts about my thought experiment of creating a hypothetical home-brew amalgam of Holmes Basic and Cook Expert D&D is finding and then trying to figure out a way to reconcile discrepancies between the editions. The variable weapon damage table I came up with is an example. It is its own animal, but it definitely pays homage to both editions. One area where there is quite a bit of overlap (and therefore opportunities for discrepancy) is in the area of Magic Items.

Magic Swords

The first big discrepancy between Holmes and Cook in magic items is with magic swords. For Holmes:

Weapons with a plus after them are magical and the user adds the plus to his die roll for a hit.

That is not to damage (I find it intriguing that 3rd edition revives this concept with Master Work weapons, knowingly or unknowingly paying homage to this conception of magic weapons). In addition:

Any sword that is +2 or +3 against particular opponents (trolls, undead, etc.) does the indicated additional damage.

Thus a Sword +1, +2 vs. Spell Casters would be +1 to hit, and any time it did so against a Spell Caster, 2 would be added to damage. For Cook:

All magic swords are listed with a plus or minus. The number is the amount added to or subtracted from the result of the "to hit" roll and to the damage done.

Although Holmes curiously has most non-sword magic weapons behave like Cook's magic swords, this is a major discrepancy that must be dealt with. I could spend a lot of time arguing the merits of each approach and choose one over the other; however, I am not going to do that. This is an amalgam and an opportunity to solve problems not by going either/or but by choosing both/and.

There are clearly three types of magical weapons:

1. Those that only affect the to hit roll.
2. Those that affect the to hit roll and damage differently depending on the target.
3. Those that affect both the to hit roll and damage.

This last one represents those powerful magic weapons forged by an ancient civilization whose knowledge has been long since lost. No one remembers the means by which to create these weapons any more. The second represents an intermediary civilization that knew some of the ancient's secrets but did not have a full knowledge of the techniques required to create weapons that could also affect damage other than on specified targets. The first represents current knowledge on creating magical weapons. The ability to affect damage has been completely lost.

Ring of Regeneration

In Holmes, rings of regeneration are described thusly:

regenerates injury to the wearer at a rate of 1 hit point per turn, even if the wearer is killed and dismembered, unless the ring wearer is treated as a troll.

Cook describes them this way:

The wearer will regenerate lost hit points at the rate of 1 per round. It will also replace lost limbs; a finger will re-grow in 24 hours and 1 limb can be replaced in one week. The ring will not function if the wearer's hit points drop to 0 or less. Fire and acid damage cannot be cured by this ring.

This is an intriguing mix. Whereas Cook's version is much better with a healing rate, Holmes' version is capable of rescuing somebody from death (though I would rule that they would have had to have the ring on when they died in order for it to function). Clearly, the Holmes version would be the rare ancient magic; however, the Cook version tantalizingly indicates that there are things where the intermediary civilization improved ancient magical techniques.

Potion of Giant Strength

Holmes describes a potion of Giant Strength this way:

Confers the full advantages of stone giant prowess, including doing 3-18 points of damage when scoring a hit, and having the same hit probability as a stone giant.

Cook gives this description:

The user will gain the strength of a frost giant. The effect may not be combined with other strength-adjusting magic items. The user may throw small boulders up to 200' to strike for 3-18 (3d6) points of damage, and will inflict twice normal damage on a successful hit when using any weapon.

The key difference between these two is that in Holmes, the imbiber attacks as a 9HD creature. The fact that Cook's version invokes the more powerful Frost Giant does not change the fact that it is less potent when used by low level characters. Again, this gives a tantalizing picture of an intermediary civilization trying to improve upon ancient magic and in some way coming up short.

Other Magic Items

There are several other discrepancies in magic items, but this mostly has to do with things like duration. For example, Protection Scrolls last 1d4 turns according to Cook and 6 turns according to Holmes. Keeping with the both/and theme there will be Greater and Lesser versions of these items (where current knowledge only allows Lesser items to be created).

This will also hold true for Wands of Detecting Secret Doors and Traps. Cook separates these into two different wands. Both exist, with the combo version being a lost technique.

In Holmes the Staff of Striking is only usable by Magic Users. In Cook they are also usable by Clerics. This is a bit of a conundrum, depending upon the metaphysics of the game setting. In my case, having (Christian) Clerics around is a relatively new thing. Thus, for my own purposes, Cook's version would be newer; however, I would adjust that depending upon what type of cleric you wanted using these staves and whether or not they are still around.

Medallions of ESP come in two varieties in Cook (30' and 90') and do not malfunction. Homles stats a 60' version and they have a 1 in 6 chance of malfunctioning every time they are used. The 90' version is ancient magic. Cook's 30' version is the intermediary magic. The 60' Holmes version is current magic.

Finally, in Holmes, the Potion of Flying only allows a move of 120' per turn. Cook has it at 120' per round. Thus, the Holmes version is more of a levitation kind of thing and I would probably just rename it and have it as a separate magic item, especially since Cook lists a Potion of Levitation but has no description for it.

World Building Part 9

Magic Items

You have given your sash to your flock, O Virgin most glorious, as a bond that is most secure, which carefully keeps us from all kinds of danger and which by divine power preserves us from defeat by adversaries — from the Aposticha for August 31

Within the tradition of the Church, there are plenty of things that can be translated into a fantasy RPG world as "magic" items. These can be broken down into three broad categories: sanctified items, holy objects and relics.

Sanctified Items

Several times during the year, various foodstuff is brought to the church to be blessed and sanctified. These include, but are not limited to: oil, grapes, bread, water, and cakes. In game terms, these items, when consumed, might heal a hit point or bestow a bless spell for a certain amount of time, etc. Most of these items would have limited availability, because the services that sanctify them occur only once or twice a year. Thus, a fantasy world could include a calendar with several feasts (the Orthodox Church has twelve major feasts besides Pascha, aka Easter). Foodstuff is usually blessed on or around several of these feasts. This could add an interesting dimension to any RPG world.

Holy Objects

Throughout the Orthodox world there are miracle working icons. For example, at the Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos there is a icon of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary) that was stabbed with a sword by a pirate. The sword hit the Theotokos in the chin and the icon began to bleed. The encrusted blood is still there today. Other icons are known to "weep" — myrrh flows from the eyes of the saint depicted. In addition, there are several objects, such as the sash worn by the Theotokos from the hymn above, that were worn or used by various saints.

In game terms, these could act as spell storing devices that can hold and then cast a number of divine spells a day. The myrrh from a weeping icon, when placed on a wound, might bestow a healing spell of some kind. The use of this myrrh could be limited to once per day or week per person. Other items, such as shoes or belts could act as variations on regular magic items — like boots of leaping or a ring of protection. This way, however, the item has a name and a backstory.

Relics

In churches around the world, bones and body parts of saints are kept within churches and places of pilgrimage. As macabre as this sounds, it has to do with Christian anthropology, which has a holistic understanding of the human person. The body is an integral part of who we are. A saint has been transfigured by God and therefore their body — their remains — have been imbued with holiness. One of the most dramatic examples of this can be seen in Thessoloniki with the body of St. Demetrios. His body continuously exudes myrrh. So, when you go to his reliquary, you are assaulted by this sweet perfume that smells better than anything in the world.

In game terms, these would be more along the lines of artifacts that would be able to do miraculous things; however, there should be a danger associated with using them — if used in a selfish or evil way, curses, bad luck, or extra attention from evil organizations or creatures should quickly follow. On top of that, there should be no end to beings that would want to try and steal or destroy such objects given the opportunity.

Communion

This is a difficult subject to tackle in a fantasy RPG, given the metaphysical, spiritual and practical ramifications of including it in a game. However, I wouldn't discourage a player who wanted to play a character for whom taking communion on a regular basis was part of their story. Personally, I like to reward that kind of effort in my players and this reward often takes the form of home-brew mechanics, XP rewards or special abilities.

In terms of communion, I would want to do something that encouraged players to make it a part of their characters' lives without it breaking the game. Personally, I allow characters who have gone to the trouble to taking communion to have one re-roll during a session. This gives players another expendable resource that can increase the tension of a session, be fun, and not overpower the game.

Magic Item: Mask of Cyn

Mask of Cyn

These powerful artifacts are a result of the war between the Sons of Cyn and the Brain Lashers (see Mutant Future). They are metallic masks that cover the entire head, each portraying an expression corresponding to the sin they represent. Once put on, it can only be taken off with Remove Curse spell. Once worn, the user is immune to the mental powers of the Brain Lasher and the Brain Lasher cannot eat the wearer's brain. There are six types of masks. Each type corresponds to a particular characteristic and sin:

Strength (Wrath): Shocking Grasp 3/day for 3d6 damage

Intelligence (Pride): Mind Thrust. Range 50' damage 1,2 or 3d6. Power must recharge for one round per d6 used in the last attack. Please note: anyone wearing a Mask of Cyn gets a save vs. spell to negate this damage.

Wisdom (Avarice/Gluttony): Mental Phantasm. The user is capable of creating a realistic, illusory environment in the mind of another conscious creature. These visions are realistic to all senses but touch. Once the target tries to make physical contact with any element of the phantasm it dissolves into reality.

Dexterity (Despair): Haste 3/day. This only affects the user who must rest for double the duration of the spell or suffer damage equal to half her HP.

Constitution (Weakness): Body Adjustment. The user can heal all of their HP once every 24 hours. In addition, if in a life or death situation the user can double their STR, DEX and CON. This latter power can be used 1d4 times per week.

Charisma (Lust): Charm Person 3/day.

When the mask is first put on, a type of contest of wills begins. The character must make a save vs. spells. If the character saves, the mask is inert and functions as a great helm (though it still can only be removed with a Remove Curse spell). If the character fails, the mask activates and lets the character know all the powers of the mask and how to use it. Once the mask is active, the character must make a save vs. spells in order to subject themselves to the Remove Curse spell to remove the mask. A failed save means the character refuses to take the mask off. Any time the character is in a situation that would warrant the use of the helmet (or whenever the player voices the desire to use it) the character must make a save vs. spell. If the save fails, the character either activates the mask (if it was inert) or must use the power of the mask (if active).

Every time the power of the mask is used, the character must make a save vs. spells. If the save fails, the characteristic associated with the mask is reduced by 1. The next time the power of the mask is used, the characteristic goes back to its original score; however, the next time the save is failed, the score is reduced by the number of times the save has been failed. Thus a character with a STR of 15 who has failed the save for the third time now has a STR of 12. Once the characteristic is reduced to 0 the contest of wills is over and the mask takes control. The character is now an NPC and handed over to the Referee.

If the mask is removed after any characteristic loss, that loss is permanent until a Remove Curse spell is cast for each characteristic point lost.

Active masks will fill characters with visions of a great civilization from some lost past. The characters will be compelled to rebuild/recover this civilization primarily using the sin associated with the mask.