Thursday, December 28, 2017

Alphabetical List of Female Authors of Fantasy/SciFi



This list is partially a result of some thoughtful conversations from the past few years. The genre(s) enjoys works from many talented and prolific writers of the non-male gender. Those names that follow are all from my own library. No claims as to quality or your own likelihood of enjoyment are given or implied. No reviews are forthcoming. This is just a list. Many of these writers are no longer active. Their works are long out of print. Any name not found here is absent only by chance. This is not meant as a comprehensive list – just as a list. I’ve enjoyed reading books from every single one. Most (or all) are well worth looking for.

·         Lynn Abbey
·         Leigh Brackett
·         Louise Cooper
·         Susan Cooper
·         Susan Dexter
·         Diane Duane
·         Lynn Flewelling
·         Mary Gentle
·         J.V. Jones
·         Katherine Kurtz
·         Ursula K. Le Guin
·         Tanith Lee
·         R.A. MacAvoy
·         Patricia A. McKillip
·         Janet Morris
·         Andre Norton
·         Jody Lynn Nye
·         Diana L. Paxson
·         Meredith Ann Pierce
·         Jessica Amanda Salmonson
·         Elizabeth Scarborough
·         Kathleen Sky
·         Nancy Springer
·         Caroline Stevermer
·         Judith Tarr
·         Sherri S. Tepper
·         Kim Wilkins
·         Terri Windling
·         Janny Wurts
·         Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Friday, December 22, 2017

Magic of the Holidays



MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS

A holly, jolly assortment of festive items to delight and amaze. All presented in OD&D style. Some are taken from published Avremier supplements. Others are offered here for the very first time. Happy holiday mayhem!

MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS:

Peppermint Shank: This is a striped candy cane of ordinary size and appearance. If the bottom end is sucked into a point (requiring a full turn), the item becomes a magical stabbing weapon of +3 enchantment that pierces armor of armor class 3 or worse. A stab inflicts 2d6 piercing damage and creates a freezing rush through the target that causes blindness and paralysis for 1-4 turns. After one such use, the peppermint shank becomes broken and non-magical.

Snowstar: Magical (+1) shurikens of unmelting ice that can be thrown, three at a time, up to 60', for 1-6 piercing and cold damage each. They will melt when hurled in combat.

SCROLLS:

Wish List: This scroll has written outlines and space for three wishes to be scribed upon its surface. The first wish may contain up to six words. The second wish may contain up to ten words. The third wish may contain up to 20 words. Each space starts with “I Wish,” and those two words are not counted against the limit of each wish. The Referee determines if the writer has been “nice” enough for each wish to be granted properly.

WANDS AND STAVES:

Icicle Wand: This is an (unmelting) icicle, enchanted to produce a ray of bitter cold that inflicts up to 12d6 of damage and freezes the target in place for an equal number of turns. The exact dice of damage (and freezing) is chosen with each use, which diminishes the icicle until it is gone after a total of 12 dice used. The wand does not affect a creature of greater hit dice than the amount of damage dice chosen. Magical fire damage melts the icicle by an equal amount of dice.

Staff of the Uttermost North: This is a red-and-white-striped pole with a gleaming golden knob at the top. Used as a weapon, the staff performs as a morning star +3. The bearer is immune to non-magical cold or ice and takes half damage from magical cold/ice effects (or none, on a successful save). The bearer also knows the direction of true north at all times. The Staff also has the following powers:
            Detect Good/Evil: As the Cleric spell.
            Dimension Door: As the Magic-User spell.
            Control Weather: Changes to colder temperatures, or to snowy precipitation, use no charges.

MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC:

Bag of Toys: Resembling a Bag of Tricks, this seemingly-empty bag contains objects that may be pulled forth, one at a time. At first glance, each object resembles a child’s toy. Each toy animates in some way and exists to serve the user. Only one toy can exist outside of the bag at a time. Each may be commanded to return to toy form and returned to the bag.

Die Roll
Toy
Properties
1
Rocking Horse
Becomes a heavy warhorse in full plate armor to serve.
2
Rag Doll
Becomes a small-size animated companion similar to a homunculus.
3
Wooden Sword
Serves as a Dragon-Slaying Sword +2.
4
Wooden Top
Spin to create a whirlwind as from a 12 HD air elemental.
5
Tin Soldier
Becomes a 3rd level Fighter with sword and plate mail armor.
6
Dragon Puppet
Wear on hand to cast three breath weapon effects as a dragon of minimum HD. Determine dragon color randomly.

Carulee’s Bonny Bear: A soft, black, plush bear with eyes of dark sapphire. Has a calming effect (save vs. Paralyzation) on anyone who touches it, even suppressing a berserk rage. If held while sleeping, the sleeper gains double the normal amount of hit points when recovering from wounds, and cannot be affected by mind- or dream-altering magic while sleeping. The sleeper always feels well rested regardless of the conditions of his/her “bed.” Once per day, if held and rocked for one round, while humming or singing a lullaby, the bear creates a “zone of sanctuary” for the user. Any creature wishing to harm the user must save vs. spell or ignore them in favor of others. If the user makes an offensive action, the effect is lost. This effect lasts for up to eight rounds, as long as the user sings.

Hat of Animation: When this item is placed upon the head (or what passes for one) of a medium-size humanoid figure formed entirely of a single natural material, that figure is brought to life. This is not merely animation, the figure is alive and aware – if childlike in mentality, at first. The effect ends if the hat is removed for any amount of time. The newly-animated figure is kindly disposed toward the individual that brought it to life, but is not under any form of control or compulsion. Such creatures can move and function as well as their anatomy allows. They do not need to eat, breathe, or sleep.

Irundoth’s Wintry Cottage: Snow globe music box with tiny cottage inside. Turning the key as far as it will go plays a song for one minute, at which point the globe expands to encompass a full-size rustic cottage sitting in the middle of a perpetual snowfall. A cobblestone path untouched by snow leads from a little wooden gate to the porch of the cottage. The gate is the only entrance to the extradimensional space that contains the cottage. The snow falls at a rate of one inch per hour. After twelve hours of use, a tone like a gigantic wind chime will sound twelve times, and the cottage becomes a snow globe again — trapping anyone that fails to leave. The cottage also reverts to snow globe form if the user walks back out through the gate.

Jangleball: Large jingle bell creates a 50’ burst of sound when thrown, dispelling the bindings of 3d6 hit dice of skeletal and zombie undead – causing them to fall apart, inert.

Jingle Harness: A red leather harness of the type used for draft animals pulling a wagon or sleigh, this item is adorned with silvery jingle bells. Any hooved animal of about the size of a horse or reindeer may wear the harness to gain 2x normal movement speed, flight (up to 12”/turn), and a “sanctuary” property that forces any creature wishing harm to the beast to make a saving throw vs. Spells, unless the animal attacks them first.