Magic of the Season

A spooky, macabre assortment of festive items to delight and amaze. All presented in OD&D style. These entries are from the Duckin’ & Braggin’ archives, and will doubtlessly appear in future releases. Happy holiday mayhem!

  

ARMOR:

Helm, Vorpal: A classic prank – put the helm on and it cuts off your head. No save. I mean, how’s it gonna miss?! A laugh riot!

MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS:

Ghoulash: This whip is fashioned from the flayed skins of ghouls and ghasts. Upon a successful hit, the target must save vs. paralyzation or be paralyzed is if by the touch of a ghoul. Even elves are affected by this item.

SCROLLS:

Evening: When read aloud, the powerful incantation of the Scroll causes night to fall within a 10 mile radius. The sun becomes as wan as the moon and the environment is treated as if under the shroud of night. The effect lasts until true nightfall. If read during the night, this scroll sends the reader to the moon.

RINGS:

Toadstool: This unpleasant item of spongy material renders the wearer immune to non-magical poisons and venoms. By a touch of the hand wearing the Ring, the user can bestow a poison effect to another living creature. The wearer has no discernable scent and cannot be detected or tracked by smell.

WANDS, STAVES, AND RODS:

Rod of Certain Death: Upon activation, the user is immediately stricken dead – no save.

MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC:

Apocalypstick: These cosmetic items come either in small, easy-to-apply tubes, or in tiny jars. Proper and full application takes one round. One application is effective for up to an hour, but physical contact (a kiss) activates the magical effect, as does “blowing a kiss.” The maximum range for a blown kiss effect is 30’.  

Color	Effect
Bruise Purple	Inflict 3-30 blunt impact damage. If damage exceeds target’s STR, target is knocked prone.
Hellfire Red	Immolate target for 3-30 fire damage. 2-20 damage next round. 1-10 damage following round – then fire goes out.
Nuclear Gray	Disintegrate effect that leaves target as nothing but mildly radioactive ash.
Plague Green	Infect target with a deadly, contagious disease of GM’s choice – or, roll randomly.
Suffocation Blue	Target cannot breathe. Gains a saving throw each round until success or death.

Bag of Sticky Treats: This small sack contains half-melted candies and other sweets. Simply opening the Bag will attract creatures of up to animal intelligence from up to 500’. When thrown, the Bag will burst open on impact to create an unusually colorful and sticky Web effect in a 20’ cube. The sweet aroma will attract creatures just as opening the Bag. Fire will not destroy the candy floss mess, it only serves to harden the stuff into a substance that victims of less than ogre strength cannot break from, and that will last for an entire day. The sticky contents are edible, but will not serve as a nutritious meal.

Blood Vessel: This modest paddleboat is powered by blood. One gallon of blood will grant motive force for up to 6 hours. If the blood is from a sentient creature, the duration is 12 hours. If the blood is from a sentient creature of good alignment, the duration is a full day. On average, a human body contains about 1 ½ gallons of blood.

Bottle of Boos: This hefty glassware item comes with an engraved stopper in the shape of a head with an open mouth that is obviously expressing a sound of “ooo.” There are two type of Bottle.

            Displeasure: The stopper resembles an angry person. Opening the Bottle releases a loud and outraged “Boooooo…” sound. Any living creature within 50’ must save vs. spell or fall to the ground in abject despair, dropping any weapons, shields, or items. Victims do nothing but languish in misery, able to defend themselves if attacked at -2 on all die rolls.

            Spook: The stopper resembles a classic “sheet ghost.” Opening the Bottle releases a spectral, spooky “Boooooo…” sound. Any living creature within 50’ must save vs. spell or turn and flee the area, dropping any held items. Those affected by the sound cannot approach within 10’ of the Bottle thereafter.

Broom, Sonic: This flying broom can reach a rate of 360’ per turn, but has no room for a passenger larger than a housecat. When used to strike as a weapon, the Broom can impact with a thunderclap that stuns and deafens the target.

Cider Jar: A single apple left inside the closed Jar for at least 4 hours turns into a gallon of cider (chilled or hot – as commanded). After a full day, the cider becomes “hard cider.”

Ghost Bustier: This fetching garment gives the wearer the ability to become a scary, intangible version of themselves. In “ghost form,” the wearer is affected as if by a Potion of Gaseous Form, but without the loss of any items or garments. The ghostly wearer cannot attack physical creatures, but may Cause Fear by touch. While intangible, the wearer can affect and attack other such creatures – like ghosts, wraiths, spectres, and out-of-phase (ethereal) monsters normally. Undead creatures treat the user of this item as one of their own, and the wearer is unaffected by energy drain attacks of all types.

Lich Pin: On a successful hit, this long stick pin will inflict 1 point of damage and Hold a lich in place until the Pin is removed. The lich may still take actions, but cannot move from the spot where the Pin was applied. The lich also cannot remove the Pin itself, but may command a minion to do so.

Maledictionary: This “tome of curses” contains a number of curse spells and harmful enchantments of all types. However, merely opening the book causes it to speak a random spell to take effect upon the holder – and anyone else that might be within range.