Richard Sala's Panique: An Unauthorized Second Editon!

SECOND EDITION

Design: Richard Sala & Steve Miller

Editing: Steve Miller

INTRODUCTION

In 1994, artist/writer Richard Sala created a board game for San Fransisco-based publisher Hairy Scary Toys. According to comments from Sala, the game sold dozens of copies ( NUELOW Games-type sale figures) and was generally a disappointment on many levels for him.

At NUELOW Games, we're big fans of Richard Sala's work, and we love the idea of the Panique game. What we didn't love was the rules, some confusing elements of the board, and... well, basically everything but the fun Sala artwork.

But! Games are our thing, so here's a 100 percent unauthorized, copyright-violating Second Edition of Richard Sala's Panique, with a revised board and vastly expanded rules. (If someone out there knows who's in charge of Richard Sala's copyrights and estate, let us know; we'd love to a version of this material for an actual release.)

To play Panique, you need to play are a couple of friends, one or more eight-sided dice; and a print-out of the board, featured immediately below this paragraph. You will also need markers to track the player's character as he or she moves through the house of horror--and you can either print the neat Sala character portraits and make little standees, use meeples from another game, or whatever else might be around the house.

THE GAME BOARD

(click to view a larger version, and to download and print)

CHARACTER MARKERS

(click to view a larger version, and to download and print)

 

PANIQUE BACK STORY

The will of your late, eccentric millionaire uncle stipulates that in order for you to inherit his fortune--along with the other surviving relatives--you must spend a night in his old, creepy, haunted death-trap of a house. Whoever is still alive when morning comes can share the old man's millions.

You arrive, along with the other relatives, arrive on a stormy night, and are greeted by the sinister servants. In the middle of dinner, before the evening has even gotten truly under way, the power goes out. Then the phone goes dead. The bridge--the only link to town--has been washed away by the storm. The guests and servants begin disappearing, one by one. You decide to set off by yourself and explore the house. If you keep moving through the night, perhaps you can survive until morning.

GETTING READY TO PLAY

Each player places a marker on the space marked "Enter" on the game board; this marker represents an heir trying to survive the night. One 8-sided die should be placed on the boxed circle center-right on the board (the "Circle of Life"). If possible, each player should also have an 8-sided die to roll.

   Determine which player will go first by having each of them roll a die. The player with the highest roll goes first. If there are ties, the left-handed player goes first. If rolls are still tied, the oldest, left-handed player goes first.

   Panique is intended for 1-3 players, but we think that as many as 5 might have a fun time playing it together.

PLAYING THE GAME

The player who goes first takes a turn by rolling a die and comparing it to the result on the Circle of Life. The player moves his or her marker the number of indicated spaces along the track on the board. When the movement ends, the player must take whatever game actions are listed on the space the movement ended in OR roll on the Lethal Encounter Table to see what might happen If there are no game instructions on the space, the Lethal Encounters Tables to see what happens.

   Actions described in a space or rolls against the Lethal Encounters Table are performed only when a marker is placed in a space as a result of the first die roll made by a player on his or her turn. 

   Once all movements and Life Point adjustments are complete, the next player takes his or her turn. Play order goes to the left around the table.

   If two or more markers end a turn in the same space, the players can choose to forego their next turn. Each heir regains 1 Life Point.

   If an heir is reduced to 0 Life Points, the player controlling it is out of the game. The first player to be thusly eliminated performs all rolls on the Lethal Encounter Tables.

   The game is over when the first player gets his or her marker to the "Leave the House" space, or when only one heir remains. The winner is either the first player to have an heir escape to see the sunrise, or when only one heir remains alive. (Play can still continue if only one player remains with a living heir, in case everyone wants to see if anyone can survive the night.)

THE LETHAL ENCOUNTER TABLES

As the endangered heirs roam through the house of horrors, they encounter deadly foes and the occasional ally.

   At the beginning of the game, each heir (represented by the marker the player moves along the track on the game board) has 3 Life Points. Each encounter in the house can either take away a Life Point or restore one previously lost (to the starting maximum of 3).

   Whenever a player's marker lands on a space with no game-related instructions, the player to his or her left rolls the die on the Circle of Life to see who or what is encountered and consults the table to see what happens.

Encounter Table

1. The Ally.

2. The Black Cat

3. The Butler

4. The Ghost

5. The Mad Doctor

6. The Mad Killers

7. The Man-Eating Plant

8. The Monster 

Detail Tables

1. The Ally 

An inhabitant of the house, possibly a fellow guest, tries to assist you.

1-2. A teen girl in a purple dress and no shoes offers to lead you to safety. She is promptly seized by smokey tentacles and dragged into a one-way secret door. Gain 1 Life Point.

3-4. A portly man with a white beard rushes into the room, just in time to engage a knife-wielding, shadowy figure in battle, allowing you to escape. Move forward one space.

5-6. A college girl with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other comes around a corner, cursing mightily. She opens fire at the shadows, giving you an opportunity to flee. You may choose one of these options: A: Move forward two spaces; B: Choose another player's Heir and move it back two spaces; or C: Move forward one space, and choose another Heir to move back one space.

7-8. A lithe woman in a mask and catsuit beckons you into the relative safety of a secret passageway. Roll again: 1-4 Move forward one space; 5-8 Move backward one space.

2. The Black Cat

A black cat crosses your path. Roll again to see what happens.

1-2. You're startled and fall down a flight of stairs. Lose 1 Life Point.

3-4. You follow the cat to a secret passage. Move one space forward.

5-6. You follow the cat to a secret passage. Move one space back.

7-8. You follow the cat to peaceful sitting room for a brief rest. Gain 1 Life Point and Lose a Turn.

3. The Butler

He seems to be devoted to making you feel welcome... but he actually wants you gone.

1-4. He offers to see you safely from the house, in exchange for a bribe. If you don't accept his offer, you lose a turn.

   If you accept his offer, roll again to see the result: 1-4. He guides you to a trap door and you plummet through it. Move to the Slime Pit; 5-8. He suddenly attacks you, knocking you unconcious. Lose 1 Life Point and return to the Enter space.

5-8. You recognize the butler for the threat that he is and strike first! Roll again: 1-4 You defeat the butler and gain 1 Life Point; 5-8 You are defeated by the butler and lose 1 Life Point.

4. The Ghost

That's not cobwebs... that's a restless spirit!

1-4. You are seized by an invisible force and thrown around the room. Lose 1 Life Point.

5-8. You are confronted by a ghostly woman and a calm comes over you and you feel protected. Gain 1 Life Point and lose a turn.

5. The Mad Doctor

They called him mad... and he is proving them right!

1-3. He offers to help you escape the house if you promise to fund his research, as your uncle did. Move one space forward.

4-6. He unleashes one of his monstrous creations upon you! Roll again: 1-4. You defeat the monster. Gain 1 Life Point. 5-8. You defeat the monster but barely survive. You lose a turn.

7-8. You are captured and subjected to his unholy experiments! Roll again: 1-4 Gain 1 Life Point, but lose a turn; 5-8 Lose 1 Life Point, but move one space forward.

6. The Mad Killers

How do they sneak up on you like that?!

1-2. You are attacked by a man with hooks for hands! Roll: 1-4 You fight him off but are mostly unharmed. Lose a turn; 5-8. He wounds you, but you escape. Lose 1 Life Point, but move one space forward.

3-4. A masked woman in a slinky dress attacks you with a knife. Roll: 1-4 You fight her off, escape, and move forward one turn; 6-8 She stabs you repeatedly, you lose 1 Life Point, and you move backwards one space.

5-6. Your little nephew attacks you with a baseball bat. Roll: 1-4 You dropkick the little bastard off a balcony and gain 1 Life Point; 5-8. You get struck repeatedly but fight him off and lose 1 Life Point.

7-8. The sous chef has decided to make a meal out of you and is coming at you with a meat cleaver. Roll: 1-4 Lose 1 Life Point; 5-8 You flee to safety and move backwards one space.

7. The Man-Eating Plant

Whatever you do, don't call it Audry... or Seymour!

1-4. The plant attacks, and you narrowly escape! Lose 1 Life, move one space forward.

5-8. The plant attacks and you are severely wounded. Lose 1 Life, lose a turn.

8. The Monsters

1-2. The Creature attacks savagely and mindlessly. Roll: 1-4 You flee, back two spaces; 5-8 You are mauled and lose 1 Life Point.

3. The Doppelganger. Roll: 1-4 You confront what seems to be yourself, have a wonderful chat, and you give yourself good advice on escaping the house and move forward one space; 5-8 You want yourself dead, get attacked, and lsoe 1 Life Point.

4. The Succubus. The sexy demon seduces you, but is no match for the darkness that is your soul. You lose a turn, but gain 1 Life Point.

5. The Thing From the Basement. Roll: 1-4 You show kindness, it helps you escape the house, so you move forward one space; 5-8 You are attacked brutally by the savage monster, losing 1 Life Point.

6. The Vampire. Roll: 1-4 Your religious faith projects you from the powerful of the undead, you escape safely and move forward one space; 5-8 You are bested by the vampire, fall unconscious, lose a turn. Be restored to 3 Life Points. (See below for a Special Victory Condition.)

7-8. The Zombie. Roll: 1-4 It's a slow, lumbering zombie that you escape by running away, thus moving forward one square; 5-8 It's a fast, brain-eating zombie that catches you and you lose 1 Life Point before you manage to fight it off.

Special Victory Condition

If "bested by the vampire" on the Lethal Encounter Tables, when the player's heir reaches the "Leave the House" space, he or she is immediately reduced to 0 Life Points, because he or she was turned into a vampire and is thus killed by the sun. The player is removed from the game and doesn't win.

The Notebook of Spirit Writing (Part One)

The Notebook of Spirit Writing is a two-part magic item that consists of a notebook and a pen. They allow the creator to communicate with one, possibly two, specific spirits of a person who has passed on. The person must have been literate in the language in which the creator of the Notebook of Spirit Writing wishes to communicate. The person must further be someone that either had no relationship with the creator, or a friendly one. The closer the relationship between the creator and the target, the greater the likelihood of the enchantment succeeding.

CREATING A NOTEBOOK OF SPIRIT WRITING
Infusing the Notebook of Spirit Writing and the pen it will be used with requires the creator to follow a very particular series of ritualistic steps. Any deviation in the order, or any shorter time, and the character will either end up with an item that doesn't function, or an item that functions incorrectly and is possibly dangerous.

   If there is an error or disruption in the rituals along the way, the creator can either restart the enchantment process with other items, or he or she can take a chance that the process will still be successful. At the end of each entry describing the steps in the ritual, there is a section that states the chance of failure and the results of success or failure. The GM should roll against the listed percentage whenever there's a step that's not done properly. If the roll is below or equal to the stated number, the step fails.

1. Selecting the Notebook and the Pen

The value and quality of the items used to make a Notebook of Spirit Writing are immaterial; what matters is the creator's desire to communicate with the subject and the steps taken to charge them with magic. The notebook can be anything from a spiral-bound pad of lined paper, or a leatherbound diary, and the pen can be a plastic ballpoint with an autoshop's name on it, or a 100-year-old fountain pen made of gold and ivory. The only important thing is that the notebook must be bound with some sort of covers.

   Once the notebook and pen have been selected, the creator must sleep with them under a pillow (or similar headrest) for three nights in a row. Each night, while going to sleep, the creator must think of fond memories he or she has of the person that is the intended target of communication. 

   Chance of Failure: 100%. 

   Consequence of Failure: Further steps will produce no result.

   Consequences of Success: During the third night, the creator has a pleasant dream about talking with the target about corresponding. The target likes the idea but says there might be risks. He or she doesn't elaborate.

2. Enchanting the Pen

The creator must take the pen to a place where there is a pool or basin of blessed water within a sacred site. This can be the Catholic church, a Shinto shrine, or some ancient site in the wilderness with a natural spring where sacred rituals were conducted. Alternatively, the creator can bring the pen to the central well in an Amazon village, or place it in the Pool of All. (Those last two options are probably very difficult for most characters.)

   The pen must remain submerged and undisturbed in the water for at least 8 hours.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequence of Failure: 50% chance of attracting a Warden each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: The pen is now ready to be used with the notebook to communicate with the target.

3. Enchanting the Notebook I

Using the selected pen, the creator must write the target's name and birthdate on the inside cover of the notebook. The creator must then take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's birth. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target was born. 

   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 10% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: Step #4 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

4. Enchanting the Notebook II

The creator must take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's death. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target died. 

   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 20% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: Step #5 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

5. Enchanting the Notebook III

The creator must take the notebook and pen to where the target lived the longest during his or her life.  Here, the notebook and pen must be left within the structure, or within 10 meters (35 feet) of it. 

   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours. Once retrieved, the creator must write the target's death date on the inside cover with the pen.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequences of Failure: 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: Immediately after writing the target's death date in the notebook, the creator briefly feels safe and secure and as if someone as though someone is standing close to him or her.

   The Notebook of Sprit Writing and the associated pen are now fully enchanted and ready to be used.

 

 

--"Using the Notebook" and more coming soon!

The material in this post was inspired by the short film "Pen Pals". Click here to watch it at the Terror Titans blog.

A new spell for d20 System Games: Mystic Pogo Stick!

Mystic Pogo Stick is a 1st-level spell that was originally devised for inclusion in the forthcoming book Mystic Moot and his Magic Snoot. However, it was decided that it didn't quite fit the source material, so it was cut. (We also got rid of listing Mystic Chopper and Mystic Limousine as spells that can be cast using Mystic Body Parts, like a snoot.)

The following text is released under the Open Game License and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2022 by Steve Miller.

MYSTIC POGO STICK
Conjuration (Creation)

Level: Arcane (Sor/Wiz) 1

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: 0 ft.

Effect: One or more quasi-real pogo sticks

Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

You conjure a quasi-real pogo stick. The pogo stick can be used only by you or the one person for whom you specifically create the stick. A mystic pogo stick looks like a pogo stick covered in glitter and swirled, bright colors, but you can make it appear more mundane or spectacular as you wish.

The mystic pogo stick has a hardness of 5, and 20 hit points +1 hit point per caster level. If it loses all its hit points, the mystic pogo stick disappears. A mystic pogo stick has a top horizontal speed of 20 feet per caster level, and can propel the user up to 5 feet vertically per caster level into the air; an initiative modifier of +0, and a maneuver modifier of +1.

Users can leap onto raised areas using a mystic pogo stick, landing upright and able to successfully continue bouncing along on the stick upon making a successful Reflex save (DC10) upon landing. If the saving throw fails, they lose all actions for the rest of the round, but may choose to resume traveling on the pogo stick the following round. A character on a mystic pogo stick can take no actions other than bounce along while he or she is traveling, but if he or she has the Dodge, Improved Dodge, and/or the Mobility feat, the benefits gained are doubled.

Generally speaking, the mystic pogo stick only functions effectively on dry, hard, flat surfaces, such as pavement or flagstones. If used on wet surfaces, or packed earth, cobblestones, and other hard but uneven surfaces, the horizontal movement rate is decreased to 10 feet per caster level and the user must make a successful Balance skill check (DC12) each round of travel or the pogo stick slips and the character falls prone, suffering 1d4 points of damage and loses all actions for the following round.

The mystic pogo stick gains certain powers according to caster level. Its abilities include those of pogo sticks of lower caster levels.

   3rd Level: The mystic pogo stick can travel on wet or uneven surfaces without a reduction in movement rates (vertical or horizontal) without the need for skill checks.
   4th Level: You may now conjure up to 3 mystic pogo stick.
   5th Level: The mystic pogo stick can bounce across sandy, muddy, or even swampy ground without difficulty or decrease in speed.
   6th Level: You may now conjure up to 5 mystic pogo stick.
   7th Level: The mystic pogo stick can bounce across water as if it were firm, dry ground.
   8th Level: You may now conjure up to 7 mystic pogo stick.
   9th Level: The mystic pogo stick can ride in the air as if it were firm land, so chasms and the like can be crossed without benefit of a bridge. The phantom chopper cannot take off and fly. It can only ride horizontally across the air. After 3 rounds in the air, the pogo stick falls.
   10th Level: You may now conjure up to 9 mystic pogo sticks.
   11th Level: As the 9th level power, but the pogo stick can move across the air for 6 rounds.

The Miraculous Magic of Mystic Moot (d20 Magic Body Parts)

We've got another comics/rpg product in the works. This one will collect most of the "Mystic Moot and His Magic Snoot" stories by the great Basil Wolverton in one place. It's massive amounts of goofiness delivered in four-page doses, and it might even be the perfect comic to read with the little ones to feed their interest in comics! And what's even better? It will feature all-new, ever-before-seen cover art by the great cartoonist Stan!

Who is Mystic Moot, you ask? Well, let's hear from the man himself, along with Wolverton providing a little background!

Along with the comics, there will be some d20 System rules that will let your characters have magic body parts, just like Moot. (There may even be some ROLF! content... it's been a while!)

Meanwhile, here's a little bit of a preview. It's part of the Magic Body Parts rules. If you have feedback on this preview, we'd love to hear it. (You don't need to tell us if you think it's silly, and has the potential for all sorts of stupid antics in-game. We know. It's the Way of Mystic Moot.)

The rest of this post is released under the Open Game License and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2022 Steve Miller.

MAGIC BODY PARTS BASICS

Every person (perhaps every being) is born with a magic body part. Through this very special point of their physical form, beings can naturally channel magic, without the need for strange phrases and doo-dads, and bits of precious metals. By thinking about, gesturing with, or touching the magic body party, and simultaneously wishing for a specific effect, the person can cast spells as if he or she was a sorcerer or a priest.

Further, if the character is a sorcerer or a priest (or gains spell-casting abilities from other talents or feats), he or she adds Magic Body Part spells to the total spells that can be cast each day. The Magic Body Part spells are tracked on a separate list, as they are their own unique group of spells.

While everyone has a magic body part, not everyone has the ability to use it. The powers of the magic body part can be discovered in a variety of ways--during a moment of extreme danger or pleasure, or from gurus wise in the ways of magic body parts. Even when a person becomes aware of their magic body part, it takes dedication and practice to fully master its potential. (The spells that can be powered trough the magic body part are limited in scope and variety when compared to other spellcasting disciplines and methods, but the advantage is that no specific material, somatic, or verbal components are needed, and the person can invoke a spell anytime and anywhere he or she wants.)

A character's magic body part can be determined at creation, or it can be "discovered" later as the character gains levels and progresses through a campaign. Players whose characters have identified their magic body parts can either specify what that part is (the nose, the right ear, the left middle finger, the chest, and so on) or roll on a random table that will be included in NUELOW Games' Mystic Moot comics/rpg product.

The player may choose the character's magic body part, but the GM may overrule the choice if he or she feels it is not in step with the tone or maturity level he or she wants in the game.

The character's mastery of his or her magic body part is represented in the game mechanics and rules by a feat and a talent tree. The feat and talent trees are available to all character classes in games where they are allowed by the GM.

 

MAGIC BODY PARTS: FEATS AND TALENT TREES

Once the character becomes aware of his or her Magic Body Parts, magic can be channeled through them, creating spell effects from the Magic Body Parts spell list. The Magic Body Part feat forms the foundation of the ability while the talents reflect the character's advancing mastery of his or her power.

Magic Body Part Feat [Minor Power, Supernatural]

You are able to channel magic through a specific part of your body and create limited spell effects.

   Benefit: With a standard action and a successful Willpower saving throw (DC13), you may cast a 0-level Magic Body Part spells a number of times per day equal to your character level. Caster level is equal to the character level. If the spell fails, you may retry the following round.

   Special: If you touch the magic body party while channeling magic, or thrust it forcefully in the direction of a target, the Willpower saving throw is DC10.

   This feat serves as a prerequisite for superpower talent trees.

Magic Body Part Talent Tree

These talents reflect a character's mastery of his or her magic body part.

   Magic Body Part Mastery (Basic): The character may cast 1st-level and 2nd-level Magic Body Part spells, in addition to 0-level Magic Body Part spells. The total number of Body Part spells the character may cast per day increases to twice his or her character level. All other rules for casting body part spells remain as described in the Magic Body Part feat.

   Prerequisite: Magic Body Part feat.

   Magic Body Part Mastery (Comprehensive): The character may cast 3rd-level and 4th-level Magic Body Part spells, in addition to 0- through 2nd-level Magic Body Part spells. The total number of Body Part spells the character may cast per day increases by an amount equal to his or her Charisma bonus, in addition to the existing total. All other rules for casting body part spells remain as described in the Magic Body Part feat.

   Prerequisite: Magic Body Part Mastery (Basic).

   Magic Body Part Mastery (Epic): The character may cast 5th-level and 6th-level Magic Body Part spells, in addition to 0- through 4th-level Magic Body Part spells. The total number of Body Part spells the character may cast per day increases by an amount equal to his or her Charisma bonus, in addition to the existing total. All other rules for casting body part spells remain as described in the Magic Body Part feat.

   Prerequisite: Magic Body Part (Comprehensive).

   Magic Body Part Mastery (Legendary): The character may cast 7th-level and 8th-level Magic Body Part spells, in addition to 0- through 6th-level Magic Body Part spells. The total number of Body Part spells the character may cast per day increases by an amount equal to his or her Constitution bonus, in addition to the existing total. All other rules for casting body part spells remain as described in the Magic Body Part feat.

   Prerequisite: Magic Body Part (Epic).

MAGIC BODY PART SPELLS

[They will be in "Mystic Moot and His Magic Snoot" -- coming soon from NUELOW Games!]

Bessie Love and the Crown of Eternal Mastery

We once again provide a glimpse of a time when Bessie Love (as part of her secret battle against supernatural evil) perhaps saved the world... but at the very least took a powerful magic item out of malicious hands. As per usual, we translate the item into roleplaying game terms via the d20 System.

 

On Halloween, 1928, Bessie Love had her first of many encounters with evil-doers trying to harness magic and enchanted artifacts left behind after the fall of ancient Atlantis. She prevented a necromancer from harnessing the powers of the Gourdians, and, in doing so, came into possession of the Crown of Eternal Mastery. She even wore it to a Halloween Party that night--where she accidentally gained some insight into its powers. (Bessie found herself to be a better dancer than she had ever been before, as well as feeling more limber and dexterous while waring the Crown. She took this to mean that it enhanced a person's agility and dexterity. She failed to imagine the full power of the item, and she put it away in her collection of magical artifacts without ever realizing the truth.)

THE CROWN OF ETERNAL MASTERY

This is a large, elaborate headdress that consists of a caul that's covered with a complex and tangled arrangement of gemstones and pearls on strings or set into delicate platinum frames.  It represents the pinnacle of magical craftsmanship based in a fusion of the now-mostly forgotten Atlantean magical disciplines of Biomancy and Technomancy. It absorbs all knowledge and skills possessed by someone who dies while wearing it, allowing others to later access and use it as if it was their own. Each pearl contains the sum total of experience and knowledge possessed by a person who has passed on. Each gem houses not only a person's knowledge and experience but their personality as well.

   If it is subjected to methods that reveal magical auras, the Crown of Eternal Mastery is revealed to be imbued with powerful magics of an undeterminable variety. If the character attempting to analyze the item's magical aura is a skilled at creating enchanted items, he or she can make an Arcane Lore or Spellcraft skill check (DC18) to determine that there are faint undercurrents of abjuration and necromantic magic in the otherwise alien emanations.

Using the Crown of Eternal Mastery

When worn, the Crown of Eternal Mastery provides the wearer with a +2 bonus to Will saves. Additionally, the character can gain bonuses to skill checks and attack rolls for a limited time.

   Unless the character somehow gains access to ancient Atlantean means of determining the functions of magical items, the Crown of Eternal Mastery will initially seem to function at random. Whenever the character wearing the Crown makes an attack roll or skill check, the GM should roll against the following table. The character gains the indicated bonuses for the duration of the encounter; until another skill check is made; until the character falls unconscious or goes to sleep; or for six hours. The GM decides which of the three options makes the most sense in the context of when the item is triggered.

   The bonuses provided by the Crown stack with all other bonuses. The bonuses do not count for purposes of damage resistance against non-magical weapons.

d20 Roll    Result

1                +4 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks.

2                +2 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks,

                  +2 bonus to all melee attack rolls/melee damage rolls.

3                +4 bonus to all Dexterity-based skill checks

4                +2 bonus to all Dexterity-based skill checks,

                  +2 bonus to all ranged attack rolls.

5                +4 bonus to all Constitution-based skill checks.

6                +4 bonus to all Intelligence-based skill checks.

7                +6 bonus to all Craft skill checks.

8                +4 bonus to all Wisdom-based skill checks.

9                +4 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks.   

10              +6 bonus to all Perform skill checks.

11              +4 bonus to attack/damage with bladed melee weapons.

12              +4 bonus to attack/damage with blunt melee weapons.

13              +4 bonus to attack/damage with thrown weapons.

14              +4 bonus to ranged attack rolls.

15              +8 bonus to all Knowledge skill checks.

16              +8 bonus to all Perform skill checks with instruments.

17              +8 bonus to Acrobatics and Perform (Dance) skill checks.

18              +8 bonus to Hide and Move Silently skill checks.

19              Roll twice on this table, ignoring and re-rolling additional

                  results of 19. Gain both benefits.

20              Gain instant knowledge of the purpose of the Crown

                  and how to properly use it.

Whenever the character is under one of the benefits of the Crown, he or she feels like some unseen presence is there, watching. The GM should also secretly roll 1d6. On a "6", the character hears a faint voice, a barely audible whisper that is so faint the character can't hear what is being said. The third time the character hears the voice, he or she is finally able to discern the words: The voice is explaining how to use the Crown of Eternal Mastery.

Using the Crown of Eternal Mastery Properly

The character wearing the Crown of Eternal Mastery may attempt to invoke its powers once per round. To do so, the character takes a standard action, and the player rolls a Willpower saving throw (DC11). If the roll is successful, the player declares which of the following benefits the character gains:  

   * +4 bonus to all attack rolls, and a +4 bonus to all skill checks under the physical attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution).

   * +4 bonus to all attack rolls, and a +4 bonus to all skill checks under mental attributes (Intelligence, Wisdom).

   * +4 bonus to all attack rolls, and a +6 bonus to all skill checks under the Charisma attribute.

   * +6 bonus to all Demotions, Disable Device, Hide, and Move Silently skill checks.

   * +8 bonus to all Knowledge skill checks.

The bonuses lasts for six hours, or until the character chooses another set of bonuses. The bonuses also end if the character falls unconscious or goes to sleep while wearing the crown. (See "Drawbacks of the Crown of Eternal Mastery", below, for more.)

   If the Will saving throw to properly activate the Crown's benefits fails, the GM rolls on the table of random bonuses.

Drawbacks of the Crown of Eternal Mastery

If the character falls unconscious or goes to sleep while wearing the crown, one of the personalities in housed in the gems takes control of the character's body. The character retains all physical attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution), but the Charisma attribute is temporarily reduced by 2 points. Mental attributes (Intelligence and Wisdom) are replaced by those of the controlling spirit. The possessing spirit has access to all of the player character's memories and skills, as well as well as its own. The spirit is motivated primarily by a desire to keep the player character safe and help him or her to succeed. (Whether the GM plays the character while it is inhabited by a different spirit is up to the GM.)

   If the player character dies while wearing the Crown of Eternal Mastery, his or her spirit is instantly absorbed into one of the Crown's gems and is added to the preserved knowledge and skill mastery preserved within it.

Destroying the Crown of Eternal Mastery

Any method that will destroy a normal magic item will destroy the Crown of Eternal Mastery. However, 1d6+2 angry ghosts emerge from the Crown and attack those who are attempting to destroy it. 

--

All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2022 by Steve Miller. 

Bessie Love and the Mist Maiden's Kit

It time for us to reveal another chapter in the secret life of actress/adventuress Bessie Love. As is our habit, we translate the magical artifacts she encountered during this adventure in d20 System roleplaying game rules.

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 In October of 1928, Bessie Love traveled to Seattle, WA. She was her way to what was rumored to be the most haunted lighthouse in the world on Devastation Point, but the night her train pulled into the Seattle station, a series of brutal murders began. Someone was stabbing and mutilate young, beautiful, and free-spirited women... someone who seemed to simply dissolve into the rain or mist after performing the hideous deed. The killer eventually claimed eight victims and became known as the Seattle Creeper.

Love eventually tracked and defeated the killer, discovering that she was a librarian whose fiance had cheated on her with several women and then jilted her at the altar. The woman had a vast amount of arcane knowledge, which she used to acquire a trio of stealth-enhancing artifacts collectively known as the Mist Maiden's Kit, and then went on her murder spree. 

After defeating the murderous woman, Love added the artifacts to her collection. She would, on occasion, use the Mist Maiden's Kit during her investigations since its potential drawbacks were minor and more inconvenient than dangerous. 

Bessie Love wearing the Mist Maiden's Kit

d20 SYSTEM RULES

The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License, and it may be produced in accordance with those terms. 

The Mist Maiden's Kit

In 1924, a young couple, Carlton Jamieson and Lisa Svensen decided to become "rum-runners" and smuggle illegal liquor from Canada and across Lake Erie. The couple already ran an "underground railroad" that smuggled criminals and other people on the run across the Lake Erie from Cleveland and into Canada, so was a small thing for them to expand into a new and lucrative area.

Carlton and Lisa were both from families who were long-time practitioners of sorcery and they used their arcane knowledge to facilitate their smuggling ventures, be they transporting humans or booze. Lisa had crafted a number of items that augmented stealth while Carlton enchanted their boat to travel more quickly and quietly across the waters. Although young, Lisa was already renowned for her ability to transform or conceal items or beings, and had earned the nickname "The Mist Maiden." (It was a small irony that Lisa was an expert at stealth magic, since she loved being fashionable and loved being the center of attention.)

Sadly, the couple's magic was no protection when hardcore gangsters decided they wanted to take over their operation, and killed Carlton while sinking the boat. A heartbroken Lisa used her magical gifts to take revenge on those who murdered her beloved. She used the same magical tools that had once helped her avoid detection while smuggling to gain access to those who murdered Carlton and execute them.

When the last man involved with the murder was dead, Lisa wished that she could be reunited with Carlton, and she dissolved into mist, leaving behind only the stealth-augmenting artifacts she was wearing--the Galoshes of Stealth, the Raincoat of Protection, and the Rainhat of Hiding. Each of the three items have a magical effect when worn, but their individual magical auras combine to provide the wearer with the ability to dissolve herself and all things worn or carried into vapor and then later reversing the process.

The Galoshes of Stealth

This is a pair of tan rubber overshoes that can be fastened to protect the wearer's calves as well. (During the 1920s, it was fashionable for young women to leave their galoshes unfastened, with the tops either folded or flapping loose.)

   The Galoshes of Stealth protects the wearer's feet (and lower legs, if properly fastened) from any liquid she might step in, up and including lava. Additionally, the wearer can move through any type of terrain and leave neither footprints nor scent. Tracking the subjects is impossible by nonmagical means.

The Raincoat of Protection

This is a black-trimmed, tan raincoat that's covered in a delicate, floral pattern that conceals the magical runes powering the item's enchantments. The pattern matches that on the Rainhat of Hiding.

   The Raincoat of Protection grants the wearer a +2 to AC/DR, as well as a +4 bonus to saving throws made to resist effects and damage from element-based spells and abilities. Finally, once it is brought out of the rain, it is immediately dry and clean.

The Rainhat of Hiding

This is a black-trimmed, tan rainhat that's covered in a delicate floral pattern that conceals the magical runes powering the items enchantments. The pattern matches that on the Raincoat of Protection.

   The Rainhat of Hiding grants the wearer a +4 bonus to all Hide skill checks and a +4 bonus to Move Silently checks. The bonuses are lost if the wearer intentionally calls attention to him- or herself, such as making an attack, a loud noise, or waving around a flashlight or bright object. The bonuses can be restored if the character can duck out of view of watchers.

   Like the Raincoat of Protection, this item is immediately dry and clean once it is brought out of the rain.

Combined Powers of the Maiden's Kit

When worn together, the three items give the wearer the ability to turn into a cloud of fine mist that is roughly the same shape and size as the character when wearing the Maiden's Kit. In order to transform, the wearer must take a full round action to will herself to assume a misty form, and make a successful Willpower saving throw (DC8). If the check fails, another attempt can be made the following round.

   Once transformed into mist, the character gains the following benefits:

   * Gains +20 bonus to all Hide checks when outside in the dark, and a +10 bonus if inside in the dark. If someone were to  Is completely undetectable through normal means when in mist or fog.

   * Can do anything a cloud of mists can do, such as flow through a crack under the door or a window. The character leaves a very faint trail of moisture.

   * Can move across the surface of water at the same movement rate as if on solid, even ground. (The character cannot enter the water, however.)

   * Immune to physical attacks, but also cannot make attacks or cast any spells, defensive or offensive.

   * +4 bonus to all saving throws against effects and damage from magical and supernatural attacks.

The transformation ends if the character loses consciousness, is subjected to an anti-magic field, dispel magic (at a 20th-level caster strength), or takes a full round action to will herself back into a solid state with a successful Willpower saving throw (DC12). If the Willpower roll fails, the character remains in her misty state for 1d12+2 hours before finally becoming solid again.

--

For a complete index to all of Bessie Love's adventures that have been revealed here at Shades of Gray, click here.

New Feat: Divide by Zero

Here's a feat for use with the NUELOW Games superpowers d20 System rules, or just for the hell of it in particularly crazy games. (Well, even when used as a superpower, it probably works best in particularly crazy games...)

All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2022 Steve Miller.

DIVIDE BY ZERO [Meta-Gaming, Minor Power]
Nothing is impossible. NOTHING!
   Prerequisite: Lucky feat
   Benefit: Whenever you fail a d20 roll (attack, saving throw, or skill check), you may reroll by announcing to the DM that you are doing so.
   Special: There are two outcomes from invoking this feat.

   If the re-roll is successful, treat it as a critical success (when appropriate). You gain a +1 bonus to all d20 rolls for the rest of the game session.
   If the re-roll fails, you (and possibly the other player characters) suffer one of the following random consequences. (DM's choice/creation or random selection by rolling 1d8 from the following table.)
   1. Your character suffers a -1 penalty to all d20 rolls for the rest of the game session.

   2. Your character suffers a -2 penalty to all d20 rolls for the rest of the game session.

   3. Your character's shadow disconnects from him or her. At the beginning of the next round, the shadow solidifies into a exact copy of the character, with the same attributes, hit points, skills, and combat abilities. All gear and equipment is copied as well. This shadow-being immediately attacks the character from which it sprang. It does not stop until it or the character is defeated (below 0 hit points), at which time it dissolves with a shriek of frustration and pain.
   4. Your character's shadow disconnects from you at the end of the encounter and become an independent creature. Until you manage to recover it, you will cast no shadow.
   5. Your character no longer cast a shadow, nor does he or she have a reflection. This condition persists for 1d6+1 days.
   6. Your character's reflection in mirrors has a 50% chance of emerging from the mirror and attacking him or her if no one else is around. This mirror image of the character has  the same attributes, hit points, skills, and combat abilities. All gear and equipment is copied as well. This being attacks the character until it or its target is defeated (reduced below 0 hit points). It then it explodes into hundreds of mirror fragments, with a dying shriek of frustration and pain, and inflicts 1d4+1 points of damage upon . This condition persists for 1d6+1 days.

   7. All PCs and major NPCs present during when the failed re-roll was made, and who are alive at the end of the encounter, are subject to a -2 penalty to all d20 rolls until they unite to seek out the Monkey King at the center of Reality. All living characters must undertake this journey together, or none will be liberated from the curse by the Monkey King.

   8. The character's physical form changes. Roll on this table to determine determine the character's new sex and on this table to determine his or her new race.