Brigid's Serving Tray of Deadly Delights

Over her long life, Brigid the Dragon has created many unique magic items that, to this day, she is the only one who knows the secrets to create them. One of these is the Serving Tray of Deadly Delights. 

   The Serving Tray of Deadly Delights appears to be an elegant golden tray of a kind that would be part of a very expensive set of formal tableware. If examined using detect magic, the Serving Tray is shown to radiate strong interlaced Conjuration and Divination magical energies, with a hint of Necromantic magic.

   Brigid created the first Serving Tray of Deadly Delights in 1104. It was her response to an elaborate scheme on the part of several noblemen, members of the clergy, and a dragon hunter to either kill or capture her and steal all her lands and treasures. Her would-be conquerors were planning on turning their might upon her during a feast Brigid was hosting in honor of a scholar visiting all the way from Hamburg. They thought she hadn't discovered they knew her secret, and she felt this was a perfect opportunity to find out who her true friends were... while dispatching some true enemies. And, of course, having some fun by trying out an idea for a magic item she'd been mulling over for about a century.

   By the time the day of the feast arrived, Brigid had created three Serving Trays of Deadly Delights... and they worked exactly as she had hoped! Her friends were revealed, her enemies were dispatched, and that who weren't terribly negative nor positive about her were left in blissful ignorance.

   Brigid rarely makes Serving Trays of Deadly Delights anymore. As human civilizations increasingly adapted more egalitarian forms of governments, and the rise of more efficient means of travel and the powers of both nobility and clergy waned, they seemed no longer fitting. Nonetheless, she made an additional 26 trays between the years of 1105 and 1819. As is her habit, she gave most of them to humans she liked and felt could benefit, but one is in the treasure hoard of the Dragon Conclave and the original three are in her own hoard.

THE SERVING TRAY OF DEADLY DELIGHTS

When these trays are presented to guests, either as containing reception treats, hors d'oeuvre, palate cleansers, or dessert cookies. They contain a mix of items, each type of which is a favorite of someone attending the gathering. These are all magically created, and they react to those who consume them based on the guest in question's true intentions and feelings toward the host.

   Functions: To prepare the trays, the host of the event must hold a guest list near each tray that will be used in the event and read the names of each person attending. Three pieces of the guest's favorite reception treats, or other small food items depending on the point of the dinner at which the serving trays are presented. Not only are the items the favorites of guests, they taste better than any other example had of this food.

   Upon taking the first bite, all guests must roll Will saving throws (DC22). If this saving throw fails, the guest feels compelled to eat all three pieces of food intended for him or her. If the first roll succeeds, the character must roll again if he or she eats another item from the tray.

   For each food item consumed from the trays, the guest must roll a Fortitude saving throw (DC24). If the roll is successful, nothing happens. If the Fortitude saving throw fails, the consumer is affected in a manner dependent on how he or she feels about the gathering's host.

   The host can end any of the effects of a Serving Tray of Deadly Delights either by touching a guest being influenced, or by loudly stating "I extend hospitality even those who make themselves my enemies". In the former, the host ends the effect on the person touched, and in the latter it ends on everybody. 

   Feels loyalty to, love for, or deep gratitude toward the host: Upon failing the Fortitude saving throw, the character feels energized and feels with absolute certainty that the host has the same feelings toward him or her. As other guests fall victim to the magical reception treats, the character who is friendly/supportive of the host receives the explanation that the food was enchanted to reveal whether those who consumed it were friends or foes... or maybe just hapless people caught in the middle of something that had no part in.

   Has no strong feelings toward the host, except maybe friendship or respect: Guests with this view of the host fall into a hypnotic trance, completely oblivious to what is going on around them. They remain in this trance until the host claps his or her hands together three times or they suffer at least 1 point of damage. In this way, they can remain neutral in or ignorant to any machinations unfolding around the host. 

   If the Fortitude save is successful, they remain fully aware and witness all that happens around them and hear the host's explanation to devoted allies. How this might sway their opinions is up to players and the GM.

   Feels powerful hatred toward, a desire to kill, or to remove the host from their place in the world through imprisonment, exile, or death: If the character's initial Fortitude saving throw is successful, he or she feels pangs of hunger and feels an uncontrollable compulsion to eat all three of the treats. As the character starts eating the second one, he or she must roll a Fortitude saving throw (DC30), and if that one is successful, he or she must roll a Fortitude saving throw (DC36) as the third snack is consumed. 

   If all saving throws succeed, the character suddenly feels very sick, immediately loses half his or her hit points, and begins vomiting controllably. Any actions (other than vomiting forth a vile mixture of stomach content and blood) are taken with a -6 penalty and spellcasting of any kind is impossible. The character must make Fortitude saving throws (DC30) for six rounds, and when one fails, the character is reduced to 0 hit points and falls, unconscious. The character loses one hit point per round and dies once he or she reaches -10.

   When the character fails a saving throw, he or she is subject to horrible pain for a round during which no actions are possible except to cry out in suffering. The character is then reduced to 0 hit points and falls unconscious. The character loses one hit point every minute and dies once he or she reaches -10.

d.

   Even when the host ends the effects of the Serving Tray of Deadly Delights, any loss of hit points or other physical ramifications remain until healed or cleaned through natural or magical means.

--
If you enjoyed this post, you might also want to check out For a Song and a Dance, available in our store at DriveThruRPG!