NUELOW at Christmas: Day Eight

Today we present d20 System game statistics for a pair of Christmas artifacts that reportedly gained their power from the birth of Jesus Christ. 

The Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks (aka the Drumsticks of Bethlehem)

These appear to be a set of well-used drumsticks carved from oak wood. When they are checked for magical aura (though the use of spells, devices, or abilities), they radiate faint abjuration magic or a divine nature.
   Powers: Reported to have been touched by the Christ Child and his mother days after his brith, these drumsticks are a single artifact in two parts. When separated, they have no apparent magical function. Each stick radiates magic, is seemingly indestructible, and can used as improvised piercing weapon that deals 1d2 points of damage. While the item can be considered an enchanted weapon at +1 level, it does not grant bonuses to hit or damage.
  When the sticks are carried by the same person, he or she gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws. He or she gains a +6 bonus to all Perform (drums) skill checks when using the Drumsticks of Bethlehem. Once per day, the character may designate a target and cast a sleep spell upon it while playing the drums using the drumsticks.
   Drawbacks: Whenever carrying the Drumsticks of Bethlehem, the character must roll a Will save (DC18) whenever idle, or near a cute baby. If the save fails, he or she is gripped by an urge to start using the drumsticks on any available surface. If there is a snare drum available, the save is against DC24).
   Destruction: The Drumsticks of Bethlehem can only be destroyed by being tossed into the fires of Hell itself.


The Little Drummer Boy's Drum (aka The Drum of Bethlehem)
This item appears to all inspection to be a well-used and extremely well-made tabor-style snare drum. It does not appear to be magical, but attempts to break or destroy it fail. The word "Bethlehem" is painted onto the drum's head in Aramaic script.
   Powers: When a character with 5 or more ranks in Perform (drum) plays it, he or she gains a +10 bonus to any related skill checks. If the performance is done using the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks, the bonus increases to +15. Additionally, the performer can designate one target within 60 feet to be subjected to an affect similar to a sleep spell. The target receives a Will save equal to the character's Perform (drum) skill check. If the saving throw fails, the target falls into a magical slumber that lasts a number of hours equal to the character's total Perform (drum) skill. (The first power--the bonus to the Peform skill--is evident to both the user and those witnessing the performance, The second power is only evident if an identify spell, or similar means, is used to examine the drum while it is being played with the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks.
   Drawback: None.
   Method of Destruction: The Little Drummer Boy's Drum loses all enchantment if its head is pierced with one of the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks. It can then be destroyed without problem.
   Note: Despite its name, this drum is not the one that legend holds was present in the manger where Jesus Christ spent his first few nights on Earth. It was created in 1612 by Maltorn MacRae, a Scottish wizard who had come into possession of the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks and desperately wanted a drum worthy of those precious items. If someone should damage the Drum, it can be repaired using MacRae's original enchantments... if his book of notes describing them can be located.

And, to close out today's post, a nifty arrangement of one of my favorite Christmas tunes.

All text in this post is presented under the Open Game and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2024 Steve Miller.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Seven

It's time for another Christmas-related mystery for the player characters to solve before Christmas is ruined for everyone!

WHY ARE PEOPLE RIOTING DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON?

As Christmas approaches, the news is suddenly filled with reports of mobs of holiday shoppers going on rampages in stores and shopping malls throughout Christendom. There isn't looting going on--just violent, destructive rampages that destroy all Christmas decorations and businesses, and even claim dozens of lives. The rioters detained by authorities offer no insight into the cause, claiming that one moment they were shopping, the next the just filled with blind rage and an urge to destroy everything Christmas related.

   Roll 1d6 against the following tables for some random adventure elements you can create a scenario around.

What is the Cause?
1. Roll twice on the table, re-rolling any additional results of "1". Both 

    indicated causes are in effect, as is an unholy union between

    two forces that hate Christmas!

2. The Society for Men Acquiring Power, Prestige, and Earthly 

     Domination (SLAPPED) is testing their network of mind-control

     satellites. They hope to trigger worldwide chaos on Christmas Eve.

3.  Extreme environmentalists are pumping a gas that drives people

     temporarily insane, because they want to cause Christmas to be

     outlawed so no firs will be cut down just to be put indoors.

4. Evil cultists are summoning demons that temporarily drive people

    insane with the goal of ruining Christmas.

5. The secret magical society Mages Against Revolting Holiday Cheer

     (MARCH) has put cursed magic items in the Christmas decorations 

     in stores and malls around the world. They trigger them with a ritual

     at their secret Sanctum Sanctorum, and crowds go insane until the

     item is smashed.

6. A mad scientist has infected Mariah Cary's "All I Want for Christmas 

    is You" with extra-dimensional sub-sonics that drive humans who hear 

    it into animalistic fury. He hates that song and wants it gone.

Here's the theme song for this adventure!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Six

Today, we set the theme with a bit of Christmas music (and the illo that the post opened with, of course)!

 

IT'S A ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS!

This is a random generated adventure outline with zombies being home for Christmas! Use a six-sided die to determine some basic elements of the plot.

Set Up

On Christmas Eve, whether celebrating together or not, the player characters are each attacked by 1d6 zombies. If one or more of them get overwhelmed and killed... well, new character time! Merry Christmas!

   Once this encounter has ruined Christmas, the real adventure begins.

What's Going On? (Roll 1d6)

1. Hell is full, so the dead walk the Earth.

2. A necromancer (either hired by an enemy of the PCs or a direct enemy 

    of the PCs) has cursed the player characters and their close friends 

    and family. Every day until January 6, 1d6 zombies will show up to attack 

    every one of them. If killed, the PC or other slain characters join the 

    zombie forces.

3. A grieving father has used a powerful artifact to capture Death 

    (aka the Grim Reaper), so now anyone who dies immediately becomes 

    a murderous zombie.

4. Everyone who has been deemed "naughty" by Santa Claus has returned 

    to take revenge upon the world.

5. The Grim Reaper is on strike until Santa Claus considers his daughter 

    as a candidate to join Santa's Helpers, so the dead walk.

6. The Spirit of Christmas has been captured by the evil anti-Christmas forces.

As the PCs battle zombies amidst the Christmas decorations, they will pick up hints and leads as to who or what is the root cause of the rampaging zombies. Once they have enough information, they are ready to save themselves, their neighbors, and maybe even salvage a little bit of Christmas, from the zombies!

How Can It Be Stopped? (Roll 1d6)

1. The PCs must find and recruit Santa to help, as only his all-encompassing 

     knowledge of who's naughty and nice will let them locate the cause behind 

     the zombie rampage.

2.  The PCs must find their way to the Realm of Death to find out why the

     Grim Reaper isn't finishing his job and fix the problem -- or find a temp

     to take over.

3.  The characters must identify a lead zombie in each group and give it

     a pile of pages containing Christmas carols. It then passes sheets to 

     each of the other zombies and all of them start singing Christmas carols.

4.  If exposed to Christmas music, the zombies freeze in place. If they are 

     left alone, they become corpses as the sun rises on Christmas Day.

5.  A character must become a living vessel for the Spirit of Christmas.

     He or she must confront the groups of zombies and wish them 

     Merry Christmas, at which time they die a final death.

6.  The cause of the zombies rising must be found and (if needed) put to 

      an end. Then the zombies all have to be killed the old fashioned way.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Five

Miriam knows in hindsight that she should have realized something was up. She really should have questioned it when a small-time country baron offered her twice the money that the Duke of Holstfel had to perform at his holiday feast last year.

Well... maybe the doppelgängers will let her go when she's done performing. After all, it's clear that the Baron told the truth when he said they were all big fans--everyone in the feast hall has taken on Miriam's appearance and many guests are singing along in perfect harmony with her. It's as if she's performing to a hall full of herselves. (Although she may give that one over there some tips if he/she --what are the preferred pronouns for doppelgängers? -- is going to impersonate her... she's not THAT fat and her hair is not that scraggly!)

--

And because it wouldn't be a NUELOW at Christmas post without some d20 System content or a random table,

IS THE OFFER TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

The player characters are approached by a trusted contact or someone else who is known for finding lucrative and/or suitable assignments for individuals and groups like the player characters. It's a simple one-night job and they're getting paid five times their normal fee because the client wants to pay for the best performance from the best he knows.

   But is this bit of Christmas season generosity too good to be true? What might be going on behind the facade here? Roll 1d8 to find out and see if you can make a scenario out of the set-up! (Hey, you might even send it NUELOW Games' way, and we might publish it!)

d8         Result

1-2.       The job is legit. The client really wants the best from the best for 

            the assignment. Money is no object.

3-4.       The job is legit, but somewhat morally questionable and probably

            illegal. The extra money is to buy discretion and post-job silence.

5            The job is doing something highly illegal. The whole thing is a 

            set-up concocted by a foe of the player characters. The authorities

            have been tipped off and they are watching and waiting. 

6.           The job is fake. A hidden society of doppelgangers that dwell in

            tunnels beneath the city want the player characters to teach them

            the various things they are good at. The doppelgangers are being

            oppressed by a new evil ruler and they want to overthrow him.

            They also warn the PCs that their evil leader is going to break the

            centuries long peaceful co-existence of the doppelgangers and

            the humans by preying upon the surface dwellers.

7-8.        The job is fake. Santa Claus has been captured by operatives 

             working for the evil alliance of Martians and the "activist group"

             People for the Reduction of Idiotic Christmas Expenses (PRICE).

             Santa's daughter, Sugar Plum, desperately wants the PCs to save

             Santa... and Christmas itself, before time runs out!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Four

Every December. the Spirit of Christmas roams the land, touching bottles, cartons, and jugs of eggnog, imbuing them with magic of the Holiday Season beyond that which the beverage already possesses. This article describes this special eggnog in terms of the d20 System and how you can bring it to your game.

"Stay Noggy, my friends."

EGGNOG OF POWER FOR THE d20 SYSTEM!

Whenever a character comes into possession of a container full of eggnog during the Holiday Season, the GM rolls 1d20. On a result of 20, the eggnog has been touched by the Spirit of Christmas! (All other results mean the eggnog is not enchanted, but still super-tasty.
   But! If the eggnog has been enhanced by the Spirit of Christmas, the GM rolls 1d6 to discover what magic powers are granted those who drink a cup of that container. Upon rolling, the GM consults the following list:

   1. Eggnog of Cheer that grants +2 bonus to morale checks and +2 bonus to Charisma-based skill checks.
   2. Eggnog of Might that grants +1 to melee and unarmed attack rolls and damage, and a +2 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks.
   3. Eggnog of Fortitude that grants a +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves and Constitution-based skill checks.
   4. Eggnog of Christmas Harmony that makes everyone within a 60-foot roll a Will save (DC30) or lose all desire to fight, but instead join together and sing Christmas songs. If one person is attacked (say by someone who has made a successful Will save), then all those under the influence of Christmas Cheer will turn upon the attacker.
   5. Eggnog of Christmas Partying that grants a +4 bonus to all Perform (Dance) and Perform (Sing) skill checks, as well as the ability to point out that someone is standing underneath a sprig of mistletoe without being slapped or kicked in the groin.
   6. Eggnog of Generosity that fills consumers with the desire to bring happiness and security to others in this Christmas season. They can do anything from donate to charities to taking the fight to the mobbed-up slumlords.

A typical container of eggnog contains 8 cups and a character must drink at least one cup to benefit from the Christmas magic. The effect lasts for 24 hours and cannot be dispelled by anything short of the power of a god.
   Once a container of Eggnog of Power has been opened, it spoils within 1d10 days. If a character drinks spoiled eggnog, he or she must roll a Fortitude Save (DC18) or become very ill, suffering -4 to all attack rolls and skill checks for 24 hours. If the save is successful, the penalty is only -2.

THE EGGNOG RANDOMIZER

If the GM wants to make the magic eggnog even more mysterious and unpredictable, roll 1d6 on this table whenever a PC drinks magic eggnog this holiday season.

   1. The character feels extra cheerful, gaining a +4 bonus to all Charisma checks.

   2. Roll on the Eggnog of Power table above.

   3. The character is seized by a sudden hatred of the holidays, gaining a -2 to all Charisma checks.

   4. Roll on the Eggnog of Power table above.

   5. The effect lasts for 48 hours.

   6. Roll twice on the Eggnog of Power table; the character gets both indicated benefits. If the same result is rolled twice, the character gets the indicated benefit with no changes or adjustments.

(The preceding text is released under the Open Game License. Copyright 2024 Steve Miller )

---
And here's some multicultural Christmas music that'll get almost everyone into a proper mood!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Three

The Christmas-hating mad scientist Dr. Stephen Nicholas and his faithful assistant Holly have unleashed their latest scheme to destroy the Season of Good Will and Cheer--cursed candy canes!

Using ancient rituals and Atlantean magi-tech, they infused thousands of candy canes with dark magics that places those who consume them under a curse. These candy canes have been mixed in with non-cursed ones and will soon be distributed all across the United States and Canada!

Will the heroes be able to stop this evil, or will Dr. Nick and Holly finally meet their evil goal?!

(The rest of this post is released under the Open Game License, and the text may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

CURSED CANDY CANES

The Cursed Candy Canes can be distinguished from normal candy canes, because they emit a faint magical aura of an undeterminable type or school. Characters with a natural ability to detect magic, or those using spells or magic items to do the same, can identify the Cursed Candy Canes.

   The magic of the Cursed Candy Canes is only active from the stroke of Midnight at the beginning of December 1 to the final moment of January 5. 

    The following tables determine the size of a cursed candy cane and what effect it has on the character who consumes it. These rules are suitable for use with all d20 System games, as well as all OSR game systems.

   First, roll on "Size of Candy Cane" and then roll to determine what curse it bestows upon those who consume it.

Size of Candy Cane (Roll 1d10)

1-8. Mini Candy Cane (must be completely consumed for curse 

       to take effect)

7-10. Regular Candy Cane (only half needs to be consumed for curse 

       to take effect; can be split between two characters)

The Curses (Roll 1d10)

1.  The character can only communicate by singing Christmas songs 

      and carols.

2.  The character becomes enraged whenever he or she hears music 

     and attacks the nearest person for 1d4+2 rounds.

3.  The character's teeth begin to rot rapidly and they all fall out within

     1d6+2 days.

4.  The character can't sleep. Whenever he or she closes her eyes, terrifying 

     visons gigantic, semi-humanoid sugar plums oozing a strange, sparkling 

     substance haunts him or her.

5.  Whenever the character sees an image of Santa Claus, or someone 

     dressed in a Santa outfit, he or she is terrified and must flee the area 

     at maximum movement rate. The character remains terrified for a

     a number of rounds equal to 10 less his or her Wisdom bonus.

6.  The character must naked whenever he or she stands or passes below

     mistletoe.

7.  The character becomes semi-insubstantial, appearing ghostly and 

     translucent. The character does not need to eat or drink, is immune to 

     all harm, but cannot pass through solid matter.

8.  The character becomes a werewolf whose transformation is triggered by

     the physical presence of a decorated Christmas Tree. The transformation 

     lasts until the next sunrise.

9.  The character becomes a vampire, but needs to consume 1/2 gallon of 

     eggnog each day instead of blood. Just like a vampire's need for blood, 

     the character has an insatiable desire for eggnog. If he or she does not 

     consume enough eggnog, the character suffers a temporary loss of 

     1 point of Strength and 1 point of Intelligence until the hunger is cured.

10. The character becomes enraged whenever he or she sees a wrapped 

      wrapped Christmas present. He or she must destroy the presents. 

      The rage lasts until the presents are all destroyed. The character attacks 

      anyone who tries to prevent the destruction.

ENDING THE CURSE

A curse can be ended by a bless or remove curse spell cast upon the sufferer by a 12-level caster (or from an item or scroll with the same power-level), or if the sufferer eats 1 pound of Fruitcake over the space of 30 minutes. The curse also ends automatically at the stroke of Midnight on January 5th, the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

   (For victims of #3, the curse may feel like it becomes worse: Their teeth grow back over the next 1d6+3 days, with severe pain as the baby teeth grow, fall out, and are replaced by a new set of adult teeth.)

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Two

Santa knows who's been bad... and he's had enough of their sh*t!

How does he know? It's a combination of three things: A natural ability, magic spells, and an ancient artifact. Today, we translate Santa's natural ability to know who's been bad or good into d20 System game mechanics!

(The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

OGL d20 SYSTEM FEAT: NAUGHTY OR NICE

You can tell someone's bad or good by just looking at them.

   Prerequisite: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 12

   Benefit: As a standard action, you may look at a living person or being and immediately know if they have good or evil intentions toward you, your allies, or innocent beings. (This does not necessarily reflect their alignment--if the d20 System variant you are using includes the alignment mechanic--but rather what the moral ramifications of their immediately past or near-future actions will be. 

   You may use this this feat a number of times each day equal to your Wisdom bonus.  

   Targets must have Intelligence and Wisdom scores of at least 4 for the ability of this feat to be effective. Spells and abilities that prevent scrying or other divination magic or spell-like and supernatural powers also impede this feat. The target appears "nice" when studied.

   Special: This feat is considered a "minor power feat" for the purposes to acquiring superpower talents.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day One

Here's a random adventure idea (or maybe the start-point for an adventure) generator set around Christmas time.

WHO IS YELLING AND SANTA CLAUS AND WHY?

Roll 1d6 against the tables below to determine the identity of the Redhead confronting Santa Claus and why she's upset with him. Make note of the results and then let your imagination build an adventure around them!

WHO IS SHE?

1. The new shop steward of the elves who work at Santa's Workshop.

2. The older sister of two brothers who she is raising by herself after 

     their parents were killed.

3. A newly accredited FBI agent.

4. L.L. Hundal of NUELOW Games.

5. A werefox in her human form.

6. Roll two more times on the table. Both results apply to who she is.

WHY IS SHE YELLING AT SANTA CLAUS?

1. She has discovered he's a fake; it's actually Steve Miller of 

    NUELOW Games.

2. The elves at Santa's Workshop are going on strike, demanding

    better pay, better hours, and beds at least as nice as those 

     enjoyed by the reindeer.

3. She wants herself and her boyfriend off the Naughty List...

    or promises this will be Santa's last Christmas.

4. She wants her little brothers to get decent gifts this year, 

    instead of just a bunch of cheap crap from Overstock.com. 

5. She wants Santa to use his supernatural knowledge of who's 

    where and who's been good or bad to find her parents that 

    have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom.

6. As with #5, but she wants Santa to use his powers to take her 

    to the porch pirates who stole the Christmas presents she'd 

     ordered for her family and friends after the Amazon Delivery 

     Guy left the packages by her front door.

HOW DO THE PLAYER CHARACTERS GET INVOLVED

(OPTIONAL)

1-2. Santa comes to them for help with the mission/protection.

3-4. The Redhead comes to them for help with confronting 

        Santa Claus and the subsequent mission.

5-6. One of the Redhead and Santa's targets comes for help.

Now it's up to you to come up with a scenario to entertain and thrill the players at your gaming table, be it real or virtual. And if you feel like sharing your Christmas gift to them with the rest of us, pleas submit your ideas. We'll post them to the blog and our Facebook page!

Introducing Thea Haber, Chronomancer

It's been a while since we've posted to the blog, but here's a little something for use in your games or to spur your imagination!

    Thea Haber is a plane-hopping human Chronomancer. The player characters can encounter her anywhere... when they need to be rescued from a tight spot by an ally, or she needs the rescuing. 

There are some unusual aspects to encountering Thea, however:


HOW OLD DOES SHE LOOK?
The time-travel magic that Thea uses has an impact on her body, making her appear younger or older than she actually is. Whenever she is encountered, the DM should roll 1d6 on the following table to see what she looks like.
  1-2. Thea appears the same age she did when last encountered.
  3. Thea appears to be 15+1d6 years old.
  4. Thea appears to be 20+2d6 years old.
  5. Thea appears to be 30+4d6 years old.
  6. Thea appears to be 15+6d6 years old.

How old is she really? It's rude to ask a lady her age!

 

HAS SHE MET THE PCS BEFORE?
Thea's personal timeline is an insane tangle of her crossing back and forth through places at different times and during different ages. She may meet the characters for the first time... after she met them the first time. Several times. Roll 1d6 to see what she knows.

   1. She has never met the player characters before, although they have met here.

   2. She has heard of the player characters but has never met them, although they 

        have met her.
   3. She behaves as though she is best friends with the PCs, regardless of how many 

        times they've met before (if ever).
   4. She does not remember the last time she met the PCs, but describes a time they 

        haven't met, or the first time they met.
   5. She remembers every interaction with the PCs, as the timelines are in sync.
   6. She has not met the PCs, but she has heard of them. She asks for their help 

        with a villain who is threatening all of time.

 

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.