Artifacts of the Muses

NUELOW Games's primary creator Steve Miller posted his latest bit of fun that casts real-life silent movie star Bessie Love as a superhero who battled supernatural evil from 1925 to 1950 over at his 'Shades of Gray' blog. We'll eventually bring that article over here, but, in the meantime, here's a little something that ties in with that post....

ARTIFACTS OF THE MUSES

By Steve Miller & L.L. Hundal

All text in this post is released under the Open Game License,

and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms

The nine goddesses of creativity and scholarship, the Muses, have a number of powerful magic items that they grant use of to those who have earned their favor, who are engaged in work they consider important, or to whom they have assigned a particular quest. The items all grant certain basic abilities to those who have the Muses' blessing to use their treasures, as well ones that are unique to each item. Those who gain possession of the items and use them without the Muses's blessing, are subjected to a curse.

General Powers and Shared Traits  of the Artifacts of the Muses
The mortal granted the use of one of the Artifacts of the Muses enjoys the following basic benefits when the item is worn, wielded, or otherwise carried on his or her person.
   * +1 bonus to all Craft, Knowledge, and Perform skill checks.
   * +1 bonus to saving throws against Mind-Affecting magic and spell-like effects.
   * Each of the Muses' artifacts radiates faint magic of an indeterminable type. Analyze and identify spells fail to reveal anything about the items. Only a wish spell, or an explanation of the item's power from one of the Muses, or the Greek gods Apollo or Erinyes can reveal the items uses. (Some uses can be gleaned through trail and error. Generally speaking, however, a character who rightfully has possession of one of the artifacts will have had their purpose explained to them.
   * Once the purpose for which the Muse lent the artifact to a mortal has been fulfilled, the artifact vanishes. (The Muse may appear to reclaim it in person, but this is rare.)

Descriptions and Powers of Individual Artifacts
   The Muse's Lyre (given by Clio, Erato, and Polymnia, a golden lyre with a silver crossbow carved with symbols representing the Nine Muses): Gain +4 bonus to all Charisma and Wisdom-based skill and attribute checks.
   Euterpe's Flute (given by Euterpe, a double flute made of wood and bound together with spun gold): Gain the ability to understand and fluently speak all languages, but not read them.
   Melpomene's Knife (given by Melpomene, a large combat knife with small symbols representing the Nine Muses etched into the blade, four on side, five on the other): This combat knife deals 1d4+5 points of damage (+5 enchantment bonus), and the person carrying or wielding cannot be flanked.
   Melpomene's Mask (given by Melpomene, an unadorned traditional theatrical Tragedy Mask made of alabaster): While worn, the mask grants a +5 bonus to Move Silently skill checks.
   Ourania's Globe: (given by Ourania, a softball-sized globe of the planet Earth): When held under the open night sky, the user can transport him- or herself, plus a number of other characters within a 10-foot radius equal to the total of the user's Intelligence and Charisma attribute bonuses, to any location he has seen on a map. The user and companions appear outside a building, or near a location, where the performance or creation of art or scholarly lectures usually takes place, or used to take place, that is closest to the specified location. The artifact can be used once every three nights. Unwilling or unaware targets of this effect receive a Will save with a +2 bonus to avoid being transported.
   Terpsechore's Crown (given by Terpsechore, a wreath of forever-fresh bay laurel branches and leaves). This wreath gives the wearer the use of a spell-like abilities that mimics charm person three times per day.
   Terpsechore's Harp (given by Terpsechore, a portable silver harp with her symbol engraved with gold on it): Grants the user a +5 bonus to Perform (Stringed Instruments) when played. If the user utters Terpsechore's name while playing the harp with a successful DC12 Perform (Stringed Instruments) skill check, a number of targets equal to his or her Charisma bonus within line of sight who can hear the music are subjected to the effects of an Irresistible Dance spell. Targets must dance for as long as the user plans the the Harp, plus a number of rounds equal to his or her Charisma bonus. If an enchanted character is attacked or otherwise injured, the effect ends and he or she may act as normal.
   Thalia's Club (given by Thalia, a two-foot long club that ends in a crook and which is painted gaily in bright blue, green, and red colors): The club deals 1d4+5 points of damage (+5 enchantment bonus), and the person carrying or wielding it has a reduction of 2 against blunt damage.
   Thalia's Mask (given by Thalia, an unadorned traditional theatrical Comedy Mask made of alabaster): While worn, the mask grants a +5 bonus to Tumble skill checks, as well as a +2 enchantment bonus to Armor Class/Defense Rating.


Possessing and Using the Artifacts Without Permission
If a character comes illicetly or unwittingly into possession of a Muse's artifact--by looting or otherwise stealing it directly from the person it was lent to, or taking it from a treasure hoard found in a long-abandoned locatation--the Muse who owns it will appear to him or her in a dream. She will introduce herself and explain to the character that if he or chooses to keep the artifact, he or she will be required to adopt the task that the person it was legitmately supposed to be in the possession of, or return the artifact within three days. The Muse will explain the original quest. (The Muse will leave it up to the character to figure out how to pursue the quest or return the item--which can be learned in a variety of ways--but the item must be brought to a place where artists and scholars either create, work, or perform.)
   If the character has not started to work toward the Muse's assignment within three days, he or she is visited in a dream by Erinyes, a goddess of revenge who is dedicated to punishing liars, cheats, and those who escape the hand of justice. Erinyes warns the character to return that which was stolen, and the the dream turns into a nightmare full of torture and monsters. The character must make a Fortitude save (DC12) or sufffer a -1 penalty to all skill checks, attribute checks, and saving throws the following day.
   Erinyes haunts the character's dreams every night until the Muse's item is returned, or until Erinyes is someone placated. Each night Erinyes sends the character nightmares, he or she must roll a Fortitude save, which increases in difficulty by 2 each night (DC12, DC14, DC16, and so on), and the penalty to checks and saving throws on the following day increases by +1 for each consequetively failed saving throw. Conversely, the penalty is reduced by 1 for each night a successful save is made.
   Magical wards and spells intended to protect the character from being haunted by the goddess in hir or her dreams must be recast each night. Remove curse and similar efforts will have no effect, as the character isn't cursed; he or she has just attracted the attention of a wrathful goddess.
   As soon as the item is returned to the Muse, or the character has devoted him- or herself to the quest or task its possesser was supposed to undertake, Erinyes stops her nightly visits, appearing only once more along side the wronged Muse. The Goddess of Vengeance says she hopes the character has learned a lesson, while the Muse thanks him or her for helping. Any accumulated penalties are removed, and the character enjoys the benefits outlined in the "Summoning a Random Muse" for the Muse the artifact belongs to, as if he or she had summoned that Muse. (Click here for details.)

The Daddy Cool Talent Tree

This talent tree is that latest addition to the NUELOW Games d20 System feat and talents based superpowers system. (You can see the basics by clicking here.) It was inspired by the 1976 Boney M song of the same name, "Daddy Cool". We've embedded the song and its original video for your viewing enjoyment, below. (All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and my be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 Steve Miller.)

The Daddy Cool (or Mama Cool, for female characters) talent tree works well for characters who have emotion manipulation as their main shtick.

DADDY COOL TALENTS
Your power is your charisma.
   Essence of Cool: Gain a permanent +2 bonus to all Bluff, Intimidate and Perform skill checks.
   Prerequisite: Any one Minor Power feat.
   Crazy Like a Fool: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics confusion. The character's total number of levels equals the caster level. The character may choose to limit the confusion affect to a single target, imposing a -6 penalty to the Will save to resist. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the character's Charisma bonus (round up).
   Prerequisite: Essence of Cool.
   Dance with Daddy: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics irresistible dance. The character's total number of character levels equals the caster level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the character's Charisma bonus (round up).
   Prerequisite: Crazy Like a Fool
   Trust in Daddy: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics charm person. The character's total number of levels equals the caster level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the character's Charisma bonus (round up).
   Prerequisite: Essence of Cool
   Trust in Daddy II: Gain a spell-like ability that mimics charm monster. The character's total number of levels equals the caster level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to the character's Charisma bonus.
   Prerequisite: Crazy Like a Fool, Trust in Daddy




(For the record, when we dance here at NUELOW Games, it looks something like Bobby Farrell in this video.)

The Magic of Tacos!

Some magic items (and an artifact) that every d20 Modern game needs! (Heck, maybe every d20 System game needs these!)

Taco of Healing
Restores 1d6 hit points when consumed. It also nourishes the character for an entire day. (Tacos of healing come in batches of 3, 9, or 12.)

Montezuma's Taco
Appears to be a taco of healing but is actually cursed. When consumed, the character that eats it must roll a successful Fort save (DC18) or be sickened for 1d6+2 days. A successful save means the character is only sickened for half the number of days rolled (round down).

   There is a 2% chance that any taco of healing may is a Montezuma's Taco.

Super Hot Sauce of Courage
Apply to any food item. Consuming the item afterwards requires a Fort save (DC9) and will cause the diner's eyes to water and nose to run, but he or she gains a +1 bonus to DC/AC, Will and Reflex saves for 6 hours.
   Applying the Extra Hot Sauce takes one round. Consuming the food takes 1d3+1 rounds.

Neverending Bag of Tacos
What appears to be a grease-stained paperbag with a logo featuring a smiling, big-toothed cartoon character in a sombrero above the words "Comer Grandes" is a actually a powerful artifact. If examined with methods that reveal magical auras, the Neverending Bag of Tacos radiates a very slight trace of Summoning magic.
   Every 24 hours, bag produces 2d4+2 tacos,although the bag only appears to contain at most two tacos at any given time. When the last taco of the day remains, there is only one in the bag.
   Whenever someone pulls a taco from the bag, it is that person's favorite kind of taco. The number of tacos the bag can provide resets every day at sunrise.

(All text in this post is Open Game Content and may be reproduced in accordance with the terms of the Open Game License. Copyright 2019 NUELOW Games.)

A new feat for the artistically inclined d20 System character

As with much of what can be found on this blog, this feat is presented with OGL Modern in mind, but it can be used it any d20 System game that has feats. (The classes mentioned in the brackets should consider this feat as an addition to the the list of bonus feats they may choose from at character creation or during level advancement.)

CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE 
[Charismatic Hero, Dedicated Hero, Bard, Cleric]
   Prerequisite: Wisdom 13 You take artistic expression and merge it with other expressions, transforming it.
   Benefit: +4 bonus to all Perform skills, as well as to Crafting skills that involve designing garments, musical instruments, and tools, or creating works of art, literature, philosophy, and so on. You also gain a +2 bonus to all Knowledge skill checks.

 The text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 by Steve Miller.

The Mystery of Becker's Pond

People are vanishing in the woods near Becker's Pond. Why? How? You and the player characters in your roleplaying game campaign can find out in a scenario inspired by an illustration by Bryan Baugh that you can create based on a randomly generated outline.

How do the Player Characters Become Involved (Roll 1d6)
  1-2. They hear rumors of strange happenings near Becker's Pond.
  3-4. A friend asks them to find a loved one who has disappeared near Becker's Pond.
  5-6. They hear a friend has vanished near Becker's Pond.

How Many Disappearances Once the PC's are Involved? (Roll 1d6)
  1-2. 1d2+1 results off "Who Vanishes First", the proceed to "Who Vanishes Next?".
  3-4. 1d3+2, with "Who Vanishes First" checked once, then "Who Vanishes Next?" once, then the rest on "Who Vanishes First".
  5. Alternate between "Who Vanishes First?" and "Who Vanishes Next?" until a result is duplicated on the "Who Vanishes Next?" table, or the player characters are attacked.
  6. Check "Who Vanishes First?" twice, then roll on "Who Vanishes Next?" until a result is duplicated or the PCs are attacked.

Who Vanishes First? (Roll 1d6)
  1. 1d3+1 skinny dipping teenagers.
  2. 1d2+1 fishermen.
  3. 1d3 hunters.
  4. 1d3+1 bird watchers.
  5. 1d2 couples at Makeout Rock.
  6. 1d2 hikers.

When Do People Disappear? (Roll 1d6)
    1-2. Middle of the night.
    3. Shortly before sunrise.
    4. Shortly after sunset.
    5. During the daytime.
    6. No predictable time. Roll on this table each time a disappearance is to occur in order to determine when the next one happens. Ignore and reroll additional results of "6".
.

How Long Between Disappearances? (Roll 1d6)
  1-2. 1d6+4 days.
  3-4. 1d6+1 days.
  5. 1d+6 hours.
  6. Roll after each disappearance to determine when the next will happen.

Who Vanishes Next? (Roll 1d6)
  1. The local conspiracy theorist.
  2. The minister's daughter.
  3. The Instragram model.
  4. 1d2 hunters.
  5. 1d4+1 frat boys.
  6. The player characters are attacked, either a single individual or as a group. If they lose the fight, they are among the vanished. (Player characters investigating the pond are the ones attacked. If none are investigating the pond, the smallest group of them that are together are attacked. Roll on "What is Responsible for the Disappearances?" to see what attacks the player characters.)

What Is Responsible for the Disappearances? (Roll 1d6)
  1. A creature that's escaped from the secret lab of a man scientist (use earth elemental stats).
  2. The vengeful spirits of two bullied teens who drowned themselves in Becker's Pond in a suicide pact have returned to exact revenge (use wraith stats)
  3. A cult of devil worshipers (1d6+1 together at any given time--unless their numbers are reduced through combat with the PCs and/or having been arrested; total of 13 cult members).
  4. Space aliens have a secret base underneath the pond. The vanished people are being subjected to hideous experiments.  (Vanished victims are still alive and may be rescued if the PC's enter Hell if a 1 is rolled on a six-sided die. Roll for each victim.)
  5. Pollution in the pond has coalesced into a monster that is oozing from it in search of prey (use water elemental stats).
  6. A gate to Hell has opened in the pond. Victims are being seized by demons and dragged into the underworld. (Vanished victims are still alive and may be rescued if the PC's enter Hell if a 1 is rolled on a six-sided die. Roll for each victim.)

How Can the Disappearances Be Stopped? (Roll 1d6)
  1-2. The evil must be destroyed.
  3-4. The powerful international conspiracy that is truly behind the disappearances must be exposed.
  5. The pond and forest must be cleansed with the magic generated by two Native American artifacts when they are brought together.
  6. Atlantean druids must bless the pond and forest around it. And then the evil must be destroyed.

Bessie Love and the Magical Mystery Chairs

We recently revealed how Bessie Love secretly battled occult forces between starring in movies during the 1920s and 1930s. This time around, we're going to cover something she learned during her cultist-busting career: Hidden, often in plain sight, throughout the world are a surprising number of magical chairs. Some were purposefully constructed and enchanted, others became magically charged by absorbing intense spiritual energies for many years.

Love brought two magic chairs into her own home, one was a gift from a sorceress who was an ally in her fight against evil, the other was seized from a cult leader. The first chair, which stood in the corner of her sitting room, grants the person sitting in it the ability to instantly know what is on up to 100 written pages by just touching them; and the other chair, which she kept in her library, makes the person in it more able to see through lies while being more adept at telling them.

The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced according to its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2019.

MAGICAL MYSTERY CHAIRS (for d20 System Games)
The GM can use the following tables to randomly generate magical chairs. Players can discover the enchantments of the chairs through whatever means are available in the campaign, except for those listed under WHAT CURSE DOES THE CHAIR BESTOW? Any curses should be discovered when they are inflicted.


IS THE CHAIR MAGICAL? (Roll 1d10)*
1-7.  No
8.     Yes. Roll once on WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAIR GRANT?
9.     Yes. Roll twice on WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAIR GRANT?
10.   Yes. Roll once on WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAR GRANT? and
         once on WHAT CURSE DOES THE CHAIR BESTOW?
*The GM can check this table whenever the characters search a room furnished with one or more chairs using methods that can detect magical auras.


WHAT BENEFIT DOES THE CHAIR GRANT? (Roll 1d10)
1. As a full round action, absorb the information in up to 100 pages
    touched while seated in the chair. The character must be able to
    read the language, even if he or she isn't actually reading the
    text. The book or pages not need to be leafed through. The GM
    may require Knowledge skill checks or Intelligence checks for
    the character to comprehend the information if the text covers
    obscure or advanced subjects. Texts longer than 100 pages may
    be divided up and absorbed at different times, but loose pages
    must be placed in different stacks, and books must be opened
    to the point from which absorption is to take place.
    The chair's power can be used once every 12 hours.
2. +4 to all Knowledge skill checks while seated.
3. +4 to all Craft skill checks while seated.
4. +6 to Bluff skill checks while seated.
5. +6 to Sense Motive skill checks while seated.
6. Detect Poison and Neutralize Poison at 12th-level effectiveness
    while seated in the chair.
7. True Seeing as spell-like ability for 12 minutes once per hour while
    seated. (12th level effectiveness.)
8. The character does not age, require rest or sustenance while seated in the chair.
9. Brings a being back to life that has been dead less than 24 hours.
    The corpse must be relatively intact with no vital parts missing.
    The being is restored to life with fully healed.
10. Roll again on this table, ignoring and re-rolling additional
      rolls of 10. Additionally, roll once on WHAT CURSE DOES
      THE CHAIR BESTOW?

WHAT CURSE DOES THE CHAIR BESTOW? (Roll 1d10)*
1. -1 to all saving throws.
2. -1 to all attack rolls.
3. -1 to all saving throws and attack rolls.
4. -2 to all skill checks.
5. The sitter's butt goes numb and can only walk with a
    weird waddle. 1/2 movement rate, -4 to all Acrobatics,
    Balance, Climb, Run, and Tumble skill checks.
6. Suffer 1 point of extra damage per hit or damage dice.
7. While seated the character believes he or she telepathically
    "hears" the thoughts of another character in the room.
     The thoughts indicate the character is planning to betray the
     seated character, or is otherwise allied with an enemy of
     the party. The seated character can focus his or
    attention on someone else in the rool and "hear" that
    individual's thoughts as well. They will likewise be
    hostile or threatening. This is just an delusion caused by
    the chair. It ends once the character leaves the chair.
8. While seated, he character believes that he or she can see
     the true demonic form of another random character in
     the room. This is just a delusion created by the chair, and
     the character who appears to be a shapeshifted demon
     is determined randomly each time someone sits in
     the chair
9.  Roll on WHAT BENEFITS DOES THE CHAIR GRANT?
     The character who sat in the chair believes he or she has gained
     that advantage.
10. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring additional
      rolls of 10.
*Unless otherwise noted, all curses are permanent until the character who sat in the chair is subjected to a Remove Curse, cast at a 12-level or better effectiveness.

--
Did you find this post interesting or amusing? Consider getting one of the actual products I've produced for NUELOW Games. It will encourage us to make more!

Feats for the Awakened (Blessings in Disguise: Part Two)

This post continues the rules for playing characters whose souls contain the remains of dead angels. You can read Part One here. (All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2019 Steve Miller.)


FEATS FOR THE AWAKENED
Awakened characters may choose from the following feats whenever they gain feats from level advancement, as a way of modeling their increasing ability to tap into the angelic energies that reside within them. They may also choose to substitute any bonus feats earned with ones from this section. They must still meet all pre-requisites before choosing a feat.


EXISTING FEATS
Alertness, Animal Affinity, Attentive, Blind Fight, Builder, Calm Animals, Confident, Faithful, Focused, Foresight, Fortune Telling, Great Fortitude, Guide, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Naughty or Nice, Nimble, Stealthy, Toughness, True Love,


NEW FEATS
These feats are available only to Awakened characters who meet the prerequisites. It may be chosen under any circumstance that the character selects a feat.

Divine Magic [Awakened]
You channel the divine spark in your soul into spells.
   Prerequisite: Awakened, Wisdom 12
   Benefit: The character may, at will, cast a number of 0-level Acolyte spells equal to his or her Wisdom bonus per day. The caster level is equal to the character's total level. No material components are needed.
   The character also gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws made to resist divine magic and divine spell-like effects.


Enhanced Divine Magic [Awakened]
You can draw more effectively on the divine energy to create more powerful effects.
   Prerequsite: Divine Magic feat
   Benefit: The character may, at will, cast a number of 1st- and 2nd-level Acolyte spells equal to his or her Wisdom bonus per day. The caster level is equal to the character's total level. No material components are needed.

Improved Divine Magic [Awakened]
You are able to create minor miracles.
   Prerequisite: Enhanced Divine Magic feat, Wisdom 14
   Benefit: The character may, at will, cast a number of 3rd- 4th-, and 5th-level Acolyte spells equal to his or her Wisdom bonus per day. The caster level is equal to the character's total level. No material components are needed.

Sense Awakened [Awakened]
You can sense when you are near another Awakened.
    Prerequisite: Awakened trait
   Benefit: When you are within 60 feet of another Awakened, the GM tells you you feel as though something is "off" or as if "someone just walked over your grave" or some other statement to show you are sensing something unusual. Upon making a successful Spot skill check (DC15), you can identify the source of your unease--another Awakened. If the Awakened is out of your line of sight, you know exactly where he or she is. (The sense of unease ends as soon as you recognise the other Awakened.)
    The sense of unease also ends if the Spot check reveals some other threat or mystery that draws your attention.
    Note: GMs may or may not be calling your attention to another Awakened. Sometimes, it's something entirely different that's going on. Whichever is the case, the sense that something is wrong is dispelled once your attention is caught by something in the area.

Illo by Bonksn

Sense Outsider [Awakened]
 Beings from planes beyond those inhabited by mortals venture into it with some regularity, usually disguised in mortal form. You can sense when you are near such creatures.
    Prerequisite: Awakened trait
   Benefit: When you are within 15 feet and line-of-sight of an extra-planar being that is shapeshifted into a less conspicuous form, you can see an aura of shifting colors around its body. By taking a full round action to study the creature and the GM rolling a successful Spot skill check (DC12), you are able to tell if the being is from one of the Upper, Lower, or Elemental Planes of existence. You are also able to spot shapeshifted beings native to the Realm of Fairies, including the Witchkind, although with such beings, you will not be able to discern what plane they are from.

Wings of an Angels [Awakened]
Mystic wings will slow your fall, preventing you from harm to some extent.
   Prerequisite: Awakened, Divine Magic feat
   Benefit: After the first 20 feet of free-fall, incorporeal, translucent wings appear on the character's back, and his or her fall is slowed. Falling damage is reduced by half when the character hits the ground (minimum damage 1 point).


--
More to come--such as Talents--in Part Three. (Meanwhile, if you found this content interesting and useful, consider getting one or more of our actual products at DriveThruRPG. It will encourage to make more.)