Got my copy of Dyson’s Delves, and it seems really handy. Don’t think I like the proliferation of plate +1‘s, though. I am not having consistently scaryweird magic items, but I still like special equipment to feel qualitatively/mechanically different than whatever they can buy in town. Also tried to include interesting mundane stuff, like a bow that shoots grappling hooks or a spear that is also a gun.
Still don’t like too much magic stuff, though, so I think if a character has more than one magic item on their person, they’ll have to roll on the Maleficar‘s Cast the Bones table to activate or benefit from them. Magic items as neat niche tricks.
IN PLACE OF WEAPONS
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Abyssal Imprecation: Curse in an alien tongue. 0-handed weapon. Range: Targets everyone in earshot. Roll d20+Attack Bonus+Charisma modifier. Deals d8 damage to everyone it hits.
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Dreadful Doll: 0-handed weapon. Range: 100 feet. Roll d20+Attack Bonus+Charisma modifier to command this cloth-and-wire doll to attack or grapple.
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Gillespie-Thurber’s Dark Speech Dictionary Volume 6, W-Z: 2-handed weapon. Range: Earshot. Roll d20+Attack Bonus+Wisdom modifier against targets AC. On a hit, you can give the target a Command as the Cleric spell, but only with words that begin with W, X, Y, or Z.
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Dagger of Consumption: on a successful hit, recover HP equal to half of damage dealt
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Bow that can also launch a reusable grappling hook arrow
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Sword with a shield welded to the hilt (longsword damage and +1 AC, one handed weapon)
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Rapier with a lantern set into the hilt. Uses oil as fuel. Pressing a button in the handle releases all the remaining oil into special channels in the blade, causing it to deal +d6 damage for 3 rounds.
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A spear that is also a rifle. 2-handed weapon with reach. Acts as a ranged weapon 1/encounter. Can stab and shoot same target in one round.
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Dark sword: deals damage as longsword. On a sucessful hit, for every d4 damage the wielder chooses to take, the target takes d6 additional damage
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Storm Staff: One handed weapon. Range: Line of Sight. Roll d20+attack bonus+Intelligence modifier against target’s AC. On a hit, target takes d8 damage as they are struck by lightning. Only works outside. Critical fumbles disastrous.
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Slow Knife: dagger. On a hit, roll d20. Target takes 1 damage a round for that many rounds. Does not stack.
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Morphic Armament: Made of a weird rubbery substance. Can turn into any mundane weapon.
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Spiral Staff: 1 handed staff. When they use it, the wielder must make an Intelligence check. If they succeed, they cast a random spell on the target. If they fail, they cast a random spell on themselves.
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Giant War-fan. 2-handed. d8 damage, can clear mist, gas, and odors.
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Harpoon gun. 2-handed, ranged. d8 damage, target now connected to gun with a rope.
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Blunderbuss: 2 handed. Ranged. d10 damage, uses anything that fits inside as ammunition
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Blast Hammer: 2 handed weapon. Warhammer with an explosive cap on the business end. Deals d12+d8 damage on a hit, but only d12 damage if the explosive cap has been used and not replaced.
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Gemini Bow. Shortbow that can be split into 2 shortswords.
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Shotgun. d12+attack bonus+Dexterity mod damage. Attack roll is always an unmodified d20.
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Giant scissors. 2 handed, d12 damage.
IN PLACE OF ARMOR
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Colossus Armor. 20 AC, doesn’t stack with any other bonus to AC, wearer’s movement speed is reduced to ponderous graceless stomping
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Asbestos Armor: AC as chain, encumbrance as plate. Reduce damage from fire and heat by 10.
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Sealed Armor: AC as chain, encumbrance as plate. Reduce all damage from acid by 10.
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Hermetic Armor: AC as chain, encumbrance as plate. Reduce all damage from magic by 5.
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Furnace Armor: AC as chain, encumbrance as plate. Reduce all damage from cold and ice by 10.
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Chitin Armor: as chain. The armor has 2 extra arms you can manipulate as if they were your own.
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Revenant Plate: as plate. When killed, you can continue to act for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom score before perishing.
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Revenge Cuirass: as leather. When killed, you explode, dealing 3d6 damage to everything in a 20 foot radius.
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Cat Hood: AC as plate, encumbers as cloth. Cloak with cloth cat ears stitched on hood. Makes you good at dodging.
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Viking Helm: ahistorical helmet with horns. Wearer deals +d4 damage for melee attacks, but takes +d4 damage from melee attacks, too
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Red Ribbon: +1 to all attribute checks to avoid harm
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Skull Helm: +1 to Dangerous Magic rolls
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Knight Helm: You can take damage for anyone adjacent to you
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Bat Wing Cape: you can glide 10 feet for every foot that you fall and do not take falling damage as long as you have room to glide.
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Security Mittens: +1 AC, don’t require a free hand. Can’t do anything that requires 5 fingers.
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Ghost Garb: AC as leather, encumbrance as cloth. You don’t leave footsteps or scent, and you count as half your size and weight for squeezing through spaces and figuring out what can support your weight.
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Morphic Armor: can turn into any type of mundane armor
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Jade Armor: as plate. wearer will not age.
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Coat of Teeth. As chain. Enemies have a -1 to morale
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Robe of Rags: as unarmored. Wearer is immune to disease and poison
TRINKETS
1-4. Random book
5-7. Random spell formula
9. Gurning Poppet (see Wrathful Countenance link)
10. Flower Servant (see Wrathful Countenance link)
11. Somnolent Bell (see Wrathful Countenance link)
12. Random spell formula
13. Vial of Werewolf Serum: Drinker becomes a werewolf. See below.
14. A deed to a fallow and monster-infested estate.
15. Map to a long-lost, extremely dangerous, and thoroughly lucrative ruin.
16. A leaky pen. If someone writes a name other than their own with this pen, that name is now theirs. Everyone but their closest companions will act as if the writer is a completely different person that they do not know, and the world will act as if their old identity has gone missing. Works once before the ink runs out.
17. Moon earrings. Wearer receives +1 bonus to reaction rolls at night.
18. An extremely nice hat. Nothing magic about it, but everyone who sees it will agree it is the best hat they have ever seen.
19. A musical score that kills anyone who listens to it to completion.
20. A wooden mask that lets the wearer assume the perfect likeness of whoever’s name is carved into its forehead; only works on the first name carved
PC WEREWOLVES
Lycanthropes are hunted and reviled by all who know their nature (except their closest companions). Those afflicted with lycanthropy can turn into a werewolf at will. They must make a Wisdom check to turn back. When they have less than half of their maximum HP and take damage, they must make a Wisdom check if they do not want to transform. When they transform, all equipment changes with them. In werewolf form, they
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Gain HP equal to twice their level as the moment of their transformation, even if this would raise their HP above their normal maximum
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Have Armor as chain no encumbrance
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Have 18 Strength
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Deal d12 damage with their melee attacks
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Cannot use magic, weapons, complex devices, or anything that requires patience, manual dexterity, or concentration
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Must make an attack round, even if it is an ally
When a werewolf turns back into human form, they lose HP equal to twice their level, but this cannot bring them below 1 HP. Those afflicted with lycanthropy take double damage from silver weapons, regardless of what form they take, and switch to the elf’s experience chart, regardless of class.