The Vault: Rare and unusal stuff for the taking

[Two orcs]

Potion of Psychopathy
Solid black, runny, with a taste like a drag on a water-pipe. Usually kept in a clear bottle with a steel stopper. The imbiber temporarily loses all sympathy for others and derive pleasure from causing pain and fear. In battle this takes the form of a psychopathic rage, granting +2 to hit and -2 to AC as well as immunity to fear and an inability to spare defeated opponents unless forced to by an ally. The imbiber's psychopathic aura is unnerving and attempts to intimidate or torture are made with +2 to the reaction roll. There is no penalty for social encounters but as long as the aura remains people will keep their distance and not approach the character.

 

[squeen]

A fun one with nice social implications. How long should it last?

 

[Two orcs]

In the system I run, all potions last 1-2 hours (6+1d6 turns). If this was to be true adventure fodder and not a quirky powerup I'd make it some sort of narcotic herb that some awful society runs on (or perhaps a very empathetic society that need it for their military/monster slaying class to function). I can also see it used for the tragic angle, with remorseful killers using it to escape their guilt, but the use itself lead to new atrocities in a vicious cycle till someone can offer true redemption.

Here is the reverse:

Potion of Empathy
Transparent red, viscous and with a taste like blood & honey. Usually kept in a waisted bottle holding two doses. The imbiber temorarily gains incredible empathy and easily picks up on the intentions and feelings of others. Seeing the face an instant, or body language 1d6 rounds is enough to know the current feelings and intentions of a creature. This grants a +2 bonus to reaction rolls during parley. Due to heightened empathy the imbiber must close their eyes to bring harm to another being unless it is completely unfeeling (-4 to hit, most spells don't work).

I can see some society of natural psychopaths running on empathy herbs as well. A high concept adventure would be two rival communities running on either drug and dominating their neighbours through artificial psychopathy/empathy.

 

[Two orcs]

A silly item:
Belt of the Upper Body
A thin leather belt, its buckle a vulgar gold cloud. When tightened to an uncomfortable degree points of Constution are converted to Strength as you tighten it further. The upper body swells with life-force while the abdomen becomes weak but stiff. If Strength would go beyond 18 the character instead pops a vein and lose a hit point. If Constitution would go below 3 the character must instead Save versus Death or die from crushed organs. Loosing the belt reverts the changes to the ability scores.

Cursed variants of this belt tighten themselves every turn and cannot be unbuckled.

 

[squeen]

Ho ho! Not silly at all. Right up my alley. Thanks for sharing these.

 

[Two orcs]

Hand of Mala Cosa
A long-sleeved glove of a veiny, rubbery material in dark shifting colors. The glove allows you to reach inside creatures without breaking their skin and to grab at their insides. This is a great help to surgeons who can Cure Critical Wounds (heal 4d8+level hp) on a successful healing check. You can also remove foreign objects from inside a body, like rot grubs and shrapnel without danger to the patient. Armor and bone block entry inside the body so the brain cannot be grabbed. The Hand counts as a magical weapon against corporeal and living beings only, dealing 1d12 damage. If you hit you have grabbed a vital organ and unless the opponent can Save vs Death to have it slip you hit automatically again next round. If you slay an opponent you have pulled out the vital organ (1d4) 1. Heart 2. Liver 3. Intestine 4. Spine.

 

[The1True]

Hand of Mala Cosa
A long-sleeved glove of a veiny, rubbery material in dark shifting colors. The glove allows you to reach inside creatures without breaking their skin and to grab at their insides. This is a great help to surgeons who can Cure Critical Wounds (heal 4d8+level hp) on a successful healing check. You can also remove foreign objects from inside a body, like rot grubs and shrapnel without danger to the patient. Armor and bone block entry inside the body so the brain cannot be grabbed. The Hand counts as a magical weapon against corporeal and living beings only, dealing 1d12 damage, if you hit you have grabbed a vital organ and unless the opponent can Save vs Death to have it slip you hit automatically again next round. If you slay an opponent you have pulled out the vital organ (1d4) 1. Heart 2. Liver 3. Intestine 4. Spine.

That went from useful healing relic to game-breaking artifact fast...

 

[Two orcs]

I would hardly call 1d12 per round game-breaking, especially not with a Save. Note that the victim is not paralyzed by the grab.

 

[The1True]

I would hardly call 1d12 per round game-breaking, especially not with a Save. Note that the victim is not paralyzed by the grab.

A touch-attack weapon that does d12 and yoinks out vital organs on a very difficult save? Don't get me wrong, I <3 it; but from a 3e standpoint, that item is going to fuck shit up for anything not immune to criticals.

 

[squeen]

I think the save is only for an auto-hit next round.

 

[Two orcs]

squeen is correct. And in B/X Death is the easiest saving throw to pass.

 

[Two orcs]

Boar's tusk helmet
Meriones put a cleverly made leather helmet on Odysseus head. On the inside there was a strong lining on interwoven straps, onto which a felt cap had been sewn in. The outside was cleverly adorned all around with rows of white tusks from a shiny-toothed boar, the tusks running in alternate directions in each row.

The bearer can each day call on a sounder of 2d20 boars (HD:3, AC: Leather, Tusks 2d4, ML: 10) to serve as loyal companions, understanding the speech of the bearer, for the rest of the day. They will not enter dungeons. When called in a forest they arrive within 1d6 turns. If the bearer is far from the woods they will take 1d6 turns + 12 turns per 6 mile hex to the nearest wood. At the end of the day the same sounder can be called on to serve another day, but they must roll a loyalty check -1 for each day of consecutive service. Note that harming the boars or feeding on them results in the entire sounder turning hostile.

 

[squeen]

You just keep churning out the hits.

My quibble with this is the 1/day all-day. Seems too often. Maybe 3/week?

 

[Two orcs]

The power level can be changed easily by making the # fewer or the cooldown longer, if 1/day is too many 1/w might do it. I'm thinking this is an Odysseus level item so this is something that would be useful (but not decisive) fighting the Trojan war.

 

[Two orcs]

Svinfylking
An open faced helmet with gilt cheek plates topped by a golden boar sprouting black bristles. Once per day, with a terrible squeal, the bearer takes on the aspect (a long distrusting face, bristles) of a wild boar fighting as a creature with HD:3, AC: Leather, Move: 150'(50') and immunity to fear. Roll 3d8 for temporary hit points, once they run out or the battle is over, whichever comes first, the aspect is destroyed and the warrior become themselves again. The damage of the final hit spills over into the actual hit points, even if the AC was better. Note that spellcasting isn't possible in boar aspect.

A great boon for a low or mid level warrior, probably a liability at high level.

 

[Two orcs]

Potion of Putrefaction
A hideous disease in a bottle. Off-white and clumpy and with the stench of death. Pouring it on the ground creates a stink 5' in radius that you requires a Save vs Death to cross or nausea stuns you for 1 round of retching. Drinking it inflicts a skin condition, eye-sized pustules bubble and pop over a couple of hours and the imbiber emits an incredible stench. All except dead or the vilest creatures must Save vs Death to go near the character and if forced to endure the stench they Save vs Death or suffer -2 to hit as long as they are adjacent (including allies). The effective charisma of the imbiber becomes 3 and their wounds and hit points no longer heal without magic. Towns will not let the character enter for fear of contagion. The effect lasts till Cure Disease is cast on the imbiber.

 

[squeen]

Gross!

 

[Beoric]

That's just gorgeous!

 

[The1True]

I want a more temporary version that gives you a +10 Disguise. So still all the effects, but it wears off by itself after 24 hrs or d3 days (or a Cure Disease). A useful tool for desperate fugitives or character assassinations. Available from poisoners, witches and more disreputable apothecaries.

 

[Two orcs]

Necrocharge
Gunpowder mixed with boneshards, made from ashes of the vengeful dead. Bullets shot with necrocharge are carried by screaming ghost and count as enchanted. They age their victims 1d10 years on a hit. This is horrifying to behold and aged victims affect their allies morale as if they had been slain twice (whether they die or not). Cannons loaded with necrocharge have the same effect on buildings which suffer 1d10 years of rot and withering on a hit doubling the structural damage per shot. Necrocharge is turned as skeletons and counts as undead (Protection from Evil completely blocks the shots).