Magical Hodgepodge VI

Fire Chalk: This red chalk can be used to draw a line on an appropriate surface, which then erupts into flames one round later. The chalk can be used to draw up to 60' in an uninterrupted pattern and 1 round later a vertical sheet of flame 5' high will erupt from the line. The flame will burn for 1 turn and deal 2d6 damage for anyone crossing the plane. The Fire Chalk can be used up to 3 times before losing its red color and reverting to white chalk.

Feather Parasol: This parasol is made out of harpy feathers. If the parasol is opened and held above the head it allows the user to levitate as per the spell for six turns. The levitate ability can be used 3 times per day. The parasol can also be opened and twirled in a hypnotic pattern, all targets who can see the parasol within 30' must make a save vs spell. Upon failure the target is fascinated by the pattern until the user stops twirling. Fascinated targets can defend themselves, but can't move or attack. The fascinated effect is broken if the target takes damage or is outside the 30' range. A save is permitted each round to break free.

Magical Hodgepodge V

Pain Razor: A blood stained flint shaving razor that is use to increase pain tolerance. The user can scar himself with the razor, which increases his pain threshold for 1 turn. All physical damage is reduced by 1/2 for 1 turn. At the end of the turn the user permanently loses 1 hit point.

Embryonic Needle: This needle has the embryos of rot grubs sustain in amniotic fluids. The needle can be injected into a victim and the embryos immediately mature into an adult rot grub. A to hit roll for the injection is required and the following round 1d6+2 rot grubs begin to burrow within the victim. A cure disease or flame to the injection site can be used to remove them. If not removed within 1 to 3 turns the grubs burrow to the heart and the victim is slain. The needle can only be used once.

Dagger of Sacrifice: This +1 dagger has an obsidian pommel and a jagged blade. If the user scores the killing blow against creature he gains temporary hit points equaling the creatures level or HD. A 5 HD creature would gain 5 hit points. These temporary hit points last 6 turn before disappearing. Temporary hit point cannot be more then twice the user hit points.

For more magic items, check out the index

6 Random Dungeon Rooms IX

6 Random Dungeon Rooms series is a collection of modular rooms and concepts that can be used for inspiration during dungeon design.

1. This apparently empty room has a secret compartment. A loose flagstone has a cache of 24 onyx gems. The gems are cursed and slowly begin to damage the bearer. Once the gems are taken out of the room they begin to deal 1 point of damage per gem. The damage begin 24 hours after the bearer has left the room and the victim cannot discern where the damage is coming from. The damage is dealt again after another 24 hours and any additional gems the victim is carrying becomes corrupted. Those corrupted gems add to the damage total the following 24 hours. If the victim attempts to rid himself of the gems they appear in his possession 10 minutes later. Only by returning the gems to the original location will break the curse, corrupted gems included.

2. This 20x20 chamber host a raised platform in the shape of a star. The star shaped platform is located in the center of the room and takes up a 10x10 area. The platform is littered with dozens of runic symbols and is used as teleportation device to reach another level of the dungeon. There are sliding panels at the base of the platform and when opened reveals compartments that houses a type of fuel to activate the device. The fuel used is star crystals that can be harvested throughout the current level. When enough star crystals is harvested, it can be used to activate the teleportation platform.

3. This 20x20x20 room has excrement littering the room. Hanging from the ceiling are a dozen large bird cages. Each cage has an emaciated stirge. The presence of the party will cause the stirges to go into a frenzy, frantically slamming against the cages to break free. For each stirge roll a 1d6 and on a roll of a 6 that stirge is able to break free.

4. A frigid room with eight stone slabs. Each slab has a corpse on it which are well preserved. The eyes of the corpse have platinum coins resting on them. If a coin is disturbed in any manner the corpse animates and quickly decays before your eyes. A ghoul is born and his first order of business to awake the other seven corpses in the room.

5. 20x20 room with four pillars with flame designs. Each pillar has angelic patterned torch sconce and an unlit torch. If the torch is lit the corresponding pillar erupt into radiant flames and begins to heal 1 hit point per round. For each torch lit the healing cumulative. The radiant flame continues to heal beyond your maximum hit points. Any hit point above the maximum are temporary and last for 1 hour. If your hit points are increased by twice your normal amount you explode and deal your current hit points in damage to everyone in the room.

6. The entrance chamber to the dungeon has metal pipes and nozzle that sprays a purple mist that fills this chamber. A save is required or your skin tints to a shade of purple. Those affected by the mist are marked individual and clearly intruders to the complex. The residents of the complex have an antidote to combat the tinting effect.

For 48 more random dungeon rooms, check out the rest of the articles.

The first 48+2 are collected in 50 Random Dungeon Rooms.

6 Giant Killer Bees Adventure Seeds

Last year I wrote an article about Giant Killer Bees and had some adventure seeds in my notebook. I forgot about them and just rediscovered that notebook a few days ago. I figured I'll post them. Not that Giant Killer Bees are typical adversaries, but what the hell.

1. A local alchemist is paying 10 gold pieces for each stinger collected from a Giant Killer Bee. The poison in the stinger can only last 24 hours before being preserved.

2. Collect jars of honey in the bee hive. The honey is rumored to have curative properties.

3. The local village has been attacked by Giant Killer Bees. Local bandits are disturbing the hive and directing the bee attacks on the village with the intention of clearing the residents and claiming it for themselves.

4. Thousands of Giant Killer Bees are being cultivated on the desolate hills. A dark druid has taken control of the hive consciousness and using them to wipe the scourge of humanity from his domain.

5. The local hive has grown to immense proportions and only a vast army could destroy it. Now alchemist have tasked you with a mission to find components with the intent to create a virus to wipe out their population.

6. When the Giant Killer Bees extract nectar from plants they destroy them in the process. The farmland is devastated as the swarm continue to encroach on fertile territory.

Id Sphere

No. Enc: 1

Alignment: Neutral

Movement: 60' (20')
                    Fly: 180' (60')

Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice: 6

Attack: special

Damage: special

Save: M6

Morale: 12

Hoard Class: None

XP: 1320

An Id Sphere is created when a crystal ball has witnessed mass murder of unprecedented proportions. As the psychic residue of death and agony fill the area, the crystal ball is granted sentience as it absorbs those fractured minds. The crystal ball then swells in size and begins to break apart. An invisible field of mental energy keeps the sphere is place. An Id Sphere is now fully formed with the sole function of being a psychic vampire, constantly seeking to erode and absorb sanity. A Id Sphere is a 3' diameter broken glass orb transmitting images of mental anguish as it hovers through the air.

Combat

• Id Sphere constantly radiate an aura of insanity in a 30' radius. Those who enter the aura must make a save vs spell or be under the effect of the confusion spell. A save is required each round if within the aura. 
• The Id Sphere can suppress mental functions with a pscyhic assault to close portions of the mind. This suppression attack has a range of 60' and requires a save vs spell to resist. Upon failure a portion of the victim brain is shut down. The GM will determine what ability is lost. This could be anything from losing the ability to cast spells, turn undead, movement, attacking, etc. That ability is suppressed for 1 turn.
• Id Sphere can release a brain crush attack which erodes the target sanity. The brain crush attack requires a save vs spell or the target loses 2d4 points of wisdom. A target reduce to 0 wisdom is dead and their consciousness absorb into the Id Sphere. Wisdom damage is recovered at 1 point per day. Those killed by Id Sphere cannot be raised from the dead unless the Id Sphere is destroyed and their consciousness released.
• Id Sphere is immune to mind-affecting abilities. Spells or abilities that target the Id Sphere mind will backlash upon the caster. The backlash will causes 1d4 points of wisdom damage. Wisdom Damage is recovered at 1 point per day.
• Any target reduce to below 3 wisdom and not killed has a 20% chance of gaining a random insanity. 

Adventure Seeds

1.	The Wizards Academy has been the scene of a mass murder. Every student and teacher slain. Now 4 Id Spheres stalk its hallways as the town has quarantined the building. They have reach out to adventurers to investigate and secure the scene.
2.	A Mad Astrologer has hired the group to capture an Id Sphere. He believe the Id Sphere components can be crafted into a lens to fit his massive telescope. His plans to shoot psychic death rays into the stars now nears completion.

For more monsters, check out my New Monster Index

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Artwork by Joanna Ballendorf

10 Graveyard Encounters

A collection of graveyard encounters, adventure seeds, and half-baked thoughts...

1. The group stumbles upon a cemetery with tombstones a quarter of the standard size. Engraved on the tombstones are names like Kitty, Tiger, Max, etc. Half the grave soil has been disturbed as if something dug its way out. A meow can be heard in the distance as dozens of undead cats prowl the perimeter of their resting ground.

2. There are numerous mausoleums spread throughout the graveyard. Each one has four gargoyles leering at each of its roof corners. Anyone who crosses the shadow of any of the perched gargoyles will have the shadow come alive and attack. Once slain that gargoyle will no longer cast a shadow.

3. You encounter an elderly man who is digging up a grave. If questioned he tells you that he recently had a dream where his dead wife was calling for him to rescue her.

4. A young girl scream pierces through the cemetery. She is running frantically and crying for help. She and her partner came to the cemetery to make out when decaying arms rose up from the ground and dragged her lover beneath the surface. All that remains is a broken picnic basket, a shredded blanket, and a used sheepskin.

5. You cross paths with a half dozen gravediggers. Their cart is filled with dozens of bodies. Half of them deceased, the other half clinging to life. They tell you the other half will be dead soon enough and there is no point in waiting for the inevitable.

6. As you pass by a gravestone you hear scratching and clawing coming from the ground. The soil begins to break apart and you faintly hear mumbling asking for assistance. A few moments later a ghoulish man in victorian dress and a top hat pull himself out. He believes he is awfully late for a dinner engagement and ask your were Wilson Pub is.

7. A cemetery with a hundred gravestones and 12' tall memorial plinth in the center. Once a living being enters the cemetery the dead begin to rise from their graves. Wave upon wave of zombies attack. Once a zombie is slain it will reanimate 1 hour later. The plinth in the center of the cemetery has the name of every person buried here. Only by crossing out their names will they stay dead.

8. You stumble upon a gravestone with a square glass in the center of it. Next to the glass are two dials. With the right combination on the dials or a successful disable trap check you are able to speak with the person who's grave this belongs to. Their image will appear in the square glass and will gladly answer questions.

9. You enter into a graveyard and suddenly realize that the exit is no longer there. As far as the eye can see appears to be an endless rows of tombstones. You quickly realize that all gravestones bear the same name. Only by putting that soul to rest can you escape this distorted reality.

10. In a long abandoned cemetery you meet a farmer planting seeds on the burial plots. He claims that the dead are wonderful fertilizer and the crop yield has remnants of their past memories.

For more random tables and non sense check out my Random Encounter Index

Husk Doll

No. Enc: 4d6

Alignment: Chaotic Evil 

Movement: 60'(20')

Armor Class: 7

Hit Dice: 1-1

Attack: 1 

Damage: 1

Save: F1

Morale: 10

Hoard Class: None

XP: 7

Husk Doll are created by witches, witch-doctors, and shaman. They are blessed with sentient life from the evil spirits of forlorn places. Created from the husk of corn cob, these Husk Dolls are created in large batches with the purpose of swarming larger foes with their miniature knives. Husk Doll stand no more then 1' tall and weigh roughly a 1 lb.

Combat

• Husk Dolls attack with their knives which do 1 point of damage. Each successful hit also causes wounds to bleed for an additional 1 point of damage each subsequent round. Bleed damage can be stop by spending a round bandaging wounds or any curative magic. Bleed damage from multiple Husk Dolls are cumulative. 
• Husk Dolls can forgo their individual attacks to gang up on a target. The Husk Dolls will swarm the victim from all sides and the attack, damage, and bleed value will be based on one attack with increased potency. The table below represent the number of Husk Dolls attacking in unison, what HD creature they attack as, damage done, and ongoing bleed damage. 

# Attacking	Attack Hit Die	Damage	Bleed
2 - 6	3	1d8	2
7 - 12	5	1d10	4
12 - 18	6	1d12	6
19 +	8	3d6	8

Adventure Seeds

1.	The village is celebrating summer solstice. A mysterious benefactor has gifted the village with large decorated crate to mark the occasion. During the height of the festivities the crate burst open and dozens of Husk Doll go on a murdering rampage.
2.	You are hired to investigate the attic in an old manor. Recently servants have been found stabbed to death while going about their duty. The attic is home to a collection of dolls from the family deceased aunt.

Artwork by Joanna Ballendorf

For more OSR/LL monsters check out my New Monster Index