The Eight Sacred Armors

Many scholars who study dusty ancient tomes have read of the Sacred Armors of, for example, Heaven, which lends glowing wings of flight to the wearer, or the unfortunately common Demon Armor, a loathsome clawed abyssal creature that one can wear as protection. And the similarly tragic Berserker armor of Limbo. Only those with true Guts can survive that mythic armor for long, as the wearer can not feel any pain while wearing it. But quasi-astral pshyoastronologimists that I have visited with postulate that each phase of octoethossection will tend to evoke an iconic armor into demihumanoidimaginationmanefestation vortices.

Hence, as observed during long multicosmic explorations, with protective bonuses measured in the +1 to +4 range:

  • “Heaven”, the Angelic Breastplate grants the wearer flight speed 60 feet per round and use of the light spell at will.
  • “Mercy” suit of golden chain mail that grants the wearer a bonus of 1d12 HP to any healing spell or effect and is considered light armor.
  • Berserker Armor which grants a the wearer advantage on Strength checks and on Saving Throws against effects that impose a condition on the wearer, such as webs that restrain or spells that charm. Additionally, the DM secretly keeps track of HP for the Player’s Character.
  • The Helm of Truth grants use of the spell Detect Thoughts to wearer at will, but is unable to lie unless they succeed on a saving throw.
  • The Shining Crown – most scholars agree that this headpiece does not exist, but there are some who believe it is possessed by the Lady of Pain.
  • The Skull Knight’s Helm – wearer can see invisible and ethereal creatures and objects, has advantage on Perception checks to see hidden foes, can detect magic at will.
  • Chaos’s Shield allows the bearer to resist a chosen damage type for one hour, once per day, as a reaction.
  • Inferno Armor grants fire immunity and deals 1d4 fire damage to natural or unarmed attackers.
  • Shadow Armor gives the wearer advantage on Stealth and cold resistance.
  • Demon Armor (per DMG).

It has been observed that these powers grow in proportion to the scale of heroic action achieved by their holders, which enforces the theory that these armors are spirits from the outer realms who have taken on a form that interacts with the wyrd skein of fate and elevate the glory of those who bear them. I postulate that these spirits in material form are somehow also fueled or enhanced by the resultant psychic-spiritual energy of their bearers.

-Alidol, High Mage of Soguer


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Starseeds and Sporriors

These spacefaring fungal creatures have a complex polymorphic lifecycle. Although mindless, they are a dangerous invasive species.

In all of their stages they grow by externally digesting organic or chemically useful compounds and minerals, and also through a photosysthisys-like process that allows them to slowly grow even in the wan starlight of deep space. This process and the mineral-like composition of their outer skins even allows them to grow from the energy of pulsars, gamma streams, and radioactive materials like uranium oxide deposits or atomic warheads.

Their cyclical lifecycle proceeds as follows: from tiny Spores grow Starflowers, which will grow as slow or as fast as local conditions allow. Their color varies depending on the local available nutrients, minerals, and radiation. Their bulb-based, tubular flowers grow until they are large enough to form a Starseed for the journey into space.

At that point the Starflower explosively launches the Starseed into the night sky, using the delicate fronds at the top to sense nearby stellar bodies for its progeny. The Starflower is blown into pieces by this process, which begins a cycle of regrowth. In being destroyed, the Starflower releases its internal defenders and the re-seeders of the flower: the Sporriors. Waiting encased in the Starflowers flesh are the nascent, ambulatory guardians who spread the Spores wherever they go. The destroyed Starflower’s remains become fertile ground for a new, wider batch of Starflowers, and the process continues.

Starflowers sometimes explode when cut or struck, depending on their state of growth.

If the Starseed escapes the local gravitational body, and makes it into space, and it doesn’t end up in a sun, it will break open upon impact, releasing Sporriors from their layered interiors and providing organic material for their new Spores to grow upon. If the Starseed doesn’t make it to space, when it falls back down it breaks open and seeds a new area.

In the asteroid fields and on the tiny iceballs in the depths of dim interstellar space the Starflowers grow slowly and are only large enough to launch little starseeds away from their host body. They release tiny little Sporriors to slowly crawl around spreading new Starflowers.

On planets like Earth with rich local organic deposits, a warm nearby star, and 1G local gravity, the Starflowers will quickly grow to be 90 meters tall or taller before exploding, which launches Starseeds measuring 10-15 meters in diameter. At that size the conical, ambulatory Sporriors released when damaged are 2-3 meters (6-9 feet) tall and in circumference at the bottom of their caps.

Slow but steady walkers, Sporriors spill out from damaged Starflowers and Starseeds, and mill about spreading Spores. They can also climb quite well owing to the hundreds of tiny appendages on the bottom of their trunks. They move very quietly, which combined with their rocky-looking exteriors makes them stealthy.

As they move the Sporriors slowly drip spores suspended in digestive acids, which will grow into Starflowers.

Though lacking a central nervous system or language, they will quietly and steadily walk towards any sound or vibration they sense. And if their tough outer cap touches anything that is moving for more than a moment, be it a sapling or a curious child, they attack.

A hydraulic and chemical reaction causes their conical caps to flip up, inverting. This causes the burning sporewhips, which line the interior of the cap, to fling out in all directions around the Sporrior to a distance of 2-3 meters. The burning sporewhips lie in channels of digestive juices and Spores, and are raspy, so they cut, chemically burn, and possibly infect anything they hit. This reflexive attack also momentarily exposes the Sporriros softer inner cap and stalk.

Sporrior
large fungal plant
Armor Class: 16 (or 9 when attacking)
Hit Points: 48 (4d8+16)
Skills: Stealth +4
Move: 10′, climb 5′
Attack: +4 attack against all creatures within 10 feet / 3 meters, damage 1d4 + 2 slashing, 1d3 acid, and DC 12 Constitution Saving Throw or become infected with burning, itching, tiny-Sporeflower-growing spores. Unless treated with healing magic, technology, or DC 12 Medicine skill checks, the digesting spores will eat away at the infected creature’s body, spreading and dealing 1d12 Hit Points of damage per day.
Challenge Rating: 1


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The Lair of the Wyrm

This fantasy role-playing game scenario is the lair of the Wyrm of Etiniga, the draconic creature from the adventure: The Suitor’s Challenge. I also used a shorter, modified version of this dungeon for the medieval age dungeon in season 2 of Class of 198x. This map could also serve as basically any dragonlike creature’s lair in your home game.

Creatures

As the person running the game, select a number and type of creatures for the below encounters according to what seems appropriate to the characters attempting to delve the dungeon. The scenario probably entails navigating three to five encounters, so a gamut of medium and hard encounters is probably appropriate, based on Player Character number and level (consult your Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide or equivalent books for more guidelines on this topic). My advice: make it hard, but not impossible. Don’t be afraid to throw in a couple of reinforcements (on either side) when appropriate, but overall try to present a difficult but achievable scenario.

Entrance

Situated in a large natural cavern hidden in the ravine past the hills north of Vistola, the lair of the cursed Wyrm of Etiniga’s maw stands open. A cavern in the side of a ravine, twenty feet wide and receding into the yawning darkness of a larger chamber ahead. Close examination of the gravely ground reveals clawed footprints of a variety of sizes, among dry old bloodstains.

The Lair of the Wyrm (5 foot squares)

Areas

1) Gruesome Display
A pile of broken animals, people, and weapons have been arranged into a sort of horrid meat-drying scaffolding in this chamber. The corpses are in varying stages of decay and bear jagged bite marks on whatever is left of them. Broad natural stone passages lead to the left and to the right.
Loud noises in this chamber will alert the kobolds and lizardfolk to the right in areas 3 and 4.

2) Chasm
This passage is bisected by a twenty foot deep crack in the stone, at the base of which a shallow underground stream flows. The walls bear black moss and faintly glowing white lichen.
Climbing up or down is a difficult task (DC 20) due to the moisture and the slick growths on the walls.

3) Lizardfolk
The warband of lizardfolk who have come to the caves to worship the Wyrm and raid the countryside live in this cavern, eating from the corpses in area 1 and otherwise being served by the kobolds. Among them is a war shaman who will aid them with magic against intruders. The lizardfolk warband spends its time eating, resting, and raiding the surrounding countryside, dragging back both shepard and sheep upon which to feast.
They will lead the attack against intruders, backed up by the kobolds and the shaman as their leader.

4) Kobolds
Numerous kobolds already lived in nearby caves when the Wyrm arrived, and have come here to join in the worship and feasting. They mainly live in this cavern, and perform most of their domestic tasks here from cooking over small firepits to coppersmithing spear heads and knives.
They will join the lizardfolk in defense of the caverns, taking advantage of the narrow passages that connect areas 4, 5 and 7 to flank and sneak up on intruders. Medium sized creatures must squeeze through the narrow passages at half speed, and are at disadvantage to attacking foes and defending themselves.

5) Idol
The kobolds and lizardfolk have built a shrine here to the Wyrm: a stone block with a silver-and-gold gilded idol of the serpentine Wyrm with eyes of garnet. Piled up at the base of the altar is the wealth of the tribe, including several boxes of sandalwood incense, one hundred gold coins, twice as many pieces of silver coin, and a pot of healing balm which will heal 2d4+3 hit points when applied to wounds.
The shaman will make their last stand here against intruders and will fight to the death to protect the shrine.
The idol itself is is worth 200 gold, but it is also warded with a curse, and the first non-lizardfolk to touch it will take 3d8 points of acid damage, unless they make a Constitution save for half damage.

6) Fungi and Slime
Putrid-smelling green slime drips from the ceiling of this shallow bowl of a cavern. Below, grayish gunk stirs slightly among shards of bone and dark smelly spoor.
Creatures entering the cavern will be dripped upon by the green slime on the ceiling, and attacked by the gray ooze on the ground. Unless they succeed on stealth checks, those who pass by this cavern are likely to be pursued by at least one gray ooze.
For lower level parties, consider using Blue Oozes instead of gray oozes.

7) Chasm
This large cavern is split by a 30 foot deep crack in the stone ground.
The chasm is difficult to climb up and down, but the Wyrm can arch across it without difficulty.
Loud noises in this cavern will attract the ire of the Wyrm.

8) Wyrm
The Wyrm of Etrigia lies here, a gleaming shiny black mass of coils and claws, making gruesome noises.
If using the True Love plot twist version of this adventure, medium difficulty (DC 15) Sense Motive skill checks will reveal the beast appears to be in pain, and is writhing and scratching at itself, biting its tail, all without piercing its scaly hide. With successful Perception checks, of if the princess has accompanied the party she will recognize the silver necklace around the serpentine creature’s neck as the one she gave to her true love. If she can kiss the willing beast, the curse will be broken and the Wyrm will revert to their former self.
Otherwise the Wyrm will attack, kill, and then eat any who intrude, or those making loud noises in the adjacent cavern (area 7, above).
The Wyrm‘s hide is invulnerable to non-magical slashing and piercing damage, and will make a grand prize for any who can collect it. If the Wyrm is slain its scales can be made into hide armor that grants the wearer resistance to slashing and piercing damage. This legendary magic item requires attunement.

 


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The Vampires of Grimsport

800th POST!

After 12 years and 799 articles detailing new magic items, monsters, spells, characters, encounters, locations, and adventures, Unicorn Rampant Publishing and Claw Claw Bite Magazine are thrilled to present you with this free adventure for Dungeons & Dragons or other fantasy role-playing games.

Thanks for coming with us on this amazing journey of the imagination, and look for this and so much more in the next issue of Claw Claw Bite!

Grimsport

In the land of Findor, where the Hadevar River meets the Soral Sea, the gray city of Grimsport broods. Dark stone buildings with slate roofs cluster around the main square, a short walk up the cobblestone road from the docks. There are found the homes of the ruling Captains’ families. Stone walls separate the inner city from the wooden homes of the tradespeople and serfs. Farms dot the banks of the river further inland.

It is from this city that the region gets it’s moniker “The Pirate Kingdoms.” Grimsport is the largest city in the region and the closest thing to a capital, and the primary source of the raiders that plague the Soral Sea. But in Findor no one rules an area larger than a stronghold or city, save the goblins of the northern wastes.

City of Grimsport

The Town of Grimsport

The boat-owning worthies who make their homes in the city center form the Captains’ Council, the closest thing to a government in this violent port town. They own most of the farmland and assign it to serfs. They serve as the bankers and trade in many goods. Some families have small fleets. Others have but one ship to their names.

The most important Capitans’ families are as follows:

  • VonWaldemar – The wealthiest and oldest of the families, with the largest home on the central square. Said to be the descendants of some of the first humans to come to this wild, cold land many generations ago. Old man VonWlademar hasn’t been seen in public in years, and people sometimes whisper about pale, ghostly figures peering out of the heavily curtained mansion windows at night.
  • Thyra Askrdottir – Daughter of Askr Vulfethson, Thyra’s exploits as captain of her father’s ship have earned her a reputation as a skilled and ruthless pirate.
  • Addis Rígson – Addis owns two ships, which are captained by his two eldest sons Victor and Ricus. His youngest son Sigurd wanders the land seeking his fortune and could be a NPC or hierling met here or elsewhere.
  • Soljev – Captain Soljev sails the Drunken Siren.
  • Ragnhild – Captain of the Kraken’s Maw and the Burning Spear.
  • Kromulf – The new captain of the Black Hydra, an infamous pirate ship that Kromulf wrested from its previous captain.
  • Gunnar Smithson – Owns a small fleet of fishing vessels, sailed by his extended family, and the ship Silver Wave.
  • Malte One-Hand – An old captain, now mostly retired due to his ship being in poor repair.
  • Gull Erland – His ship is in drydock for repairs which he cannot afford.
  • Eberhard the Bloody – Has one small ship and a reputation as a unpredictable and violent man.
  • Bjarke Littlebear – Sails a large fishing boat with his five sons.

Locations

  • The Wailing Wench – This rowdy tavern sits on the road between the main square and the docks, and is always full of sailors. Thieving, fighting, kidnapping and every other type of crime are regular occurrences here. A fenced pen and stables are attached to the back for travelers animals.
  • Church of the Sky Father and Sea Mother – attended by a priest and priestess, with smaller shrines to other local dieties such as Krom, etc.
  • Smithy – Worked by a smith and a team of apprentices and journeymen, with a good assortment of tools, weapons, and armor, used or ready-made.
  • Shipwright – Currently building a 20 foot wooden currach.
  • Tradespeople
  • Farms
  • Hanging Tree & Godswood
  • Ruined Watchtower – built long ago by the Captain’s council, no repairs have ever been made to the watchtower. Over the decades it has fallen into ruin, and the whole north wall of the two-story tower has collapsed. None know about the small cache of treasure buried there.

Adventures and Encounters in Grimsport

  • Thieves in the Swamps – A band of thieves operates out of the swamps to the west. They secretly use Malte One-Hand’s ship as storage for their stolen goods.
  • Pressed into Service – Press gangs round up drunks and force them to crew the captains’ ships. While the Player Characters are crewing the ship any sort of mishap or adventure could befall them. The ship could sink in bad weather, throwing the heroes upon some unknown shore. Perhaps they are forced to scout a fortress the Captain wishes to raid, or perhaps the PCs are forced to be the first wave of the attack. The Lilend at the Stormking Rocks might lure them to her isle and send them after the Rune of Life in the shadowlands at the edge of the Land of the Dead.
  • Pickpockets and Muggers – The rough rogues of Grimsport will take any opportunity to enrich themselves if they see people not paying attention to their purses, or who they think are weak enough to rob (preferably one character who they follow until they outnumber their victim).
  • Dueling in the Streets – Disputes in Grimsport are often settled personally, and duels are a common form of conflict resolution, weather to first blood or to the death. In such a place the Player Characters could easily become embroiled in a dangerous situation. Mistaken identity, false accusations, or just disrespecting someone or being in the wrong place at the wrong time could result in a duel.
  • Escaped Slaves – Some slaves captured in a raid have escaped and a reward is offered for their return.
  • Beggars – Old crippled fisherman and seamen beg for alms in the square and by the docks.
  • Grave Robbers – Graves dug on the hill behind the church are always found empty a week or so after burying. No one in town really seems to care, as this has been going on for as long as anyone can remember. Under cover of night, the ghouls who crew the VonWaldemar’s ships and attend them in their mansion are digging up the graves to feast upon the rotten bodies. Investigation after the next burial (a common occurrence) will lead the Player Characters to the basement door of the VonWaldemar mansion.
  • Land Dispute – One of the Captains wants some land currently owned by another Captain and the Player Characters are asked to undertake some skulduggery. Burn the crops, poison the well, kill the farmers, or whatever is needed to get the current tenants off and new tenants on.
  • Missing Servant Girls – Player characters who spend much time in town will hear that servant girls sometimes go missing. Investigation leads to the ghouls in the basement of the Von Waldemar mansion (see map).

VonWaldemar Mansion Areas

  • The stone exterior, high windows, and peaked slate roofs of this mansion site like a dark and gothic castle on the town square. A fence surrounds the front and sides of the windowless bottom floor, and a stair in the back leads down to the basement entrance. The front door will not be answered unless it is being battered down, and then by ghoul butlers and Matrok, an armored wight who will demand to know what business interrupts the VonWaldemar’s rest.
  • The ground floor has several mostly-empty halls, a decorative armory, and a small library of dusty common books. An undead shadow, the restless spirit of one of the long-dead Von Waldemars, haunts these halls and will warn Gunnar of any intruders.
  • The basements are overseen by a ghoul named Harod and a flesh golem doorman named Pip. Peasant servants prepare food while ghoul footmen serve the vampires upstairs. The locked vault contains a large amount of plateware, iron ingots, and other loot pillaged from around the Soral Sea, along with several chests of gold, silver and copper coins, and two empty caskets where the vampires will flee if defeated.
  • The sub-basement holds cells, a half-flooded chamber where corpses float in briny water, and their horrible feeding area. VonWaldemar, the vampire master of the house, is sometimes found here feeding with the ghouls among the cracked bones of countless people. A secret passage leads to a small, rough-hewn passage which leads to the town well, and is guarded by a gargoyle.
  • The VonWaldemar family quarters are upstairs, as are the quarters of their wight guards and ghoul servants. Gunnar VonWaldemar and his daughter Helde are centuries-old vampires, and the only remaining members of the family. They are attended by several ghoul servants. Their quarters contain much finery, and any victims that they are feeding from. The windows in the vampires’ quarters have the shutters nailed closed and reinforced so that no sunlight can enter. Gunnar is a 7th level wizard, and his chambers contain his spellbook, many magic scrolls, and correspondence with someone who signs with a unique snowflake-like rune (the evil lich White Eye), and who has asked Gunnar to use an enclosed scroll of glacial onslaught to draw the oncoming unnatural summer ice south, down the river. If necessary, the VonWaldemar vampires will become bats or rats and use the ratholes, which crisscross the entire mansion with a network of rat-tunnels, to escape.

VonWaldemar Mansion

VonWaldemar Mansion

VonWaldemar Mansion Sub-Basement

Background image by Nikolai Rerikh, Guests from Overseas, 1901, Tretyakov Gallery,  Moscow (public domain)


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Glacial Onslaught

LEVEL 7th
CASTING TIME 10 Minutes
RANGE/AREA Self (3 miles )
COMPONENTS V, S, M *
DURATION Concentration 4 Hours
SCHOOL Transmutation
ATTACK/SAVE None
DAMAGE/EFFECT Control (…)

This spell allows the caster to summon or move large formations of ice. Any glacier or iceberg within the area can be made to move at a rate of 1 mile per hour (or 10 feet per round), and can be moved towards or away from the caster. Any buildings, ships, or other objects in the ice’s path are destroyed unless built of metal such as adamintine or a similarly tough substance. Any creatures who are overrun by the slow-moving ice take 6d6 points of bludgeoning and cold damage on a failed Dexterity (or Reflex) saving throw.
If no glacier or iceberg is available, when cast the spell will create a huge chunk of ice that roughly fills an available empty 20′ cube of space and can be moved as above, destroying or damaging objects and creatures smaller than it.
* Material Component – an icicle, or a similar wand-shaped piece of ice

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Class of 198X Character Sheets

Folks have been asking for pre-generated characters to use in the Class of 198X adventure, so I re-created the original character sheets that the CowChop crew used.

These characters are for use with the 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons rules, with a few items borrowed from the D20 Modern rules. Everything should also work fine with 3rd edition D&D.

These sheets are also being added to the adventure in the store, so everyone who has bought it so far should get an email with a link to download the new files.


Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Character, D20 Modern and tagged by with no comments yet.

Class of 198X Characters

How you make characters for use in Class of 198X – The Adventure is going to depend on what RPG rules you’ll be using, and what type of characters the players will be making.

For modern characters, I recommend using the D20 Modern rules, available here: D20 Modern SRD Rules. The D20 Modern statistics here should work with the monsters from the 3.5 D&D SRD and Monster Manual.

Otherwise, use whatever character creations rules are indicated by the rules you’re using.

When I ran this adventure for the CowChop guys, I used the base classes from D20 Modern, and changed the skills to be 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons style. The main difference is that D20 uses skill points, and in 5th ed. a character is either proficient with a skill, or they’re not. Doing this let me use the rules and monsters from 5th ed. D&D, which I prefer to the 3rd edition.

Here are their character sheets at the end of the adventure, after they all leveled up to 2nd level.

 

 

 

 


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The Suitors’ Challenge

an adventure seed for fantasy role-playing games

A common theme in ancient tales involve romance preceded by obstacles. Brunhilde, Atlanta, and Penelope all provide examples of these types of stories. This scenario presents an rich adventure idea that can incorporate heroic deeds, intrigue, and plenty of opportunities for role playing.

By Arthur Rackham

By Arthur Rackham

In these tales the young prince or princess is of age to marry. However, for whatever reason, someone does not want the marriage to take place. Perhaps the young princess wishes to spend her days hunting and running in the woods. Or the prince’s mother is jealous of her son’s affections and does not wish to have a rival. Maybe the princess’s kindly father simply cannot stand the thought of an unworthy person marrying his beloved daughter. It could be that an oracle has spoken a prophecy that unless a monstrous serpent is slain the princess will die of its poison. Or the princess is next in line of the royal succession and does not want a foreign husband ruling in her stead.

For whatever reason they have set conditions upon those seeking the hand of the young bride or groom. Perhaps the suitor must defeat a nearby monster, or beat the princess herself in a foot race or a contest of feats of arms. They could be sent to a distant land to retrieve some talisman or artifact to prove their worth. There may be additional penalties imposed for those who fail – perhaps they are stripped of land and title or exiled. Some may decree that those who fail the trial be put to death, in order to further dissuade any potential suitors.

The adventures may have been enlisted by another kingdoms’ young prince or princess to aid them in gaining the hand of the potential spouse. Or perhaps one of the adventures themselves is enamored of this young person. Or a combination of the two: perhaps the adventures are enlisted to aid someone and then find that one of their number is smitten by the young prince or princess.

The challenges themselves should be arduous. A chariot race can be extremely dangerous. A contest of archery might involve treachery with poison-coated arrows. Perhaps the nearby monster has a scaly hide which cannot be cut by mortal blades. Maybe the young princess has magical aid such as a belt of giant strength or help from the gods. The bride’s unwilling parents may interfere with the adventures. Conversely if they wish the marriage to take place they may help a chosen suitor. Rival suitors may well try to trip up or even kill their opponents.

Presented below is a short adventure built on this theme. (more…)


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Variant Rule: Brace Action

Bracing is when a character readies whatever defenses available for an imminent attack. This could involve raising and ducking behind a shield, preparing to dodge a blow, or holding your weapon in a guard position.

Bracing is a standard action which gives the character who braces a +1 dodge bonus to their AC and Reflex save until the start of their next turn.

Use of this optional rule may give combat a more granular feel, and peels back a bit of the abstraction that is assumed in the combat rules around AC and Reflex saving throws. As such it may slow combat down slightly, while giving a new tactical option to characters and monsters.

If you end up giving this new rule a try in your game please let us know what you think.


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Magic Item – Delver’s Rope

Aura faint transmutation; CL 5th
Slot none – hand held; Price 8,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Description

This small coil of fine silk rope is light and wonderfully easy to handle. When users speak a magic word and uncoil it, however, they will discover that it it long enough for any use, no matter how much rope is needed. For example, the small coil can be lowered all the way down to the bottom of a 300 foot deep chasm, or used to tie a tightrope across a eighty foot gap between two rooftops, or bind a single prisoner, and the rope is exactly long enough to accomplish the task.

Construction and Cost

Craft Wondrous Item, rope trick; Cost 4,000 gp.


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