This plain leather belt aids the wearer’s attacks against opponents of opposite alignments. The wearer receives a +1 for each term of alignment that is opposite its opponent. Against opponents of the same alignment, the belt curses its wearer with a -2 to hit. For example, a LG wearer receives a +2 bonus against all attacks on CE opponents, and a +1 bonus against LE. The same owner would suffer a -2 penalty on all attacks against LG opponents.
Price: 5,500gp, Craft Wondrous Item.
This plain, slightly tattered clock projects the wearer’s more humble virtues. As a result, against onlookers with any sense of humility, the wearer receives a +5 on all diplomacy and bluff checks.
Wearing the cloak in scenarios that call for more formal attire will penalize these skill checks.
The minor version provides a +2 bonus, and the greater version provides a +10 bonus on the associated skill checks.
Price: 1,000gp, Craft Wondrous Item. Owners of the cloak will often require a humble deed be done before they part with the cloak as the result of a transaction.
Thanks to all of you who submitted entries to our April contest, Dastardly Denizens. We’re happy to announce May’s contest, Awe-inspiring Items.
Write up your favorite item with a description of its origin, magical (or non-magical) effects, price, construction costs in materials, skills, and (if appropriate) time and experience. Artifacts are also welcome, as they are physical items wielded in much the same way as any other item.
“Post”mark your entries (to clawclawbite ATE gmail.com) by the end of May to be considered for the contest. Winners will appear in CCB 19 this summer.
By submitting an entry, you allow us to post the content of your entry, and reuse the entry for Claw/Claw/Bite magazine.
Each statue of limitations appears to be a humanoid statue between eight and twelve inches, with one feature diminished in size. These features correspond with which stat attribute they limit to a highest value of 14. Greater statues of limitations limit these values to 10, lesser to 18.
When the figurine is worn around one’s neck, its effects radiate 5′ in all directions, affecting others.
If a statue of limitations is broken or destroyed, its effects are nullified, its power departed.
Each feature on the statue that appears diminished on the statue is so limited. Figurines with all six attributes limited appear with all six features diminished.
Price: 8,000gp, lesser 4,000gp, greater 16,000gp.
This campaign flavor is also a nice trap, or in the modern parlance, a hazard. Have a map available on a desk or pinned to a wall in a mage’s tower, with a map pin corresponding to the current location. As the characters remove the pins and place them in new locations, the tower teleports them to the new location.
See how this can be used in various forms and in various environments, for instance representing the location of a large floating disk in a catacomb riddled with pit traps. The party will have to play with the pins on their confusing map (where are they, for instance?) until they find which one will bring them the disk. Meanwhile, other pins correspond to beholders and other nasty creatures, which the party inadvertently teleports in in their search for the disk.
Holy caltrops are runes the wielder drops on the ground to slow and damage the undead. The runes have a single activation keyword, the name of the rune. The runes deal 2d8 holy damage to and slow any undead in a 20′ radius which fail a DC 20 reflex save. Undead creatures which step on the caltrops must make a DC 25 reflex save or take 3d8 holy damage.
If laid as a trap, the caltrops do not require the keyword to activate them, but also do not affect all those in a 20′ radius; only those undead which step upon the caltrops are affected.
Greater holy caltrops raise the DC by 5 and the damage by a d8; lesser remove 5 DC and a d8.
Moderate enchantment. Must be blessed by a cleric of at least level 9. Price: 2,500 (lesser), 5,000 or 7,500 (greater) gp.
Inspired by a recent history of heresy in medieval times, and Richard Wunderli’s telling of the story of the Drummer of Niklashausen, Hans Behem, here is a magic item that should please fans of the Pied Piper of Hamlin.
This flute appears to be a normal, oversized flute. When played by a person who succeeds on a DC 15 Perform (wind instruments) check, the flute creates an hypnotic rhythm of a tune. Those within 30 feet who fail DC 20 Will saves are forced to dance for 2d6 rounds. Those affected can still attack, but at a -4. They also receive a +2 bonus to AC while dancing.
Flutes of dancing can be sounded with this effect twice a day.
Faint enchantment; CL 4th; Craft Wondrous Item, scare; Price 5,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
As a means of introducing campaign flavor, we recommend using Medallions of Honor. these medallions exist in many forms, and are awarded by communities and organizations to those who perform honorable deeds, for instance a party which saves a village from a marauding goblin army or saves a favored daughter of the hamlet.
Most common Medallions of Honor grant a +1 AC bonus (Sacred) to the wearer. However, they range through +5 bonuses, and can also bestow a number of other powers to the wearer. For instance, Medallions of Honor in aquatic communities often grant waterbreathing.
Prices range based on ability as dictated by the DMG, with additional cost bonuses for the stones which adorn them, be they turquoise, copper, or diamond.
This normal-looking pair of leather gloves is laced with a set of extra-long laces. Once worn, the long laces wrap around the wrists and arms of the wearer, binding the gloves to the wearer. Once this happens, the wearer must make a DC 20 Will check or be forced to choke the nearest creature as if under the affect of a charm person spell. If the wearer successfully chokes his neighbor, he will move on to his next-nearest neighbor until the enchantment is broken.
This is particularly deadly when characters try on the gloves while their companions sleep.
Moderate transmutation, CL 7th, Craft Wondrous Item, charm person, Price: 2,000gp.
This item appears to be a normal glass bottle with an hourglass printed on the cork. When opened on the Prime Material Plane, it allows the character to take one full round action. This can be repeated once every minute (hence, once every 10 rounds). The side effect is that the wielder ages a day per use.
If the bottle breaks, the wielder falls unconscious for a day. This is the tactic that those who know of this item use against the wielders. For this reason, Time in a Bottle is sometimes found in areas where there is much broken glass. But often they are found in very secret locations known only by powerful mages.
It is unknown how Time in s Bottle reacts on other planes.
Major transmutation; CL 19th; Craft Wondrous Item, phase self; Price 37,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.