Magic items for Elric

[danskmacabre]

As some of you know, I've been running Elric/Legend for some time.

The Elric rules do supply various magic items such as potions, drugs, wines and some very powerful artifacts and so on.

Also the old Stormbringer rules provided possibilities for permanently binding demons which I adapted for Elric (although it's very dangerous and extremely rare). So far none of my players have gone for demon magic, which in itself even with the core rules requires a lot of dedication of skill points. But I have it for use by bad guys every now and then.

What I'm looking to build is more lowish power, but interesting Elric focused magic items.

Maybe the result of some mad Pan-Tangian or Melnibonean experiment

Or some remnant of of the Dharzi war with Melnibone in some dungeon, or ruined city, battlefield, forest of Troos etc..

Perhaps items from the far east outside of the young kingdoms.

Some utility item from the height of the Melnibonean empire.

Even something from another plane, like the Corum worlds, or tragic millenium (Hawkmoon)
Perhaps they are unpredictable due to the high level of chaos in the young kingdoms.

Other stuff I haven't mentioned. The items should have some sort of interesting background and some sort of "Side effect".

 

[DamonJynx]

Are you asking for suggestions? Or, letting us know what you're doing? I'm not quite sure.

One thing you could do, for some basic "+1 Swords" type of thing, is have the odd item with inscribed runes that have permanent magic points invested, i.e. from a sacrificed creature or some such (preferably non-sentient to keep the MP low). Unfortunately the rituals/methodology for achieving this has been lost over time or, as you say, came from another plane or whatever.

That would enable you to have some "standard" magic items.

 

[danskmacabre]

Yeah looking for suggestions, for interesting items associated with some of my suggestions or some stuff completely different.

 

[danskmacabre]

One thing you could do, for some basic "+1 Swords" type of thing, is have the odd item with inscribed runes that have permanent magic points invested, i.e. from a sacrificed creature or some such (preferably non-sentient to keep the MP low). Unfortunately the rituals/methodology for achieving this has been lost over time or, as you say, came from another plane or whatever.
.

Yeah that sort of thing, but with a story behind it. Maybe some of these bonus items are tainted from another plane somehow, or have weird effects etc.
I wouldn't wan to just put in items with a bonus on them.

 

[funyskywalker]

The answer is runes inscribed items. Check it.

 

[Da Boss]

few things I used in last campaign - slightly different rules but may be useful

Ghost is a finely crafted sword given to you by Surisa, with a glittering blade with silver runes running its length. In combat the blade vanishes to all but your eye, making it incredibly difficult to guard against and armour proves no defence against its edge.

Unknown Artefact of Law
Unmarked Metal disc that will fit in the palm of the hand. Thin and with no signs of crafting – it makes increasingly loud humming noise in the presence of Chaos creatures, artefacts or forces.

When held by a followed of Law – it will attempt to meld with them and persuade them to destroy servants of Chaos – especially Demons (or those with very high Chaos scores). The Artefact can not normally be touched by anyone with a Chaos score higher than its Law score – it will simply slip out of their hand

Melding with the Artefact increases the bearers Law score by 10 points.

It can project a beam of pure energy that destroys creatures or artefacts of Chaos

To Demons and similar creatures it inflicts the bearers POW plus his Law allegiance score /10 each round. It requires one round to lock onto a designated target and will not then normally miss. It ignores amour or similar defences but energy shields or wardpacts will still operate as normal. Demon weapons and objects take damage direct to their CON.

A man sized Chaos object has a percentage chance equal to the beams damage score (above) to be immediately destroyed, this increases proportionately if the object is smaller or decrease if its larger.

If the bearers Law allegiance score is ever exceeded by its Chaos score it will cease operation and drop off his or her hand and can not be re-attached until his or haer Law score becomes accesdant again.

Name Runes
Both brothers bear gifts from their now dead parents – a iron name rune on a chain about their necks, forged by their father and anointed with their mothers blood. They were told that should they ever be at deaths door, to call upon the spirits of their parents and they would come from beyond death to save them, once.

Plant Bag
Items of note: She (or more often her bodyslave DuCain) carries a soft travel pack which contains her latest specimens of flowers or other plants that she has found intriguing – they are nourished by unknown (even to Mariad) means and remain alive and fresh within it

Living Armour
Armour – her somewhat incongruous looking wardrobe actually provides her with D8+1 pts of Armour, being a arcane creation made of some living material bound to the service of the wearer. It is capable of regeneration (though very slowly) and receives nourishment from the wearer in the form of dead skin, sweat etc. The garments she owns are probably the last of their kind on the Dreaming Isle – the others having perished long ago through lack of use.

Superior WeaponsShe bears weapons crafted by the armourer slaves of Melnibone – razor sharp and with intricate designs of roses inscribed upon them. They are too well crafted to break in combnat with mere human forged weapons.

Air ShieldThe Shield contains a Sylph or minor air elemental – she usually stays within the shield but can be manifested. Whilst in the shields, arrows and similar missile weapons are blown of course and can not hit Valora. She (the elemental) is chatty and fun when outside the shield but has little concept of time. Due to her affinity with the air elementals they are very unlikely to attack her and indeed will often seek her out to talk and play in the sky.

Besides his fine clothing, Kalas carries several items of note – the left hand gold earing is of plain design but bears intricate and delicate runes across its surface, almost too small to be seen. When worn by Kalas it whispers advice and tactics on how best to seduce any and all women that he encounters, its voice is unheard by all others and is neither male nor female but something in between. He also carries 4 crystal throwing stars, each with the symbol of Lassa, Elemental ruler of the Air upon them. They are binding objects for minor air elementals –should they be called upon they will automatically hit whatever the are called upon to strike but then shatter and be released – so they should only be used in extremis

 

[danskmacabre]

The answer is runes inscribed items. Check it.

I know about inscribed items, I run the Elric game. Thank anyway.
But they must be powered with magic points.

I'm looking for something different.

 

[Da Boss]

How about the items I posted - I have few more if they are along the right lines?

 

[danskmacabre]

How about the items I posted - I have few more if they are along the right lines?

didn't get chance to read it properly before (was at work)..
Thanks for taking the trouble to write all that up, I appreciate it.

Those are some great ideas.. I will probably add some more "side effects" to them though.
For example, the armor feeds off the wearer as you said, but it actually fuses with the body in parts to feed off it.
Would take a major "Heal" skill (surgery) to remove it..


And keep 'em coming!

 

[Da Boss]

no worries - the armour was for a Melnibonean teenager heading out for a Grand Tour of the YK - it certianly might only work correctly for her race

The Air shield could have the Sylph popping out for a chat at inappropriatew moments........

The earing was again a Melniboean heirloom and definately had an agenda

A few more from my games

Drawing blades set – a gift from a Melniobean mother (the only one she ever received, other than the body of her Demon father), (15) each with a different nib and intricate engraving on them. They contain an unknown poison which is deadly to humans, harmless to Halia and which acts as intoxicant to Melniboneans if drunk.

Blood worm whip – from her home plane of existence, blood worms are delicate creatures in appearance, crystalline and thin, except when engorged with the blood for which they hunger, when they shift form to that of a silk like substance.. Suitably fed they can then be woven into a living rope or in this case, whip, which as long as it is fed each day will provide the bearer with an incredibly strong and flexible artefact. (This requires 1HP worth of blood each and every day or it shifts back to crystalline form and unravels and/or shatters)

Items of note: He carries an elaborate and bejewelled sword which he “acquired” from the captain of a slave ship he boarded. The blade is finely crafted and the pommel bears a large, but somewhat odd jewel, sometimes it seems a red light can be seen in its murky depths………………. You speak to a slave weaponsmith and he tells you that it is indeed a Melnibonean sword, fine craftsmanship and made for House Kalvir about 2500 years ago. It is likely it was lost in the wars against the Dhazi - the Beast Lords about a thousand years ago. He shows the appropriate name rune carved into the blade in beautiful, intricate and tiny letters. He has never seen a jewel like it - but you do notice that as you have spent more time on the Dragon Isle - the dim light has grown a little brighter

As the ship sails from the former black rock, now a fountain of fresh water, you retire to your cabin and think on what you have seen and done, fought a great monster and the animated dead before releasing the tormented children of Lord Straasha. As your thoughts turn to your deeds on behalf of the Sea God – your are aware of a presence in your cabin. Standing by the small window is a delicate and beautiful feminine form, her blue green skin wet and gleaming where the skin tight garment fails to cover her. Wet footprints lead from the window to her bare feet and she holds a ring of red and green coral, she drifts over to you. She smiles and her voice, soft and haunting like a light sea breeze reaches you. “You saved my sisters and I, in gratitude, my Lord allows me to serve you for a year and a day, wear this ring and call upon me when you require aid………or she smiles, conversation…or…she laughs and slips the ring onto your finger and she becomes a fountain of water that somehow floods into the ring and is gone……………..”

 

[danskmacabre]

Great thanx, copied into my campaign notes

 

[Big Orc]

I know about inscribed items, I run the Elric game. Thank anyway. But they must be powered with magic points.

I am looking at this subject and would appereciate some advice.

eg. A sorcerer inscribes a Fire Rune on his sword, this will add one point of fire damage and cauterises the wound, negating any Bleed CM. He invests one MP which runs out after one hour. He subsequently loses the sword which is found by somebody who knows the Fire Rune.

Can the second person just invest one MP, study the Rune(Fire Blade) to understand its purpose or test his Rune Casting (Fire) Skill to access the swords magical abilities?

 

[DamonJynx]

I am looking at this subject and would appereciate some advice.

eg. A sorcerer inscribes a Fire Rune on his sword, this will add one point of fire damage and cauterises the wound, negating any Bleed CM. He invests one MP which runs out after one hour. He subsequently loses the sword which is found by somebody who knows the Fire Rune.

Can the second person just invest one MP, study the Rune(Fire Blade) to understand its purpose or test his Rune Casting (Fire) Skill to access the swords magical abilities?

Not quite, but pretty close. The below is only for the Elric game.

1. He needs to inscribe the Heat Rune, not Fire Rune. The fire rune allows you to control a fire only and the effect is governed by the MP expenditure.
2. Inscribed runes last indefinitely, provided the Sorcerer continues to invest the MP. Vocalised Runes are the ones that last an hour.
3. The damage from the inscribed Heat Rune is dependent on the MP expended. This is listed in the Runes description. As for cauterizing the wound...I don't recall any specific mention of this, so that would be your call as GM.
4. If the Sorcerer 'loses' the item, it's a fair assumption he will stop powering it, the same thing happen when he dies. In this instance, someone with the Witch Sight ability would be able to 'see' the Rune with an appropriate roll against their skill, possibly modified due to the length of time the Rune has been inactive (your call, IIRC there is nothing specific about this in the RAW). If they know the Heat Rune or sell the item to someone who does, then this other person can make a roll against their Rune casting skill to re-invest MP to re-power the item.

Hope this helps.

 

[Big Orc]

Not quite, but pretty close. The below is only for the Elric game.

That is great, it clarifies everything I was trying to understand.

Thanks.

 

[DamonJynx]

That is great, it clarifies everything I was trying to understand.

Thanks.

Your welcome, the rules I quoted work for all inscribed Runes, I just used the Heat one from your example.

 

[Big Orc]

If they know the Heat Rune or sell the item to someone who does, then this other person can make a roll against their Rune casting skill to re-invest MP to re-power the item.

In the above example you have mentioned selling the item. For the afore mentioned sword what would be an approximate sale value?

 

[Da Boss]

For me magic items are usually one of a kind items in the Young Kingdoms so lots and lots of money

 

[DamonJynx]

In the above example you have mentioned selling the item. For the afore mentioned sword what would be an approximate sale value?

Short Answer: Whatever someone is willing to pay.

Long Answer: Bear in mind anyone who knows the Heat Rune (or any other Rune, say Leeching or Cold for example) can inscribe it on their weapon(s) for free (well at the cost of a couple of MP to power the item), so it's a little hard to put a figure on. It really depends on the style of game you have. As Da Boss said these things are inherently rare and IMO should be a 'storied' artifact or relic which would make them priceless. Something akin to the Sword of Aubec perhaps, a Lomryrian hero of yesteryear. As a sword it might provide its user with say a 10% bonus to hit and do an extra 2 points of damage that armour doesn't protect against. When used against creatures of chaos, i.e. demons particularly, the weapon does full damage rather than half.

Something D&D did with 4E, which I thought was pretty cool, was have sets of paraphernalia or regalia. They did this because magic items in 4E basically suck (compared to previous editions) so they created sets; sword, armour, shield, gauntlets, cloaks and so, that individually provided a small benefit, but when combined provided benefits greater than the individual parts. This concept I think would fit well with Legend.

 

[havercake lad]

There are a few new magic items in the forthcoming Talons of Winter Elric suppliment. A couple are not tied to any scenario seeds so the GM will be happily at liberty to do what he likes best with them.

 

[Big Orc]

There are a few new magic items in the forthcoming Talons of Winter Elric suppliment. A couple are not tied to any scenario seeds so the GM will be happily at liberty to do what he likes best with them.

This sounds good. When will it be released?