[Thaumatology] Magic Item Design Game

[Polkageist]

A rather peculiar magical item, storied to have been created by a vain court-wizard seeking to ensure they were constantly at the forefront of any dress code at any moment.

The hat itself is made of fine fabrics and adornments in any of its three states. It's responsive to its wearer's mood and intention and subtly shifts its ornamentation to suit. Feathers become fringes, inset gems shift color, and so on. However remarkable this ability is, the minor shifts in accents pales in the hat's ability to radically change styles.

The "three-tier" moniker comes from the three major styles of the hat as it is worn. With a command the hat will transform into one of three major forms.
At the sound of a hunting horn the hat will transform into a jaunty hunting cap replete with decoration suitable for the occasion. In addition, it repels weather and rain, keeping the wearer fashionably dry.
At the sound of a clinking glass it becomes a shaded garden hat, bright and merry as well as keeping the wearer well shaded from the afternoon sun lest it mar their complexion with a sunburn.
Finally, at the sound of a dinner chime it becomes a fashionable evening affair, tall and grandiose. In this form it is said that the hat draws the attention of those engaged with the wearer, ensuring that no one misses a word of the wearer's (allegedly) scintillating conversation.

Next: The Pocket Dog

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Polkageist

Next: The Pocket Dog

A small bronze statue of a dog of indeterminate breed, said to house the soul of an injured stray the statue's creator had tried but failed to nurse back to health. Various writings have attributed all sort of subtle effects to it, and while magical analysis has never conclusively proven it has any magical properties at all, it is hard to deny that touching it gives a sense of tranquility. It is currently owned by Queen Kaliah, who uses it to overcome the anxiety that crippled the early years of her reign.

Next: the Wordless Tome

[Anders]

A tome that contains a lot of letters, but they don't seem to form any words. Legend says that the tome contains all the words that were never invented, or have been forgotten. Somewhere in the book is hidden the True Names of the Gods, a secret that will give you power over them.

Next up: Cymbals of Tar-Tiriastan.

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by Anders

A tome that contains a lot of letters, but they don't seem to form any words. Legend says that the tome contains all the words that were never invented, or have been forgotten. Somewhere in the book is hidden the True Names of the Gods, a secret that will give you power over them.

Next up: Cymbals of Tar-Tiriastan.

These enormous metal discs were made by and for the giant Tar-Tiriastan, and now lie atop a megalithic structure overlooking the straits that bears his name. Once, he used them to open and close the strait, which leads to a bay around which his flocks flourished. Now it's a significant port city, and the giant is long gone. But, if someone were to sound the cymbals again and close the straits, the city's trade would be choked off. Thus, the cymbals are guarded night and day, even though it's highly unlikely that anyone still alive could lift them, let alone sound them...

Next: Gartok's Jade Cup

[coronatiger]

Originally Posted by Apollonian

Next: Gartok's Jade Cup

Gartok was a ruler who lived long ago. He was paranoid about being poisoned, and he commissioned an enchantment for his favorite cup to detect poison. If a liquid containing poison is poured into the jade cup, the cup glows green and lets out a high-pitched whine. Unfortunately, the enchantment counts ethanol as poison. This made drinking ale a nuisance for both Gartok and whoever was present. Legend says that Gartok was indeed poisoned via his ale, convinced that the whining would change in the presence of something more dangerous than alcohol.

Next: The Glyph of Serpents

[Donny Brook]

The Glyph of Serpents is emblazoned on the Slither Gate which opens upon the Ophidian Cave that lies beneath Snake Mountain.

Anyone of a scale-clad race or a mage with appropriate learning who traces the glyph on the gate will gain access to the cave. More importantly, any qualified individual who has learned the Glyph can trace it on the ground anywhere and expend 2 FP to summon a random serpent denizen of the Cave to the spot.

Next up: The Stained Retort

[coronatiger]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Next up: The Stained Retort

The Stained Retort is a silver necklace with semi-precious stones. It enables the wearer to have a jaw-dropping response to any statement, winning over any listeners. (+10 to Fast-Talk for the purpose of making witty come-backs.) However, this artifact is evil. If the wearer simply speaks the first words that come to mind, those words will hurt someone. A listener may be mocked, or the statement may start a malicious rumor (which could be either true or false) about a person the crowd knows. (A successful Will roll ensures non-hurtful comebacks.)

Each time the wearer gives in to the Stained Retort, their soul is tarnished. The longer the wearer has possessed the artifact, the more difficult it is to resist making hurtful remarks. (Each failed Will roll gives a cumulative -1 to subsequent rolls.) Eventually, the wearer's soul is so stained they will go out of their way to hurt people with their words.

Scholars speculate whether a user could turn into a demon as a final stage of the affliction, but records show that all known owners of the Stained Retort have either given up the artifact when they realize its evil nature, or they have been killed because they said something unforgivably awful.

Next: The Moving Chamber

[Dalillama]

The Moving Chamber is a large, windowless room with a single door. The temperature always remains the same, the air never goes stale, and there is an inexhaustible fountain of potable water in the middle of the room. Additionally, the Chamber is a Very High Mana area that is somehow warded against the worst Critical Failures; casters will never summon demons (indeed, nothing can be summoned in the Chamber at all), and a caster will never take lethal damage from magical backlash. The only thing that stops it from being a perfect wizard's lair is the door, which never opens on the same location twice. When the door is closed it vanishes and reappears in a random but always theoretically survivable location (It might appear on a ship or a rock in the desert, but it won't appear midway up a cliff). If you happen to know where the door is at the moment it's a great way to get far away from your troubles.

Next: The Bag of Bones

[Emerald Cat]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

Next: The Bag of Bones

This is a scarlet silk dice bag, with "This Bag of Bones is the property of [insert current owner's true name here]" embroidered using gold thread in a calligraphic style. The Bag of Bones fits comfortably in its owner's palm, and always has enough space for a full pound of dice. Even if the internal dimensions of the Bag of Bones are too small to allow that quantity of dice. Anything that isn't a die will mysteriously vanish to where it will be most inconvenient to whoever put it in the bag. Note that the Bag of Bones will NEVER accept round dice - and reacts murderously to d100s!

If the owner of the Bag of Bones refers to the dice as "bones", then they will receive a +10 to skill for games - including professional gambling - involving dice. But if they refer to the "bones" by any other name, they receive a -10 penalty instead.

Next: The Howling Stopwatch

[Dalillama]

The Howling Stopwatch turns the holder into a wolf until the watch is stopped (doing this with paws is difficult). There is an additional hand that advances whenever the stopwatch is being used. When this hand has made a full rotation, the watch howls loudly and the wolf hand resets to zero. Whoever was using the watch is permanently stuck as a wolf.

Next: The Eye of The Storm