Simple, but effective in some circumstances. Most jewellers I've run always have sufficient guards to discourage crime, so this item would need to be area-effect to be useful in such circumstances. Go to Comment

It is a wonder :) Go to Comment

But it made you think....isn't that really the point of many of these things? If you had a case to use it then it's merit is obvious, if you don't then unless you are immediately creative it's merit is lost on you. The body does as your world needs it to do, and the spirit lives and dies as is necessary for your plot. It is simply another unique tool to be used or not used depending on ypur requirements and if you had a place to use it, your questions would be answered easily as your personal needs for the item would dictate them. Go to Comment

Not really intended for character uses I don't think. More for something they come across. Perhaps see it being used by a holy man in some ritual. Then later that man comes to them with intimate knowledge of something they have done. Bribe them? Warn them? Go to Comment

Then this will make you feel super dirty! Based on these as you can obviously see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXiQpD6ucs Go to Comment

What would happen if the bowl dried out, the user was trapped as a spirit, and then his body was killed in some manner? Assassination, accident, heart failure, etc. The user would probably be trapped as a ghost, which could lead to some interesting complications when the bowl was next used. (Probably years later). Go to Comment

Could be useful if the players need to contact someone on the spiritual plane or some spiritual figure far away from them. Might also be useful to fake a death. Noble or other target could use the bowl, then observe the party presenting his lifeless body to the person who hired the assassin (possibly the party themselves!). After seeing the proof themselves, even the most doubting of persons would know who wanted them dead. Go to Comment

What happens to the body that has it's spirit departed?
- Does it fade to a lifeless sack of bones?
- Does it keep breathing and show signs of physical life, but without a spirit to "light" the inner fire?
- Can the spirit still "reach" the body if the body is dragged away from the bowl?
- What if the spirit "meets" another spirit and the spirit is killed?

hmmmm so many questions and so little time to answer them....
So many questions left that I have a very hard time thinking of a vote for this item. Go to Comment

wow, a sensible, well-written, and pertinent comment by the Barbarian Horde! How rare and appreciated! :)

The bowl is quirky. I like it, because i like rituals of all kinds, and the paraphernalia involved. Go to Comment

This is a solid idea, and a fun idea to work with, coming across empty jars or seeing unresponsive people gathered around evaporating water dishes.  

 

although the imagery of a man briskly rubbing a flask/jar with his hands causing it to shoot spouts into the air that then transport that person out of their body....it just made me feel unclean.  Maybe that is just me

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See, I knew i was taking something clean and ruining it. That link makes it seem much nicer. Go to Comment

There could be a secret guild of some sort that is able to collect the donated treasure and uses it for good or bad depending on the guild. Either way, if the characters are found trying to collect the treasure there will be trouble. Go to Comment

The players could also stumble on who is collecting the treasure. If they find out that it is a good group that uses the wealth to benefit people then they can settle with the secret knowledge of what happens.

If it is evil they find out their schedule and tell the authorities, take it themselves, find out if there is a bigger picture than just a few thieves stealing donations. Go to Comment

A whole guild devoted to this task would need a frequented place or a large city nearby.
But what about thieves guilds - where do cleptomaniacs go on holiday ?

And religion: there surely are rumours of followers of said God
who, pure of heart, and for a noble purpose gained a fabulous amount of gold. Maybe it is the truth. Go to Comment

Turn the whole thing on the head:
Let a big slimy monster emerge and let it state clearly that it has finally enough of those little round metalic pieces and it does not want any more. Understand?
(Extreme: the gold/silver/brass is upsetting the ecology of the lake somewhat - solve that ;-)

To save the day the heroes must convince numerous people to stop with the donations. Go to Comment

A possible twist can have the viligers sending unsuspecting travelers to the middle of the lake as a sacrifice to that god/monster - might have the monster be an aquatic beholder - sort of like givving them the evil eye... Go to Comment

I like Melvin's twist - occasionally the entire boat is taken as an offering :)

And yes, there is something in the water - perhaps a dragon or similar beastly. It would have sorcerous powers so it would occasionally gift good luck on the donors. 

Lots of plot hooks can come from that - a jealous nearby town might try to end the local town's luck by any number of ruses - perhaps poisoning the lake, sending warriors to kill the benefactor, dropping trapped gifts to enrage the beast, etc.

Even nobels could get jealous and seek to know the truth, and perhaps capture the beast.

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If the tattooed men speak a a language that nobody knows then that could make it more interesting. A wizard with speak any tongues would then be very handy.

It could also be a chance for a player that isn't real proactive in the game to be sucked in. Who could have known that he is the only one that can understand these people? Go to Comment

An excellent example of the fact that a post doesn't have to be long to be good. Go to Comment

Not everything is as it seems.

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