Skeleton Key

By:

A thiefÃ¢??s best friend.

Full Item Description
No more carrying all those keys, picks, incriminating tools, bottles of acid, and a healer for when all those things still leave you setting off whatever dastardly trap the GM came up with THIS time. The Skeleton Key is the Master master key, bespelled with a morphing spell and carved from precious ivory, able to unlock any door, chest, strongbox, and, occasionally, the manacles chaining you to the prison wall (and the cell door, and the gate, and the….). Only one thing, most DMs won’t let you have one, or at least not for a reasonable price. Not to mention the traps they’ll come up with when this gets out.

History
This item is history in the making, so either one of the players, or one of you ‘persons of limited destiny’ (NPCs), need to introduce it into the game.

Magic/Cursed Properties
The function is simple, it’s a key that fits any lock, but the uses are endless, unlawful activities, absent-minded fellows who hate carrying around dozens of keys that all look the same, et cetera. Like the description says, it fits anywhere.

Additional Ideas (0)

Please register to add an idea. It only takes a moment.

Two Minerals

Murometz

Yupiorite

Also called "pale-yellow witch" by alchemists, this mineral is known to possess a peculiar attribute. When found, a Yupiorite will appear the palest yellow. Rather than crystalline in structure, Yupiorite occurs in weird, smooth, ovaline shapes, as if already carved by skilled hands to serve as ring or necklace ornaments. Yupiorite somehow detects and reacts to mood. When the wearer of the gem is content, calm, and happy, the stone will remain the palest yellow. As the person gets more excited, angry, or otherwise stimulated, the mineral will darken progressively to a dark corn-yellow in color. Why the gem reacts this way to sentient mood swings, is still debated by gemologists and alchemists alike.

It is said that the Elven Halls of Vala-Aluduwy are resplendent with wall-sized mirrors of pure Yupiorite, showing plainly and ironically, the emotions of everyone present, despite the Elven love of restraint and stoicism.

Aragdulose

"Cave-grass" or "cave-pine" is a deep forest green in color, rare and often mistaken for other minerals, though otherwise mundane. Crystals form into tiny, ultra-thin, needle-like clusters by the hundreds of thousands, creating vast dark green bursts and structures, resembling evergreen conifers, if viewed by any sort of light. Despite its ephemeral shape, Aragdulose is only second to a diamond in hardness.

Dwarves are said to keep these mineral "trees" in their homes, putting them up during festive family holidays, leaving presents beneath them, for kin to open.

Ideas ( Items ) | December 2, 2015 | View | UpVote 6xp

Comments ( 6 )

Commenters gain extra XP from Author votes.

Cheka Man
April 23, 2007, 22:35

Only voted

Incarnadine
April 23, 2007, 23:48

0xp

Oblivion/Morrowind influence much?

Corinth
April 24, 2007, 0:44

I've only played core D&D and looked into Bureau 13. None of the group I'm playing with really has time to learn any new modules.

Scrasamax
April 24, 2007, 3:36

I think Skeleton is appropriate since this submission is not much more than bare bones.

valadaar
April 24, 2007, 11:00

Unfortunately, this item is very simple - to be specific in D&D it is a 'Knock' spell on a key, and so needs more then it's powers to distinguish itself. The affect on a game is to eliminate a major role of certain player types/skills. It definately needs some limitations as it stands.

I've said in the past it is okay for the history of the item to be unknown in game, but the real history of the item still needs to be there, even only as a GM resource. The history need not describe it's use when created, but should include how it was created, by whom, and why.

One suggestion: if it were a special mineral-based life form that could sense the required shape to match a mechanical lock, morph to that shape and open it, this could be very useful - it may not require 'magic' at all to function.

I think this needs to be placed back 'in work' and other items reviewed for what is expected of posts. I think it has potential with work so I'm holding off voting for now.

Wulfhere
April 24, 2007, 14:45

An item of this nature is bound to have some limits. Perhaps it risks breakage if it's used too often, or perhaps the user needs to understand how the lock is built to make the key assume the appropriate shape, so some lockpicking experience would be needed to make it work.

The item deserves a cool history: Who invented such a handy gadget? What did the Locksmiths' Guild do when they heard? What have wizards done to counter it? Once you have a sense of its history, you'll be able to tell what limits the Skeleton Key ought to have.

If it has virtually NO limits, such an item would become a potent magic indeed, the subject of intense interest from those who want locks opened and from those who want locks to remain closed...

"It has been found," hissed the Archlich. "The key to open the Tomb of the Elder God Hlithiss! Fetch it, my minions!"

Hits:	2553
Comments:	6
Ideas:	0
Rating:	2.875
Condition:	Normal
ID:	3852

Skeleton Key

Additional Ideas (0)

Random Idea Seed View All Idea Seeds

Two Minerals