Magic Cigar Challenge

Nystul's Magic Cigars

originally created by the Magician Nystul, these magic cigars were frequently carried and givne as gifts by the mage. In his home town, there was a great deal of paranoia and useage of the Detect Magic spell was becoming more and more common until even a hint of magic was used as a pretext for the Magistrates of the Upright Order of Civic Wizards to break into any establishment in the name or Orthodox Sorcery and the pretense of preventing Thaumaturgic Heresy.

Once the homes of the more wealthy and influential started getting raiding because of these innocuous cigars, local opinion turned against the magistrates and those agents were forced to a more fact based method of gaining permission to enter homes.

Alabaster Cigars

These white leaved cigars were blessed by the Orthodox priest of the church to root out evil in the circles of men, each creating white smoke when lit and the user in the company of good people, but the smoke would turn purple in the presence of those of an evil nature when near, a simple detect evil spell is used as if the cigar were tobacco wrapped in a scroll.

Only high brothers have been allowed to smoke on the grounds, but those who have done holy work for the church have also been graced with boxes as gifts

Assassin Smokes:

Sixteen less-than-excellent cigars line this plain, old, ordinary wooden box. The cigars themselves radiat a faint magical aura. Each one bears a black band and seems to be, at best, poorly rolled.

In fact, these black band cigars are known as Assassin Smokes. Hidden inside by cheap illusion magic is a tiny needle magically poisoned to but anyone pricked by it to sleep. These cigars have two uses: One) when the top is cut and you forcefully blow into the cigar the needle will shoot out of the cigar much like it was a small blowgun, if goes about three-to-five feet before losing its course. Use number Two) If smoked normally the needle will be inhaled and thus poison the smoker. If the needle is somehow detected and removed the cigar can be smoked normally as if it were a cheap cigar.

The poison is typically a magically imbued sleeping poison but it can be of any other variety as the GM sees fit, sometimes a box contains different types of poisoned needles such as sleep, paralysis, minor numbing, headache and mild nausea causing, and occasionally outright death. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

Fohg's Faulty Stoagies of Invisibility:

The Wizard Apprentice Fohg was a brilliant young lad, he knew many advanced magics beyond his age but his specialty was in smoke and mirrors tricks. Using simple illusion tricks he would astound crowds for profit. His teachers didnt like this, but he did it anyway. Fohg came up with a brilliant idea one day: He would do some enchanting on some cigars so they turned people invisible. Unfortunatly for adventurers, he never finished the magic on them.

These sixteen cigars made from tobacco grown in every small farming community have some odd properties. First of all, they turn the smoker invisible as long as the cigar is lit. As for a secondary effect, they also blind the smoker for as long as the cigar is lit. Not to mention that the smoke made by the cigars smells horrible and is still visisble despite the smoker being invisible.

You may wonder why cigars of invisibility would blind the intended user, yes? Well, this is because the Invisibility and Blindness spells are very similar untill near the end of their completion. So in an incomplete spell it would have the nearest two effects to what was suppose to happen. Make sense? I sure hope so.

These cigars will most likely be found sitting around, half-smoked, and completely abandoned.

Little Pharaohs

These tightly wrapped, misshapen cigars are tanned by the sun of the desert, blessed by the sun god, then buried under the sand for at least a generation, aging below in a small stone box. When taken out and actually smoked, these cigars give off a rather acrid smell, referred to as tomb stench by those around the smoker; these are usually not smoked in the company of others. But when lit, the embers glow black, the smoke produced is gray and faces can be seen in it. The true power comes from the necrotic leaves which were used in the burial ceremonies of the royals of great Egyptian empires, mixed with the tobacco and wrapped in papyrus. Each box is attributed to a certain king or important person, and if smoked they produce the visage of that person in a large enough puff. The vision stays for a while and can be interacted with but produces no sound.

Certain boxes have become sought after by thieves and explorers to help find the lost tombs of those summoned by the smoke while other boxes have been lost to antiquity.

Sigmund's Cigar

Bearing a peculiar golden seal, wrapped in a distinctive, and curiously flesh-toned wrapping, Sigmund's cigar is readily recognizable by those who are versed in its lore. Created by a psionicist with a number of strange theories about the true functioning of the human mind, Sigmund's cigar plant has been altered bred to produce a number of peculiar drugs along with the normal dose of nicotine. These drugs serve to soften the ego of those who inhale it, making their minds more malleable and commandable. Further, especially in members of the farer sex, the smoke of Sigmund's Cigar tends to induce a certain degree of sexual desire.

Needless to say, these cigars tend to be very popular gifts to be giving, amongst those value power and sex, though not always to be received...

Severius' Scentless Stogies

These rather bland cigars were first created for Severius Goldtongue, a nobleman whose highly-sensitive wife forbade him to smoke his cherished cigars within their chambers. Tired of journeying into the cold when he wished to enjoy a smoke, he contracted with a notable mage to devise some simple enchantment that would eliminate his wife's main complaint, the cigars' strong odor.

To his delight, the resulting cigars not only were entirely scentless, they eliminated all scents in the area. He discovered that the cheroots allowed him to wear a disreputable pair of boots that his wife had previously frowned upon, the powerful gardenia scent of his mother-in-law's perfume no longer affected him, and even the rather pungent creations of his wife's favorite cook no longer disturbed him.

When smoked, these cigars completely eliminate odor (and most taste) within the area around the smoker. Someone smoking these could stand next to a decaying corpse or a delicious stew and be equally unmoved. Similarly, their scent is completely masked; the most acute bloodhounds couldn't detect them.

Smokes of Obfuscation

This is an item common in many a 'modern' grimoire. There are variations that range from pipes, cigarettes, and even candles and oil lamps. However, this enchantment's heyday was in the Victorian/ Edwardian Era, during the time of Magical Lodge Wars, so it is classically associated with cigars.

It begins with an old spell, a simple augmenting enchantment to make something that burns with smoke give off additional smoke. When lit and puffed these cigars give off a great deal of smoke.

While there is a great deal of smoke, it is not the 'The pea soup fog that hides people' that has come to be associated with these smokes. There are many 'ways' or forms this effect has been achieved. All are embedded spells. This makes it possible to 'cast' the complicated way/ form in an instant, with just a charge of magic.

The most common form is to simply add an illusion, expanding the volumous smoke from the cigar into a area blanketing cloud of smoke. The smoke gives a basis of reality for the illusion making it difficult to see through or dispell.

The next most common form is an obfuscating invisibility spell. Utilizing the smoke as 'cover', the illusion makes the smoker (and those they are touching) blend into the smoke. This has the advantage that all senses, except smell, are fooled by the magics.

Frequently confused with the Smokes of Obfuscation, where the Calling Brands. Much the same in their looks and preparation. The form or way was the summoning of smoke elemental, corrupted air elemental. The elemental could be used in a variety of ways, whisking people away quickly, augmenting the smoke, or being a 'bad' elemental. While this is the most flexible enchanted smokes, it is the most dangerous. It takes quite the set of skills to properly control such a creature.

This last smoke is most insidious and frequently confused for the more common Smokes of Obfuscation. It teleports the smoker (and who he is touching) away. Thus people look about trying to find the smoker, and are unable to... truly the most effective invisibility anyone has ever seen. The drawback is that this spell draws so much magic from the caster, that only the highest ranking adepts can attempt it and live.

The Cantrip Sequence

Using Cantrips, a cigar may be enchanted before, or during the application. Of course, only simple effects may be produced this way.

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Thank You

A very gentle enchantment, the charm manifests when it is offered as a gift. Providing the giver was behaving properly, the receiver will remember him as a nice, likeable fellow. The magic dissipates quickly after, but the memory may stay for a long time, making it easier to become friends or at least to appear trustworthy.

'You have done really good work! Thank you all, here, have a cigar.'

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'What, you never had these?'

Smoking the cigar, the smoker may once concentrate and blow its smoke into the face of somebody. Failing to resist (a usual roll against the effect) will make the target uncomfortable and repulsed (coughing, obscured vision, tears in eyes, etc) for a short while.

Great for a little distraction, or to make the target look like a wimp.

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Nothing there

When lighted, nothing obvious happens. Just a common cigar, enjoy.

This cantrip is used by spies, who wrap important information into the cigar, usually paper, but occassionaly write it on the leaves themselves. When the cigar is lighted, or broken, the magic destroys all records of any kind in itself. Outwardly, nothing happens, but the message is destroyed.

*lights cigar* 'My name is Bond. James Bond.' :)

The Superb Summoning Smokes of Sadnaki

Originally developed by Sadnaki, the boisterous leader of a sect of fire-worshippers, these rare items allow the smoker to conjure up powerful spirits of elemental fire.

Self-igniting, the strange weed used in these cigars is actually a substance known as Ashveid, a plant-like organism drawn from a distant plane. Only superficially resembling tobacco, the dried leaves of Ashveid exert a powerful draw upon the elemental spirits known as Ifrits and the beasts known as Fire Horses.

When properly used, the cigars allow one to call up one of these mighty spirits and barter for its services. They generally wish to consume the cigar, as such a snack pleases them greatly. Additional gifts or sacrifices of blood and treasure are often required to conclude a successful deal with these notoriously short-tempered creatures.

Those smoking these cigars without knowledge of the proper rites and ritual obeisance needed to placate the Ifrits will instead often summon Lesser Fire Horses; these pony-sized creatures will often draw their entire flaming herd with them. Placid creatures entirely unlike their ferocious larger kin, they will wander around the summoner, looking for something to graze upon.

On the rare occasions when an Ifrit or a Fire Horse is summoned unwittingly, the summoner is generally in grave danger.

Blondie's Cigarillos

These thin, dark brown cigars have the simplest of enchantments cast upon them. Once lit and puffed, the smoke sticks will never drop or fall out, even if dangled from the corner of one's mouth, or merely hung from a single lip. The smoker can readily engage in conversation, a shouting match, even strenuous activity and combat, and the cigarillo will always stay lit and attached to the smoker's lip. Once smoked to within a one centimeter length, the enchantment of that particular cigarillo wears off.

Named for an infamous sword slinger-with-no-name, (other than his fair-haired sobriquet) the cigarillos were a maddening addiction for the daring adventurer, and he was never found without one drooping from his clenched teeth. A wizard friend began to enchant them for the sword slinger's benefit and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the years, adventurers have found occasional boxes of these cigarillos. They are highly prized by miners, bounty hunters, soldiers, and other on-the-go types, those for whom a good smoke may always come at the expense of...action.

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Mendatite Tentacles

These ash grey cigar shaped objects are not made of leaves of any sort, but actually sections of tentacles from a creature from a Plane of Air, called Mendatites, that have been preserved by smoking them to dry them. The woods and herbs used to preserve them give them thier flavors when consumed.

Because of their nature, they can be eaten much like meat jerky, although not very tasty, and eating them will not allow ther effects to function.

When smoked, the smoke from the cigar becomes prehensile, able to be shaped as the smoker desires, to create smoke sculptures, messages in the air, and even exert minor force. The smokey tendrils can only lift the smallest of objects, large coins can present a challenge for it to move. The smoke is every bit as vunerable to breeze as real smoke, and any smoke that is no longer in contact with the cigar is just smoke.

Nahaio's Cigars of Spiritual Recoil

Nahaio was a necromancer in the employ of the Verhaven City Council during the time we now know as the Time of Great Turmoil. Having been built upon convergence point of fey forces, the city was infrequently haunted by apparitions and troublesome spirits. Not so often as to happen every year, but often enough to warrant the employ and funding of a city necromancer. So it came to be that Verhaven was the only city in the land to have a Lord High Necromancer in its employ.

Every year, during the festival of the Sun's Zenith, the Lord High Necromancer had the twelve year old female neophyte acolytes of the Sun roll him cigars by the edge of the pool called Claryion; the very same pool with which the High Priestess Nathranya of the Flaring Sun sought her answers and divined the future. The Priests and the High Priestess fretted and they cursed, but the City Council had been shown, time and time again, that Nahaio was expedient and reliable in his dealings with spirits, be they dead or natural.

Armed with these cigars he would enter the haunted building, whether a crypt or a public library. With his thumbs hitched behind his suspenders, his cloak trailing in his wake, the pompous necromancer would chew on his cigar, holding a small torch ready to ignite it. From his lips would roll a summoning chant, forcing the spirit to show itself. And this is when the cigar came in handy, for when lit it's fumes would be anathema to the spirit, disabling it from any method of close range attack. In the meantime as the spirit hissed, unable to leave, unable to harm, Nahaio prepared his vessel of imprisonment, adding yet another spirit to his vast collection.

In the end these spirits were used by Nahaio, this time in his new capacity as the Lord High Commander of the city's army. For the shrewd members of the city council found yet more uses for the necromancer, and in the campaign against Vyrhe, the neighbouring city-state, no soldier of Verhaven was hurt in any way. For the only man in active combat was Nahaio, releasing geased spirit after geased spirit upon the hapless city in an event remembered as the night of unfathomable horrors, even to this very day. As necromancers are wont to do, Nahaio was defeated in the end, and his fall was most horrible indeed, for in the city of Vyrhe perished the wife of a certain hero. An adventurer considered a legend even to this very day, but that is a tale for another day.

Effects: These cigars are made of regular leaves and rolled by innocents devoted to the Sun God. They will deter any spirit from engaging in melee or possessing the smoker. It will not hinder corporeal undead in any fashion, unless they try to charm or possess the smoker.

Sentries Stogies

Recognizing the threat that cigars present to sentries everywhere - giving away their position when lit, ruining nightvision by their flare, and signaling others by their smell.

These special stogies are enchanted to provide to the user the illusion of smell, and light, but in reality the effects are not perceived by those not smoking them. They are ignited simply by puffing on them but again no flare is visible to anyone except the user.

They are still burning, but very dimly. They do radiate heat which may still give the user away.

Firebrands

A red band wraps around the tip of these mass produced cigars with the name of the company and the word Infernado, when spoken, 'Infernado', the band dries the leaves and sets the tip aflame.

These are very popular with adventurers and others who need a quick light in an emergency, the company has even put some quotes from satisfied customers on the box

'My party would have never made it out of Moria if not for my trusty Firebrands' G. Gray

'Those orcs would have taken the bridge if not for my Firebrands' S. Harken

Barnaby's Cigarillos of opening

These short, thin pencil sized cigars, more akin to thin cigarettes, are thin enough to be inserted into most keyholes. Their dark ebony color and incredible strength and flexibility should be a give away as to their magical nature. However, this in itself is often rarely noted when one is casually lit in the streets. They are sold in a simple metal cigar case with a small latch and spring opening (more on that later...).

When lit, the cigars will vibrate madly. This makes for a particularly unpleasant smoking, jarring and shaking teeth and jaw, but the true purpose of these cigars is criminal in nature. By vibrating so strongly and noiselessly, they can and will unlock most common locks. In fact, better quality Barnaby's will vibrate through a very wide range of frequencies, sometimes hitting just the right note and shaking a lock apart. CLearly, to lockpick successfully, some sort of tension is needed on the tumbler, which is often provided by using the specially designed case spring, which can be used as a tension wrench.

As an aside, they are of mediocre quality in terms of flavor.

Bartholomew's cigars of fair trade

These rather thick and stubby cigars are always smoked after the signature of an important contract. Both parties will usually share the first few puffs and then, they will each in turn press the burning tip against their copies of the agreement. This should burn the paper, but doesn't. Instead, the burnmarks left are quite special.

In fact, the burn marks are utterly random, but when two marks are shown one on top of the other, they always form a distinctive pattern, which is unique to the cigar. This pattern is in fact printed on the silk band wrapped around each cigar, and is often given to an official to keep a record of the deal struck.

This allows a verifiable link between two contracts, making forgery of the contract impossible without access to the silk band and the two copies.

Otherwise, they make quite pleasant smoking indeed...

Stogies of Purification

These stogies are made of the darkened leaves of the 'Bloodcurl Tree' as well as 'Ice Mint Leaves' and 'Cleansing Rose' (Which is often referred to as 'Martyr Rose'). When smoked they taste and smell of aforementioned ingredients in addition to the powerful sweet odor of cigars. Inhaling causes the smoker to feel as if an icy, chilling wind is breathed in. As the smoker exhales, it is a mixture of frost smoke and cigar smoke that comes out.

The stogies of purification are said to glow with cold fire and their primary use is to cure hangovers. Their nature is such that they neutralize weak poisons, and slow plus weaken potent poisons. These stogies carry mild enchantments to boost the effect of the 'Ice Mint Leaves'.

When one exhales, custom dictates that one utter the age old phrase for being cured of the hangover: 'With the puff of smoke and chills in my soul, I purge the body and cleanse the mind'.

Secret Agent Cigars

Two are powerful healing cigars. Normally smoking a cigar would damage the body at least slightly-in this case, it can heal wounds and minor illness, or even major illness if smoked early enough.

The next two if smoked will poison the target and cause him or her to see and hear terrifying illiosions-if the target does not kill him/herself trying to escape, insanity may follow.

The others are weapons and are made of a very powerful magical explosive that goes off ten seconds after lighting it. An agent can use them as grenades, or an unlucky target can light one and have his/her hand blown off and head blown apart. A nasty way to die, and one that sends a message to others. A good was to assassinate traitors abroad.

The box normally comes with a list saying which cigar is which, but often the agent memorises and destroys the list.

Uncovering Smokes

A detectives friend, a paranoids habit, and a spying wizards bane, Uncovering Smokes, also called Island Breezes, are selected leaves, rolled on the thighs of island maidens and blessed by a beautiful shaman, or at least that is what it says on the box. In truth, they are made in sweatshops in the city and treated by an apothecary named Leo, but sometimes it pays to lie as these have become very powerful aids to those who are looking for others who have disappeared and are trying to stay hidden, literally.

These cigars when lit, create an amazing amount of smoke, thick and stinging to the nostrils, as well as thick and really hard to move through without giving oneself away. Invisible creatures and people have almost no defense against this wall of smog, as any person would be outlined by the smoke, defining their contours. Also because of the amount of smoke, this can put both the visible and invisible combatants on an even ground.

Putrid Husks

These large, black cigars look like plague-stricken cornhusks and taste about the same. A normal human would look ridiculous struggling to fit it in their mouth, but a member of a larger monstrous race could easily puff away on one of these, adding an even more intimidating flare to their appearance. The worst is the effect of actually smoking one, as the area fills with noxious fumes when exhaled, the effect of a target air, befoul spell attached to these vile things. The smoke carries the poisonous air spell and can be aimed, but can also be diverted by stopping the smokes direction. The smoker and those who have smoked from the same cigar or another Putrid Husk are immune to the spell, but a heavy smoker, who chooses these as his vice, hasn't long to live, suffering high constitution loss over a period of time.

Smoke Signals

It looks like a snake is attacking a cloud, what the hell does that mean?

Simple messages are conveyed by the smoke from these cigars, totally under the control of the smoker. Only shapes are formed, no letters, but this can be understood if a cypher is used to decode a symbol based language, like Morse dots and dashes or cuneiform slashes. Works like a basic Message spell only less powerful and not subject to detect magic spells

Laced Smokes

'I dunno what's in them, but it's definitely not tobacco.'

A laced smoke can have just about anything inside the wrapping paper, but they are all magically disguised to look and smell like tobacco. One variety is used by particularly disreputable drug dealers to addict their clients to more expensive products, and simultaneously sought out by young nobles in search of a way to make a family formal much more interesting. Of course, after a few untimely deaths from overdose, an assassin had the idea to concentrate the dosage of drug to make it more predictably lethal. Recently, a small nation's diplomat used one to get a slick trade deal with the Emperor's personal bank. Makes a person think twice before sticking anything into their mouth.

Smokes of Exhaling

They are long and thin, with an elegant band and a pleasant fragrance. When this cigar is lit, one serious breathing in will activate its power. Exhaling will push all air out of the smoker's lungs, and hinder him from inhaling again for a short while. The smoker will be left grasping for air and weaker folks may pass out, while others will become easy prey.

It is possible to light it and inhale lightly, without the power activating. Then pass it on to your victim.

Scrumbog's Stinkers

First rolled by a fellow of mixed orcish heritage, whom only the most charitable would EVER refer to as a 'wizard', known as The Lowly Scrumbog, a mage who lived at the edge of a vast swamp. Scrumbog liked a good smoke but disdained the overly light tobaccos and pipeweeds available. So, he spent several years experimenting with diferent mixtures of weeds. Scrumbog finaly came upon a mixture of corpseweed, wrapped in dried scum-cabbage leaves and tried smoking it but despaired because it just wasn't satisfying. In a fit of pique he tossed the still lit cigar into an ashtray and threw a clod of mud at it. When the scent of the burning swamp mud and foul dried plants reached Scrumbog's nose, his blood-shot eyes lit up! This was the mixture he had been looking for! He rushed to his lab, and a few day's later 'Scrumbog's Stogies' were ready. He invited a few of his cigar afacianado friends over for the big unveiling, and within minutes most ran from the house, eyes tearing and red and gasping fror air. The few that remained (Mostly Orcs and an ogre or two who enjoyed a 'robust' smoke) took several cases with them to share and the legend of 'Scrumbog's Stinkers' was born. Smoking a 'Stinker' has been likened to brething smoke from wet, burning leaves and hot tar. They produce a thick cloying, heavy smoke that no amount of air seems to dispell, just sitting in one place for days like an angry cloud. Any breathing this smoke who is not accustomed to it, is reduced to a coughing, blinded wretch, untill she finds fresh air.

Elf-lights

Usually far to light, airy, and fragrant for anyone but an elf, most smokers don't consider these rolled up bundles of dried forest herbs, flowers, and berries (most notably those the rare, luminescent, lightshade plant which grows only in the heart of the most primeval forests) Cigars at all. These 'cigars' are savored with rare elven wines by the learned and wealthy of elven and ocasionally human or halfling society. Rather than smoke, burning elf-lights produce a luminescent greenish vapor that illuminates an area of 10' around the smoker with dim 'fairy light'. It should be noted that that the lightshade plant has psychotropic sap and berries, and smoking too many of them or breathing too much vapor causes bizarre and vivid halucinations