Sometimes, magic isn't cast. Occasionally, it just sort of "happens". Perhaps a god took a liking to a pair of shoes, or the stars shone a certain way on a porcelain mask.
Such items thereafter bear odd enchantments that, try as they might, no spellcaster can duplicate. They are the result of Spontaneous magic, which is really just a fancy way of saying "The DM put it there and no, you can't make more of them!". These items have unique effects, often with equally unique means of activating them. No two are alike, and each one is truly unique. Despite the similarities so far, they are not artifacts. They don't have that level of power, and they usually aren't known about.
Please, feel free to add some!
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Loose Leaf of the Abyss
Long ago, a wandering warrior managed to wind up in hell. Intent on making it out again, he started mapping as he went. The only thing he had to map on: the paper he had wrapped his food with. To further reduce the quality, he tended to be rather drunk whenever he got around to adding to the map.
Today, the papers have an odd ability. When someone trying to read them is truly, heroically drunk, tries to read them and fails an intelligence check (or the equivalent in the appropriate system) they are able to determine the shortest route from the current layer of hell they are on to the next.
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Silken Scarf
Nothing spectacular, simply lowers the effects of cold weather by one degree. It's a
really
nice scarf.
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The Unending Fire
This small chunk of flint, and paired iron striker, are of singular ability. Anything lit on fire with them will never burn out. It is a fire in every sense except that it does not use any fuel or oxygen.
BrittleKeys
This rather plainly carved set of thirty keys was once owned by a rather unassuming stage illusionist, who drowned when trying to use them to unlock a set of shackles while suspended in a tank of water. this impressive set of keys is able to lock any keylock known to man; magical or otherwise - although oddly it cannot unlock anything at all.
Unfortunately however, after using one of these keys the tip will always snap off and be caught in the lock indefinitely. The snapped end will cause the lock to be unusable by the original key. While this may at first seem to be a rather worthless keyset, one may find it somewhat useful in foiling pursuers, or keeping a hostage in a room.
Currently there are only six usable keys left on this unique set.
Candle of Tears
There was once a man so saddened by the loss of his love, that he cried and he sniveled and he cried some more. He could not seem to stop crying, only a single lit candle keeping him company in the dark. After weeks he still cried, but the loss of love seemed less important... It was the tears themselves, and that feeling of grief, that kept him running.
The tax collectors found him a month later, hung by the neck, a fallen chair below his dangling feet... And they thought it so sad, they burst into tears.
Notes: The candle will never burn down and will cause everyone in the room to feel angst, grief and heartbreak. Tears will come, even to the most insensitive of thugs.
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Mirror Shards
Once there was a woman so ugly, she was forbidden from showing herself in public. So the old woman sat all by herself, in her small swamp hut, with only a mirror to keep her company. Years passed and each day she faced the mirror and hatefully gazed upon her reflection. She cursed, she screamed insults and she hatefully traced the outlines of her mirror image, spitting and pushing her index finger accusingly.
One morning she awoke and a particularly foul mood was upon her. She pushed herself up, and strode towards the mirror, screaming even before she could see her own image. She took her chamber pot and flinged it forcefully into the mirror, shattering it into hundreds of shards. Then she left the hut, screaming insults all the way into town (Where she was stoned to death by disgusted want-to-be-heros mistaking her for a swamp witch).
The Mirror Shards left by this amazingly ugly woman will absorb any illusion magic nearby. Flaws will become apparent, illusions impossible. Spots will be extra obvious, stains on glasses will be immediately visible.
From the collection of a local wizard, some are useful, some should not fall into wrong hands, some are just interesting.
- The Brawler's Ring - its only magic is in preserving the hard form, very handy for beating people up. It itches if it isn't 'used' once in a while.
- A coach that makes people traveling in it asleep. In an hour or three, anyone inside will likely doze off (the effect on the driver is weaker). Waking up is possible.
- The clinging beam - a large piece of rough wood. Whoever touches it will take much persuasion to let it go. It comes from a small barge, its whole crew was washed away from board during a storm, and their desperation to hold was mystically preserved. This is the last piece.
- A primitive iron key, it focuses sunrays into a certain direction. It is not translucent, it simply does that. Origin unknown, probably some magical accident.
- A large bag with as much volume as can be seen from outside. But a person will find enough place to crawl into, and even hide. (It can't carry that much weight, so don't try to pick it up when 'engaged'.)
Ring of Denial/Ultimate Power
One day, a angry god made a item that promises to give the user unlimited powers. This is just a suggestion, and not a strong one - anybody can resist it. If you wear it, you will feel like it works......
....while in reality you are sitting, laying or standing around doing nothing at the moment you put the ring on. While your mind is engaged with a alluring fantasy (with no possible way to break free of the spell). If the ring is removed from the user, the user kills themselves. In a funny way.
Magical Backscratcher
This will scratch any itch away, even those caused by fungus or poison ivy. It sometimes takes skin off when used but at least the itch is gone.
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? Responses (7)
A good scroll, fairly useful and interesting. The idea is likable, mainly because these aren't highly powerful items. What I see this as becoming is a list of small, but good,items. The kind of stuff that would light up the PC's eye. Yet another good one, Grey.
This is a good idea for a scroll. I wish I had my creativity but I seem to have lost it. Been staring at it for about 5 minutes trying to think of something and I am blank.
I actually like this scroll - nice for adding little tidbits you don't want to have to explain with a detailed background on how the item became the way it was.
My kind of scroll!
A good collection, Grey, I like the low-magic approach. There shall be more.
Most definately my kind of thing, the first one is very much to my liking.
I like these items.