The Amulet of 'Oh Flock.'
“Take it, take it! I’ve had enough of that thing! Maybe you can make head or tail of it, but I certainly don’t want any part of it!”
Powers: The lesser pendant is a charmed object that creates a ten foot radius once a week around the pendant, as long as the activation requirements are met. To activate the pendant, the bearer must see four of the birds depicted on the pendant all at the exact same time. The pendant will not activate unless it is four, and only four birds. Five or more birds will not trigger the pendant, and the bird required to activate the pendant changes with each use. The destination of the field is random, but often where the bearer needs to be. Identifying the next bird in the cycle, and keeping an eye out either to avoid the birds, or utilize this knowledge, is rarely effective.
Appearance: The pendant is, when acquired, a brass sparrow on a leather chain. On the back, it bears a rune for travel. The pendant’s shape will change after each use to reflect the bird that the pendant will next use to activate. It takes a skill check to identify the next bird in the cycle.
History: The pendant belongs to the warlock Ram, lord and steward of the Castle Incarnadine, near the center of Muntas. The pendant was stolen by a thief, who subsequently activated its powers by accident. The amulet has since taken its wayward possessor on a whirlwind tour, changing hands several times.
True Nature: The amulet is inhabited by a sentient entity from the feywild, bound there by Ram. This entity, while benevolent, has a sense of mischief, and will often result in trouble for its master if the bearer does not know that his help is required, or if he helps the wrong individual. The amulet will attract the birds required, in any way possible, even going so far as to temprarily reorder reality, if it senses the protagonists' help is needed. It often will try to decieve the protagonists, or disguise its true form, unless it wishes a good laugh from watching its masters try to avoid four birds of a feather.
Plot Hooks: The characters recieve the pendant from a beleagured individual, who presses the pendant on them, and then vanishes into a crowd. Searching turns up no one, but they do run into four sparrows
The characters find a little girl, all dressed in finery, wearing a brass pendant of a sparrow, crying in the wilderness. How did she get all the way out here?
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? Responses (14)
A ten foot force field?
More like a ten foot radius. Teleportation is instantaneous the moment that conditions are met, so anything within reason within that radius is teleported.
'Within reason' is up to the GM, of course.
The title captured my imagination and attention but not sure the sub filled the expectations.
Was expecting to see a little detail about the person that made it and why. I guess why there was a need to trap this unexplained entity at least. They should be a bird collector of some sort (or they turned into one after) as it wouldn't be a difficult thing to have many types of birds caged in twos and bring them together as you needed the power of the amulet. If they need to be free flying that would need to be defined. Also that there would be some pattern involved, which bird was next, that could be deduced by actual migratory patterns or other ways that the players could actually discover. I guess I think it needs more about the entrapped entity and the motivations on its entrapment to explain why everything is happening the way it is.
I like suddenly finding a crying girl in the woods. She was put there because she needed to be found by the players for purpose which could be a good opening to a side trek or adventure.
I've posted an article on the NPC, sorry I didn't give more information. Ram is an NPC from my current campaign, and the article was supposed to be as 'drag and drop' as really appropriate, so that anyone could use it, with little adjustment.
I will see about editing the post, however, to make it seem like less of a bunch of contrived coincidences, and fix the plot holes you've brought up.
Mm, I admit that this dings against some of my prejudices; to wit, that there's a point to the creation of an item, that it has powers that make sense, and that plot related to the item has some point to it other than Creating A Weird Puzzle For The PCs. The clarifying reply is helpful, but it'd be more helpful if the 'Powers' description explicitly said what the item did. Beyond that, I can't see what wizard would possibly enchant the item to activate in such a capricious, hit-or-miss fashion - were I to enchant a teleportation item, I'd use a password that wouldn't be dependent on which birds may or may not be in the area at any given time - why he bound an entity into it, or what exactly that entity does.
The amulet is bizzare, nonsensical, and makes absolutely no sense given logical parameters.
Its master, however, is not fully logical, and for him, this amulet is actually quite rational.
I'll put up a post regardings its master, to clarify a few issues.
I expected something witty, I am just not getting the joke? I feel like there is either something missing, or I have missed something.
The joke is the title, your players, if used in the right situation, will be saying something a lot worse.
'What are we supposed to watch out for, geese?'
'Hey look everyone, swans!'
'Swans? 0-o'
Don't take it personally, Raptyr! We very much appreciate the time you took to put in a submission. Most of us witheld our votes because we want you to succeed and are looking forward to continued interaction! PM us if you don't want to reply publically or refute our opinions if you think we are wrong. We thrive on feedback and are only trying to help so please don't take it any other way.
No fear, I love feedback! I actually don't care so much about votes, as seeing what other people think of my ideas. In fact, I probably prefer comments to votes!
This reminds me of a somewhat twisted approach to follow a Quantum Leap (TV show from 89-93) where the protagonist jumped essentially randomly though time righting wrongs.
I would add the 'Silly' tag to it, but otherwise, an interesting item.
Nice to toss into the loot list of the next random enemy the PC's strip naked looking for valuables. Other then a passing curiosity I don't see it being all that useful or featuring prominantly in any adventures, but for a evenings distraction when the GM has little else planned it could be fun.
I was almost expecting to read, "Three is not the number, unless thou then proceedest to four. And five is right out." :D
I like the idea of this. The wording was a bit confusing for me and could use some clarification. I wasn't sure at first if the birds only showed up on the amulet or if they were real birds observed first and then they appeared on the amulet. Your reply to Scras about geese and swans helped clarify that (and the joke.) It would be better included in the sub.
I understand the urge to make things generic to be plug-and-play, but don't be afraid to liven things up. Include whatever creative details you can come up with; if it gets used, the GM will leave out whatever doesn't work for a particular campaign.
2.5/5, but I will revote when/if it is improved.
I see a lot of potential in your subs, Raptyr, and I hope you stick around.