Subject: Magic Item: Pet Rock
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 14:06:47 GMT
From: azothath Azothath@aol.com
Organization: Deja.com - Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Magic Item: Pet Rock - ok - stop laughing.
These semi-intelligent creatures are composed of common rock and a vein of semi-precious or collectable stone. They are always roundish in appearance. If held or touched, the PetRock can be heard within the mind of the holder (limited form of telepathy). PetRocks have no discernable movement, nor do they seem to eat, age, or breathe. They do love to talk, and talk, and talk…apparently some people enjoy their murmuring incessant babble. As with all intelligent creatures, PetRocks have an alignment, though no diety is known to be worshipped among them. PetRocks have an INT:d6+4,WIS:d6+4,CHA:d6+6 AC:2, THAC0:-, svSP:16, HD:4, MOV:1/100 m/round. Oddly enough, in the hands of a mage, the PetRock can learn 1 first level spell (4 weeks training), which it will cast at it's discretion and whim 1/d at maximum, requiring no components
<later clarification> meaning it may cast up to once per day. The stone like other minor magical items, casts spells at 6th level of ability.
and at a casting speed of 4 segments. Usually the PetRock will learn a spell independently during the mages normal memorization cycle, picking from those which the mage memorizes and befit it's personality. It may switch the spell, but this requires another 4 weeks of sympathetic observation by the PetRock. There is a 1/4 chance that a PetRock knows a random spell already. PetRocks can move, but prefer not to be seen doing so. PetRocks see as well as elves normally do, and can see wholly around themselves, equally well in total darkness(using vibrations) or in full sunlight. A PetRock will sit quietly in the holders possession at first, sampling the available personalities, and then choosing it's preferred coffee talk mate, but will take what it can get.
The true advantage of the PetRock is their ability to become a familiar for any class or being. Having a PetRock for d4+4 weeks effectively allows the PetRock to attune itself as a familiar, if the PetRock works towards that goal. The hp gain is but 4hp. The tuned person though recieves the rocks sight and auditory senses in the normal familiar manner. The rock has no sense of smell, temperature, taste. PetRocks can only fordge this bond once per year, but will do so without asking their carrier, if the carrier puts up with them for the tuning period. The PetRock can sever the link within minutes, though it is loathe to do so, and suffers no ill effect if the “master” dies suddenly.
Breaking a PetRock effectively “kills” it. XP:150 to -150.
It is surmised that perhaps dead souls are somehow trapped within the rocks, and are now fated to live out their lives as such, making contact when and where they can with other intelligent life.
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can it be? Azothath@AOhell.com ! (that's aol…)
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Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 17:54:13 -0400
From: [me]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Chunks of Hard Stuff Storm
[me] wrote:
Raining Marbles (evocation)
Note: Actual spell description removed. I don't think it was very good.
Even better: Raining Marbles + Permanency = Steel factory with zero overhead (well, at least no overhead besides those annoying metal balls!) Of course, this could lead to serious problems if they want to close down the factory and there's no one with Dispell Magic in the area…
What about the serious problem when the people you sold the metal to find out it vanishes when hit by Dispel Magic?
Ah, who's going to find out? Even if someone does, I can start up a new factory somewhere else – maybe somewhere where magic's a little less common, or where there's a war going on (so people are too desperate for steel to worry about dispell magic). Another idea is to mix 50% magic marbles with 50% regular steel. Melt them together evenly. Now, when you build, say, a wall out of the stuff and then dispell it, you'll get an extremely fine-grained steel sponge out of it. Now who's going to guess that this suddenly weakened wall is the fault of the steel factory? They're more likely to blame the wall maker. Steel sponge may be more valuable than solid steel anyway.
Oh, and for a third idea, the steel would be a big hit in the less reputable parts of town. Dispellable chainmail bikini, anyone? :) There's an endless stream of possibilities there.
Dispell Link
Level: 1
Duration: 1hr/level
Area of Effect: 10ft/level
Desc:
This spell allows the wizard to dispell up to one magically-produced steel link in a chainmail mesh per second, for the duration of the spell.
Anyhow, some DMs would probably rule that, since steel is not a magical substance, it won't be dispelled.