Author: Matt Balara (108madmonkies)

While furiously working on a new class, I had a spontaneous idea…

Chance’s Coin

A thick, wide coin of unknown and unremarkable metal, stamped with a passive face in profile on each side. When you flip the coin, roll. * On a 7+, gain +1 forward and the faces smile pleasantly. * On a 10+, you gain an additional benefit of the GM’s choice. * On a 6-, the faces laugh cruelly and the GM will tell you what happens. When you flip the coin again, if the previous result was a success, roll+1, otherwise roll-1. Eventually on a 6-, the coin will disappear. When you lose or give away the coin, the faces are passive again.

I collected all the suggestions and feedback, and here’s the result…

http://nagafeathers.com/boordrums-balls/

The cards by Sam Bosma are the BOMB. I’d so totally buy the hell out of a deck of these Sam. Just so y’know.

http://www.sbosma.com/?/BlackAndWhite/TreasureChest/

Boordrum the Eyeless, architect of the spherical Kattatonian Palace, tested the magical principles that made that wonder of the world possible on smaller spheres. He considered them by-products of his work and threw them away, but they were salvaged and fetch a pretty penny on the street, where they’re commonly known as Boordrum’s Balls.

Boordrum’s Shield

1 weight

An unusually heavy iron ball the size of a fist, scarred with thousands of cuts that form an intricate pattern across its surface. When you throw it into the air it hovers in a slow orbit around you at heart level. The orb blocks the next successful weapon attack (i.e. not claws, bites, spells etc.) against you, after which it falls to the ground.

Boordrum’s Compass

0 weight

This orb of bright white stone is the size of an eyeball. When you think of something you want to find and throw the orb into the air it hovers at eye level, settling near you to indicate a direction. Roll+INT. * On a 10+ both. * On a 7-9 choose one:

• the orb shows you the safest way to the goal.

• the orb shows you the quickest way to the goal.

Boordrum’s Wings

-1 weight

Two spheres of flawless, slightly blue tinted glass, these orbs have almost no weight at all. As long you hold one in each hand, you are completely weightless. As long as they’re on your person (in a pouch, backpack, etc.) your load is also lightened by 1.

Feedback welcome! This feels like it’ll become quite a large series of items over time – feel free to add your own. 🙂

It’s a quandary: players find a magic item. Unless it’s a sword that bursts into flame when drawn, chances are that it’s use isn’t obvious. Staying strictly in character about it, they may never really understand what it does.

How do you GM this? Make them bring it to an expert for examination? Roleplay discovery by accident? Just give them the full description when they find it? And if do, how do you work that into the fiction?