Curse of the Spilled Bag

This annoying curse was originally created by priests of a lost order who were constantly cheated by the local merchants and lords. Unable to compete on the secular side, they chose a form of divine retribution instead.

This curse has a rather subtle effect. Anything carried by the victim has a tendency to slip out of whatever container it is stored in and drop to the ground. The curse's magic conceals any fallen items from the victim as they fall, making it likely they will be long gone before they are missed. The curse activates itself randomly 1d4 times per day. Each activation affects 1d10 like items (coins, foodstuffs, etc.)

The curse is subtle enough that it requires a Superb test of divination magic to reveal its presence. Once detected it requires a Great test of dispelling magic to remove it.

The Wolves of Shiral

This supernatural pack has been mentioned in legend and story for decades, a black stain of terror that has touched every culture with its dark presence. Though the reasons and stories surrounding the appearance of the Wolves varies, their description is constant, a pack of gray-furred beasts, each the size of a pony, armed with dagger-like teeth. Legend claims the Wolves are peerless hunters, tracking their prey by smell and sight, their slit-pupil, yellow eyes cutting through the blackest night or thickest fog.

The Wolves of Shiral are native to another plane of existence, a grim, shadowy realm where they are little more than predatory beasts. They can only appear in the mundane world with assistance. There are three ways the Wolves can be called forth from their native plane of existence:

• Summoning Ritual - The Wolves can be called forth with a carefully prepared ritual. Researching this rite requires access to a Superb quality library of magical lore. Due to the Wolves' terrible nature this lore is often kept locked away by powerful organizations, so anyone seeking this information must navigate a maze of bureaucratic red tape and organizational obstructionism. Fully researching the ritual requires four Epic tests of ritual lore once the appropriate materials are at hand. The actual ritual requires a Superb expenditure of coin on tools and components, which include diamond dust for inscribing magical sigils, a silver-bladed dagger to carry out the requisite human sacrifice, a silver chalice to the victims blood, and a red silk robe laced with silver thread to protect the ritualist. The actual ritual requires three Epic tests of ritual magic on the part of the ritualist, though carrying out the ritual at the proper time (midnight on the night of a new moon) reduces the difficulty of these tests to Great.
• Wolfhead Stone - This unique artifact was found by Dwarf miners in ages past. It is a nugget of pure silver the size of two fists, its tarnished form  bearing the shape of a snarling wolf's head. No hammer or fire has been discovered that can affect this relic. Legend says the Dwarves set the nugget in a heavy gold setting suspended from a silver chain. Anyone that obtains the Stone can call forth the Wolves by bathing it in the blood of a human sacrifice at midnight on the night of a new moon.
• Altar of Doom - In a haunted wood stands a monolithic altar to some unknown god. Black power radiates from this site, tainting the surrounding woods with fear and shadow. Legend says that anyone with the will to brave these dark woods and sacrifice themselves upon the black altar can summon forth the Wolves of Shiral to exact revenge upon their enemies.

When a successful summoning is carried out the nine Wolves appear, ready to hunt down and slay anyone named by their summoner. The Wolves have the following characteristics:

• Epic toughness and endurance. The Wolves move with Great speed over all terrain, hunting by day or night with equal ease. Their tough bodies are immune to mundane weaponry and they have Superb resistance to all forms of elemental damage.
• Their Superb senses cut through the foulest weather or deepest dark, unraveling complex trails or obscuring spells with ease. The pack's own trail is obscured by Superb magic that disguises their passage and misdirects spells seeking their location.
• The Wolves are immune to spells of warding or protection. Any attempt to return them to their own plane of existence before their mission is complete suffers a three rank penalty.
• When their prey is located the Wolves attack with Epic strength razor sharp fangs and claws, inflicting terrible bleeding wounds that heal at one-quarter the normal rate.
• The howls of the hunting pack reduce the strongest soul to shaking terror. Anyone within 60 feet of the pack must make a Superb test of will every three rounds or suffer a cumulative one rank penalty to all skill tests.

The Wolves are as capricious as they are deadly. After they have carried out their assigned task there is a 20% chance they will turn on their summoner. This chance rises by 10% for each day the pack has been active.

Note that there is only one pack, and if someone attempts to summon them while they are already active the original summoning breaks, causing the pack to seek out and destroy both summoning parties.

Twilight Corruption

The boundary between the mundane world and the realms of decay and darkness is usually well-defined and impenetrable. Usually. Sometimes the boundary is weakened, either by some great accidental cataclysm, or by intentional use of dark magics. When this occurs, the first sign is often an outbreak of the Twilight Corruption. This magical disease afflicts any living thing that goes too close to the physical break between planes. The symptoms and effects vary depending on exposure and the relative strength of the break. Since the Corruption affects all living things, be they plant or animal, the first signs often manifest in the local trees and undergrowth. Plants near the break receive constant exposure, making them very vulnerable to the Corruptions effects.

Any living thing that is exposed to the Corruption source should roll on the table below (1d10) for each day of exposure. A Good test of resistance negates the effect of any roll. Note that continued exposure means additional rolls. All effects are cumulative.

1-2	No effect. The creature is safe, for now.
3-4	Wasting Corruption. The creature suffers from a gradual wasting disease, which reduces one of vitality strength or will by one rank each 1d4 days.
5-6	Devouring Hunger. The creature is driven by a maddening hunger for fresh blood. Each day a Good test of will must be made or the afflicted attacks a living creature for their blood. Consumed blood negates the effects of Wasting Corruption.
7	Unholy Mutation. Any plant afflicted with this effect gains the ability to move using roots and branches as limbs. Plants can also use branches as crude weapons, clubbing or entangling their victims. Afflicted animals suffer uncontrolled growth, gaining 50% in size and strength, along with proportional strength. This growth is accompanied by an disgusting corruption of features and flesh, twisting familiar faces into cruel mockeries.
8	Ecoplasmic Form. The afflicted sprouts 1d6 twisting tendrils of ectoplasmic goo from their body. These tendrils corrupt what they touch. Anyone coming in contact with one must roll on this table as if they were exposed to the source of Corruption.
9	Necrotic Flesh. The victim's flesh begins to turn blue-green and decay, emitting a foul odor. Anyone within 10 feet of Necrotic Flesh must make a Good resistance roll or be nauseated for 1d6 rounds, suffering a one rank penalty to all action checks. There is no negative effect to the victim.
10	Berserk Rage. The victim loses their last remnant of sanity and goes berserk, attacking any living thing that crosses their path. The berserker gains one rank of strength and vitality, and becomes immune to mind- or emotion-affecting powers.

Victims of the Corruption can be cured with a Superb test of divine magic (treat as a magical disease to determine appropriate spells or rituals). Each time a victim of the Corruption dies, there is a 25% chance their remains will crumble to dust, a 50% chance they will rise as a crude undead creature (skeleton or zombie), and a 25% chance their corpse will become a seed for a new rift between the planes. If the victim's corpse is treated with a Superb divine magic cleansing these effects will be negated.

Mageworm

The Mageworm is a magical pest, of extra-planar origins. When they show up in the material world they appear to be two-inch long, dark green caterpillar-like worms, with thousands of fibrous yellow legs. They have metallic silver eyes, stubby silver antenna and six pairs of pincer-like jaws on their head.

Mageworms feed on magical energies and are drawn from their own plane of existence by concentrated collections of these energies. They are a bane to magical storehouses and archives, consuming the energies contained within magical constructs, writings or items with a ferocious hunger.

Mageworms can be kept at bay with fairly simple protective spells (a Fair test of protection magic), and many magical libraries have wards inscribed on their shelves and walls to accomplish this.

The creatures do have one interesting characteristic. For a short time after they consume a particular object or enchantment it's magic is imprinted upon their body. If a Mageworm is slain in this state its body can be used to create a magical potion that may impart the magical property upon anyone that imbibes it.

Creating a potion is a Superb test of alchemy. In addition to the remains of a Mageworm the process requires a Great quality alchemist's laboratory and the dust of a Great quality gemstone appropriate to the magic being captured. Once the potion is created check the following table to determine the result of the alchemical process:

1. Creates a 1-4 dose potion that imbues the drinker with the magical property consumed by the Mageworm for 4-24 rounds.
2. Creates a 1-4 dose potion that allows the drinker to project the imbued magic at will for 2-8 rounds.
3. Creates a single dose potion that permanently alters the drinker, imbuing them with the magical property forever.
4. Backlash! This 1-4 dose potion inflicts the opposite magical effect upon the drinker. It has a duration of 2-8 rounds.

Other than their appetites, Mageworms are harmless creatures. If disturbed or threatened they will return to their extra-dimensional plane of existence within 1-4 rounds. They can be captured or contained within special enclosures that have been enchanted with Fair protection magic.

Shade Flock

They lurk beneath overgrown trees and within derelict buildings where shadows gather, their black forms creating a deeper shadow within the shade. The Shade Flock is a manifestation of the plane of shadow, taking the form of black, vaguely bird-like creatures that perch and lurk within the shade. They are most often found near desolate places, abandoned structures, uninhabited woods, or dark ravines. Normally they are harmless, albeit creepy, manifestations, but through certain summoning and binding rituals they can be turned to a darker purpose.

Researching the rituals involved in summoning and controlling a Shade Flock is a Great test of ritual magic, requiring access to an appropriate library or tome. The actual ritual is not particularly complex (Good difficultly). Once completed the ritualist can command the Shade Flock for one week, at which time the Flock returns to its plane of origin.

Shade Flocks can be used as both spies and thieves. The ritual required to summon the Flock also binds it to the ritualist, allowing them to see what the Flock sees.

The Shade Flock has the following characteristics:

• Each Flock consists of a dozen individual creatures, which work as a sort of collective entity. Each individual must remain within 100 yards of the main flock.
• The Flock must remain in shadow or darkened areas. Any creature exposed to direct sunlight for a full round is driven back to its plane of origin.
• The Flock can fly at Good speed (subject to available darkness), and has Good vision and tracking ability. They can track the psychic energies of a target chosen by their summoner, tracking them with unerring accuracy.
• The Flock has Great stealth capability, being nearly invisible in their native shadows.
• Each member of the Shade Flock has Fair toughness and if forced to fight can peck or claw with Average ability. They have Great resistance to mundane weapons.
• Flock members can carry small items, and have Good thieving ability. Once an item is in possession of the Flock, it can be teleported between Flock members at will, once per round.

The Flock's typical tactic is to shadow their target until darkness provides an opportunity to capture whatever they have been tasked with stealing. Once the item is in their possession they will scatter and use their teleportation ability to keep their treasure away from any pursuit. Shade Flocks will actively avoid conflict, preferring to fall back and regroup if facing serious opposition.

Revenant Spiders

Revenant Spiders are created by powerful necromancers to punish or torment their foes. The creatures are created by a necromantic ritual, whose rites are a tightly held secret. Simply discovering the ritual exists is a Superb test of magical research unless one stumbles upon a source that outlines the rite. Once discovered, comprehending and learning the ritual is a Great test of necromancy and a Great test of ritual magic. Once learned performing the ritual is a Good test of ritual magic and necromancy and requires a Good expenditure of wealth for material components. Typical components include the remains of a dozen preserved spiders impaled upon pure silver pins and mounted upon the lid of a coffin from an ancient grave, which has been inscribed with the name of the caster's chosen victim. The entire construct is then sprinkled with the ground bones of someone slain by violence. If the ritual is successful it summons forth six to twelve Revenant Spiders which immediately begin pursuit of the caster's victim.

Revenant Spiders take the form of hideous and hairy undead spiders with a leg-span of about three inches. The creatures are partially insubstantial, and seem to blend into the shadows as they scuttle forth in their never-ending search for their prey. A faint aroma of decay surrounds the creatures and a chill hangs in the air when they pass by.

Revenant Spiders have the following characteristics:

• Immunity to mundane weapons - Only magical or silver weapons can harm these insubstantial magical creatures.
• Fair regeneration - Slain spiders regenerate fully one day after they are slain unless their remains are blessed (Great test of dispel evil/necromancy).
• Legendary tracking - The creatures have a near perfect ability to locate their victim.
• Fair movement - The creatures require no rest or food, being undead. They can travel five miles per day, and have an innate ability to find transportation over or around obstacles that stand between their victim and themselves.
• Superb stealth - The spider's small size and ability to blend into shadows, makes them difficult to spot.
• Necrotic bite - Once the spiders locate their victim, they attack with a Good bite and inject a potent magical venom (Superb resistance to avoid). Once their bite is delivered, the spider collapses to dust, its mission complete.
• The Revenant Spider's bite afflicts the victim with a necrotic poison that begins to slowly consume their flesh, leaving behind rotting, stinking wounds. Each week the poison inflicts the equivalent of Good damage upon the victim, and creates another rotting wound somewhere on their person. The poison can be completely removed only with a Legendary test of dispel evil/necromancy. A Great test of healing will temporarily halt the poison. Each wound left by the poison requires a Superb test of healing to cure once the poison has been removed.

Grim Monday: Curse of the Howling Hound

The recipient of this curse is haunted by the distant sounds of a howling and barking dog. The victim will always hear the dog at the most inopportune times, while trying to hide, fall asleep or concentrate on some task for example.

This curse grows in power and intensity over the course of time, beginning as an occasional faint howling or barking. After a few weeks this will escalate to regular barking, baying and howling just out of sight. The curse is infectious. Those that associate closely with the victim can themselves become victims, especially if they attempt to help the victim find the source of the barking and howling. Avoiding the curse is a Good test of resolve.

Any attempt to find the source of the curse's noise leads the victim on a wild goose chase. The sound will always come from just out of sight, and randomly shift locations to throw off pursuit.

The curse can be identified with a Superb test of divination magic. A Great test of dispel magic is required to remove it.

Grim Monday: Crawler's Curse

Today's Grim Monday is curse designed to cause both physical and mental discomfort. The mosquitoes are back for the summer here in Indiana, and their presence at a family cookout last night inspired this curse.

Crawler's Curse causes any biting or stinging insects and arachnids in the area to focus their attentions on the victim. This effect is subtle at first, a few extra mosquito bites after a night outdoors or a more serious flea infestation after staying in a filthy hostel, but becomes stronger as time passes. Some of the potential effects of this curse includes:

• Pests, bites and stings - While outdoors the victim will be bitten by mosquitoes or horse flies, stung by yellow jackets or ants, or swarmed by gnats. Stings and bites cause discomfort and make it difficult to concentrate on complex tasks or remain still when being inflicted. There is a minor chance of contracting a disease.
• Indoor pests - The victim attracts fleas, lice, and bedbugs whenever they are indoors around other people or beasts. There is a minor chance they can become infested with fleas or lice, and a similar chance of contracting a disease.
• Creepy crawlers - The victim attracts spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids. These creatures will not be unnaturally aggressive, but will spin webs near the victim, take up residence in their boots, or crawl into their bed at night. There is a minor chance of receiving a bite or sting from these creatures, which may inflict a poison upon the victim.

Grim Monday: The Cold Feet Curse

The Curse of Cold Feet is not, as it may sound, cured with a pair of warm boots. The victim of this curse is assailed by doubt whenever they must make a decision. The curse initially affects the victim only when important decisions are before them, but grows over time. Eventually the act of choosing which shoes to wear will become an insurmountable obstacle.

The initial effect of the curse is to cause the victim to doubt any major decision they make. As the power of the curse grows physical effects manifest themselves: sleepless nights, overly cautious behavior, and a shaken demeanor become the norm. The victim becomes less and less sure of themselves as the curse's influence spreads to even minor choices.

Manifestations:

• Hindsight - The victim reviews past choices, wondering if their decision was the correct one.
• Infinite Delay - Rather than make a decision, choices are delayed. And delayed and delayed.
• Sleepless Nights - The victim spends their night tossing and turning, mulling over choices past and future. Even the decision to get out of bed and do something useful becomes a momentous choice.
• Shaken Hands - A choice made, the victim is so nervous in its pursuit that their hand shake uncontrollably.
• Flip Flopping - Choices made are reconsidered and revised. Decisions last no more than a week, usually less than a day.

Book of Mutations

This malignant volume is more rumor and myth than fact. Legend says the tome was created by a powerful demon lord as a reward for one of his most loyal worshipers in the material world. The Book grants great power, but like all such gifts, the volume exacts a price from anyone that chooses to use it.

The Book is a large volume, approximately 18 inches wide, 24 inches high, and several inches thick. The covers of the Book are fashioned from strips of bone, carefully polished and woven together with human hair. The volume's spine is made of black-dyed human vertebrae, while the pages are carefully tanned and stretched human skin. The contents of the book are written in the foulest of demonic tongues using human blood as ink.

The Book radiates Epic protection magic and Legendary alteration magic. It is a potent artifact of evil.

The Book's protection magic is aimed at protecting the volume itself. This protection has two components:

• Only the most potent destructive magics can harm its pages. It is immune to physical attack, and only Legendary magical attacks will affect it.
• Despite its horrid appearance the Book exerts a powerful effect on any that handle it. Anyone touching the volume will find themselves draw to it, and desire to keep it safe. Shaking off this effect requires a Great test of willpower.

To unlock the secrets of the Book requires many days of study and research. Simply translating the contents is a Great test of language skill. Comprehending each of the rituals described requires a Superb test of ritual lore.

The Rituals

There are seven rituals outlined in the book. Each ritual requires a collection of ritual objects (Superb quality and cost) to perform, though the objects are not consumed when used. Carrying out a ritual requires a full day of preparation. The rituals themselves take one hour to carry out (success requires a Great test of ritual magic). A ritual affects a single subject, unless the Ritual of Preparation is used. There are three ways each ritual can be used. Each use of a ritual inflicts Demonic Consequences (see below) on the caster.

• Performed upon self - The Book's owner performs the ritual upon themselves, gaining the benefit outlined in the individual ritual.
• Performed upon a willing subject - The target receives the benefit of the ritual and becomes Bound by Blood (see below).
• Performed upon an unwilling subject - The target receives the benefit of the ritual and suffers Taint of the Demon (see below). Unwilling subjects succumb to the ritual if they fail to make a Superb magical resistance check.

The rituals are:

• Ritual of Preparation - This ritual can only be performed upon oneself. It allows a subsequent ritual to be performed upon multiple targets (six times the subjects). This ritual can be performed multiple times before another ritual is used, multiplying the subjects of the final ritual by six each time (6, 36, 216, etc.)
• Ritual of Subjugation - The subject of this ritual becomes a willing follower of the caster, obeying them as if they were a revered and trusted overlord.
• Ritual of Strength - The subject gains one rank of physical strength and endurance each time this ritual is cast upon them.
• Ritual of Altered Senses - This ritual enhances the senses of the subject, allowing them to see in the dark, hear a pin drop from across the room, or smell as well as a dog. Each use of this ritual improves two random senses one rank.
• Ritual of Living Blood - The target of this ritual gains superior healing abilities. Each casting of the ritual improves their resistance to disease and poison by one rank. It also improves their healing speed by one rank. Three uses of this ritual provide the target with true regeneration.
• Ritual of Guardian Flesh - This ritual strengthens the target's body against physical assault. Each casting of this ritual improves the target's natural resistance to physical harm by one rank.
• Ritual of Resilience - This ritual grants the subject improved resistance to damaging magic of all sorts (though specifically not to the effects of the Book itself). Each time this ritual is cast the subject gains one rank of resistance. Three uses of this ritual provide the target with true magic resistance.

Demonic Consequences

The Book's creator had a purpose in mind when he created this volume: gaining access to the material plane. Each use of the Book's rituals has a chance of inflicting a permanent change upon the caster. Each time the owner uses a ritual they must succeed at a Great test of willpower. If they fail the test their physical form is altered, gaining one physical feature of the demon lord that created the Book. The first changes will be minor, but over time the user will come to resemble the demon lord in physical form. After a score of rituals the congruence between the demon and the caster will form a bond between the two, allowing the demon to influence the user. Eventually the demon will be able to project their consciousness into the ritualist's body, permanently displacing the owner's soul.

Bound by Blood

A willing ritual subject becomes bound to the caster. Should harm befall the caster the bound subject suffers a portion of the consequences. Each wound inflicted upon the ritualist inflicts a minor wound upon the bound follower. Should the caster be slain the follower suffers a permanent Good loss of vitality.

Taint of the Demon

Unwilling victims suffer this effect each time they are subject to a ritual from the Book. Each ritual inflicts one of the following consequences upon the subject:

• Dullness - The victim's mind becomes dulled, reducing their intellect and drive by one rank.
• Demonic Visage - The victim takes on a demonic appearance, gaining one of the following features: black eyes with slit pupils; coarse, scaly skin; horny, sharp claws; twisted, knotted musculature; hunched, hulking appearance
• Cruelty - The victim becomes cruel, and vicious, taking delight in the suffering of others. They must make a Good test of willpower to resist taking advantage of any situation that allows them to be cruel to others.

Eventually use of the book will unleash a demon lord upon the world, complete with his own horde of minions. The idea for this item came from a campaign I participated in many years ago. I'm sure the details of the book are very different from the original creator's ideas. I hope you find it useful!

Sacrificial Pool

The Pool is an ancient construct formed from a dozen massive blocks of crudely shaped granite. The structure consists of eight blocks that form a stone basin or pool, about eight feet in length. Each of these blocks is inscribed with a series of symbols or runes from some long forgotten language. At one end of the pool three stone blocks form a waist-high table that slants downward toward the pool. A shallow channel is cut into the upper surface of this platform.

The Pool radiates Legendary necromantic and alteration magic. A Superb test of divination magic will reveal the grim magic it contains.

To invoke the magic of the Pool it must be filled with earth. When a living creature is sacrificed upon the Pool's table and the proper ritual is performed, the victim's life essence will flow down the table and into the pool. The magical reaction that follows creates a homunculus with the rough form of the victim. A second ritual, involving marking the newly formed creature with the user's blood, establishes control over it.

The Pool can be used as often as desired, so long as victims and earth are available for the ritual. With care the stones of the Pool can be taken apart and transported, though each of the 11 stones weighs a thousand pounds or more.

The creatures created by the ritual have the following characteristics:

• Average attack and movement - The homunculus' limbs are shaped to crude stabbing or cutting weapons. They move at a slow but steady pace.
  
• Fair defense and toughness - The creature's body is dense and tough, covered with a stony shell.
• Epic endurance - As a magical construct the created creature feels no fatigue and does not require food or drink.
• Mindless obedience - The creature can follow simple commands given by whoever completed the second ritual when it was created. Orders beyond "guard this place" or "destroy that person" are beyond its comprehension.

Pool creatures cannot be healed so any damage inflicted is permanent. Once destroyed they revert to muddy earth. A victim sacrificed on the Pool's platform is permanently slain unless a portion of the homunculus raised from their life essence can be recovered.

The Malevolent Head

An artifact of ancient times and potent magic, the Malevolent Head is a living, sentient artifact (though its sanity is doubtful). The Head was once a complete person, beginning life as a powerful mage in a bygone age. Driven by a lust for power, this mage sought out any form of magic that would lengthen and preserve his life.

All good things come to an end. As his tainted power grew, corrupting mind and body, his enemies multiplied. Eventually they joined forces to blot his evil from the face of the world. The ensuing battles brought entire kingdoms to their knees, and eventually ended when the mage was trapped in the collapse of his own stronghold. The site was left as a smoldering crater, and the victors rejoiced.

Unknown to the victors, the fallen mage survived the holocaust. His body destroyed, all that remains is a hideous, scarred head.

The Malevolent Head appears to be a normal-sized human head, hideously burned and scarred. Only its malevolent gaze reveals its nonliving state. It radiates Legendary necromantic and alteration magic and has the following characteristics:

• Legendary toughness - even in its current form the Head is protected by potent spells. Few can muster the power required to break these enchantments and permanently destroy the head.
• Terrifying gaze - The maddened, malevolent stare of the Head is sufficient to keep weaker souls at bay. Approaching within 15' of the head requires an Average test of resolve.
• Telepathy - The Head can communicate telepathically with any sentient being within 60'.
• Encyclopedia of Magic - The Head knows... pretty much everything about magic. When it was whole it reigned for centuries over a vast kingdom, and harvested the magical knowledge that grew there. The Head can be compelled to share this knowledge, but it comes with a price...
• The Price of Knowledge - Each magical spell or power learned from the Head bears a hidden compulsion woven into its substance and form. Each use of a learned ability requires an Average test of resolve to resist this enchantment. Once failed the compulsion will force the victim to assist the Head in achieving its goals (see below).

In its present form the Head cannot make use of its knowledge. Without a body or vocal cords it cannot cast spells or even move. The Head will attempt to gain assistance by sharing the least potent bits of knowledge it possesses in exchange for aid. The Head's goals are:

• Form - Though its own form was destroyed long ago, if the Head is provided a body (magically constructed, cloned, or otherwise created), it can easily control and use it.
• Vengeance - The Head will seek to destroy anyone that tried to thwart its plans to obtain a body. From its twisted perspective, that includes pretty much anyone that knows of its existence.
• Power - Once free the Head will return to its old ways, driven by a monomaniacal lust for power. The Head without a body is a potent and tainted source of magical knowledge and power. The Head with a body has powers sufficient to level cities or destroy an army.

The Head was inspired by Glen Cook's The Silver Spike. All hail the Limper!

Clay of Perfection

When Lagra-bearing waters flow near clay-laden soil, deposits of the Clay of Perfection form. Dense as stone and as supple as fine leather, this substance an ideal material for the artificer with the skill to use it.

Clay of Perfection forms itself into pale spherical globules within a larger bank of mundane clay. Deposits range in size from tiny spheres the diameter of a gold coin up to massive blobs requiring block and tackle to move. Clay radiates alteration magic, with potency ranging from Great to Epic. The paler the Clay the more potent the potential enchantment. Harvested Clay must be wrapped in water soaked cloth to retain its potency. Clay that dries out crumbles to powerless dust.

The Clay's principle characteristic is its ability to be shaped into a desired form, then imbued with animating magical energies. It is the perfect substance for creating golems or animate statues. When properly enchanted it can be used to create replacement limbs for living creatures.

Using the Clay of Perfection requires a Great test of artistic skill to shape it to the proper form. Once shaped a Great test of artifice plus a Great test of the appropriate enchantment are required to properly animate the constructed object. For complex constructs (such as a golem), multiple tests are required to complete the entire construct. A few examples:

A mage wishes to replace their lost eye with a construct made from the Clay of Perfection. Creating the new eye is a Great test artistic skill. Enchanting the eye requires a Great test of divination magic to imbue it with vision, followed by a Great test of artifice to properly seat the eye.

A replacement limb requires a Great test of artistic skill to properly shape the object, then a Great test of necromancy to properly tie the limb to the wearer's nervous system. A Great test of artifice completes the physical connection and animates the limb.

A golem might require individual tests of artistic skill and artifice for each limb, a necromancy or spirit magic test to imbue some sort of intelligence into the construct, then a final artifice test to properly link the entire construct together.

Grim Monday: Curse of the Disputed Way

I just realized I failed to post up a Grim Monday article this past week, so I'm focusing on writing up and scheduling out a few to insure this doesn't happen again. I usually try to keep a half-dozen articles in the queue, but I've been slacking off the last couple weeks as the weather turns nice. Nose back to the grindstone!

The Curse of the Disputed Way draws obstacles to the victim the way sugar draws flies. Any time the victim travels, be it a long journey through perilous country or a simple trip across the bar, this curse will manifest as an obstacle or obstruction on the journey. These obstacles don't necessarily prevent travel, but they do make it trying. This curse is subtle, so detecting it requires a Great test of divination magic. Once discovered Good protection magic can remove its effect, though previously created complications might remain to be dealt with.

Typical obstacles / effects of the curse include:

• Casual blockage - The slowest walkers always step in front of the victim, pausing often to chat or shop. Stepping around the blockage usually results in a collision with oncoming traffic. Even a casual trip to the washroom can result in a collision with a mug-laden waitress or drunken patron.
• Official diversion - Guards and watchmen will pore over documents or travel papers, slowing the victim's progress. The tiniest irregularity in their papers will draw the full attention of the bureaucratic process.
• Bad luck - A broken shoelace, a lame horse or a twisted ankle. Misfortune always dogs the victim's progress.
• Weather delays - The curse magnifies the effects of weather along the victim's path, flooding fords, filling gutters and collapsing canopies. The victim and their travel companions are assured of arriving scorched, soaked, frost-bitten or sand-blasted depending on the circumstances.
• Unwanted attention - The victim draws the attention of highwaymen, predators, and other unsavory characters as they travel. All will be convinced the victim is the ideal target for their predations.
  

Luma

Deep beneath the surface, darkness reigns. Most living things that inhabit the depths adapt to the eternal night of underground living. For those that don't, Luma provides an alternative to the darkness.

Luma is a fungus that forms vine-like colonies near deposits of sulfur-bearing minerals that provide their primary source of nutrients. The vines support support an array of pendulous globes that consume the sulfur compounds, producing both heat and light as part of the reaction. A single Luma colony can extend hundreds of yards through natural caverns and caves, creating pockets of light and warmth in the darkness.

Luma colonies attract a variety of underground life. The light and warmth they provide is sufficient to support primitive plant-life such as algaes and mosses. These plants, in turn, provide the basis for a broad food chain. Intelligent under-dwellers have learned to cultivate Luma, using it as a basis for their own societies and cultures.

The typical Luma colony spans 200 yards of caves and caverns. Dozens of vine-like tendrils rise from the tangle of tiny roots that mark the base of the colony. The tendrils spread and climb across any surface, sprouting tiny roots of their own, questing for additional sources of nutrition. Fist-sized globules sprout at uneven intervals, each emitting pale yellow light, equivalent to dim sunlight, in a 60 foot radius. The ambient temperature within the area containing the colony is elevated 10 to 15 degrees about the surrounding area.

A colony that exhausts its food supply will wither and die, each pod spraying forth a cloud of dust-like spores that cling to anything they touch. Spores that find a fresh sulfur deposit, sprout and form a new colony in two to four days.

Lagra

Lagra is a a magical liquid obtained only from the purest water sources. It is valued by artificers and alchemists for its unique ability to enhance the fundamental potency of whatever it is combined with. Once removed from its primal source Lagra evaporates quickly unless it is properly stored in carefully constructed crystal containers.

There are many theories as to the formation of Lagra, the most widely accepted being it forms when pure water flows over a natural magical source such as mithril or orquelum. Lagra is best sought at night, when its faint blue glow allows it to be easily spotted. The substance can be harvested using a specially prepared crystal pipette (Great quality item). Lagra is lighter than water and forms tiny slicks on the surface of calm pools of water from pure underground sources. Capturing and storing the substance in a crystal vial (Great quality also) is a Good test of agility.

Lagra is a potent catalyst for magical constructs. It is often used in the preparation of potions, inks, and pigments. Dark Wood absorbs Lagra quickly, and combining the two magical elements increases the potency of any item constructed from the enhanced material.

Properly assessing the effect of Lagra upon a magical creation is a Great test of alchemical skill. Preparing it for use and properly combining it with other liquids is a Great test of alchemical skill. Combining it with non-liquids is a Superb test of alchemical skill.

Paquin's Spellbook

The black name of Paquin was first introduced in last month's article Paquin's Deceiving Circle. The spells below represent some of Paquin's works from the end of his career, when demonic influences tainted his magic.

Paquin's Ghoulish Touch
When the caster invokes this spell their hands begin to glow with an eerie greenish light. When the caster next touches a living target they drain life from it and heal themselves a like amount (base Fair damage). In combat this requires a successful touch attack. This spell has a maximum duration of 6 rounds, and ends once a target has been drained. This spell has no effect upon non-living creatures (undead, constructs, some supernatural beings). Casting this spell is an Average test of necromantic magic.

Paquin's Vortex of Terror
When cast this spell creates a 30' high, 10' radius vortex of disorienting, flashing black and white images of hideous death, dismemberment, and destruction. At the beginning of each round the vortex moves 10'-40' in a random direction (1d4x10 for distance, 1d8 for direction). Any individual touched by the vortex must succeed at a Good test of will or flee in panic and horror for 1d8 rounds. The caster is unaffected by the vortex. The spell has a range of 100' and a duration of 8 rounds. Casting this spell is a Good test of evocation magic.

Paquin's Fire Tornado
When cast this spell causes one or more fiery tornadoes, 30' high x 5' radius, to spring into being at the location(s) specified by the caster. At the beginning of each round the tornadoes will move 20'-80' in a random direction (roll 1d4x10 for distance and 1d8 for direction twice each). Anyone a tornado passes over takes Good damage from the flames. Anyone standing within a tornado for an entire round takes Superb damage from the flames. A Great resistance test reduces the damage taken by half. This spell has a range of 100' and a duration of 8 rounds. Casting this spell is a Great test of evocation magic. An additional tornado is created for each level of success achieved beyond the base requirement.

Grim Monday: Curse of the Mistaken Face

As I mentioned in my post on Saturday, I'm going to be dedicating Monday's articles to curses, tricks and traps, suitable fodder for this day's 'back to work' nature. Welcome back, hope you enjoyed your weekend, here's a curse to start the work week off right!

The Curse of the Mistaken Face is fitting punishment for lies and deceit. With no obvious manifestation the victim may not realize they are afflicted by a malediction for many days, making this curse popular as a means of anonymous or secretive revenge. The subtle nature of this curse makes it difficult to detect, requiring a Great test of divination magic to identify and a similar test of protection magic to dispel.

The victim of this curse suffers a subtle loss of identity. The curse first affects interactions with those who know the victim slightly or not at all. It's power grows over time, eventually affecting the victims closest relationships. The manifestations of the curse are:

• Witnesses to the victim's positive deeds will attribute them to someone else. Thanks and rewards will be given to others. Other names will be used in stories and tales.
• The victim will be fingered as the perpetrator of any negative deed carried out in their presence. They will be mistaken for the fleeing thief or the instigator of the tavern brawl.
• Casual acquaintances will forget the victim over time. Past deeds and associations will be forgotten or attributed to someone else. The friendly bartender will treat them as a stranger, the priests of the local temple, cultivated with offerings, will forget their face.
• The victim's name will be misspelled in any written document or publication. Legal documents will be challenged and reports misattributed.
• Messages sent to the victim will be lost or delivered elsewhere (including messages sent by magical means). Meetings will be missed, opportunities lost.

This curse should manifest itself at least once per day, either directly (as a reaction to the victim) or indirectly (as an effect on an associate or acquaintance). Each week the effects should strike closer to home. After a month the victim and their closest friends and allies should be thoroughly confused and befuddled by the curse.

If the curse is lifted relationships return to normal, though stories, complications, and documents created while the curse was in effect remain.

The Curse of Crows

It's Friday. Friday the 13th. What better day to write up a nice curse to plague someone?

The Curse of Crows is usually pronounced upon someone as retribution or punishment. It is a subtle curse, causing no direct harm to the recipient. Instead the victim of this curse is followed by crows. Initially there will be one bird in attendance, but each day the victim remains in one location their numbers increase by 1d4. Should they travel a significant distance only a single crow will follow, but others will swiftly gather once a destination is reached.

Crows remain at a distance for the most part, and will nimbly dodge hurled missiles. Area of effect damage can kill the birds quite easily, but they always return. Crows exhibit the following behavior:

• If the victim is sleeping outdoors they will constantly call to each other, making rest difficult. Should sleep be achieved the victim will awaken to a crow sitting on their gear, their mount, or themselves.
• Any time the victim enters or leaves a structure the crows will begin cawing and take flight, preparing to follow them.
• Any building occupied by the victim will be plagued with crows. The bird's constant cawing, scavenging and defecation will make them unwelcome visitors in any civilized area.
• When a large group has gathered (ten or more crows), they will attack and kill any small animal they find (rodents, birds, small pets) and deposit them as near the victim as possible.

Each day a victim stays in one location there is a 10% cumulative chance the local populace will recognize them as the source of the curse. Once this link is recognized the victim may be shunned, banished or driven away. Each week under the curse's effect there is a 5% cumulative chance the victim will become unstable for one to four days, alternately chasing or hiding from the pursuing crows.

Curses

Today's article is all about curses. Each of the curses described below can be used against a character directly or attached to an item of interest. Curses used against a character can be removed with a Good test of protection magic. Item curses are a bit trickier. A curse applied to an item can be permanently removed with a Great test of protection magic. An intrinsic curse (a flaw in its creation or an intentionally designed effect) cannot be removed. A Superb test of protection magic can temporarily negate the effects of an intrinsic curse, but they will reappear after one month. Curses can be detected by magical means, generally a Great test of divination magic.

Eye for an Eye - This curse is usually pronounced upon a specific character or a powerful weapon. When the target of the curse is engaged in combat all damage they inflict is also reflected back upon themselves. The victim suffers the effects of any damage (feeling pain, suffering condition effects, etc.) and receives half the damage they inflict as temporary damage. Temporary damage and curse effects last until the end of combat. A character slain by temporary damage falls into a coma for 8 hours.

Like Dust - This curse is most often directed at a person. All food and drink consumed by the victim has the flavor and consistency of dust. Though retaining its nutritional value, the victim will find it harder and harder to eat and drink. For each week this curse is in effect the victim must make a Good test of will to eat and drink sufficiently. Each time they fail the test their vitality is reduced one rank. This penalty is cumulative until the curse is removed.

Pathless Wandering - This subtle curse is often placed on items as a security precaution. Anyone transporting the cursed item has a greatly increased chance of taking wrong turns, misreading directional signs and following directions incorrectly. The cumulative effect of this curse is to direct the victim back to where the item was obtained. The curse affects the victim's fellow travelers, so its effects are very difficult to detect.