The Bronze Wain

The Bronze Wain is a large wagon with four over-sized spoked wheels. At first glance it appears rather mundane, but closer examination will reveal that each plank used in the construction of the wagon is actually cast from solid bronze. Similarly the wheels are shaped from some silvery metal, lightweight and strong. Normally a wagon this size would require a team of a half-dozen beasts, but there is no harness fitted. Instead a pair of golden reins hang in mid-air before the velvet covered bench seat.

The Wain radiates Superb animation and alteration magic. A Superb test of divination magic will reveal the command words that activate its magical abilities:

• Fully loaded the Wain can hold about 3000 lbs. Three people can fit onto its bench seat, and another dozen can squeeze into the cargo area. The Wain provides a smooth and comfortable ride, well protected from the various bumps and impacts of the road.
• The Wain will move itself at a slow but steady pace for up to eight hours at a stretch, so long as the reins are being held by whomever spoke the command word causing it to move. The Wain moves over any sort of mundane terrain with ease, provided its bulky form is not blocked by obstacles. After traveling for eight hours the Wain will stop and remain motionless for four hours before it can be commanded to move again. The Wain will cover approximately 15 miles during a single eight hour travel period.
• While moving, the Wain can be commanded to cross water as if it were firm ground. The Wain can cross up to one mile of water while this power is active, and it can be invoked twice per movement period.
• Once per movement period the Wain can be commanded to conceal its passage. The Wain will travel one mile leaving no wheel marks or signs of passage. It will, however leave a faint trace of Alteration magic, which a Superb test of divination magic might reveal.
• Once per movement period the Wain can become insubstantial for five minutes, allowing it to travel through solid objects or obstacles such as a stand of trees or a fortress wall.

The Wain is, for most purposes, immune to physical damage and most forms of magical damage. Extended exposure to extreme heat or magical flame will destroy the Wain.

Patchwork Cloak

This short, gaudy cloak is made from strips and patches of brightly colored cloth. A rich red silk lining and a black leather tie at the neck give the item a touch of elegance, but there's no hiding the mismatched and garish nature of the cloak. If examined for magical properties the cloak radiates both Good charm and alteration magic. A Good test of divination magic will reveal the cloak's enchantments:

• The Patchwork Cloak grants its wearer a glib tongue and friendly demeanor, giving them a Fair bonus to all initial reaction checks.
• The wearer gains a Fair bonus to all skill checks when performing before a crowd. This bonus rises to Good if the act involves sleight of hand, juggling, or acrobatics.

Patches sewn into the cloak can be pulled free by the wearer, becoming the items listed below. There are initially 10 patches available, and patches that are removed reappear after three days. If all patches are removed the cloak's enchantment fails completely, turning it into a rather threadbare mundane garment. Created items last up to two hours unless otherwise noted. The possible patches include:

• White - The patch becomes a polished human skull, which can be used to call forth the spirit of a dead person. The spirit can be compelled to answer three questions before it departs and the skull crumbles to dust.
• Red and Black - The patch becomes a deck of playing cards, which grant the cloak's wearer a Good bonus to all gambling or sleight of hand skill checks involving card tricks.
• Silver - The patch becomes a crystal ball, which can be used to scry any known location for five minutes, before it vanishes in a cloud of smoke.
• Blue -  The patch becomes a fine silk handkerchief, which can be stretched, compacted, knotted, and unknotted with a hand gesture, making it ideal for sleight of hand tricks (Good bonus to any such tricks carried out with this item).
• Yellow - The patch becomes a bright yellow canary, which obeys the wearer's commands. The bird is able to teleport with perfect accuracy up to five times.
• Black and White - The patch becomes a top hat and wand, which when used together can summon forth a white rabbit or pair of white doves. Furthermore anything placed within the hat can automatically be teleported to a secret pocket in the Patchwork Cloak.

The Hallow Stone

This artifact is a squat natural column of red-veined granite with a crudely shaped circular base and a slightly concave, basin-like top. The holy symbols of some long forgotten religion are carved into the sides, the deep incisions glimmering with a faint reddish light. The column weighs about 300 pounds, making it difficult to move or transport. Anyone touching the object can feel a faint tingle from the Superb divine magic contained within. A Great test of divination magic will reveal the item's enchantment.

The Hallow Stone's powers can only be used while it rests on natural soil under the open sky. When placed in such a setting the Stone has the following characteristics:

• Unnatural creatures (summoned beings, undead, magical constructs, perhaps others), are hedged out of a 100 foot radius area around the artifact. Entering the protected area requires a Great test of willpower for such beings.
• Natural creatures (animals, and nature-based magical beings, perhaps others) within the same area of effect gain Great protection from all forms of mental attack (fear, charm, mind control, etc.).
• The beneficial effects of all healing magic within the area of effect are doubled.
• A Great test of magical lore research will reveal a ritual associated with Stone. The ritual requires the basin-like top of the Stone be filled with pure rainwater collected in a silver bowl. The water must then be blessed as the sun rises by a priest familiar with the ritual. Once the ritual is completed any weapon dipped into this water gains a Great damage bonus against unnatural creatures for four hours. This ritual can be performed once per day, provided materials required are at hand.

Return to Moria: Status Report

In my last post about my upcoming Moria-based campaign I talked about the three main tasks I was pursuing at the time, character creation, mapping, and encounters. The last two weeks have seen some good progress on all three fronts (my players keep out).

Characters

All my players have now created their characters. Yes, characters, plural. Since the first session of this game is going to be a full weekend of gaming (my gaming group is 4 states away), we're setting things up to insure a couple of character deaths don't lead to excessive downtime for the players. Here's the full list of characters:

A trio from Gondor:

• 2nd paladin Man of Gondor
• 1st cleric Iron Hills Dwarf
• 1st fighter/magic-user Elf of Lothlorien

War orphans from Rohan:

• 1st fighter Man of the North
• 2nd cleric Man of Rohan
• 1st thief Man of the North

A pair of brothers and their shifty friend:

• 2nd cleric Man of Gondor
• 1st paladin Man of Gondor
• 1st/1st fighter/thief Western Dwarf

Three strangers:

• Man of Gondor, Ranger, 2nd Lvl
• Hobbit, Thief, 1st Lvl
• Iron Hills Dwarf, Cleric, 1st Lvl

Three more strangers:

• Man of the North 2nd level magic user
• Iron Hills Dwarf 1st level cleric
• Elf of Lothlorien - 1st level fighter/magic user

A pair of Dwarf cousins and their chance companion:

• Iron Hills Dwarf fighter, 2nd level
• Iron Hills Dwarf cleric, 1st level
• Man of the North magic user, 1st level

As expected, a solid Dwarf contingent, plus a heavy dose of clerics and fighters. Pretty typical for this group. We already have a betting pool going on which character dies first.

Mapping

I now have a near complete set of level maps for the entire dungeon. After doing rough drafts of each major level by hand I switched to using Open Office's Impress, which is theoretically presentation software, but does a very nice job of creating flow-chart style maps. Compare my lame rough draft with this close to final version.

Using Impress I've been able to color code a ton of information into the basic map. I can also jump between levels with the application's interactive features, which link slide navigation to mouse-clicks on objects.

I'm still working on naming and tweaking the level maps. I'm also adding at least two more layers of connectivity between the levels: sewers and natural waterways. Other potential links include natural unmapped caves and volcanic vents.

Next steps for mapping include descriptions of the blocked out areas of each level map. I'll be starting this process with the levels most likely to be visited, then work inward from there. The party has a few clues about various entrances into the Mines, so I'll be focusing my efforts on those levels. As I do this I'll also be sketching in sewer lines and waterways, and drawing up unique maps as needed.

Encounters

I've continued sketching out the various groups that currently inhabit the depths of Moria. I now have 20 major groups inhabiting the depths. My biggest challenge now is placing them all in some sort of reasonable fashion. There's a lot of connectivity between the Mine levels and I'm trying to lay out groups so there's some rhyme or reason to it. Some of the recent additions to the bestiary include:

• A cult of curiously twisted Dwarves who worship at a strange stone altar dedicated to a previously unknown God.
• The reptilian Grimmve, primitive tribal creatures who use living weapons in combat.
• The Ettercap, my own take on the original, half-spider / half-human cross-breeds that serve one of the other groups in Moria.

All in all I'm pleased with how Moria is developing, though I find myself spending way too much time thinking about it. I've also discovered I can waste hours tweaking map layouts, something I have to put a stop to if I want to keep moving forward. There's still a ton of work to do, but I love world building, so it's all good!

Ice Maul

Ice Maul is a heavy warhammer with a head of unbreakable blue ice. Wisps and streamers of chill white mist trail from this hammer, causing anyone they touch to give an involuntary shiver. The weapon's haft and handle are fashioned from brightly polished and silvered steel. A diamond pattern provides a sure grip, and a polished globe of obsidian finishes the haft. Ice Maul radiates Great combat and elemental magic, and a Great test of divination will reveal its enchantments. The weapon has the following characteristics:

• Ice Maul has a Fair bonus to accuracy and a Good bonus to damage. It inflicts double damage upon fire-based foes.
• Ice Maul's bearer gains Superb resistance to cold based attacks.
• Any melee blow struck by Ice Maul chills the target, causing them to miss their next action as they shake off the effects of the cold (A Great test of resistance negates this effect).
• Ice Maul can be thrown thrice per day with a Good accuracy bonus. If the throw is successful the weapon does normal damage to the target, and sprays forth a burst of icy needles that strike anyone within 10' of the impact for Great damage. The weapon immediately returns to its wielder's hand.