[New Monster] Velnorv

Velnorv

Chalk swatted at the strange furry dog-like thing.

‘Valance, get that thing out of here!’ the wizard yelled.

Nodding the priest of the Spider God began a chant, moments later a trio of large, scary spiders chased the thing away, it howled in frustration and threw a spell at the arachnids as it left.

‘What was that thing?’ Koram asked.

‘I don’t know, but it stole a couple of my spells, I hope I never see one of those again,’ Chalk replied.

Unbeknownst to the group a half a dozen velonorv lay in ambush ahead.

The opposite of the Spell-derv is the Velnorv, a strange, dog-like bipedal creature with the face of a mastiff. Of fiendish origin these creatures reportedly can smell magic being cast and trail spellcasters to steal their magic. Left on the Material Plane to forage for themselves after being abandoned by a greater infernal, these creatures sometimes work with bandits and outlaws to render opponents weaker for their allies to dispose of. A tell-tale sign of their presence is the mark of little hoofprints on the ground, for these canine bipeds have the feet of tiny goats and leave strange small hoofprints everywhere. Waking up to hundreds of tiny goat-like prints reveals either one very busy velnorv or a pack of the creatures.

Velnorv: HD 3 AC 5[14]; AL:Chaotic;Atk Weapon (dagger)(1d4), Bite (1d4) or Claw (1d4) ; Move 15 ; Save 11; CL/XP 4/80; Special: Spell Leech the velnorv can steal one or two spells from an illusionist or magic-user once per day (as a touch attack) and use these spells as their own, using a keen sense of smell to detect spellcasting within 150′. In addition these creatures known 1d4 1^st-5^th level spells from the Illusionist or Magic-user list.

[New Spell] Shadowleaper

Shadowleaper

 

Navnen appeared behind Chalk suddenly, giving the wizard a fright.

‘How did you do that?’ Chalk asked.

‘Time travel?’ Valance suggested in the nearby cover of shadows.

‘No, a spell that cost me fifty gold coins, watch this,’ the thief replied and he ran forward in the shadow of the building and was suddenly across the courtyard and waving back at the other adventurers.

‘Why are we even here?’ Koram asked the others.

‘Do you think he’s not coming back with a bunch of screaming guards chasing him?’ the priest of the Spider God asked.

Chalk nodded sagely as he prepared a spell.

 

Shadowleaper (Illusionist)

Level 2

Range: Self or Touch.

Duration: One hour per level of caster or until used.

A handy illusionist spell, Shadowleaper allows the caster or another he or she touches to be able to leap from one shadow to another, if the shadow being jumped into is within line of sight and can conceal the ‘leaper’. The numbers of leaps equals the caster’s level. This spell conveys movement from shadow to shadow only, it does not conceal or dampen sounds.

[New Monster] Spell-derv

Spell-derv

This time Stork looked more irritated.

‘As if those weird opossum things were not bad enough, now you have this?’

‘But this is different,’ suggested Vistis the Blue Mage.

‘A six-legged cat?’ Stork asked,

‘It holds spells, we can have it as a third caster,’ the illusionist replied.

‘And if it fails, can we eat it?’ Stork inquired, revealing his shark-like teeth.

Colors suddenly exploded in the faces of the two spellcasters, dazzling and bewildering them. The cat-like thing was gone.

Vistis signed behind his heavily lacquered mask.

‘You scared it off!’ he chided Stork.

‘Easily scared as that thing was how would it do with a gang of bugbears?’ Stork retorted.

‘It probably would not have run off knowing we were working together,’ grumbled the illusionist.

A somewhat annoying creature, the Spell-derv resembles a six-legged house-cat, usually a common tabby color. The six legs obviously make the creature stand out and these are sought after for their ability to hold magic for a spellcaster. The problem is, cats are sometimes aloof and if the Spell-derv gets away it will cast the magic it has held within it at will.

Spell-derv: HD 2+4 AC 6[13]; AL:Neutral;Atk Bite (1d4) or Claw (1d4) ; Move 13 ; Save 13; CL/XP 4/75; Special: Hold spells: A Spell-derv can retain up to four spells of up to six level and these intelligent animals hire themselves out to be companions to wizards and sorcerers, for safety and security these catlike creatures will have spells ready to cast at the spellcaster’s instruction. If things look too dangerous or the Spell-derv becomes bored it will probably wander off and cast the spells it has at its whim.

[New Monster] Polugar

Polugar

Stork stood speechless for a moment as the half a dozen bipedal opossum creatures meandered around, chattering and yapping to themselves.

‘What exactly are these?’ he asked Vistis the Blue Mage.

‘Polugar,’ replied the illusionist in the heavily lacquered mask. ‘They are excellent guides by reputation and foragers and will help us greatly in getting through the Swamp Abysmal.’

Stork tipped his head to one side in contemplation.

‘Although in battle they do have a tendency to drop to the ground and pretend to be dead,’ Vistis added.

Stork grimaced, revealing his shark-like teeth.

‘If they do that I will consider them lunch!’

Suddenly all six of the opossum-folk fell quiet and stared at Stork in fear.

One panicked and fell to the ground, limp.

Stork smirked deeper.

The polugar, or opossum-folk are a strange race, hailing from deep forests and magical swamps (according to them). About as tall as a gnome these small humanoids are curious and get into everything, but are mostly harmless and scamper off if they feel they will e overwhelmed. Excellent thieves and con artists, the polugar like working the fringes of towns and villages and often avoid cities. The most annoying thing about these small creatures is their ability to Play Dead, dropping to the ground when under duress or when they feel extremely threatened; the polugar just freezes, drops everything and falls to the ground like a small sack of potatoes. However, if treated well and protected from harm these creatures make excellent guides through heavily wooded or swampy areas. Polugar speak Common and their own languages of barks and yapping.

Polugar: HD 1+4 AC 7[12]; AL:Neutral;Atk Weapon (1d6), Bite (1d4) or Claw (1d4+1) ; Move 10 ; Save 13; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Climb:Polugar are superb climbers, using their prehensile tails to assist them (+3 to any climbing related rolls), Play Dead: The opossum-folk have an uncanny ability to drop to the ground at convenient (for them) times, pretending to be dead, which convinces all creatures of Low and below intelligence to ignore them, no longer considering them a threat. Exceptional individuals will be able to cast spells, usually either illusionist or druidic.

[Guest Post]

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[Guest Post]

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[New Magic Item] Bucket of Blagdross

Bucket of Blagdross

‘How are you going to keep the fish fresh to present to the prince?’ Fellhorn asked the gnome.

The latter pointed to the ornate pail on his head.

‘So that does more than protect your head and heat water for you to put your disgusting little feet in?’ asked the elf.

The gnome scowled and swore to douse the elf in ice cold water the first chance he got.

While a minor enchanted thing, this magic item has a variety of uses and has been a lifesaver on many an occasion. And it makes a handy helmet as well.

Benefit: Any fluids put into this gallon bucket will, at the direction if the bearer of the bucket, can become a solid block of ice for preserving something or a boiling bucket for cooking or scalding. The Ice will stay frozen for six hours, the boiling water will stay boiling for two hours. Also serves as a +1 helmet in dire situations.

Usable by: Anyone.

[New Spell] Same as it Never Was

Same as it Never Was

 

The adventurers readied themselves outside of the room, weapons and spells at hand.

‘The Chalice is supposed to be on the big table in the center of the room according to what I was told,’ Koram said to the others.

‘Let’s do this,’ Chalk said as he opened the door and they filed in. The table had three objects on it, none of which was a chalice or even a goblet, to any of the four.

As they looked puzzled members of the thieves guild began pouring into the room.

‘There goes my membership,’ mumbled Navnen.

‘I don’t see it!’ Valance yelled.

Chalk threw a spell at a group of thieves and focused on the table.

‘Hey, I don’t either,’ the wizard said.

‘Do we grab everything?’ Koram asked.

‘How do we carry the anvil?’ Chalk asked.

‘Anvil?’ the other three asked in unison.

‘Retreat!’ Navnen yelled as the adventurers slowly fought there way out of the room, which Chalk magically locked as the others started running down the hall.

 

Sames as it Never Was (Illusionist)

Level 3

Range: 25’x25’x25′ area

Duration: One day per level of caster until dispelled.

This illusionist’s curse affects an area instead of an individual. One object, usually an object of great value, but it can be of any importance (to someone) is enchanted, and all within the area other than the caster must make a save versus spells or see the object as something else. Sometimes two or more people will see the same thing (35% chance), but usually people see different things. Leaving the area of effect negates these affects on the object.

[New Magic Item] The Eye of Darmanto

Eye of Darmanto

The adventurers hovered over a map of the town.

‘Now the Chalice of Verin was last seen here,’ Chalk said, pointing to an area of the map.

Navnen slipped into the room as quietly as a thief does and crept up to the table.

‘Nevermind, it is gone,’ he said.

‘What? We need that to remove Valance’s curse!’ exclaimed Koram.

‘I realize this, but it is gone,’ the thief said.

‘How do you know?’ asked Chalk skeptically.

‘I paid the guildmaster to use the Eye of Darmanto and I took it where we last saw the chalice, with that priest of the sun. It was taken from him two days ago and isn’t in this town, the priest last saw it being taken by a man ona giant bat that flew north.’

‘Well that is not much to go on,; the wizard said.

Valance dropped his magically misshapen head onto the table and whimpered.

Koram patted the priest of the Spider God on the shoulder.

‘Don’t worry buddy, we will figure this out,’ the fighter said.

The lasting legacy of the archmage Darmanto, this artifact appears as a small silver triangle with a stylized eye in the middle. It is rumored that Darmanto made four of these devices and no more and the secret to their creation was lost when he passed beyond the Boundary of Tharecta and was never seen again.

Benefit: When this magic item is pressed to the forehead within 10′ of a subject the user of the Eye of Darmanto must close their eyes and concentrate on a particular object. The Eye will reveal where and when the subject has been in possession of the item in question, if ever, and if they still do.

Usable by: Anyone.

[New Spell] Obscuring Ink

Obscuring Ink

 

A knock at the door caused everyone to jump. Not many friendly visitors knocked. Navnen peeked out the window.

‘Looks like a wizard of some kind, sort of hard to tell,’ he said.

Chalk cautiously opened the door, Koram behind him with a sword at the ready.

‘The Scholar of Wexos, it is good to see you! If you look a little bedraggled,’ Chalk said.

The illusionist shambled over to a chair and sat down.

‘Everything was going well until I cast that spell that stopped the ceremony, and then my rival, Vendos, opened up a bottle of inky slinkers and threw it at me, but I didn’t dispel my magic,’ he reported his tale, ending it with a grin.

‘What spell?’ Chalk asked.

‘It made the pages of the high priest’s book go dark with ink, I was paid to stop a wedding. Things went sideways when Vendos, working for the impoverished groom’s family, appeared,’ the illusionist answered.

‘You are safe now among friends,’ Koram said reassuringly.

‘This spell, sounds like we can make some coin with it,’ Valance pondered.

 

Obscuring Ink (Illusionist)

Level 1

Range: 25’+5’/level

Duration: One day per level of caster until dispelled.

A favorite starting spell for illusionists, it is also used by more adept enchanters who want to make extra coin through questionable means or to halt another spellcaster or even the reading of a document. When cast this spell causes inky blotches to cover a document or the pages of a book, affecting only one item at a time, yet allowing the caster to clearly read the written work. Only a Dispel Magic (or a Limited Wish or Wish) will affect this spell so that others can read the writing again.