I hope you enjoyed last week’s premiere edition and continue to follow PopCultHQ.Com for further weirdness.
This week, I bring you a Cursed item and a fun item.
Book of Desired Magic
This book appears to be a highly magical item. Its cover is decorated in magical glyphs and it is bound in fine leather. The pages are edged in gold leaf and the book radiates a noticeable magic aura when a detect magic spell is used. The book offers a large amount of knowledge on spell craft, but when used the caster will find the spells confusing and unworkable. Due to the curse, the user will be enticed to continue to try to make the spells work even choosing to use them in key situations (i.e. at crucial times, like during battle or trying to save another party member).
The book is actually cursed and causes the user to think the knowledge in it is true and workable. The curse goes further by filling the user with the desire to use the book. The longer the book is in their possession, the harder it becomes to break the desire.
A savings roll can be made once a day; on the first day a Wisdom save of 15 is needed, on the second day a 16, on the third day a 17, on the fourth day an 18, a 19 for the fifth day, and a 20 for the 6th day. It will then remain a DC 20 save until the desire is broken. If the desire is not broken, the player will use a spell from the book as their action in a key moment. Once the desire is broken, the owner can break the curse by reading the book backwards, which will take 1D6 days. During which time, he will still be compelled to use the spells from it. After that, the book will hold no sway over the reader.
If a party member steals the book from the owner or tries to destroy it, the current owner of the book will do everything they can to get the book back including jumping into a fire to retrieve it.
Index of Spells offered by the book and uses (none of which will work)
Fire All: Fire will sweep forward from the caster for 30 feet and cover a 30 foot area.
Irresistible Sleep: Heavy restless sleep will fall over up to 4 victims for 4 hours.
Remove Wounds: All wounds from self or ally vanish (the caster will think this actually worked but nothing will have happened).
Silence Movement: Up to 5 allies will move without a sound (this spell actually will increase sound by 25%).
Freeze Ray: Ray of light beams from caster’s finger freezing target up to 60 feet away.
Persuasion: When cast upon an intelligent target, they will be forced to follow your commands (actually, there is 50% chance of only angering the target).
Mask of Faces
This mask looks like a nondescript party mask. It appears to be made out of some sort of thin, flexible flesh-like material. The mask was actually made by a mad wizard who took the face of a Doppelganger and created a mask.
While wearing this mask, you will be able to appear as anyone you choose. The wearer will even sound like the person they are mimicking. Though the mask will change the appearance of the wearer’s face and voice, it will not change the their body as it is only a mask and not a suit. The magic of the mask is very effective and will continue to hold the appearance of the wearer’s choice for as long as they are wearing it. Being made of a doppelganger, dispel magic and detect magic will not reveal the wearers true face.
