SotDL - Poisoned Pages - Oddities Artifacts and Esoterica (SDL1908)

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Oddities, Artifacts, and Esoterica Poisoned Pages for Shadow of the Demon Lord

You know you have it somewhere. You root around in your backpack, pushing aside a crusty loaf of bread, a tin of ham older than you are, a few nails, the whetstone you always mean to use, and, by damn, that bottle of oil you picked up at Crossings last fall. You remember putting the cursed thing in your bag and you’ve been hauling it around for what seems like your whole life, yet when you need it, you can’t find it. But then, your hand brushes the stiff spines of that bizarre bronze feather and you know you found it. As you pull out the oddity, you remember your grandmother giving it to you and saying that one day, you’ll have need of it. Well, that day seems to have come. You shout in triumph as you pull the feather free, knowing that this interesting thing you have carried for so long will open the door that has so far resisted every means of entry you and your companions have tried. Too bad you’re the last one left alive! All characters begin the game with at least one interesting thing and might pick up more along the way. Interesting things can take the form of mysterious objects, but they can also be experiences, reputation, dependents, pets, and more. This entry into the Poisoned Pages series greatly expands on the weirdness, inexplicability, and excitement that interesting things can generate.

Writing and Design: Christi Bradford and Robert J. Schwalb

art direction: Kara Hamilton and Robert J. Schwalb Editing and Proofreading: Jay Spight Layout and Graphic Design: Kara Hamilton Interior Illustrations: Katerina Ladon Oddities, Artifacts, and Esoterica is © 2019 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. Oddities, Artifacts, and Esoterica, Poisoned Pages, Shadow of the Demon Lord, Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.

Schwalb Entertainment, LLC PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 [email protected] www.schwalbentertainment.com

1

Types of Interesting Things

7

A small statuette of a satyr carved from black stone that sometimes changes its posture when no one is looking at it.

8

A painting that, when scratched, reveals another painting underneath.

9

A portrait of a grotesque man or woman whose eyes seem to follow you.

10

A fine silver necklace (worth 1 ss) that slowly shrinks to tighten around the neck of whoever wears it.

11

A locket containing two tiny portraits of people whose identities change each time it is opened; the portraits always depict the likenesses of dead people.

12

A medal given to one of your ancestors for a great service he or she performed.

13

A sword or other weapon that hums a weird song when touched by blood.

14

A gleaming medallion that never dulls or tarnishes.

Interesting Things Types

15

A fine set of china with an unusual pattern.

16

d20

Type

A mirror that casts a reflection which appears to be five minutes behind the present.

17

1–2

Art and Heirlooms

A small box filled with dried flowers that still smell lovely.

3–4

Books and Scrolls

18

5–6

Clothing and Accessories

A fancy glass bowl that steams when filled with liquid, the mist partially obscuring a 1-yard radius area centered on the bowl.

7–8

Every interesting thing aims to provide your character with an object, experience, or situation to help make him or her unique. When you would gain an interesting thing, you can use the tables presented here in place of those found in Shadow of the Demon Lord. If so, first roll a d20 to determine the type of interesting thing, which then directs you to the table or tables you use to determine the form your interesting thing takes.

Consumables

19

A ship in a bottle.

9

Minor Magic

20

10

Pets!

A small oil painting that shows a cottage; weirdly the painting changes with the seasons.

11

People and Dependents

12–13

Personal Stuff

14–15

Qualities

16–17

Special Ingredients

18–19

Tools and Devices

20

Weird Stuff

Art and Heirlooms

Paintings, scraps of poetry, an odd bit of statuary, or a shiny coin, art and heirlooms include items you might have acquired, found, or had passed down to you.

Art and Heirlooms d20 1

An engagement ring that sometimes predicts the future, but only whispers the worst possible outcomes to the bride or bridegroom—and always in rhyme.

Even with the invention of the printing press, written materials remain costly and rare in most lands. Older manuscripts sometimes contain information rare and strange.

Books and Scrolls d20

Book or Scroll

1

A piece of parchment that generates completely true but entirely useless pieces of trivia about the situation or environment in which it’s read.

2

A map that’s drawn entirely in negative space.

3

A book that cannot be read except through a mirror.

4

An almanac filled with lies.

5

A piece of parchment that inscribes the names of those whom you’ve yet to meet.

6

A cook book containing recipes for making dishes of human flesh.

7

A scroll that holds whatever has been written on it until it’s shaken, at which point the writing slides from the surface and disappears.

8

An oversized tome, wrapped in leather, with a heavy padlock securing it, but with no key and no means to open the lock.

2

A bell (or chime) that never makes a sound.

3

A small globe the size of a paperweight with continents that shift and, every so often, disappear.

4

A small copper coin you cannot lose, not by divine mandate, but because the thing itself cannot be lost, no matter how hard you try.

5

One of your grandmother’s creepy dolls that you hated because they felt ominous and vindictive, until one appeared at the foot of your bed, alleviating your nightmares—you’ve refused to go anywhere without it since.

9

An old sketchbook containing drawings of strange and unsettling creatures.

10

A diary of a madman.

11

A gold coin on which has been inscribed “for untold sacrifice.”

A set of three books, each written in blood, describing beekeeping, horticulture, and etiquette, respectively.

12

A set of round bronze metal plates held together with a bronze stud. Each plate tells the story of strange gods and the tenets of their faith in the High Archaic tongue.

6

2

Art and Heirlooms

Books and Scrolls

13

A book filled with colorful illustrations of strange and impossible things with writing in an unknown script.

14

A charred tome. The few pages that remain suggest it described awful and wicked practices related to dark magic.

15

A holy book that has been saturated with blood.

16

A small journal describing a dangerous adventure undertaken by a group of people, of which only the writer survives.

17

A large folio containing hundreds of pages about a halfling’s journey to some destination and his return. So many dwarfs.

18

An erotic book with many of its pages glued together.

19

A travelogue describing a place you’re sure does not exist.

20

Generate a book or writing using the Dark Passages supplement.

Clothing and Accessories

Interesting clothing and accessories might have some special property or they could simply have a story to tell.

Clothing and Accessories d20

Clothing or Accessory

Consumables

Consumables include anything you can eat, drink, or otherwise ingest.

Consumables d20

Consumables

1

A bottle of fruity wine that, when consumed, causes the drinker’s voice to climb a few octaves.

2

Several sausage links made from mysterious meat.

3

A box of six meat pies. Five can nourish and sustain you for a whole day. One, though, is rancid and when eaten, causes a creature to become poisoned until it completes a rest.

4

A small bottle with dropper. The bottle contains enough fluid for six drops. When a drop is placed in the eye, it grants the recipient shadowsight for 1d20 minutes as well as offering relief from puffy, scratchy eyes caused by allergens.

5

A foul-smelling brick of soap that can cut through any grease. Also, if you chip away a third of it and drop it into acid (no more than a bucket full), the soap neutralizes the acid.

6

A small keg of dwarven beer.

7

A bag containing 1d20 of Saul’s famous rutabagas (they’re actually carrots).

1

A necklace you received as a gift from a stranger at a funeral who claimed to be a family friend, though no one else remembers them.

8

A small box filled with 1d20 blue pills that, when consumed, completely quash any and all sexual desire for 1d20 hours.

2

A locket you carry because it lets you hear your lover’s voice, though the longer you listen, the stranger it sounds, until you wonder if it’s really them.

9

3

A pair of glasses that allow you to look directly into the sun. You have noticed, a few times, a shadow flitting across the sun’s surface and that shadow seems to be growing bigger.

A small potion bottle filled with fluid that, when consumed, causes the drinker’s epidermis to become invisible for 1d6 minutes. While affected by the potion, the creature has the horrifying trait.

10

A thimble-sized bottle of oil that, when added to a bucketful or less of water, turns that water into stone.

4

A finger gauntlet that writes in languages you don’t know.

11

A loaf of bread and a few fish that when divided can feed 5d20 people for a day.

5

A comb that untangles knots of all kinds.

12

6

A hand mirror that only reflects the open sea.

7

A small compact mirror that, when you look into it, allows you to replace a part of yourself with a newer, younger version, but only a little at a time—a lip here, a cheek there.

A tin of potted fish that smells so bad when opened (using an action) that each living and breathing creature within short range must succeed on a Strength challenge roll or become poisoned for 1 minute.

13

A jar containing 2d20 beastmen oysters.

14

A bottle of honey that when eaten renders the creature consuming it immune to allergens for 24 hours.

15

A liquor bottle that’s always a quarter full no matter how much you drink from it.

16

A packet of powder that when snorted grants you 1 boon on challenge rolls made to maintain concentration for 1 hour.

17

A bottle of liquid that when consumed (as a potion) causes you and everything you wear and carry to turn blue. The effect is permanent.

18

A bottle of fizzy substance that when consumed (as a potion) causes you to levitate 1d6 yards into the air and remain there until you burp as a minor activity, at which point you fall.

19

A small barrel bearing a label that reads, in Dark Speech, “Elf Jelly.”

20

A glass jar containing an ointment that moisturizes the skin and gives off the smell of ham.

8

A monocle that, when looked through, causes other people’s faces to have bizarre animal qualities.

9

A top hat infested with rabbits.

10

A blood-stained wedding dress.

11

A pair of heavy, fire-proof gloves.

12

A pair of thick, wool socks that never get wet.

13

A thick leather cuff designed to fit over a man’s genitals.

14

A pair of earrings that sparkle in shadows.

15

A pair of shoes whose soles restore themselves to new at a random point every 24 hours.

16

A heavy overcoat woven from human hair.

17

A toupee that sometimes shifts position on its own when worn.

18

A pillowcase filled with soiled undergarments.

19

A false nose.

20

A pair of spectacles whose lenses darken in bright light.

3

Minor Magic

While many interesting things have unusual qualities, sometimes clearly magical in nature, minor magic items include devices that have been specifically created for a purpose, making them more akin to enchanted objects.

Minor Magic d20

These mostly harmless creatures can accompany you on your adventures. They can’t fight or do much that’s useful, but they do provide companionship. They are good at staying alive despite the dangers you are bound to face.

Pets! d20

Pet!

Minor Magic

1

1

A stub of chalk that never breaks or diminishes in size, no matter how much you write with it.

A parrot that becomes more incorrigible as you become more honorable.

2

A pair of ferrets that get into trouble all the time.

2

A small stone that grows warmer by one degree for each degree the ambient temperature falls below 66 Fahrenheit.

3

A cow named Lucy.

4

A singing pig liberated from Farmer Ham.

3 4

A glove that shocks people (for 1 damage), but only when they lie. A staff with a head that takes on the form of an animal which differs depending on whom it’s facing.

5

Lice!

6

A tapeworm named Jerry.

7

A lonely hermit crab. A proud duck that lets you know rain is on the way when it makes a distinctive quack.

5

An umbrella that collects the rain (up to ten gallons), with a lever that releases it again when pressed.

8

6

A candle that sings a silly song when lit.

9

A three-legged dog.

7

A lantern that stays lit only during the day.

10

A tiny frog that changes colors.

8

A pair of boots that when worn never leave track marks.

11

A judgmental cat.

12

9

A mask that allows you to become the person whose name you write across the forehead, but only for 1d6 rounds. Once you use the item twice, you must complete a rest before you can use it again.

A strange man in a leather suit covered in zippers who asks that you pull him along by his leash.

13

A fine horse.

14

So many cockroaches.

15

An ocelot named Marty.

16

A tiny snake.

17

A big old toad.

10

11

A pot of clay that when worked using an action produces a mobile, sentient sculpture (tiny construct) that is not under your control. The pot contains enough clay to be used three times. A chalice that will heal immediate mortal wounds (heal all damage), but takes 1d20 years from the one who drinks from it as a toll. A creature can use the chalice just once, ever.

12

A canteen that contains not water, but fog, and when opened (as a minor activity), heavily obscures a cube of space, 20 yards on a side, until dispersed by wind. The canteen holds enough fog for three uses.

13

A fishing rod that always delivers (though only sardines), even if it’s hook is only dipped in a shallow puddle. Once you use the rod, you must complete a rest before you can use it again.

14

A transparent cup that turns the liquid in it a darker color when someone within short range lies, whether by word or deed.

15

A pair of boots that lace themselves up when placed on your feet. The boots also change size to accommodate the wearer.

16

A wooden rod. You can use an action to place the rod against a flat surface and cause it to transform into a ladder that extends up to 20 yards from the rod. If you pick up the rod, the rest of the latter disappears.

18

A frisky weasel that lives in your trousers.

19

A jar containing a live sea cucumber.

20

A distinguished penguin.

People and Dependents

You encounter people all the time, people you might befriend and people you might avoid. People and dependents include a selection of individuals who might rely on you, might follow you around, or could vex you in unusual ways. Unless otherwise mentioned, the characters described on the following table are commoners.

People and Dependents d20

Person or Dependent

1

A keychain with 1d6 + 1 keys that can each open any door once, but only for the people the key likes.

A scary old woman who follows you around shouting “coward” at you when you get a failure on an attack roll.

2

18

A spear whose head must be kept covered lest it burst into flame.

A pissboy or pissgirl who sells your urine to interested buyers.

3

19

A carriage your family has owned forever that moves of its own volition, until the day it runs out of fuel and you learn what it takes to keep it moving.

A strange young man who shows up in random places demanding two coppers from you.

4

A jilted lover.

5

A do-gooder who is convinced you did something wrong and whose job it has become to tell everyone about what you supposedly did.

17

20

4

Pets!

A helmet that, when worn, lets you breathe underwater, but imposes 3 banes on all Perception rolls.

6

An annoying little brother or sister.

7

An aging parent or grandparent who regales your friends with embarrassing stories about you and who gets after you for not being more religious.

8

An adolescent who believes you are his or her parent.

9

Your favorite bartender who buys you a drink every now and then. This character lives in your home town and will not be accompanying you on your adventures no matter how much you ask.

10

An earnest young man or woman who follows you around, hoping to become your apprentice.

11

A butcher who follows you around and offers to butcher your kills.

12

A believer of a strange religion who follows you around at a distance. If you stay in one place too long, this person comes up to you and asks, “Have you heard the good news,” before detailing the ins and outs of their faith, unprompted.

13

A nasty person to whom you owe a significant gambling debt. This character sometimes sends out toughs to rough you up, so you better shoot first.

14

A personal nemesis.

15

A person whose life you saved and now follows you around hoping to repay the favor.

16

A personal tailor who always seems to be measuring you. You’re not sure if he or she’s measuring you for clothes or a coffin.

17

Your mother. You can’t go anywhere without her.

18

A second identity buried in your own that sometimes takes over in tough situations.

19

A vestigial twin.

20

A useless prince or princess you are charged to protect.

Personal Stuff

Sometimes the things you have seen and the actions you have performed are as interesting as any bit of trash you might happen to find.

Personal Stuff d20 1

2

3

4

You have… …a song that seems to follow you around, played in taverns you visit or in music boxes you open; it’s always the same song, except sometimes the verses subtly change. …one really bad day a month, but otherwise, you’re the golden child. That second Thursday, though? It can go to hell.

5

…a mysterious past.

6

…a penchant for buggery.

7

…lost 1d20 years being a prisoner of a faerie, though time did not pass in the mortal world during your captivity.

8

…a life ruled by superstition.

9

…an abundance of fear and loathing.

10

…a memory filled with big, blank spots.

11

…enduring hatred for a former employer.

12

…impostor syndrome.

13

…occasional, crippling depression.

14

…the admiration of all your friends except for one.

15

…low self-esteem.

16

…swagger.

17

…strange sexual mores.

…a shadow in the corner of every room you enter that never moves, though occasionally you could swear it blinks.

18

…ennui.

19

…the certainty of leading a useless existence in a world devoid of hope, meaning, or joy.

…a criminal record.

20

…unfulfilled desires.

5

Qualities

From odd odors, strange rashes, wandering eyes, to beetling brows, qualities include interesting and distinctive features you might possess.

Qualities d20 1

Quality A tattoo of a set of initials that changes at will, and offers no explanations as to why.

2

Beetling brows.

3

A wen.

4

Piles!

5

A killer tattoo.

6

A body covered in scars.

7

Hairy knuckles.

8

A wine-stain mark somewhere on your body that looks like a key, a baby, or a crown.

9

A strong, manly odor.

10

A wandering mole.

11

An extra finger or toe.

A piece of petrified wood.

13

A small box filled with powdered gall stone.

14

A mysterious organ floating inside alcohol in a glass jar.

15

Eleven secret herbs and spices.

16

A bit of fur from a wolf.

17

Nine dried spiders.

18

A pouch filled with saffron.

19

A bottle of purple dye.

20

A small rock from Tarterus.

Tools and Devices

You can also start with a tool or device to help you on your way. Interesting things that belong to this category sometimes have a special function or are made out of some special material.

Tools and Devices d20

Tool or Device

1

A toy pistol that randomly fires a real bullet (1 in 20 chance).

12

A rash that never clears up.

2

A knife that always retains its edge.

13

An unfortunate wart.

3

An hourglass that never needs to be turned.

14

Stained fingers or lips.

4

15

Scars on your wrists.

A compass that points exactly opposite of what it’s meant to search for.

16

Long, dangly lobes.

5

A teacup that always (or only ever) spills when poison is slipped inside.

17

A whispery voice.

6

18

Horrific halitosis.

A pocket knife that grows bigger the more blood it spills.

19

A wandering eye.

7

An instrument that only plays one song, no matter what chords you play.

20

An unseemly growth.

8

A spyglass that washes the world of color entirely, except for a very specific one so rare you have no name for it.

9

A weapon of unknown origin that refuses to draw blood.

10

A music box that changes note by note each time it’s played, until the song is completely new.

11

A small clock that strikes once a day and never at the same time, and only ever chimes once.

12

A device that always wrongly predicts the phases of the moon.

13

A torch that refuses to be lit, even if you hold the end of it over an open flame.

14

A paintbrush that will only paint the true intentions of a person, good or bad.

15

A hammer that can function as a screwdriver and a wrench. Written on the handle is the word, “advantage.”

16

A box of one hundred nails that can be hammered into any material with the ease of pushing the nail into a stick of butter.

Special Ingredients

Some interesting things might have special uses when combined with other items. The GM might decide on some use for the thing or you might discover it at some point during the campaign.

Special Ingredients d20

6

12

Special Ingredient

1

A single silver tooth in a jar, the inscription of which is too faded to read.

2

A jar of otherworldly fire on which has been written “Do not open.”

3

A caul from a stillborn child.

4

A small jar containing five grains of sand.

5

The dying breath of a cruel man.

6

An eyelash and dollop of gum arabic.

7

A fluid made from crushed pearl, wine, and owl feathers.

17

An abacus whose beads are made from tiny skulls.

18

A sledge that deals 1d6 extra damage to objects.

8

A bottle containing one hundred nail clippings.

19

9

A stranger’s lock of hair.

An ear horn that picks up the cries and groans from the Underworld.

10

A mandrake root.

20

A rope that coils itself and uncoils itself on command.

11

A bit of spiderweb.

Weird Stuff

Interesting things belonging to the category of weird are hard to classify, serve an inscrutable purpose, or are just plain strange.

Weird Stuff d20

Weird Stuff

1

A stone baby.

2

A pair of small stones that vibrate when separated at least a foot apart and stop vibrating when separated by at least a mile.

3

A deck of cards that always deals a straight flush to the person left of you, no matter how you shuffle it.

4

One glass that never fills, no matter what you pour into it.

5

A wishing coin you’ve thrown into every fountain you’ve passed, only to find it in your pocket when you stumble across another well.

6

A box of matches that only light when struck against liquid.

7

A wooden block that must be kept separate from all else, as it slowly and inexplicably turns all nearby objects into an exact replica of itself.

8

A twig from a tree from which issues a faint sobbing sound.

9

A flag that only waves at noon or midnight, whether there’s wind or not.

10

A doll whose nails grow sharper the longer its owner disregards its wishes.

11

An opal that seems to attract spiders in small, hopeful droves.

12

A white feather that very slowly turns black.

13

A seemingly empty bag that gives you one item you desperately need, but only the moment you no longer need it and then only for a few seconds.

14

A stone or gem capable of stealing people’s voices, but only one at a time.

15

A wooden flower that blooms in slow measure. Every time it opens fully, something happens.

16

A dream-catcher that lives up to its name. It catches dreams—all of them—until there is nothing left to dream.

17

A balloon that grows bigger every time someone touches you.

18

An orb you found in the attic that is actually a prison for an interdimensional being, but it never does anything for you because it doesn’t like you very much.

19

An egg that seems like it’s about to hatch at any moment, though you have no idea what’s inside.

20

A barrel filled with well-preserved eyeballs.

7