Tuesday, December 8, 2020

1d10 Objects of Decadence and Decay

Some productive procrastination. 

Although I wrote this list with my setting in mind, most of the items are system neutral or can be easily adapted to your own game. Presence is used to test willpower and mental strength, Vitality determines physical prowess, and Intuition measures the ability to interpret your surroundings and decipher other people's intentions. As per stress, simply have the character recover HP instead of reducing stress or suffer Wisdom/Charisma damage instead of accruing stress and that would be it.

Enjoy!

1d10 Objects of Decadence and Decay

Octeon


1. Rusty Chest Plate. A crumbling piece of lusterless metal. The crest of a Standing House made illegible by countless dents stands where the heart should be. +2 Defense, 3 Inventory slots. If you would take 6+ damage, the cuirass crumbles into pieces and the damage is negated. 

2. Battered Brass Skull. The cranial sutures have almost vanished after decades of careless exposure. A misaligned hinge reveals an opening on the scalp. The skull's eyes emit a warm, sickly light when a lit candle rests inside. The flame writhes violently before perishing when undead are nearby. 

3. Dulling Stone. Its blunt edges gleam with borrowed light. Steals the sharpness of the edges it comes into contact with, reducing their damage by 1. After stealing 10d10 points of sharpness, the stone crumbles to dust, revealing a brittle shard of impossible sharpness inside. The shard can slash through anything but crumbles after a single cut. Its wounds never heal. 

4. Bloodstained Flail. Spots of encrusted crimson crown the tips of three terrible claws. Subdued screams of ecstatic agony fill the air as the flail is brandished. Deals 1 Vitality damage and removes 1d2 Stress through self-flagellation. Every time you use it, make a Presence test. If you fail, you must pass a Presence test everyday to avoid chastising your flesh. 

5. Overly Ornate Censer. A cylinder of darkened gold bearing sensuous carvings of intricate design. It leaves a copper-green impression on the naked hand. Its intoxicatingly sweet vapors draw swirling shapes in the saturated air, stimulating conversation and dulling the senses (advantage on Presence checks, disadvantage on Intuition checks). The smoke changes color and texture according to the speaker's mood: 
  • Boredom. Lead grey, heavy threads of dense smoke hang low and sluggish. 
  • Arousal. Rose red, voluptuous wisps coil in anticipation. 
  • Duplicity. Thin white, the smoke folds unto itself in obscuring patterns. 
  • Dread. Oily black, lumps of thick smoke drip from inchoate faces. 
  • Wrath. Sanguine crimson, the fumes whirl and convulse in thunderous bouts. 
  • Complacence. Faded gold, converges in fat lumps of decaying smoke. 
6. Tarnished Ball Mask. Faded hues, cracked and worn, chipped at the edges. Each mask bears a different countenance: 
  • Grinning Man. The lecherous grin of a senile elder captured in slick white. The wearer's attacks deal an additional 1d6 damage and an additional 1d6 against unaware targets. Creatures in the Grinning Man's presence have disadvantage to their Morale rolls and rolls to resist or overcome fear (this includes allies). Whenever the wearer gets a 6 on a damage die, they begin cackling uncontrollably, forcing a Morale check on their opponents. Those who pass are overcome by a need to strike down this hideous creature and will try to do so their next turn. The wearer becomes increasingly eccentric and alienated, and can only relieve stress by killing other creatures (1 stress per creature). 
  • Stoic Lady. Unwavering features carved in glossy ebony. Reduce all damage taken by 2. The wearer gains advantage in Presence tests against mind-altering effects. The mask's hard features and inflexible demeanor is intimidating to most (-4 to reaction rolls). If anything would kill the wearer, the mask breaks in half, negating the effect and locking the wearer's features in place (-4 to reaction rolls PERMANENTLY). 
  • Fanged Child. A mischievous smile reveals pointed fangs chiseled in lacquer. Gain a 1d6 bite attack. On a 6, you can choose to tear a chunk of flesh from your victim, dealing an additional 1d6 and reducing the severity of any Vitality related injuries by the same amount. The wearer of the mask adopts a childish attitude, throwing fits and tantrums whenever plans don't go their way. When anyone stands in contradiction to the wearer, they must pass a Presence test or try to bite the offender. 
  • Wounded Stag. Thirteen points and a broken tip wind and twist in a bloody crown. Defiant gaze set in tarnished ivory. The wearer gains +2 Initiative, cannot be surprised and can retaliate with their antlers for 1d6 whenever they are hit or someone comes within melee reach (no attack roll). The wearer grows increasingly reclusive and paranoid, needing half of the usual sleep but reducing only 1d6 exhaustion and no stress through long rests. 
  • Tragic Hero. Melancholy shadows a benign look sculpted in noble fir. The wearer gains +2 Attack, gains the ability to intercept attacks directed to adjacent creatures (once per round), and their critical/fumble threshold is doubled. Additionally, the wearer develops a righteous sense of justice. For as long as they wear the mask, they must make Presence test to reject pleads for help or refrain themselves from acting when they witness an injustice. 
Once someone dons a mask they must pass a Presence test to remove it. On a failure they must wait until next dawn to try again with a penalty equal to the days they have worn the mask. Once the penalty is equal to their Presence, the mask takes over and they become an NPC. 

7. Vanishing Veil. A yellowing rag of once exquisite silk, cold to the touch. Its almost see-through quality reveals nebulous portents to those who dare look into it. When worn over one's head, the veil shows an embellished, overly idealized version of the wearer's surroundings. At any time, the wearer can choose to focus on a specific object or place to see what transpired there in times past. The longer they focus, the more the veil reveals:
  • An instant: what happened right before the wearer got into the room or acquired the object. 
  • An hour: the most relevant or emotionally impactful event since the previous dawn. A black, shapeless spot appears in your vision. Pass a Presence test or suffer 1 stress. 
  • A half watch (3 hours): as above, and a previously unknown aspect of the item or room is revealed (activation mode, secret door, etc...). The black spot coalesces into a vaguely humanoid shape as it gets closer. Suffer 1d2 stress. 
  • A watch (6 hours): as above, plus an additional aspect is revealed and the wearer bears witness to the most emotionally impactful event in the las six days. As the lanky shape looms closer; a face is revealed: it is white as the moon and its eyes are hollow as the void between the stars. Suffer 1d3 stress. Your eyes hurt and feel cold. 
  • A vigil (12 hours): as above, plus you suddenly become extremely familiar with the item or place. If it is an object, you gain the proficiency of a master (though not the knowledge). If it is a room, you could, for example, navigate it in the dark without ever bumping into anything. The face grows larger and paler. As the hollow eyes fill your vision, wisp-thin lips part in a gentle smile. Make a Presence test. On a success, tear away the veil. Thick, black oily tears impair your vision until next dawn (disadvantage on Intuition tests). On a failure, the truth is revealed to you. 
  • The Truth: as above, and YOUR CHARACTER can ask the GM anything about this object or location. The smile grows impossibly big, swallowing the world in its wake as you fall into its bottomless depths. Suffer 1d6 stress. From now on, you are permanently blind. The dark between the stars shines with the light of a million raging white suns. 
8. Featherless Fan. The faded onyx lace is frayed at the seams, where trims of aged gold gleam languidly. A handful of diminished ruffled feathers cling to the decaying lace. Hold the unfolded fan to your face (covering the mouth will suffice) to render your voice and demeanor unrecognizable. Those who interact with you will recall a mellow voice and a faint odor of withered rose petals. Every time you do this, one of the 1d6 remaining feathers falls down from the fan. 

9. Cracked Snuffbox. A tiny box of dim nacre; its complex engravings have almost faded away. A single thin craze line sullies the Standing House crest on the lid. Share a pinch of the stale snuff inside with a creature to force a new reaction roll with advantage. If the roll yields a result of less than Friendly, the creature will develop an attitude of disgust and contempt towards the character. Alternatively, you can snort some snuff to relieve stress (1d3), but its pungent, stale scent robs you of your smell for the day (food rests are half as effective). 10 uses. 

10. Faded Signet Ring. A thick, simple band of tarnished gold crowned by the worn crest of a Standing House. Aged fragments of sealing wax accumulate in the seal's folds like blood clots. When presented with the ring, the mindless denizens of the Standing House will treat the wearer and his retinue as masters, bowing down as they pass, but mostly continuing with their endless and pointless tasks. Additionally, the denizens can be given simple commands such as "go there" or "give me that", but there is a 2-in-6 chance that they will recognize you as an impostor and fly into a murderous rage. The ring may also open the path to some locations within the Standing House, but there is a 2-in-6 chance that it will crumble to gold dust every time you use it that way. It is also worth an awful lot to expert jewelers and historians.

Octeon



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