Pegasus #2
Treasures of Runequest
by Rudy Kraft

This column consists of several exotic magic items designed for use with the Fantasy Role Playing game, Runequest. The format with which each item is described as based on that used in my product, Plunder, published by The Chaosium and I thank them for permission to use part of it here.

Description: This section describes the item’s physical appearance including any obvious magical effects (i.e. glowing).
Cults: This section lists the relationship of the item and its possessor to various cults.
Associated: Members of these cults are the primary makers and/or users of this item.
Friendly: Members of a friendly cult have a presumed friendship with the possessor of an item.
Hostile: Members of hostile cults will have a strong tendency not to like users of the item.
Enemy: Members of enemy cults will generally attack the user of an item on sight (unless the user is obviously far too powerful).
Knowledge: This section will list one or more words or phrases which have specifically defined meanings relating to the extend of public knowledge of the item. The terms are:
Automatic: The item’s powers work automatically for nearly everyone if the item is used in the obvious way,
Cult Secret: The making and/or use of the item is known only to a particular cult or group of cults (the associated cults).
Few: Only a limited and small number of these items are in existence.
Famous: The item is well known and its general powers are thought to be common knowledge.
History: This section tells the history of an item.
Procedure: This section tells the procedure (if any) for making or attuning the item.
Powers: The item’s powers and uses are explained along with who can or cannot make use of them.
Value: The value of the item on the open market is given here. This is the price a player character could get by selling an item not the or-ice for which it can be easily bought.

Air Geyser

Description: A small hole in the ground out of which spouts air either continuously or at irregular intervals.
Cults:     Associated: Air Cults
Hostile: Earth Cults.
Knowledge: Automatic, Cult Secret.
History: During the great darkness many spirits of air were trapped beneath the earth. Since that time, they have been making constant efforts to escape. Few of them have been successful but their attempts do result in air geysers.
Procedure: None:
Powers: Each of these geysers IS located above an imprisoned air spirit. As each air spirit has particular characteristics, so too does the air they release. Some of the geysers release pure oxygen while others release poison gases and others flammable gases. No two air spirits are exactly the same, so no two geysers release exactly the same type of air (although many release similar air).
Value: There is no exact value to these geysers be-cause they are not portable. They generally increase the value of the land they are on but not always (for example, a poison geyser might very well reduce value of good grazing land especially if it is far from any civilization which might have a use for poison gas).

Divine Harps

Description: The harp is made of a shimmery, hard, wood-like substance of no fixed color. The strings are made of fine spun gold.
Cults:     Associated: Harmony and Music Cults
Friendly: Most other Cults
Hostile: Disorder Cults
Knowledge: Few, Famous.
History: The exact origin of these four harps is not known. The most common assumption is that their existence is a necessary consequence of the existence of the original Divine Harp. In any case the harps first appeared on the scene at the beginning of time in the hands of the four most accomplished harpists in history. Since that time, the harps have changed hands a number of times and some have disappeared for many, many years only to reappear in the hands of a new master harpist. Currently the location of only one is known for certain. It is in the hands of Dureena, the "Mistress of Music", who resides in the castle of the Pharaoh of the Holy Country.
Powers: The harps can only be used by someone with a 90% skill in harp. If anyone with less skill attempts to use one of these harps he or she looses 1 point of permanent power. To use a harp it must first be tuned. This tuning must be done every time the harp is taken out to be played and every hour while the harp is being played. Tuning requires a successful roll of the user’s harping ability and an expenditure of 5 points of Battlemagic power. Failure to make the roll carries no penalty but another attempt to tune the harp will require another five minutes of effort. Once the harp is tuned, it can be played normally. However, anyone listening to its music will be unable to commit any hostile or violent actions. In fact, they will be unable to do anything but listen or dance to the music. Other than deafness, there is no defense against the "attack" of these harps.
Value: 150,000 Lunars each, but master harpists will never sell them (this rule even applies to starving player characters).

Ghost Ward

Description: An ancient looking wooden stick carved in the shape of a spirit rune.
Cults: None.
Knowledge: Automatic, Few.
History: The history of these items is not commonly known. It is said by some that they are twigs off the first tree but that does not explain their powers. Another claim is that they were made by a powerful Troll Shaman of the Dawn Ages.
Procedure: None.
Powers: These sticks glow with a bright brownish green light if they are brought within 30 meters of a spirit bound as a ghost. The possessor of one of these sticks can-not be attacked by a ghost. Note that this stick has no effect on those spirits which are not bound as ghosts.
Value: 35,000 Lunars, but someone about to go to a ghost infested region will pay more.

Issaries Guide Coins

Description: A small silver coin with an Issaries Rune on each side.
Cults:     Associated: Issaries
Knowledge: Cult Secret.
History: The ability to make and use these coins was given by Issaries to his worshippers early in time.
Procedure: These coins can be made by any Issaries Rune Lord or Rune Priest. The procedure is fairly simple. A silver coin must have the necessary runes engraved and then one point of divine intervention is used thereby creating the finished item.
Powers: These coins glow with a dim light when the Issaries carrying them continues to travel on a path or road (even an unused and hard to find path). These coins are most useful when an Issaries is leading a party or caravan through unfamiliar wilderness.
Value: 2500 Lunars.



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