Saturday, March 2, 2024

Dungeon Masters Companion: Treasures

The treasure types tables in the Companion Set differ slightly from the versions given in the Basic Set, having been modified for the purposes of higher level play.

All magic items previously described in the Basic and Expert Sets are included, in addition to several new items, also usable in Basic and Expert level games.


Gems and Jewelry:

More valuable types of gems, including starstones (gems with star-like formations in the center) and tristals (rare forms of corundum) are included.

Descriptions for common, uncommon, and rare types of jewelry are given.

Rules for damaged gems and jewelry are provided.

Descriptions of special treasures (such as fur pelts) are also given.



Potions:

If a character drinks a potion while another is still in effect, immediate sickness results (no Saving Throw).  The sickness lasts for 3 turns, and neither potion has any further effect.

New types of potions include potions of agility, antidote, blending, bug repellent, climbing, defense, dreamspeech, elasticity, elemental form, ethereality, fortitude, freedom, luck, merging, sight, speech, strength, super-healing,* swimming,** water breathing.**

*listed in table, but description missing (appears in CM2 "Death's Ride")
**described in X7 "The War Rafts of Kron"

New rules for potions of dragon control (X), giant control (X), and longevity (B) are also given.


Scrolls

New types of scrolls include scrolls of communication, creation, delay, equipment, illumination, mages, mapping, portals, questioning, repetition, seeing, shelter, spell catching, trapping, truth


Wands, Staves, and Rods:

Rods are permanent items, and unlike wands or staves, do not have nor use any charges.

New types of staves include staves of dispelling, the druids, an element, harming.

New rules for staves of healing (B) and snake staves (B) are included.

New types of rods include rods of ruling, health, inertia, parrying, victory, weaponry.

New rules for rods of cancellation (B) are also given.


Rings:

New types of rings include ear ring, and rings of elemental adaptation,* holiness, life protection, memory, quickness, remedies, safety, seeing, spell eating, survival, truth, truthfulness, truthlessness.

*a ring of elemental adaption for water is described in X7 "The War Rafts of Kron"

New rules for rings of protection (B) and wishes (X) are also given.



Miscellaneous Items:

New miscellaneous magic items include undersea boat* (magical boats which travel only on ice, sand, in the air, and so forth are also suggested), chime of time, eggs of wonder, lamp of long burning, hurricane lamp, muzzle of training, finger nail, nail of pointing, ointment (6 types), pouch of security, quill of copying, slate of identification, talisman of elemental travel, wheel of floating, wheel of fortune,** square wheel

*described in X7 "The War Rafts of Kron"
**clearly inspired by the "Wheel of Fortune" game show


Armor and Shields:

New types of magic armor and shields include armor and shields of absorption, charm, cure wounds, electricity, energy drain, ethereality, fly, gaseous form, haste, invisibility, reflection, remove curse.

Encumbrance values for magic armor and shields by race are provided.


Missiles and Devices:

New types of magic missile weapons include missiles of biting, blinking, charming, climbing, curing, disarming, dispelling, flying, lighting, penetrating, refilling, screaming, seeking, sinking, slaying, spealing, stunning, teleporting, transporting, wounding.


Swords:

New talents include breathing, charming, deceiving, defending, deflecting, draining, extinguishing, finding, flaming, flying, healing, hiding, holding, lighting, silencing, slicing, slowing, speeding, translating, watching, wishing.


Miscellaneous Weapons:

Returning weapons are described,* as well as intelligent miscellaneous weapons.**

*a returning spear is described in X7 "The War Rafts of Kron"
**such as the Hammer of Vitroin in XS2 "Thunderdelve Mountain"


AC4 "The Book of Marvelous Magic"
Many people contributed ideas for miscellaneous magic items.  So many good ones arose that they couldn't possibly have fit in the COMPANION Set.  One much needed and included item is the slate of identification, for determining the names and effects of magic items.  The chime of time, eggs of wonder and a few others were also included; guess what a square wheel does!  With Gary's help, I wrote over 600 others for the Dungeon Master's Book of Marvelous Magic, a separate product coming next spring.

Frank Mentzer, Imagine #18 (September, 1984)

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