The intent of this thread is to highlight things within any/all of the books that people like, be they a dungeon delve, a monster, a trap or a series of powers, or even a whole class, and showing why we think they are fun and or useful. The hope is to inspire people to pick up something new, or use something in their game that they didn't know about previously because, well, they may have missed it. Responses to these posts are of course welcome, but don't just focus on the one thing I post, please. Also, be respectful.
For a first example: The What: The Unrisen, a group of monsters in the Book Open Grave (pg 186-187).
How you may have missed it: If you don't have the book, and if you have only seen the monsters in the Monster Builder toolset. For reference, they are: Vile Pet, Corrupted Offspring, Tainted Priest, Darkhoof.
What makes it so special?: well, these creatures are intended to be the accident of the Raise Dead ritual going wrong, and bringing back beings in a "Pet Cemetery" style evil manner. Sinister children, beloved animals and the like being brought back wrong has a lot of fun flavour, and could be used by a DM for a variety of reasons:
Maybe some shmuck trying to bring back a loved one without the proper training, or with a "discount" (i.e. incomplete) Raise Dead scroll.
Perhaps the PCs want to get an NPC raised, but the DM wasn't ever intending to have the NPC raised. Using these monsters (or at least using them as a base) could provide an alternative to a simple rasing; they were brough back, they seemed fine, but eventually they show their dark, evil nature.
What happens if the loved one of a PC is raised improperly? What kind of ramifications of sanity come from having a child (for example) raised only to have to kill it with your own hands?
Conclusion: I loved the flavour of this creature, and am constantly on the lookout for a way to sneak one of them into my game to mess with the expectiaitons of my players. After all, there's nothing in the PHB that says the Raise Dead ritual can go wrong, but what if it does? What if it could?
For ease, following this format would be great so people checking this thread can clearly find the material they might want to use.
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." --Bill Cosby (1937- )
Vanador: OK. You ripped a gateway to Hell, killed half the town, and raised the dead as feral zombies. We're going to kill you. But it can go two ways. We want you to run as fast as you possibly can toward the south of the town to draw the Zombies to you, and right before they catch you, I'll put an arrow through your head to end it instantly. If you don't agree to do this, we'll tie you this building and let the Zombies rip you apart slowly. Dimitry: God I love being Neutral. 4th edition is dead, long live 4th edition. Salla: opinionated, but commonly right. fun quotesShow
If you can't understand how someone yelling at another person would make them fight harder and longer, then you need to look at the forums a bit closer.
quote author=56832398 post=519321747]Considering DnD is a game wouldn't all styles be gamist?
The What: The Planesplitter Weapon (Manual of the Planes, pg 154)
How you may have missed it: There are many reasons you may have missed this awesome weapon - I originally missed it because when MotP came out I was still muddling around in the Heroic tier, and didn't even glance at anything nearing Epic play.
What makes it so special?: It's a sword that can freaking cut the fabric between planes and then allow you and your friends to step on through! What is there not to love about this item?
Some more specific applications:
Great item for a player to be motiviated to find - perhaps his wife was taken to the Jinn city but planar travel is particularly tough for mortals, unless you find this legendary sword!
An enemy could appear multiple times throughout the early portion of a game that rips reality and teleports around attacking the PC's. When he is defeated (or bloodied) he continually escape into the astral sea. When the PC's finally lock him down one of the players would be able to start mastering those same techniques!
Conclusion: I thiink this weapon is wonderfully flavorful and lends itself very well to being a plot item, however it was released in an older suppliment and during that time many groups were still getting into the swing of the system, and playing in the heroic tier - and so you may have missed it!
"I find choice a bit overrated. Once you select a character concept and decide what you want a character to do, most of the choices are made for you. Powers aren't created equal, and there's usually one choice clearly superior to the others. Now this is more true for some classes than others, and the more you optimize the more true it is, but I find it holds." -- thecasualoblivion
The What: The Bloodhorn Blade (H2 Thunderspire Labyrinth pg 47.)
How you may have missed it: The reason you may have missed this freaking weapon is probably because its from a specific adventure published more than 2 years ago.
What makes it so special?: It's a +3 dagger that is one of the rare Cursed items to exist in 4E.
Some more specific applications:
Being a Cursed Item, it should not be readily Identified as such, only revealing the first benefical Property, which let its wielder Pushes targets it attacks with it.
Then in the heat of battle, when attacking with it, the wielder suddenly feel compelled to attacking anyone, friends or foes alike.
Conclusion: I think this weapon is great oldschool feel marking the return of Cursed Items by the backdoor. Do not let this Item count toward the number of Magic Items in any Parcel, but let it drop where it falls and let weirdness do its magic and see your Player's face when first revealed. A great experience shall enhance the fun even if briefly.
The What: Face of Baphomet (H2 Thunderspire Labyrinth pg 44.)
How you may have missed it: The reason you may have missed this freaking weapon is probably because its from a specific adventure published more than 2 years ago.
What makes it so special?: It's a mask carved from black wood that is one of the rare Cursed items to exist in 4E.
Some more specific applications:
Being a Cursed Item, it should not be readily Identified as such, only revealing the first benefical Property, letting its wearer see in the dark.
Then in the heat of battle, when selecting targets while bloodied for melee and ranged attacks, the wielder suddenly feel compelled to attacking anyone, friends or foes alike.
Conclusion: I think this mask is great oldschool feel marking the return of Cursed Items by the backdoor. Do not let this Item count toward the number of Magic Items in any Parcel, but let it drop where it falls and let weirdness do its magic and see your Player's face when first revealed. A great experience shall enhance the fun even if briefly.
Cool...what a fun thread. I don't have anything to post just yet, but wanted to give props to the OP for a fun, creative thread!
Well, I was hoping to get some positive energy into the thread. And while I already have seen the artifacts fo Thunderspire (and think they are awesome), I had not seen that blade, the planar blade thing. Now that needs to happen somewhere in that Lovecraftian/Howardesque/Steampunk/Fantasy Campaign I want to run.
And add whatever when you can!
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." --Bill Cosby (1937- )
Vanador: OK. You ripped a gateway to Hell, killed half the town, and raised the dead as feral zombies. We're going to kill you. But it can go two ways. We want you to run as fast as you possibly can toward the south of the town to draw the Zombies to you, and right before they catch you, I'll put an arrow through your head to end it instantly. If you don't agree to do this, we'll tie you this building and let the Zombies rip you apart slowly. Dimitry: God I love being Neutral. 4th edition is dead, long live 4th edition. Salla: opinionated, but commonly right. fun quotesShow
If you can't understand how someone yelling at another person would make them fight harder and longer, then you need to look at the forums a bit closer.
quote author=56832398 post=519321747]Considering DnD is a game wouldn't all styles be gamist?
How you may have missed it: The reason you may have missed this woundrous Item is probably because its insubstantial and almost invisible to the eye.
What makes it so special?: This insubstantial knife basically let you and your friends take an Extended rest almost literally anymore and might also prove useful in combat if used properly.
Some more specific applications:
When you use the exodus knife to trace a doorway onto a solid object, it opens a portal into an empty extradimensional space 4 squares wide, 4 squares high, and 4 squares long.
Only creatures inside the space can open or close the door (a minor action).
Once closed, the door becomes invisible to anyone outside the extradimensional space. Creatures on the inside of the closed door can see out, but those outside can’t see in. Creatures on one side of the closed door cannot affect creatures on the other side.
Conclusion: Since the extradimensional space lasts for 8 hours, its sufficient time for everyone to have a safe Extended Rest in any hostile environement. There could be ways to use it to more nefarious deeds such as smuggling and it could also be used to enhance Stealth right in combat to help Hiding while using this space to become Invisible by going out of sight.
One of the main reasons I made the thread was the digital tools. While reading through a book, you commonly stuble upon cool things that really sit well with you, and in the books all the context for the items, monsters, etc can be found, but in the Online Compendium and the CB and such, a lot of that context is lost, and things can disappear in the shuffle that could otherwise disappear forever.
The What: Dragon Hoards (Draconomicon:Chromatic Dragons, Pages 60-71)
How you may have missed it: This was an odd little section of the first Draconomicon, and is hidden away around the campaign starters and right before the Draconic artifacts. It's placement feels a bit odd in the book, and it was a great treasure when I found it.
What makes it so special?: These 11 pages hold the best advice I have so far encountered in how to make a load of treasure feel special. Ancient coins, tables to help make up art objects, a cavalcade of different gems (more than the DMG), plus odd little things like mundane equipment with a higher worth (not magical, but higher quality), and other Treasure oddities such as papers and deeds, prisoners and even a few tables that lay out the prices for trade goods.
Some more specific applications:
Not just for hoards, this works great for any large treasure trove. A lich's treasure hoard, the jewel room of a desert sheik, and a thousand other possibilities.
It also helps to add greater variation in treasure, and give a sense of wonder that quite frankly is missing in the default "Magic item, money, gems, art objects, potions" mix of the DMG. In fact, I really think this should have been placed in the second DMG instead of this book, as it really adds to the spice of treasure hauls, and not everyone wants a ton of dragons in their D&D (despite the name).
Not only do these few pages add a lot of character to any treasure hoard, but the suggestions to use treasure to spur your characters on to further adventure is contained in many of the pages. Coins of a foreign land that points the way to new adventure, a longsword made of the finest quality by a dragonborn smith, and a deed to a castle in a distant land (if the adventurers are brave or foolhardy enough to seek it out) are only a few of the suggestions within the pages.
Conclusion: Adding adventure, variety and interest to a hoard, or to any treasure really should have been the province of a DMG section, but even so, this area of the Draconomicon:Chomatic Dragons has so far seen more use by me than any of the other content of the book. If your treasure is a bit stale and you find you need a bit more to your rewards, try this section out. It really is awesome.
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." --Bill Cosby (1937- )
Vanador: OK. You ripped a gateway to Hell, killed half the town, and raised the dead as feral zombies. We're going to kill you. But it can go two ways. We want you to run as fast as you possibly can toward the south of the town to draw the Zombies to you, and right before they catch you, I'll put an arrow through your head to end it instantly. If you don't agree to do this, we'll tie you this building and let the Zombies rip you apart slowly. Dimitry: God I love being Neutral. 4th edition is dead, long live 4th edition. Salla: opinionated, but commonly right. fun quotesShow
If you can't understand how someone yelling at another person would make them fight harder and longer, then you need to look at the forums a bit closer.
quote author=56832398 post=519321747]Considering DnD is a game wouldn't all styles be gamist?
