New Magic Item: Annulum de Immortuos

New Magic Item

Annulum de Immortuos (The Black Ring of Thanos)

"And so it came to pass that in a last bid to cheat Death itself, Thanos the Necromancer, poured his knowledge and power into the, Annulum de Immortuos, the Ring of Undeath. But in those last minutes, the Servants of Arawn, breached his sanctum and captured the wayward wizard for their master, but not before Thanos used the last of his power to send the ring away to safety. With their prize in hand, the Servants of Arawn, dragged Thanos screaming into the Underworld."

The Ring of Undeath, also called The Black Ring of Thanos, is an artifact. It should not be found by random chance, but placed carefully and deliberately into a campaign. Arawn, the Lord of Death himself, will seek after anyone known to possess the ring, sending his Servants to secure the ring and to capture those who would dare attempt to cheat him.

Minor Powers:

• Animate dead (1 figure) (by touch) - 7 times/week
• Speak With Dead - 1/day
• Command/Turn Undead (and only Undead) as a 12th level Cleric - 3/day
• Acts as an Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location
• Wearer will not age, nor be affected by aging effects.
• Acts as a Ring of Regeneration, can only be removed upon death or voluntarily.

Drawbacks:

• Arawn seeks the wearer's capture and punishment.. and anyone with them.
• Wearer can not be healed by Cure spells, though spells without "Cure" in the name will work.

How the ring may be destroyed is entirely up to the DM. Destruction of the ring will stop Arawn from taking vengeance upon the wearer and their companions.

Game Review: Blood Dark Thirst from Kort'thalis Publishing

Blood Dark Thirst

Kort'thalis Publishing

Rating: 5 out of 5

Complexity: Minimal

Maturity: Recommended for adults, deals with adult topics and horror

Value: A steal at $4

Okay, so received my copy of Blood Dark Thirst and printed out the Print Friendly version. It's not a huge book, only 12 double-sided pages, for a 24 page count, so it won't kill your printer or break the bank if you have to have it printed out elsewhere.

First, the fonts used print clear and dark. That's important, because if you have older eyes it helps you to read the material easier. This is often a peeve I run into with new products. Light print and small fonts make game material frustrating for older customers. Thankfully, the folks at Kort'thalis take this into account. Thank you!

I'm a newbie to the system, so I read the rules through as a first time player just learning the ropes. It didn't take long, the rules are pretty straight forward, and not complicated. If you're an experienced tabletop rpg player, then you'll be able to play with a minimum of setup. If you're a newblood (pun intended), you'll still be able to play the game, but it'll take a bit more prep work on your behalf. Not to worry though, the system is solid and laid out well, so you'll do fine.

You'll need one 20-sided die, and three 6-sided (normal) dice. If you don't have a twenty sider, you can find dice apps readily enough for your phone or online. Or simply use take a deck of cards, pull out two suits of cards from Ace (1) to 10, and shuffle them together. One suit will stand for 1-10, while the other suit represents 11-20. Replace and reshuffle the cards after each draw.

The art is amazing. It evokes the imagery of the game, both sensual and sinful. The quality of the artwork reflects the quality of the production value. Kort'thalis takes pride in their work. The customer is getting value for their dollar.

And best of all, the VSd6 system is similar to the other Kort'thalis game products, so you learn one, you'll be able to play them all. Or if you play other OSR products, you can add Blood Dark Thirst as a ready drop-in resource to your games without fuss. As either a stand alone game, or an added game resource, you can't fail with this title.

You can currently purchase this product at DriveThruRPG, for $4. Click Here.

New Magic Item: Vegvisir

New Magic Item

Vegvisir (VEGG-vee-seer)

Translated from Icelandic, “That Which Shows the Way"

"If this sign is carried, one will never lose one’s way in storms or bad weather, even when the way is not known." - excerpt, Huld manuscript

This item is especially useful for campaigns involving Hex Crawls, but is not a foolproof means of keeping oneself from becoming lost. In order for the Vegvisir to work, the wearer must have a destination in mind, such as a specific mountain, lake, etc. They will then feel themselves lead to follow the safest and most direct route (travel-wise), to their destination. However, this only means that the character will be directed along the safest route relative to any other routes available, it does not avoid any dangerous encounters along the route. The route given isn't necessarily "safe", just the least physically dangerous.

Storms can still blow a character off course, but they will be able to find their way back on course afterward.. should they survive

The wearer can not set the destination of their travel to a person, or other mobile point. It must be a fixed destination known to them, either personally, or one they've seen, even if from afar. For example, "Show me the path to that split topped mountain I see across the valley".

New Magic Item: Six Demon Bag

New Magic Item

Six Demon Bag

Contains: "Wind, fire, all that kind of thing."

A Six Demon Bag is similar to a Medicine Bag. It contains powerful reagents, fetishes, and other user-specific talismans that have been previously prepared by the owner in order to help focus and enhance their spells.

When a spell-caster uses their personal Six Demon Bag, they cast all spells as if one level higher, for purposes of duration, range, and effect. It does not allow a caster to cast higher level spells than they are normally capable of casting.

The cost to make a Six Demon Bag is calculated: Character Level x Highest Spell Level Available To Caster x 500 gold pieces.

A Six Demon Bag has to be completely remade from scratch (at full cost) upon attaining a new level that allows access to a new higher level of spells.


[Addendum] Each bag will contain 1d3 + Highest Spell Level Available To Caster. These items will generally be more costly than difficult to procure (hence the expense), but the DM may require the character to adventure to acquire a special item or two.

Old bags should be destroyed when no longer needed. Should someone steal or acquire a character's Six Demon Bag (old or current), the owner will suffer a -2 on Saving Throws against spells cast against them by the holder.

Random Tables: Unusual Character Traits

Unusual Character Traits, are peculiarities that a character may possess, that make them standout from others. These quirks are more pronounced than ordinary physical or personality traits, often making the character unique.

Not everyone possesses a trait that stands out. Players may choose whether or not to roll once on the following table at the time of character creation. Even then, there is a 50% chance that no Unusual Character Trait is possessed, a 25% chance of having a negative trait, or a 25% chance of having a beneficial trait. If a player chooses to roll on the table, they ARE bound by the result for that character!

Roll 1d100 to determine if your character possesses an unusual trait. Remember, you must accept the result!

• 01–50: No Unusual Character Trait

• 51–75: Roll 1d25 on the Negative Traits Table below

• 76–100: Roll 1d25 on the Positive Traits Table below

Negative Traits (Roll 1d25)

1. Hard of Hearing

2. Poor Eyesight

3. Color Blind

4. Limp (Slight speed reduction)

5. Always Hungry (Twice normal food intake)

6. Weak Stomach (Easily nauseated)

7. Snorer (Loudly!)

8. Insomnia (Trouble falling asleep)

9. Weak Grip (Drops items easily)

10. Bad Back (Heavy lifting is hazardous)

11. Night Blindness

12. Stammer (Speech impediment)

13. Terrible Sense of Direction

14. Fear of Heights (Poor climber)

15. Poor Swimmer (Water hazards)

16. Allergies (Sneezes easily in nature)

17. Poor Hand-Eye Coordination (Inaccurate thrower)

18. Scarred Face (Intimidating or disfigured)

19. Phobia: Spiders

20. Phobia: Snakes

21. Phobia: Rodents

22. Phobia: Canines

23. Phobia: Felines

24. Phobia: Equines

25. Double Trouble: Roll twice on this table

Positive Traits (Roll 1d25)

1. Keen Hearing

2. Keen Eyesight

3. Perfect Pitch

4. Light on Feet (Silent movement)

5. Fast Metabolism (Half normal food intake)

6. Cast Iron Stomach (Resist ingested poison)

7. Quiet Sleeper

8. Can Sleep On Demand

9. Iron Grip (Hard to disarm)

10. Strong Back (Double carrying capacity)

11. Cat Eyes (Excellent low light vision)

12. Golden Tongue (Eloquent speaker)

13. Internal Compass (Never gets lost)

14. Head for Heights (Excellent climber)

15. Strong Swimmer (Excellent in water)

16. Immune to Common Allergies

17. Bullseye (Excellent accuracy with thrown objects)

18. Striking Features (Memorable or handsome)

19. Animal Kinship: Spiders

20. Animal Kinship: Snakes

21. Animal Kinship: Rodents

22. Animal Kinship: Canines

23. Animal Kinship: Felines

24. Animal Kinship: Equines

25. Blessed: Roll twice on this table

Some Unusual Character Traits may give a character a small bonus or penalty, when performing related actions. Others affect the way the character is perceived by others. And still others are just unusual abilities not common to most people.

Players are encouraged to work with their DM to help define their particular trait, making it distinctive to their character. Not all traits have a direct effect upon game mechanics, but are more for role-playing purposes.

"How do your players handle quirks at the table? Do you let them buy off negative traits with experience points later, or are they stuck with a limp for life? Let me know how you use character quirks in your campaign below!"

Edit (06/16/26): Corrected errors in the table. Deleted duplicate entries.

Oooh! That's gonna leave a mark!

The topic for today's article comes directly from Gary Gygax himself, found in the pages of the original Dungeon Masters Guide. Although dismissed by some in the Old School Renaissance as apocrypha, much of the material in the DMG originated in articles written for the original Dungeons & Dragons game.

"If any creature reaches a state of -6 or greater negative points before being revived, this could indicate scarring or the loss of some member, if you so choose. For example, a character struck by a fireball and then treated when at -9 might have horrible scar tissue on exposed areas of flesh - hands, arms, neck, face." - AD&D DMG p.82*

* The above text is only applied in games using the -10 hit point threshold. Some games allow a negative hit point threshold up to the dying character's Constitution score, in which case the scarring will apply at negative half the CON score of the character.

For the purposes of this article, the following rule used is.. "A character remains alive (although bleeding to death at the rate of 1 hp/round if no assistance is rendered) until the character reaches negative hit points equal to the character’s level." Swords & Wizardry Complete, p.43.

Any time a character falls into negative hit points, but does not die, they may be subject to scarring, or dismemberment. In this case dismemberment is minor so as not to cripple, or whittle away at the character. Some DMs might apply more severe penalties, but this is not recommended.

Here, in our home campaign, we use the following 2d6 table for hit location (assuming that the target is humanoid):

    2          Head (Upper Portion)

  3-4         Right Leg

    5          Right Arm

    6          Upper Torso

    7          Lower Torso

    8          Upper Torso

    9          Left Arm

10-11       Left Leg

  12          Head (Lower Portion)

The use of 2d6 was chosen because it reflects set percentages, instead of a flat 1 in 6, or what have you. There are special 1d12's that have body locations printed on them, but again that just makes everything a straight 1 in 12 chance of being struck. Each DM is encouraged to use their own preferred system.

Effects of Scarring:

• Depending on hit location, the character may be missing a piece of finger, toe, ear, nose, patch of hair, teeth, etc.
• The character might suffer scarring appropriate to the type of damage that drove them into negative hit points.
• The character might have a visible limp, favor a particular body part, etc, especially when the weather is cold, or about to change.
• The character may end up with an appropriate nickname, such as Ninefinger, One-Ear, Scarface, the Gimp, Flamekissed, etc. Be creative.

In our home campaign, Antaria: The Lion, The Bear, and The Dragon, we only use these rules for role-playing purposes, to add verisimilitude to the ongoing story of the adventure. Players often enjoy them because they help distinguish their characters, making them that much more memorable.

Optional Rules: Spell Services

Sometimes the players will not have access to a particular spell, or spells, personally. They will need to find someone capable and willing to cast the spell for them, but this will come at a cost. The following table is provided for a base estimate a spell-caster may charge for their services. Most spell-casters do not usually hire out to go on adventures, preferring to stay home to serve their church, or study in their laboratories.

The formula for finding base cost is as follows: Level of Spell x Minimum Level of Caster needed to cast the spell x (10 x spell level). Thus, a first level magic-user spell, multiplied by first level caster (minimum), times 10gp, for a total of 10gp. Additional costs, such as spell components needed, of course will be added to the base spell cost.

Base Cost	Minimum Caster Level	Level of Spell
20gp	2	Cleric – first level spell
160gp	4	Cleric – second level spell
540gp	6	Cleric – third level spell
960gp	6	Cleric – fourth level spell
1,750gp	7	Cleric – fifth level spell
4,320gp	12	Cleric – sixth level spell *
8,330gp	17	Cleric – seventh level spell
10gp	1	Druid – first level spell
80gp	2	Druid – second level spell
360gp	4	Druid – third level spell
1,120gp	7	Druid – fourth level spell
2,500gp	10	Druid – fifth level spell *
3,960gp	11	Druid – sixth level spell
5,580gp	12	Druid – seventh level spell
10gp	1	Magic-User – first level spell
120gp	3	Magic-User – second level spell
450gp	5	Magic-User – third level spell
1,120gp	7	Magic-User – fourth level spell
2,250gp	9	Magic-User – fifth level spell *
4,320gp	12	Magic-User – sixth level spell
6,860gp	14	Magic-User – seventh level spell
10,240gp	16	Magic-User – eighth level spell
14,480gp	18	Magic-User – ninth level spell

* - Spells of this level or higher are generally not available except in special cases set by the Dungeon Master.

These rules are written for Swords & Wizardry Complete, but may be used with other compatable OSR rules systems.

Optional Rules: Putting The Sorcery Into Swords

Fantasy stories abound with magical weapons, but none more so than the magic sword. The discovery of a magic sword is an excitement practically every adventurer has enjoyed at least once in their careers. However, all too often, the excitement wears off as the players then set their sights on more and more powerful magic weapons, abandoning their old trusty +1's for the next bigger and better deal to come along.

In our home campaign, magic swords are more than a collection of escalating magical bonuses. They have backgrounds, special properties, and many have the potential to grow with the one who wields them.

The basics:

No magical sword is ever made of common materials. There are no copper, or even bronze, magic swords. They must be made of the finest steel, meteoric iron, or other exotic material, only then can they accept the mystical properties enchanting them will bestow. Though a magic blade can not be detected as such without the use of Detect Magic, a skilled fighter can easily identify that such blades are far superior to a normal blade of its type.

Though extremely durable, no magic sword is unbreakable. Unless someone goes out of their way to damage the blade, or subjects it to tremendous abuse, a magical blade should remain functional. But should such a blade be subjected to extreme stress, or damaged magically, or attacked by superhuman power, then they can fail. i.e. Using a +1 sword as a lever to lift a wagon is not a good idea.

A magic blade with a bonus of +1 or +2 is a function of the quality of the blade itself, not its magical properties. While the base magical enchantment allows such blades to hit those creatures only harmed by magic weapons, the bonus to hit and damage is derived from the weapon itself. Such weapons are better balanced, stronger, and sharper than normal blades, allowing them to be used more effectively in combat than normal blades. Even if temporarily or permanently disenchanted, these weapons will retain their hit and damage bonuses.

A magic-user, or other spell-caster, can create a magical weapon of +1 ability, or equivalent, at 3rd level. They may create a +2 weapon, or equivalent, at 6th level. Only the most powerful weapons may be crafted by spell-casters of 9th level and higher. The mechanics and how-to of creating magic weapons will appear in an upcoming article.

A non-player character may create a +1 magic weapon for a base cost of 100 times the cost of a normal weapon of the same type, and one week's time of uninterrupted work. A +2 weapon costs 200 times the normal base weapon cost, and one month of uninterrupted work. The DM may require the Player Characters to go out and collect additional materials for the construction of these items.


Be sure to subscribe to this blog to catch our upcoming article on Cursed Weapons!

Name That NPC - List 1

Here is a simple 1d50 list of NPC names, to be used for inspiration, or whatever other reason you need.

1. Thane the Outcast
2. James of the Castle Warden
3. Ernst Gigantesson
4. Galtar Hempseed
5. Cho Rempol
6. Nestrum the Nithling
7. Mimicus the Mirage
8. Puzzo Ale Sodden
9. Darlun Ninefinger
10. Zinn the Most Brazen
11. Fost Ghostwalker
12. The Silent Master
13. Mourn Tearblood
14. Dlareg of the Broken Chain
15. Donal the Triumphant
16. Hamurak of the Golden Dawn
17. Zula of the Silver Twilight
18. Sonja the Necrophant
19. Mantzar the Frank
20. Kresto the Amazing
21. Mabry the Mad
22. Procuron the Sentinel
23. Kant Stantcha
24. Bast Miltaur
25. Lupo the Lycan Hunter
26. Prego the Prestigious
27. Thom, Son of Iron
28. Dyzon Legolos
29. Zoltan Halfblood
30. Prince Kespeare
31. Kronen of the Borderlands
32. Porchette the Clever
33. Marazon the Unblessed
34. Fegnar the Unholy
35. Tesarat of the Unseen Path
36. Adraxus the Forgotten
37. Castus the Egregious
38. Hestia Bloodthorne
39. Negan the Reanimator
40. Seriff the Dominant
41. Quethos of Evergreen
42. Horezon, Servant of Marduk
43. Thesolon the Veiled
44. Gesbury Greyhand
45. Fenthoc Thorne
46. Athelos the Scryer
47. Rathanon the Undying
48. Lemmon Zhello
49. Cinnamon
50. Krusti O'Toole

Optional Rules: Trade Goods - Part One

Trade goods can usually be traded or bartered at 80 to 100% of full value. These goods are accepted anywhere there is a market for them. Ore grades affect trade values.

Metal, Price Per Pound:

1sp        Iron

4sp        Lead

5sp        Copper

1gp        Tin

5gp        Silver

5gp        Bronze

25gp      Electrum (White Gold)

50gp      Gold

500gp    Platinum

Metals are often smelted into ingots of various sizes and weights.
Ore values are different from smelted metal ingots. Ore is raw material, still mixed with impurities and sells for approximately 40% to 75% value. 

Grades of Ore:

40-45%                 Cut-Off Grade Ore, below this level no longer economical to mine

50-55%                 Mid-Grade Ore

60-65%                 Market Grade Ore

70-75%                 High Grade

Roll 1d8 to determine Ore Grad / Trade Value.

1	40%	5	60%
2	45%	6	65%
3	50%	7	70%
4	55%	8	75%

Grains, Produce, and Fruits:

1cp        one pound of wheat, or millet
5sp        one bushel of wheat, or millet (50 pounds)

2cp        one pound of flour, or rice
2sp        one bag of flour, or rice (10 lbs)
2cp        one pound of dried beans
1sp        one bag of dried beans (5 lbs)
3cp        one pound of corn (2 - 3 ears)
2gp        one bushel of corn (70 pounds)
2cp        one pound of onions (3 small, 2 medium, or 1 large)
11sp      one bushel of onions (57 pounds)
3cp        one pound of potatoes (3 average, 10 small)
3sp        one bag of potatoes (10 pounds)

2cp        one pound of apples (4 small, 3 medium, or 2 large)
8sp        one bushel of apples (40 lbs)

2cp        one pound of peaches (3)
1gp        one bushel of peaches (50 lbs)

1gp        one pound of cinnamon, or sugar

2gp        one pound of ginger, or pepper

5gp        one pound of salt

15gp      one pound of saffron, or cloves


Luxury Items:
5sp        one pound of tobacco (15-25 leaves)
8sp        one pound of mild pipeweed / hemp
1gp        strong pipeweed (2-3 cigarettes)
10gp      Black Lotus (the good stuff)

2gp        Haga (not the good stuff)


I'm looking to improve this article, please comment or send feedback.


Optional Rules: Livestock
Optional Rules: Fur Trade

Daemons of Dreams and the Dead: Part Two

Today's two-part Portcullis entry is from guest author, Dave Folger, for which we are both honored and grateful.

The Restless Dead

A question was once posed to me, with the threat of the dead becoming undead, wouldn’t cremation make more sense than burial? Of course, cremation would also shut down any possibility for resurrection in the future. On the other hand, a proper burial is also something we’ve heard before in the game, something that we have to pretend, as role-players, has some value to it even though it has no mechanical effect. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Bodies that have been given a proper burial are generally rendered safe by the ritual from rising (or being animated) as living dead. There are exceptions to this. First, a skilled necromancer could have some magic to profane the dead. Something as simple as a reverse Bless spell might suffice. Another exception is the dead (unbeknownst to the clergy) may have been an especially evil individual. Even though the proper rites are performed, they have no influence over the evil corpse. Such a being might later rise as a vampire.

The latter might be prevented through yet another possible application for a Bless spell. Good clerics, or possibly clerics of any alignment, are able to confer righteousness. That is, if the subject of the bless is of a different faith than the cleric, for the duration of the spell, the subject is considered to be of the same faith for purposes of further spells and rituals. So if the deceased was highly evil, a cleric of at least equal level using Bless would make it so death rites begun within the duration of the bless and completed without interruption would effectively keep the body from rising as a vampire or other wicked creature.

NPCs who perform burial rites generally don’t confer this blessing as a usual thing since they are typically burying members of their own faith. And even if they did perform the blessing, it is generally lower level members who perform the ritual, so the blessing would not be sufficient to match the evil power of likely candidates to come back as vampires. Consequently, if such is a concern, either a PC cleric will have to cast Bless or else pay a high level NPC cleric to use bless in exchange for the appropriate donation.

There are additional protections for those buried in a cemetery. When a cemetery is first founded, there will be a ceremony to sanctify the place. Often this will include the sacrifice of an animal. The spirit of this animal will then act as a protector (see “Grim” pg 72,  MM2). If animal sacrifice seems strongly antithetical to the religion in question, gargoyles may be employed instead (pg 42, MM1). Guardian gargoyles will generally be Neutral in alignment with only tendencies towards the alignment of the deity or cleric blessing the place--its only purpose being to protect the cemetery from defilers, graverobbers, and necromancers. The sanctity of the place bars undead and malign spirits from entering into (and prevents the creation thereof within) its sacred precincts. Such holy protection requires periodic maintenance, so abandoned burial grounds have only the grims or gargoyles to protect it, if those have not already been dealt with.

Here again, normally we would not spend game time or emphasis on burial rituals or the necro-economy. These practices are simply assumed to be running in the background and serve to explain why in a world where necromancers exist people still bury their dead, why bringing back a companion for a proper burial is a worthwhile effort, and why even in a world where everyone is doing all the right things necromancers can still find opportunities to practice their craft and rare, unique, and powerful beings can still return in the unlife.

Daemons of Dreams and the Dead: Part One

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Dave Folger runs the Myths & Legends blog (myths-n-legends.blogspot.com). His personal campaigns are heavily influenced not only by the Dungeons & Dragons game but by the later fantasy RPGs of Gary Gygax. He played his first game of Dungeons & Dragons at the age of 6 and was co-authoring a module for the Lejendary Adventure RPG with Gary at the time of his passing.

Daemons of Dreams and the Dead: Part One

Today's two-part Portcullis entry is from guest author, Dave Folger., for which we are both honored and grateful.

Daemons. Not to be confused with the type of monster particular to the Dungeons & Dragons game. In mythology, daemons refers to nature spirits between gods and humans similar to ghosts, chthonic heroes, or spirit guides. In computing, it refers to programs that run in the background. The discussion that follows fits both definitions well, which is why although there exists potential for confusing them with D&D’s daemons, the term is too fitting not to use.

Roleplaying games are a peculiar type of game. It treats a fantasy world and those monsters and characters who inhabit it as if they are real. The potential for detail in the fantasy world is practically limitless, but limitless detail can be impractical for purposes of playing a game. Enter the daemons. These are fantastic creatures, generally nature spirits, that typically operate in the background. They conveniently tie up loose ends that enable the fantasy world to make perfect sense without overburdening the game.

The Restless Traveler

Recently I was asked for some “game mechanics” reasons why adventurers should pay for a room at the inn rather than rough it outside. There are some pretty obvious answers. Bad weather. Wandering monsters. Guards arresting you for vagrancy. Thieves pilfering your camp. But the answer I gave had to do with troublesome minor spirits who invade your dreams, preventing the sort of “restful sleep” spell-casters need to be able to memorize spells in the morning.

I imagined that homes and certainly inns would have certain trinkets or decorations that prevent these spirits from entering its precincts. What would seem like odd items of superstitious nature to us, such as dreams catchers, have functional purpose in the fantasy realm. Special symbols carved into an inns sign may serve the purpose just fine. Homes might have grain or sand thrown before its door as a means of detecting invisible intruders. Pets also possess a different sensory range that complement that of their human companions and may serve to frighten some spirits away, or at least alert the household to the presence of spirits.

It is therefore preferable to seek lodging in a permanent shelter. This does not preclude the possibility of getting a good night’s sleep under the stars when characters are traveling. Elements and wandering monsters notwithstanding, certain types of characters who are to a degree “at home” in the outdoors--Druids, Elves, and Rangers--have special defenses against dream daemons. Elves are alleged to not sleep and so they are unaffected. Druids (and high level Rangers) learn to use local flora to craft small, wreath-like ornaments which are effective at warding meddlesome nature spirits.

There’s no limit to how elaborate you can get. Just keep in mind, these are details that usually fade into the background unmentioned so that for game purposes it can generally be assumed PCs must pay to stay at an inn. It’s only when the underlying assumptions fail for some reason making what is usually ordinary and mundane become a challenge and part of the adventure. It is then that the details come into the foreground as they serve some purpose within the overall adventure. Otherwise they are at best referenced as flavor text, if at all. For further inspiration, the 1st edition AD&D, Dungeon Masters Manual, pg 26-27 has a list of gems and their reputed magical properties. And pages 220-221 has a list of herbs, spices and medicinal vegetables with their uses. The Wikipedia articles on Amulets and Lucky Symbols are also worth reading. The entry on Fairy includes a section for Protective Charms.

Daemons of Dreams and the Dead: Part Two

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Dave Folger runs the Myths & Legends blog (myths-n-legends.blogspot.com). His personal campaigns are heavily influenced not only by the Dungeons & Dragons game but by the later fantasy RPGs of Gary Gygax. He played his first game of Dungeons & Dragons at the age of 6 and was co-authoring a module for the Lejendary Adventure RPG with Gary at the time of his passing.