I always enjoyed reading the Bazaar of the Bizarre. I loved the history of the items but they were very rarely set in Greyhawk. Mostly the Realms. In my campaigns I always have created back stories for magic items. I have taken a few of the Realms items and converted to 5e and for Greyhawk. Has anyone else done this? I will post a few of the items. If not permitted, someone can delete.
The ranger Hawkstone bore this shield in his war against the giants of the Barrier Peaks in Geoff and the beast-men (ogres) of the Stark Mounds. Sometime after his death, his grave was violated and all his treasures stolen, among them the blade Durelva and this shield, known in ballads as Hawkstone’s Bulwark. It is generally believed that Hawkstone won this shield from the hoard of the black dragon Yrindothus. Its origin is as unknown as its present fate.
The shield is a single slab of 2-inch-thick, polished steel of a beautiful blue hue, a fine metal unique in its quality in the Flanaess. It has the usual two straps within, of black bull hide, and weighs no more than a wooden shield. It has the abilities of a +2 shield, and upon command the shield grows magically into a bridge. (The command word, known through lore but not written anywhere on the shield, is Bulwark…) The shield will disappear from the bearer’s possession and reappear at the start of the following round as a 5-inch-thick span of line steel, 2’ wide by 60’ long. Its length is not variable, and the change is not always automatic; if the command word is spoken when the Bulwark doesn’t have enough room to expand, the power will simply fail to function. The bridge will extend out in the direction the bearer of the shield is facing, beginning just in front of the bearer’s feet. Once placed, the bridge cannot be moved (although it can be shrunk back to a shield and re-expanded in a different location). It will support up to 5,000 pounds of weight at one time; exceeding that limit will cause it to collapse back into a normal shield (see below), leaving the creatures and objects upon it without any visible means of support. If its weight capacity is not exceeded, the bridge will remain in that form for 30 days, or until the bearer of the shield holds onto one of the straps and utters the reverse command word Krawlub. (When it is in bridge form, the shield’s straps are located on the top surface of the bridge at either end.)
The shrinking process works essentially the same as the expanding process: the bridge disappears upon utterance of the command word, and at the start of the following round the Bulwark reappears at the bearer’s feet in shield form. No magic short of an alter reality, or wish will cause the bridge to shrink, shift, break, or otherwise move (although the ground on which it rests could well be affected by disintegrate, dig, or similar magic). The bridge will conduct heat, electricity, and other similar forms of energy, and in such respects acts as normal metal does.
Ilbratha is a bronze shortsword with a row of six matched bloodstones set into the helve of the blade on its left face. Each bloodstone is worth 100 gold pieces; as an undamaged set of stones, they might bring 1000 to 2000 gold pieces if sold shrewdly. Ilbratha does not glow and bears no inscriptions. It is +2 to hit and damage, and when grasped by a fighter of any alignment, its powers will be communicated telepathically to the holder. This is a feature of its magical manufacture; it is not sentient.
Ilbratha gains its nickname from its powers, which are very useful in combat. When grasped (flesh to handgrip) and mentally ordered, Ilbratha can with its bearer Jump (as in the spell) three times per day, Blink itself and its
bearer once per day and create a Mirror Image of itself and its bearer once per day. It also rings like a struck chime or tubular bell when it is touching magic; this includes spell effects from devices and physical contact with enchanted items but not physical effects (such as a stinking cloud or gust of wind) caused by an already-cast spell. This power is a warning only and is in no way a protection against magic.
Ilbratha was created by unknown hands at the behest of Tavish II of House Rhola, long-dead king of Keoland. He bore it once into battle, at Waverock in his war with pirates, and then lost it in a storm that wrecked his ship on the rocks of Redshore Island. The sword was found by fishermen of Saltmarsh and sold to a rich merchant, Seval Morn of Gradsul. He took it north on a caravan along the Trader’s Road and the Sheldomar River to Axegard, where he sold it to Phelasi Urm, a merchant of Hookhill in the Gran March. Phelasi brought it overland through Keoland, where it was recognized in Niole Dra. Agents of King Tavish II attempted to recover it, and slew Phelasi, but in the confusion the blade was lost (or stolen by one of the agents for himself).
All trace of the blade was lost until, two hundred years later, the sage Thallastar of Mitrik was offered the blade for 1,500 gold pieces by a peddler from a nearby town who seemed ignorant of its true nature. Thallastar brought the blade to El’Amin Hama in Greyhawk, the only fellow loremaster interested in swords whom Thallastar trusted. El’Amin identified the blade from the writings of Tavish III (the old king’s great-grandson had then just come to the throne), and Thallastar bore it back toward Mitrik but he was never seen again and did not reach Mitrik. His ruined diary, his staff, and a skeleton were found some years later when the Pool of De’Fay in Veluna City was dragged, but the sword was not found. El’Amin believes it is in the hands of brigands, or perhaps mercenaries, who have not since drawn the blade in battle near Veluna.
In the hands of a paladin, this sword becomes a +3 weapon that delivers an additional +1d8 radiant damage. Enemies slain by the true slayer cannot be the recipient of resurrection, raise dead, or animate dead spells, nor can they become undead. Undead monsters that are not destroyed when reduced to 0 hp (such as vampires or liches) are still able to recover as normal when wounded by the true slayer.
The only known true slayer is a long sword, golden hilted and chased. The weapon is presently claimed by Naelan Steadfast, a protector of caravans and travelers along the roads between Pellak and Thornward. The weapon is beautiful and stainless, with exotically stylized celestial designs engraved onto its golden handle. Its flawless blade hints at some slow regeneration of mundane nicks and scars. It bears no gemstones, but its craftsmanship alone makes it valuable, even if all magic were removed.
Naelan has recently fallen from paladin-hood, and the sword no longer allows him to use its full range of abilities. Naelan’s downfall is his selfishness, which he is trying to atone for by keeping only his warhorse and weapons and armor—and maybe a few choice pieces of jewelry, and a gem
or two, just for sentimental reasons. And of course, enough gold to cover any emergencies. If he can regain his status (he is currently a 8th level fighter), the Watchtower Road will be a much safer place to travel. Without help, however, Naelan is not likely to recover his paladin-hood soon, as his affection for material wealth remains strong.
There are at least two other swords in the Flanaess that bear runes similar to Naelan’s sword, but since these are not in the hands of paladins (one is owned by a wizard of Relpool in the Kingdom of Nyrond, who uses its impressive appearance to deter robbers), it is uncertain whether they
have similar abilities.
Tagarath is a long sword, of steel fire-blackened along the
length of the blade so that only the sharpened edges gleam. On the base of the blade, just ahead of the simple crossbar guard, is a rune etched into the metal. The rune is non-magical and evidently the mark of the blade’s maker.
Tagarath requires strength and stature to wield, but while it is held unsheathed, the bearer is protected from fire (gains fire resistance) and will be protected by a Feather Fall if descending 10’ or more precipitously. Tagarath is a +2 magic sword. It does not glow and is not sentient. While gripping Tagarath (even sheathed), the bearer is protected from ESP and detection spells (including know alignment). Such spells will simply have no effect. This protection does not affect charm, sleep, other control-related spells.
Tagarath was forged by Eirinhad of Alhaster in the early days of the Shield Lands and was given to the champion Karinmore when he led the armies of the Shieldlanders against the trolls of the Ritensa Moors. The might of the trolls was broken at the Long Battle (of nine days duration) across the moors, and Tagarath was brandished aloft bloodily so often by the valiant Karinmore that it was dubbed “The Bloodbrand.”
Much later, when Karinmore was grey-bearded, Count Garold of Eastfork died and the title of Knight Commander passed to another. Karinmore, grieving for his lord, took ship south from Axeport, sailing first to Radigast City and later to the northern shores of the Duchy of Urnst. There, with his wife and six sons, Karinmore founded the city of Salt Harbor but Karinmore’s sword was not seen on his voyage, and most legends hold that he left it in Critwall, where it has been lost in some concealed. A few sages know that, in truth, Karinmore hid the blade in a ruined well on the Walworth Isle so that his argumentative sons would not fight over it.
There it lay while ages passed, until an exploration party found it and carried it to their city on the mainland near what is now Heldarn in Furyondy. There it was studied for only a short time before a group of bandits plundered much of the city and gained it. The names of the bandits are now lost; one was a fighter who later took service in the merchant-guards of Dyvers and died battling bandits on the banks of the Velverdyva river. It seems likely that he bore Tagarath, but no word of it can be found after it (presumably) fell into the hands of the bandits, until a wandering peddler offered it for sale in a market at Devarnish.
Created long ago by a prestigious halfling bowyer and the Arch-Mage Bendalyre, these bows (of which there are only three) were created to help the halfling societies combat their enemies. Over the years, the gem bows have disappeared from the halfling realms, and are now lost and mostly forgotten by the race that created them. They are all short bows +1, are of
excellent craftsmanship and have the ability to gain additional powers.
On the face of each bow is an indentation above the handgrip. If certain gemstones are set into this notch, the bow is then capable of bestowing one of three special powers on an arrow fired. Arrows used must be nonmagical to gain these powers.
The gems and effects are as follows:
Gem type Effect
Diamond 1-6 hp damage +10 hp electric shock
Ruby 1-6 hp damage +10 hp fire damage
Sapphire 1-6 hp damage +10 hp cold damage
A gem bow gains one charge per 200 gp value of each gem. Gems set into a gem bow decrease in value by 200 gp as each charge is used, eventually becoming normal stones with the expiration of their charges.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises
