This section contains a range of magical items, all to be found in the Old World. They are not common or easily found, and the gamesmaster should take care over placing magic items in scenarios. They should be kept rare enough so that finding one (even in the hands of an NPC opponent) elicits some excitement from the players, but not so rare that they despair of ever possessing such treasures. Needless to say, the more powerful a magic item is, the rarer it will be, and the most powerful magic items will only be found in the hands of the most powerful of opponents.
DIY Magic[]
The magic items covered here are no more than a sample. The possibilities in this field are limitless, and you may want to design magic items of your own. New magic items are perhaps the easiest of things to invent. Try to keep balance in your games and don't include many very powerful magic items - unless you want invincible super-characters running around. Occasional one-offs can be interesting, especially variations on 'standard' items, which don't do quite what the players expect. Imagine, for instance, a suit of magical armour that actually reduces a character's armour points and which cannot be removed without some powerful enchantments.
Identifying Magic Items[]
Obviously, when a group of characters discovers a magic item, the first thing they will want to know is what it does! A character with the Magical Sense skill will be able to tell whether or not a particular item is enchanted and may be able to find out something about its abilities. The character must hold the item and may do nothing else while concentrating on it. The gamesmaster should secretly make one WP test per turn for the player. Each successful test yields one piece of information about the item and the character may continue until a test is failed. If a test is failed by 40% or more, the gamesmaster may feed the player false or misleading information.
Random Magic Items[]
When you are designing a scenario, it is always best to have an idea before you start of what kind of monsters and magic items will be in it, where they will be, how they got there, and so on. Occasionally, though, the gamesmaster might want to generate a magic item completely at random; the following table can be used in these cases.
| D100 roll | Item |
|---|---|
| 01 | All-Seeing Mirror |
| 02-10 | Amulet |
| 11-20 | Armour |
| 21-25 | Arrows |
| 26-27 | Bag |
| 28-32 | Boots |
| 33-36 | Bow |
| 37-39 | Enchanted Rope |
| 40-43 | Gloves |
| 44-46 | Grimoire |
| 47-49 | Horn |
| 50-54 | Jewel Of Power |
| 55-64 | Potion |
| 65-73 | Ring |
| 74-76 | Robe |
| 77-84 | Scroll |
| 85-88 | Wand |
| 89-98 | Weapon |
| 99-00 | Singular/rare item |
Spells Stored In Magic Items[]
Some magic items have definite powers, while others can store one or more of a variety of spells. The following tables are used when the gamesmaster wishes to determine the spells in a magic item randomly. Once the type and level of the spell have been determined, the gamesmaster must refer to the Spells section to determine which particular spell is in the item.
| D100 roll | Spell Type |
|---|---|
| 01-20 | Petty Magic |
| 21-60 | Battle Magic |
| 61-65 | Daemonic Magic |
| 66-80 | Elemental Magic |
| 81-95 | Illusion Magic |
| 96-00 | Necromantic Magic |
| D100 roll | Spell Level |
|---|---|
| 01-55 | 1 |
| 56-85 | 2 |
| 86-95 | 3 |
| 96-00 | 4 |
Special and Rare Items[]
These magical items only have a low chance of being found for several reasons. Some are unique, only one having ever been created. Some developed unfortunate side-effects and their production was halted. Some were successful designs, but the item was stolen and the creator slain, the secret of making the item perishing with him. Some were simply botched, so that while they may be mildly useful, they were not what the enchanting wizard had intended and have not been reproduced in any significant numbers. One or two were deliberately created by wizards as revenge on people for being swindled or coerced. In every case, the items are not 'standard designs' and their low occurrence reflects this fact.
Use a D100 roll on the table below to determine the nature of the special or rare item found.
| D100 | Magical Item |
|---|---|
| 01-12 | Dagger Of Halflings |
| 13-23 | Harness Of Fearlessness |
| 24-41 | Lantern Of Days |
| 42-50 | Lens Of Detection |
| 51-58 | Lyre Of Melody |
| 59-79 | Purse Of Teeth |
| 80-89 | Ring Of Comprehension |
| 90-00 | Sand Of Flinging |
Blood Drinker[]
Blood Drinker is a broadsword forged by evil sorcerors from the blood of Vampires, so that it would have the vampiric ability to drain life from its victims. It does damage as a normal broadsword, but, each time a successful hit causes at least one W, a point of S is drained from the victim. If their S reaches 0, the character dies. If the victim is not killed, any S lost in this way returns at 1 point per day until it is back to its normal level, unless the character is dead.
Blood Drinker resembles a normal sword, but, when the light catches it, the steel seems to shimmer with a reddish tinge. Its current whereabouts and the reason for its construction are unknown.
The Book Of Ashur[]
The Book of Ashur is said to contain knowledge of all the spells in the world. Though lost or stolen many times, the book has always found its way back into the hands of those who can be corrupted by the knowledge it contains. The book is a huge black tome, bound in Beastman skin and written in Magick. While the text purports to be a simple treatise on magic, it constantly and subtly hints that magic and Chaos are intertwined and that only the Chaos gods can teach the reader all that is necessary to be a truly great wizard.
A wizard bearing the Book of Ashur can cast any spell, as long as it is no more than one level above their own level of magic. No ingredients are needed to cast the spell. However, each time the book is used, the wizard stands a chance of being corrupted by it and must make a WP test. On a successful test, nothing happens. On a failed roll, the victim immediately gains 1D6 Insanity Points and is taken with an overwhelming urge to visit the Northern Chaos Wastes. Unless restrained by someone, the wizard will set off the following morning, telling no one. This compulsion will continue unless the wizard can be restrained for a month, with no access to the Book of Ashur. During this period, the victim will do everything possible to escape and journey north. If he ever returns, it will be as an NPC.
Bottle Tower Of Grimnyth The Great[]
This item is mentioned in many grimoires on magic as a supreme example of the art of wizardry, but its present whereabouts are unknown and there are many scholars who doubt its existence. Although it is not listed in the central registry of magical artifacts in Altdorf, it does appear in at least three folk-tales and one rather bawdy ballad.
The item takes the form of a beautiful, gracefully tapering bottle made of curiously tough blue crystal that seems impervious to breakage. The top of the bottle is sealed and around the neck are six brass finger-rings, which fit snugly and do not fall off unless gently pulled. A person taking one of these rings and putting it on will suddenly find themselves transported, along with everything they are carrying, to a round room in a tower with glowing blue walls. It may take some time for the person so transported to realise that they are now within the bottle.
While inside the bottle, the inhabitants are impervious to harm - the bottle can be shaken, dropped in the deepest ocean, thrown in a fire, etc., and those inside will feel nothing. Unfortunately, they also have no way of knowing what is going on outside the bottle.
The inside of the bottle consists of five floors, linked by a central spiral staircase. As long as the person in the bottle keeps the ring on, they will remain inside, but if they take the ring off, they will reappear beside the bottle. The ring will return outside with them, either in the hand of the person who was wearing it or, if for some reason that is impossible, then it will be on the neck of the bottle.
The five floors of the bottle are as follows:
Entry Floor: This is a wide round room, with four bunk beds against one wall, a table, and a few chairs. As with all the floors, a spiral stairwell runs through the centre of the room. It is, in effect, a guardroom. This is where people putting on a ring will appear.
Basement: This is the floor below the entry floor. It is given over to storage space, containing chests, trunks, old boxes, stuffed crocodiles, rocking horses, and so on, all of it with signs of having been here for years. There could be all manner of interesting articles hidden away for anyone who has the patience to search through years of accumulated junk. It is said that the contents of the room are subtly different each time it is entered.
First Floor: The floor above the entry floor was the wizard Grimnyth's living quarters. It is luxuriously furnished, with carpets and tapestries from Araby, comfortable sofas, a four-poster bed, and so on. One section of the room is partitioned off and contains a privy. The privy seems to open, by some strange magic portal, a hundred feet above the Northern Chaos Wastes. This may have been an obscure joke on Grimnyth's part, but bottle-dwellers are advised to keep the privy lid closed when not using it.
Second Floor: This floor is a library. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling in bookshelves, containing some of the rarest and most interesting magical books in the Old World, as well as a selection on history, studies of other races, fiction, poetry, and plays. The upper shelves are reached by a ladder that runs on rails around the wall.
Third Floor: This was Grimnyth's alchemical laboratory and contains a splendid collection of ingredients, equipment, and volumes on alchemy. In the centre of the room, on a pedestal, is a crystal orb. If this can be persuaded to work, it allows the viewer to see what is happening outside the bottle, but the knowledge of its use was lost when Grimnyth disappeared. It is possible that Grimnyth had another ring and that, one day, he (or whoever has it now) will reappear to take back possession of the bottle.
Notes for the GM: This bottle is a very powerful magical item and shoudl only be given to player characters in the knowledge that it can totally mess up your campaign. It can be used for smuggling large groups of people into or out of castles, getting parties of people out of prison (put the bottle through the bars, then put the ring on), sleeping safely in the wilderness, and so on. On the other hand, there could be any number of strange things hidden within. Maybe the characters loose a Daemon inside the bottle, which hunts them through the levels; maybe Grimnyth returns and resents the intruders; maybe the bottle is found by an evil necromancer while the characters are all inside; maybe they find it in the wilderness with only one ring on the neck and several other people already inside. The possibilities are almost endless.
Chalice Of Sorcery[]
The Chalice of Sorcery bubbles with potent energies that can be used by a wizard to cast spells. However, there is a price to be paid for such power; the Chalice drains power from the wizard to replenish itself.
The Chalice is a simple silver cup of plain design. In order to use it, the wizard must fill it with water, which immediately begins bubbling and steaming, as though boiling, though the chalice and the water remain cool to the touch.
A wizard bearing the chalice can cast 1 spell per round with no MP cost. The ingredient to be used in the spell is dropped into the bubbling water, where it immediately disappears as the spell is cast. Each time the chalice is used, the player must roll 1D6. On a roll of 6, the wizard loses D6 W as the chalice replenishes its energy. Luck cannot be used to modify this roll. If the water is spilled from the chalice, it is useless until refilled.
Various tales are told about wizards who possessed the Chalice and tried using liquids such as blood to enhance its powers, but the majority of serious scholars of magic dismiss these as mere horror stories.
Cordial Of Tzeentch[]
The Cordial of Tzeentch is made from water in which is dissolved the ground remains of a feather or claw from a Lord Of Change. Only the Greater Daemons of Tzeentch can make a Cordial of Tzeentch. A creature which swallows the Cordial rolls a D6 for each characteristic on its profile. The characteristic changes as shown on the chart below. Some characteristics will go up, others will go down; it is all down to chance!
| D6 Roll | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| 1 | -2 / -20 |
| 2 | -1 / -10 |
| 3 | +1 / +10 |
| 4 | +1 / +10 |
| 5 | +2 / +20 |
| 6 | +3 / +30 |
No characteristic can be reduced below 1/10 or raised to more than 10/100. These changes last for one day.
Crown Of Sorcery[]
The Crown of Sorcery is an ancient relic that belonged to the Liche Lord Nagash. It is said that those who war it are assailed by shadows of the Liche Lord's own dark thoughts. Within five minutes of putting it on, it will begin to grow into the wearer's skull. Unless it is removed by someone with the Surgery skill (roll as for treat severe wound), the wearer will be killed by any attempt to remove it.
The Crown of Sorcery allows its wearer to cast any necromantic spell, whether or not the character is a spell-user. No ingredients or MPs need to be used. Each time the crown is used, the wearer must make a WP test. On a failed roll, the character is overcome by the dark brooding thoughts of the ancient Liche Lord and can do nothing until the next round, counting as prone. On a roll of 96-00, the character is completely overcome by the power of the Crown, gains 2D6 Insanity Points and sets off for the Land Of The Dead, far to the south of the Badlands, seeking more dark knowledge. Such a character will become subject to frenzy is anyone tries to stop them and can only be stopped by having the crown removed.
Dagger Of Halflings[]
These rare items were made by a long-dead Wizard of The Empire noted for his aggressive Halfling servitors. The Dagger of Halflings will only display special magic properties in the hands of a Halfling; to other users, it simply counts as a magical weapon against creatures only affected by such. Although only the size of a dagger, when used by a Halfling, it counts as a normal sword, with an additional +10 bonus conferred to WS.
The Daemon's Cradle[]
This appears to be some sort of puzzle: a blue crystal surrounded by an intricate pattern of pieces of wood, inscribed with strange symbols and fastened together with black cord. The crystal contains a number of interlocking pieces, which can be carefully taken apart and manoeuvred through the cords and wood. It is, in fact, a Daemon trap. If the crystal is assembed inside the wood and cord tangle and does not contain a Daemon already, any Daemon coming within 12 yards of the puzzle must make a successful WP test at -50 (minimum 10%) or disappear into the crystal. It then will find it impossible to find its way back through the magical maze surrounding the gem. The Daemon's Cradle can only contain one Daemon at a time; any other Daemons are simply not tempted to enter the labyrinth if the crystal is occupied. If the pieces of the crystal are later taken apart, the Daemon can emerge from it. It may be angry and attack the person with the crystal or be grateful for its release and offer to do one service before departing to the Realm of Chaos.
Erik's Sword Of Confusion[]
This was made for Erik the Drunkard, a notorious Norscan mercenary. While in his cups, he foolishly commissioned a wizard to make him a sword that could "cut through things like butter." The wizard was as good as his word. Against normal targets, the sword has Damage -3, but it cuts through dairy products with the efficiency of a fine cheesewire. The wizard who made the sword was later found drowned in a vat of yoghurt.
The Gilded Armour[]
This golden suit of armour was given to Magnus the Pious by the Elves following the great war against Chaos. Any weapon brought to bear against the wearer is repelled by a strange magical force. The armour automatically gives the wearer +1 armour points to all hit locations; in addition, any foe in close combat must test against S in order to even attempt to strike the wearer. If this test is failed, the attack is lost. The armour is currently kept safe in the Imperial treasury and is worn on special occasions by the Emperor or his champion.
Harness Of Fearlessness[]
Made of brown leather of the finest quality and hard blue-ish mithril, this harness is greatly desired by those who ride warhorses. It may be fitted to any horse and, when this is done, the horse becomes completely immune to fear, whether caused by fire or anything else (such as a Stampede spell). The horse is still subject to terror, however.
Note that only horses may use this item - Pegasi, for example, are not affected.
The Heart Of Woe[]
The Heart of Woe is a huge heart-shaped ruby that beats with a life of its own. If the bearer of the crystal heart is killed, the crystal shatters into a thousand pieces, slaying all those close by. It is carried by imporant nobles to dissuade assassins or, rarely, by those on a suicide mission. When the Heart shatters, all characters within a radius equal to the bearer's original W score in yards sustain an automatic hit with a S equal to the bearer's S + 1D6. Armour protects as normal.
Lantern Of Days[]
This ornate, darkwood lantern casts light as a Storm Lantern, but burns oil very slowly, so that 1 pint will fuel the lantern for 1D4 days.
Lens Of Detection[]
This looks like a large magnifying glass on a lengthy ivory handle. It does not, however, magnify anything examined through it; instead, it allows the viewer to see all illusions caused by Illusionist spells of levels 1-3 as they truly are. An Illusionist disguising himself with Assume Illusionary Appearance, for example, will be seen exactly as he is and any attempt to disguise his actions with Cloak Activity will be shown up for what they are. However, the lens needs one hand to use and, since both hands are needed for spellcasting, it is not possible to use this device to see an Illusionist and then spellcast at him. Someone else must hold the Lens of Detection for the spellcaster, for example.
Lyre Of Melody[]
This splendid instrument plays beautiful and haunting melodies for any character skilled in the use of the lyre, adding +20 to chances for gaining work as an Entertainer and to all Busk tests.
Purse Of Teeth[]
This type of item is now not uncommon in The Empire, for wealthy merchants and the like pay Wizards well for creating them. A Purse of Teeth appears as an ordinary leather pouch with drawstrings. However, if it is opened and any attempt made to take money from it by anyone other than its rightful owner, rows of very sharp teeth magically appear inside the purse and bite the hand of the thief. The initial bite causes 1 W, irrespective of any protections, even metal gauntlets (for the magical teeth are not blocked by metal). The teeth hold fast to the hand for 1D6 rounds, biting and draining blood, and the victim suffers one automatic W each round. All the time, the Purse of Teeth screams, 'Thief! Thief!' at almost deafening volume.
If a Purse of Teeth is stolen from its owner, it will slowly attune itself to its new possessor over a period of seven days, during which time it must be continuously worn on the person. After the full week, it recognizes its new possessor as its rightful owner.
It is rumored that even larger Bags of Teeth and Sacks of Fangs exist, some even with envenomed teeth, but their existence has not been documented with certainty... yet.
Ring Of Comprehension[]
This ring allows the wearer to Read/Write Own Language, if he could not do so before. 50% of these rings confer knowledge of the written and spoken forms of 1D3 other languages - you should consult Languages and determine these extra languages at random or by choice.
Runefangs[]
After a combined army of men and Dwarfs stopped an Orc invasion at the Battle of Black Fire Pass, thus saving the Dwarf realm from destruction, King Kurgan Ironhand showed his gratitude by presenting a gift of magic swords to The Empire. He set the great runesmith Alaric the Mad to making runeswords, one for each of the twelve great chieftains of Sigmar's army. It took many long years for the swords to emerge from the worshops of Alaric; by the time the last sword was finished, Sigmar had long since passed eastward and the original chieftains who had fought at Black Fire Pass were dead.
Instead, the Runefangs were presented to the ruling Emperor, who divided them between the Provincial Electors. Since that distant time, the Runefangs have served the counts of The Empire, having passed from ruler to ruler to the present day. As there are now fewer Provincial Electors than there were chieftains, the two spare Runefangs are held by the Emperor as part of the Imperial Armoury. They are kept securely locked in the Imperial treasure house in Altdorf, but are sometimes brought out and used by mighty heroes in times of extreme need.
A character wielding a Runefang rolls to hit as normal, but armour (even magical armour) offers no protection and the damage is not reduced by the target's T. Any Undead struck by a Runefang will suffer double damage.
Sand Of Flinging[]
This rare substance is believed to be enchanted by sorcerers of Cathay and, within The Empire, its manufacture is not understood. The fine magical dust is usually sealed in a vial or packet, containing enough for 1D4 uses. A teaspoonful or so held in the hand can be thrown up to twelve yards and, from the point of impact, a cloud of sand spreads out in a four yard radius. All creatures within the area are blinded for 1D6 rounds; whilst blinded, they have -25 penalties to WS, and missile fire and spellcasting are impossible.
The Spear Of Seeking[]
This spear has a black shaft and silver head, inscribed with twisting engraved patterns. It will seek out a specifically named enemy over a distance of up to 150 yards, dodging all others to lodge itself in the enemy's chest, doing normal damage. The thrower must call out the full name of the person to be attacked, but need not make a BS test. If the thrower of the spear has the target's name wrong (calling him Willi when his name is Wilhelm, for example), the spear will return and attack the person who threw it.
The Staff Of Nurgle[]
A Staff of Nurgle is a tall staff which is carved from either the branch of a cankered tree or the bones of a plague victim. The staff is decorated with complex organic carvings depicting the various malformities of nature. Staffs may also bear an appropriate carved emblem or figure, such as the image of a shrivelled leper, or the twisted face of a pox victim. A Staff of Nurgle may be gifted by Nurgle to his Champions if he thinks them worthy of the honour. Such is Nurgle's consideration for his servants that he always tries to match the appearance of the staff to some especially interesting or impressive mutation or disease which the Champion has.
During combat, the bearer can point the Staff of Nurgle at any creature within 24 yards. He can do this even if engaged in hand-to-hand combat and this does not affect his ability to fight normally. The target is entitled to its normal magic test and is not affected by the staff if this is successful. If he fails the test, the victim suffers the full and unpleasant effects of the staff's magic. He erupts with a multitude of worms, larvae, maggots and other greasy wriggling things. This living mass spews from every orifice of the victim and forms a writhing pile around him. The victim is eventually consumed by these horrible things and killed. This writhing mass, 2 yards in diameter, remains for 5 minutes, and will automatically attack and hit any creature which moves through it, causing a single S 5 hit. Any victim slain suffers the same fat as the staff's original victim, this time without the change of a magic test.
The Tomb-Blade Of Arkhan[]
The Tomb-Blade of Arkan is a black, rune-etched sword created by the mighty necromancer Arkhan the Black. The blade traps the souls of those it slays, binding their soulless husks into undying servitude to the bearer. Whenever a character is killed by the blade, he must take a WP test. If successful, the character dies normally. Otherwise, the flesh boils instantly from his bones and his skeleton arises as a minion of the sword's bearer. The doomed soul can only be saved from eternal damnation by a Cleric of Mórr using the Destroy Undead spell. The Tomb-Blade can only be safely wielded by a necromancer, vampire, or liche. Anyone else stands a 50% chance per day of contracting Tomb Rot.
Warpstone Charms[]
Warpstones are rare and much sought after by the forces of Chaos and many Wizards. They are made from pure magic and they can be made to release that power if used properly. A Warpstone Charm consists of a piece of Warpstone fashioned into a ring, circlet, or some other ornament. The rune of Tzeentch is carved into its surface, an act which allows the mutating power of Tzeentch to flow from the Realm of Chaos and through the dark gem into the world.
A creature wearing a Warpstone Charm can use it once per day to retake a single dice roll or test, such as a magic test or a to hit or damage roll. The player may add plus or minus 1 to the dice result. A Warpstone Charm can only be used once during a day, although several Warpstone Charms can be carried, entitling the bearer to several, separate re-rolls.
Dawnstones[]
Dawnstones are not included in the list of magical items or weapon abilities, since they are extremely rare, even for magical items. They should never be generated randomly and should only be found in appropriate surroundings. Dawnstone is the name given to a flint or obsidian dagger or hand-axe such as occasionally turns up in a barrow grave. They are relatively common, but enchanted stones are very rare indeed.
Runes[]
Runes are magical symbols, inscribed onto weapons and armour to confer magical powers. Characters with the Rune Lore skill may be able to identify runes - the gamesmaster should roll the dice secretly and, depending on the results, inform the player of the rune's identity, give false information or none at all.