Critter Bits and Magic Recipes!

[Feathercircle]

Finishing up the Dark Sun compendium with the promised Silt Spawn- or rather, with their spell. There's also another spell in the entry, but it only deals with summoning the silt spawn, rather than components of any sort, so I'll only post it if someone is really interested.


Spawn Heritage
(Divination)
Level: 2nd
Range: 30 ft
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 10 ft radius
Saving Throw: None

The elves of the coast traffick in spell componets and mystic powders. Silt spawn tentacles can be used for both. However, different types of silt spawn are needed for different spells and powders. The elves have developed a spell that will reveal the type of silt horror the spawn will become. The physical component is a bit of dried hide from an adult silt horror. Technically the spell will only reveal if the silt spawn is of the same type as the bit of dried flesh. However, the more types of dried silt horror hide the caster is holding, the more types of silt spawn he can identify.
Although the silt spawn is a delicacy amoung the giants of the Silt Sea, the tentacles are not. They are hard and rubbery, with a bitter flavor. The giants trade the tentacles to the elves.

 

[BOZ]

looked around for a bit in the 1E DMG, and found some old rules on making scrolls, don't know how much of this is useful anymore:


A scroll of spells may be inscribed only upon pure and unblemished papyrus, parchment, or vellum -the latter being the most desirable. Any mistake will doom the effort to failure. A fresh, virgin quill must be used for each spell transcribed. The quill must be from a creature of strange or magical nature, i.e. a griffon, harpy, hippogriff, pegasus, roc, sphinx of any sort, and similar monsters you elect to include (demons, devils, lammasu, etc.).


*** also:


Ink is a very special requirement. Scroll spell ink, just as the ink for detailing spells in spell books, is compounded only by the inscriber from secret and strange ingredients. The basic medium should be sepia from a giant squid or ink from a giant octopus. To this liquid must be added blood, powdered gems, herbal and spice infusions, draughts concocted from parts of monsters, and so on. An example of a formula for the ink required to scribe a protection from petrification spell is shown below:

1 oz. giant squid sepia
1 basilisk eye
3 cockatrice feathers
1 scruple of venom from a medusa‘s snakes
1 large peridot, powdered
1 medium topaz, powdered
2 drams holy water
6 pumpkin seeds

Harvest the pumpkin in the dark of the moon and dry the seeds over a slow fire of sandalwood and horse dung. Select three perfect ones and grind them into a coarse meal, husks and all. Boil the basilisk eye and cockatrice feathers for exactly 5 minutes in a saline solution, drain, and place in a jar. Add the medusa’s snake venom and gem powders. Allow to stand for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Pour off liquid into bottle, add sepia and holy water, mixing contents with a silver rod, stirring widdershins. Makes ink sufficient for one scroll.


Other ink formulas will be devised similarly according to the dictates of the DM. Ingredients should suit the overall purpose of the ink. It is recommended that each different spell to be transcribed require a different ink compound - clerical spells requiring more venerated and holy materials, druid spells being basically rare roots and herbs in infusions, and so on. Garments, wrappings, dust, sweat, tears, teeth, fangs, organs, blood, and so forth are all ideal components.

 

[BOZ]

some debate on this going on at the SKR boards: http://pub17.ezboard.com/fseankreynoldsboardsfrm5.showMessage?topicID=397.topic

 

[BOZ]

There you go!

Sean K Reynolds himself pointed out this one to me. in the DMG, page 96, is an alternate rule variant ("Power Components") for using "critter bits" as a substitute for XP-burning in spell casting. that is one way we can make use of some of this stuff, but it doesn't cover everything. what do you all think of this?

 

[doctorjeff98]

Great Stuff!

 

[BOZ]

a few tidbits from the Forgotten Realms:

Menzoberranzan boxed set:

Pack lizard ichor is a prized ingredient in potions of vitality, and the essence derived from their boiled feet is valued in the making of sovereign glue.


Halls of the High King module:

No specific magical use has yet been found for [nyth] essence, but wizards are confident that it will prove useful in devising fire- and magic missile related spells and magic items.


Drow of the Underdark sourcebook:

Powdered soul spider [myrlochar] bone is a potent ingredient in the making of items and enchantments involving free action and levitation.

Pedipalpi poison-sacks (which resemble fistsized, flexible walnuts) are valued by all who deal in poisons: a strong disabling poison can be distilled from them. The spined foreleg-pincers of pedipalpi serve many goblinkin as maces, and the feelers of a pedipalp can be used in battle as a whip (1d2 damage, 1 vs. L), for 3d4 days after the creature is slain. Thereafter, the feelers dry out too much, and crumble into useless fragility. No other parts of pedipalpi are safe or palatable eating for most creatures.

Rendered rothe fat is an alternative ingredient in the making of potions of vitality.

Spitting crawler toes are a spell ink ingredient and alternative material component for spider climb spells, and a distillate from their acid glands, mixed with water, yields enough acid to fill one glass canister (“grenade-like missile,” as described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide) of acid.

Yochlol essence (derived by heating collected portions of a yochlol’s gaseous form in a closed vessel, or boiling portions of one of its physical forms) is a valued ingredient in spell inks, preparations, and castings involving mind blank, shape change, stinking cloud and wraithform spells or item effects.


Ruins of Undermountain boxed set:

Sages believe [Elder Orb] brains have great potential as a component of spells and item-crafting processes, but no specific uses are documented as yet.

An organ in the upper central body of a death kiss is a valued ingredient in magical potions and spell inks concerned with levitation. Rumors tell of a little-known mage in Marsember who uses the eye of the death kiss to cure blindness, although the process grants only infravision. A
brain or nerve node deep in a bleeder’s body hardens into a gem-like, soft-sided but faceted red gem. Called "bloodeyes," these typically fetch a market price of 70 gp each. They are valued for adornment because they glow more brightly as the wearer’s emotions become more intense.

When slain, darktentacles’ flesh, eyes, or ichor are excellent for use as spell ingredients and material components for wall of force spells and similar magic items which use that spell.

Steel shadow ichor is highly prized by alchemists and wizards as an ingredient in potions, spell inks, and magical item enchantments concerned with animating, heating, and passing through metal. Its skin, properly prepared, contains magic that protects against or lessens lightning and energy damage.


Maztica boxed set:

Chac skin may be used as a material component for potions of gaseous form or sweetwater, while their claws are useful for some forms of hishna magic.

Being a mixture of snake and jaguar, [kamatlan] provide excellent materials for hishna magic, and almost any part of a kamatlan’s body can be put to use by a hishnashaper.

[Kamadan] tongues make useful components for sleep potions.

If killed, a plumazotl produces a quantity of feathers suitable for featherweaving and pluma magic. A greater plumazotl may yield enough feathers for a blanket of featherweaving.

 

[doctorjeff98]

Are you ultimately going to make an OGC list?

 

[BOZ]

i'm not sure what you mean specifically?

do you mean a list of "critter bits" for monsters that are OGC?

or a list of information that will all be OGC?

 

[doctorjeff98]

A list of information that is OGC.

 

[BOZ]

i hope to make it so that it will be, yes. i would love for other people to be able to make use of it!