Critter Bits and Magic Recipes!

[BOZ]

just a little bit...

Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 1:

Several internal organs of hydroloths make excellent spell components and alchemical mixtures for potions.


Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 2:

If removed, a hollyphant’s tusk can be ground into a magical powder that transforms water or wine into an elixir of health. ’Course, hollyphants take a real dim view of some basher hunting them for their tusks.


Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 3:

Cold-blooded alchemists will tell a body that the brain of a klyndes contains certain liquids and unguents important in the making of a potion of breathing steam – a mixture similar to a potion of water breathing, but one that allows a basher to breathe fire, steam, or water.

More than one canny basher’s learned that the phosphorescent organ of the magran doesn’t dim once the beast is dead. If carefully removed, the sphere (about 8 inches in diameter) can be used to generate a hypnotic pattern spell, although DMs should keep the following guidelines in mind:
· Everyone within 30 feet must make saving throws, regardless of who the wielder wishes to affect.
· The power within the sphere lasts only 1d4 weeks after the magran’s death.
· The owner, although immune to the transfixing effects, is automatically so enchanted with the sphere that he’ll never let it out of his possession (even after it’s lost the hypnotizing glow) and within 1d6 months will give up all possessions in favor of the sphere. This effect lasts until a remove curse is cast upon the wielder. If such a spell is used, the sphere instantly loses all power.


Unlike the elementals of its home plane, a sislan isn’t composed entirely of air. Its thick mass also contains tiny particles of viscous liquid, though a casual observer wouldn’t easily notice them. Nevertheless, a thin, waxy coating usually appears on objects that a sislan has passed by or over, and when one of the creatures dies, it leaves behind a dollop of clear, syrupy much. This ichor dries quickly, hardening with great strength; some cutters gather and treat the stuff so it can be stored and then used as a powerful adhesive. One blood even discovered that skilled alchemists can use the substance to create long-lasting potions of flight or levitation.

 

[Feathercircle]

I'm not dead yet!

No, I didn't forget the thread... we just moved to our new apartment, so I've been a little busy... Here are a few more Mystara monster uses to tide you over.

...Once the wizard has prepared the suspension, he must add certain unique ingredients, depending on the type of magen desired... To form a caldron, the creatore adds a pair of tentacles from a roper or a choker. Building a galvan requires a part of any creature that can generate electricity or lightning bolts....

Less scrupulous wizards prize a chameleon man's skin as a component for making robes of blending

Alchemist's seek out the throat sacs that create the [xytar] lizards' fire, using them to concoct potions of fiery breath

Wizards can use a certain gland of the kopru brain to create a ring of human influence and possibly, if they treat the gland differently, to construct protections from charms.

Unscrupulous alchemists have discovered how to use kna blood as an ingredient for potions of water breathing

 

[Feathercircle]

Glad to be of help....

Here's some more from Mystara...

The flowers from the hair of the garden imp can be used in the creation of a potion of vitality

Alchemists prize the paralytic hivebrood saliva for its usefulness as a base in preparing a variety of magical potions; they will pay up to 100 gold pieces per vial.

The saliva of the herex, if preserved in a ceramic container, can eat away almost any other material, including metal. Such acid can be used to create universal solvent .

The shells of aldolescent geonids, while retaining their flexibility, remain just as protective as adult shells. Dwarves and orcs can fashion them into particularly strong and durable helms, which grant twice the protection of normal helms.

I'm stopping here for now so that my timer won't log me off in the middle of the post... so that's all for tonight.

 

[BOZ]

a bit more from Dragon's "Ecology Of..."

Dragon 81: Basilisk

Mages and alchemists have found two parts of a basilisk eye particularly useful: the internal pupil, lens, and fluid of its eye which are used as ingredients in potions, spell inks, and the making of items (such as eyes of petrification) concerned with petrifying creatures; and the inner membrane or eyelid of the creature, used likewise in magic concerned with protection against petrification. Other parts of the basilisk are sometimes tried for such purposes, but with little or dubious success. An intact eye might bring as much as 1,000 gp from an alchemist; parts of it, such as the eyelid or fluid, up to 400 gp each. Prices vary with demand, of course, as with all rarities, and have been known to reach ten times these amounts.


Dragon 84: Trapper

Speaking of gold pieces, adventurers who are victorious over a trapper will be rewarded if they think to recover some of its pigmentation liquid. It will fetch a handsome price (about 6 gp per pint) in quarters where it is known as an ingredient in the making of a robe of blending, and as an alternative ingredient in the manufacture of various spell inks (such as that for Bigby’s crushing hand). Any portion of trapper flesh (the underside) can be used in the making of a rug of smothering, rug of welcome, or net of entrapment. Some magical practitioners have claimed, in writing, that intact trapper brains (preserved in vessels of nutrient liquids) can be linked to doors, pit traps, deadfalls, treasure niches, and the like so as to control their operation, but details of such arrangements and the process of establishing them (if they do indeed exist) are unknown to most magic-users at the present time.


Dragon 86: Slithering Tracker

A tracker feeds by first paralyzing an opponent with a fluid produced by its body cells, forcing this liquid into the victim through the pores of its skin, and then using a second fluid to actually erode the hide or skin of its victim, so that the creature can absorb the plasma from the victim’s blood. Both the paralyzing substance and the fluid which effects the draining of the victim are produced automatically within the creature’s body from any meal the creature consumes, the remainder of its fare being converted to energy for bodily activity, and sometimes being used to make itself stronger or larger. I know of no alchemists who can duplicate either of the tracker’s fluids in the laboratory, but they eagerly make use of the former as an ingredient in the inks for the scribing of the paralyzation, hold person, and slow spells. Assassins, and alchemists in their employ, prize the skin-eating substance for use in the manufacture of caustic poison mixtures. These substances are present in each and every cell of the creature, and not collected in specific areas or organs; however, they do readily settle and separate one from the other if a trapper’s fluids are collected.

 

[Gallo22]

We want more! We want more!

Gallo22

 

[Feathercircle]

More Mystara

The water that compses much of [the water fundamental's] body can be used in the creation of a potion of water breathing . Howver, a fundamental that dies on the Prime Material Plane quickly vanishes... In order to use this fluid, a character must collect it in a blessed container and mix it into the potion within two rounds of the creature's death.
(Is it even possible to mix a potion that quickly?)

The body of a fire fundamental can help create a potion of fire resistance . As with others of its kind, when one of these fundamentals dies on the Prime, its body quickly returns to the Elemental Plane of Fire, unless placed inside a blessed container within two rounds of the creature's death.

The body of an air fundamental can be used to help create potion of flying . However, when one of the creatures dies on the Prime Material, its body quickly returns to the Inner Planes unless someone places it in a blessed container within two rounds of the creature's death.

If collected in a blessed container, the essence of an earth fundamental can help recharge a wand of metal and mineral detection .

The sluggish, bright blue liquid in a frost salamander's veins can be used to temper a frost brand, a bone from this creature makes a fine component for a wand of frost

Enjoy the elemental goodness!

 

[Feathercircle]

Mystara

And here's the last of them... Now I have to dig through my Dragon Magazines and other resources one by one. >P
Coincidentally, this Compendium also has less-scary versions of two beasties from the ELH- the blackball and the brain collector.

The [deep] glaurant's ability to creat magical darkness comes from a gland located in the creature's hindbrain. A talented alchemist or wizard might be able to carefully remove this gland with its fluids contents intact. The oily gray fluid secreted by the glaurant gland can serve as a special material componet in casting the spells darkness, continual darkness , and darkness 15' radius . So used, the fluid doubles either the duration or the radius of the spell.

The flaky hide of the ash cralwer may be fashioned into fire resistant clothing. It takes the hides of four ash crawlers to make a suit of protective leather for a halfling, and at least nine for the typical human. Properly tanned and hardened, the leather may serve as armor (AC 8).
Alternately, the hide can be treated to become soft and supple leather. In this case it confers no benefit to Armor Clas, but does provide fire protection- and is usable by classes (like wizards) who are not permitted armor.
The special virtue of ash crawler leather is that it is immune to normal fire, and such fire inflicts one fewer point of damage per die to its wearer. It also grants the wearer a +1 bonus to saving throws vs. magical fire (including breath weapons).
It is very important that the hide be treated properly. A skilled leather-worker or tanner is required; the DM may demand an appropriate nonweapon proficiency check at half the normal chance of success. If improperly prepared, the hide peels away and crumbles to useless ash whenever it is first exposed to flame, or within 1d4 weeks at most.

 

[Feathercircle]

::casts Raise Thread::

I'm looking at ecology, but also at bestiary articles and things with magic items or spells- I've been getting some decent results from those as well. If you want to take ecology by yourself, go ahead, though. Just a warning, I have some old back issues, but not all of them- I'd appreciate assistance from anyone, so if you have a crate full of old Dragons in their basement, pitch in, readers!

Dragon #146

The crystal drake's hide is the prime component of a robe of scintillating colors , but such hides must be specially gathered and treated to be used for this purpose.

From some spells in Dragon 167

Undead Servants- The material components are human bone fragments and a dragon's brain.

Skulltrap- The material component of this spell is a pinch of vampire dust.

More to come later!

 

[BOZ]

woohoo! thanks

with any luck, i will find the time to continue this thread after gencon...

 

[Feathercircle]

I'm not dead yet!

:oints to post title::
I am, however, about to go off to college. I'll try and get as much done on this as I can before then, though, but I can't make any promises. Here's a start.

From Dragon 190:
Finally, many wizards would pay dearly for a bottle of deep-dwelling octopus ink, as it can be used to prepare magical glyphs and scrolls.

And one that I missed from #146:
The blood of [rainbow dragons] can be used as ingredients in scroll ink for the spells color spray, prismatic sphere, prismatic spray and prismatic wall . A bit of bone from a rainbow dragon is said to tip the bestwands of conjuration