D&D 3E/3.5 Jewish magic items?

[abe ray]

How would you fine people create magic items based upon the Jewish miracles/religious items? I’m talking about the mannora or the dreidel mosrly of corse, however if you can think of other Jewish items miracles that would fit in this theme, by all means include them!
just a thought:the oil pot of latke production!

 

[Garthanos]

Do you have a particular myth or legend in question? Cause I only know very few - like sorcerers creating golems out of clay... you then blow on them and they come to life. You invested them with life force (since breathing is what makes something alive you know so you gave some life to them).
In D&D this might be an item that you could activate/animate by blowing on it but doing so drains some life out of you. (aka hit points).

 

[Garthanos]

Here is one the ring of solomon ... throw it at a demon and it imprisons the demon.

 

[CleverNickName]

A dreidel could be a focus for divination spells, I suppose. And a menorah could be a stand-in for any of the magical lanterns or lamps in the DMG.

But I'd be squeamish about borrowing from real-world faiths and practices. Make sure you discuss this topic with your players/DM beforehand, and make sure nobody would find it distasteful or disrespectful. Most of my Jewish friends would be okay with it, but I know at least one who would find this type of appropriation offensive.

 

[ccs]

Same as I do any other magic item.
I consider its place/role in the story being told.
I decide what I want it to do.
And then I write it down.

If I'm trying to replicate something from real world myth/culture/etc I do my research on the subject.
Then I apply the above 3 steps.

 

[Xeviat]

The clay golum is inspired by Jewish tradition.

We'd probably be better at helping to fine tune a specific magic item you have in mind rather than offering suggestions on ones to do.

The 3E Deities and Demigods book has some really good advice on setting up different religious systems, including Monotheistic and Dualistic faiths.

 

[ccs]

A dreidel could be a focus for divination spells, I suppose. And a menorah could be a stand-in for any of the magical lanterns or lamps in the DMG.

But I'd be squeamish about borrowing from real-world faiths and practices. Make sure you discuss this topic with your players/DM beforehand, and make sure nobody would find it distasteful or disrespectful. Most of my Jewish friends would be okay with it, but I know at least one who would find this type of appropriation offensive.

LOL.... Your playing D&D. Do you & yours have any idea of how much of the stuff you're already playing with hails from real world cultures/religions/myths??
My guess is NO. Because if you did & you really were squeamish about it, then you wouldn't be playing this game at all.

 

[CleverNickName]

LOL.... Your playing D&D. Do you & yours have any idea of how much of the stuff you're already playing with hails from real world cultures/religions/myths??
My guess is NO. Because if you did & you really were squeamish about it, then you wouldn't be playing this game at all.

Um, not sure how to respond to this. What put you off of my advice? Was it the suggestion to talk to your players first? Or the suggestion that some people might find it distasteful?

 

[digitalelf]

How would you fine people create magic items based upon the Jewish miracles/religious items?

Green Ronin produced "Testament", an RPG for 3.0 based on the Old Testament of The Bible. There were several supplements for it too (including a partial update to 3.5).

It details some magical items.

 

[Tonguez]

The Golem
There is a story of King Solomon riding a ‘flying carpet’ over a valley of Ants, the Ant Queen admonishes Solomon for his boasting. (Solomons Flying Mantle was 5 miles long and 5 miles wide, made of silk and embroided with images of his people)

A lot of Jewish Magic items were written charms containing verses from the Torah or Symbols that represented either one of the 72 names of God or a Hebrew syllable/word
Google the Sephirot to get an idea of how these syllable-amulets work. Sephirot used in Jewish Kabbalah is a ritual structure known as the tree of life representing the 10 Attributes by which God is revealed, arrange in three lines arranged atop a stem to Malkuth (The Creation/the Bride).

There was also use of Amulets against the Evil Eye including a Crimson Thread hung from a horses Forelock, Fox teeth amulets were used to guard babies and Fox Tails were used to broom the demons out of a house

Rubies and other Red stones were used as ‘Tekumah’ to protect fertility of pregnant women. Theres also a whole tradition of other gem stones be given associations to Biblical figures that you might be able to google.