Sampo?

[taliesin15]

In the Kalevala (the great Finnish Epic poem), there are numerous mentions of a great relic, the Sampo, an item shrouded in mystery--here's a description:

The Sampo, the magic mill, which has some similarities with the miraculous Celtic cauldron of plenty and regeneration, is the most fascinating mystery of the epic. It is the ultimate source of prosperity, a kind of primitive Philosophers's Stone.
-from http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/kalevala.htm

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a d20 approximation to this relic

 

[Huw]

Well, it isn't 1e Deities and Demigods' Finnish mythology section (and I had to retrieve that from the bottom of a large dusty stack of books ).

I'd play it straight and take the abilities straight from the mythology. The idea of an artifact producing unlimited sheep is pretty cool.

 

[taliesin15]

Deities and Demigods (egads, I trashed my 1st edition copy a year ago!) had a very vague write-up on it, which is why I was posting this query...course this relic has mysterious powers, as items of great power probably should, so quantifying it might simply bring eternal debate...I was just curious

 

[SteveC]

There's also the film "The Day the Earth Froze," which has been lovingly preserved by the folks at Mystery Science Theater 3000. Whenever I read the word "sampo," I think of that film and how the Joel and the Bots say it...

--Steve

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I don't think you need "rules" for it, as such. I presume it can put out whatever you want, and not just one thing?

Make it like wish. It can cast wish every x time periods (whatever you want), but it only create objects. (You can't use it to wish as the final step of killing a tarrasque, or to copy non-creation spells, etc.)

If it can make a woman, then I presume it can cast polymorph any object, although the effect might be permanent regardless of what the mill grinds.

 

[Numion]

IIRC Sampo could grant three kinds of stuff: gold, flour and salt.

Sampo is also a mans name in Finland.

 

[NiTessine]

IIRC Sampo could grant three kinds of stuff: gold, flour and salt.

Sampo is also a mans name in Finland.

That is my recollection as well. The smith Ilmarinen created his bride long before he forged the Sampo... and where the heck did you guys get the unlimited sheep thing from?

 

[taliesin15]

that's a bizarre coincidence, the unlimited sheep thing--I heard about a wand of (unlimited) sheep once...or was it a Bag of Sheep...?

 

[Shayuri]

Uh oh...this brings to mind the Sampo Song!

He failed to bring back the sampo!

(sampo!)

And we shall die of starvation!

(sampo!)

Total failure, la la la!
Total failure, la la la!

He's a total failure, such a total failure, he's a total failure,

LA LA LA!

Thanks to MST3k for making us laugh at sampos. Again.

 

[Huw]

That is my recollection as well. The smith Ilmarinen created his bride long before he forged the Sampo... and where the heck did you guys get the unlimited sheep thing from?

My fault. I looked at Deities & Demigods (which has an entry for "Magic Wool", which does create sheep) and got a bit confused when I sat down to type. The "unlimited sheep" meme was just to strong for me.

The sampo does corn, money and salt in unlimited quantities. Here's the link I used.