Quest Items: What do YOU think?

[Takamari]

Friends, I need input from experienced gamers. I'm running a treasure hunting game that very easily could brance into a save the world game. In any case, I have devised some treasure that can be very useful, but also very bad for the PC's if they rely on it too much.

#1. The Ruby of Desire- Think Jack Sparrow's compass. This item will float in front of its invoker and lead them to their hearts desire. It is an intersting sight, which can and will draw unwanted attention, and there is a 25% chance that the invoker does not know what their hearts desire is. In theory, it could lead a money hungry rogue right to the largest treasure hoard in the world...that just happens to belong to the biggest and oldest Great Wyrm Red Dragon.

#2. The Emerald of Seeing- The invoker of this item is swept into a vision that shows him what he wants to see, as per the scrying spell, only much better. He can control the vision in a limited way and can hear what is going on. Also, there is no way to detect this vision. The drawback is that about 25% of the time, it shows the invoker what he wants to see. Meaning that it shows him a false vision. Example: The rogue wants to raid the lair of Talagashrak, the Great Wyrm Red Dragon from above. He invokes the vision and instead of showing the dragon curled up on his treasure pile, it shows the dragon soaring over a well known city in a different country. It showed him what he would have liked to see...an unguarded treasure hoard.

(This one I'm really not sure about how good an idea this item is, I don't usually play with the brightest of players)

#3. The Diamond of Wishes- This perfect diamond has the power to grant a person a single wish in their lifetime. Even if the person dies and then is restored, it only grants a single wish. What the wisher does not know, is that the gem grants the wish, but may do it in an indirect way: like someone wishing to be the richest man on the planet, and then finding himself surrouned by a huge hoard of money and treasure...that happens to have been in the posession of Talagashrak only moments before...and now the dragon is very angry. Also, the 5000xp is funded by the wisher, without their knowledge.

Anyway, let me know what you think, or other ideas to help me with this...I've done save the world, but have never played in a treasure hunt type game.

Thanks.

[Innis Cabal]

eh, the only one i see that seems out of place is diamond, get that out and think of something more in leauge with the other items

[Takamari]

I agree, but I am drawing a blank on it. I thought it might be fun for the PCs and would allow me see how they use power, but it could easily kill them if I roll high on my cruelity roll. Any other ideas?

[the_tick_rules]

like giving ya characters some backlash with their toys don't ya.

[Takamari]

They deserve it, well, usually. I give out an item that sounds cool and they abuse it. Like one of my characters found some soveren glue. It was randomly generated...anyway, he tried to kill a high level enemy by throwing it at his face and gluing his nose and mouth shut.

Now dont' get me wrong, that is geneus, but kind of munchkinie. Since he was thinking, I gave it a chance to work, but I learned that I need to think carefully about treasure. I also learned that if bad things can happen for them trying to use an item not for its intended purpose...it can bite them.

[Takamari]

Maybe I've gone about this wrong. I could use some ideas on what would be fun treasure to hunt for. Not just the typical stash of money or magic items...

[RandomNPC]

other gems.

a healing gem that has some kind of non-deadly drawback? nonleathal damage maybe as the drawback.

a gem to grant flight, that sometimes grants waterbreathing, but not air breathing, or a dig speed instead of flight.

a freedom of movement gem that occasionally casts hold person?

ruby, emerald, diamond, topaz, lapiz lazui (sp?), garnet, amethyst, saphire, pearl, unidentified super shiny stone.

the may dragon magazine had a cool idea, a pendant that grants abilities by the moons, each gem represents a moon(month?) and each moon grants a different minor ability, plus the amulet that holds the stones is something like a +2 AC thing by itself. and it boosts when its got all 12 stones. but youve only got access to the article if youve got a subscription, or can wait for the may issue to hit shelves. mine just got here. great article.

[Kel_Arath]

i think maybe for the diamond it should be something more indirect, like "the richest man alive" every male loses money until they are poorer than him, and then all the money goes to the ladies or something, so he gains nothing.

[Umarth]

What's the point of screwing over your players? Why give them a wish item make them pay exp for it and then just say "Ha ha your screwed now."

[Neko]

Sapphire of Luck: Increases AC and Reflex by +2 everytime held in hand. Maybe ups search and spot by a +2 also.. but runs a 25% chance of becoming unlucky and decreasing them all by -2

[Machete]

Less tangible rewards could include scrolls that are used to teach a technique that allows the user to control blood flow and hormone levels(logic behind it) that gives the user +4 to strength but causes HP Damage(only healable by magic) every round it is used.