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View Full Version : [3.5]Machine of Lum the Mad?



arguskos
2008-11-23, 07:30 PM
I know this artifact existed in the older editions of D&D, but I'm curious if a set of 3.5 stats were ever created to govern it's actions... or if I have to create them from scratch.

Anyone got a 3.5 Machine of Lum the Mad?

Project_Mayhem
2008-11-23, 07:41 PM
Is that the one where you pull the levers in random combinations and it kills you? I think I have the Od&d book with that in.

I think the best result would be to whack up a list of random possible effects , based on spell effects, and things like the deck of many cards.

arguskos
2008-11-23, 07:57 PM
Uh, yeah, basically. It has some levers, dials, and buttons, and you push, pull, or spin them, and stuff happens.

Project_Mayhem
2008-11-23, 08:16 PM
Uh, yeah, basically. It has some levers, dials, and buttons, and you push, pull, or spin them, and stuff happens.

Yeah. The version I have definitly had a big random table. And a lot of the options did bad things.

Triaxx
2008-11-23, 10:05 PM
There was one in Baldur's Gate 2. It's not 3.5 but it can give you an idea of a starting point. Most FAQ's list the good and bad effects.

bosssmiley
2008-11-24, 05:18 AM
"Book of Artefacts" for 2nd Ed covered the Machine, as did (IIRC) one of the Planescape adventures (it was the 'hooded stranger' of the plot). Dunno if it ever got ported to 3E.

Updating it shouldn't be that difficult though; just use the old 2E effect tables. Substitute 3E effects where appropriate. For extra lulz and "It's a freakin' artefact" cheatery allow it to use previous edition spell effects (bouncing lightning, expanding fireballs, wider AoE outside, stoneskin as DR infinite, etc).

Lapak
2008-11-24, 10:55 AM
"Book of Artefacts" for 2nd Ed covered the Machine, as did (IIRC) one of the Planescape adventures (it was the 'hooded stranger' of the plot). Dunno if it ever got ported to 3E.Both the 2e Book of Artifacts and the 1e DM's guide have instructions that boil down to 'use any/all of the effects listed on the 'possible powers for artifacts' tables, chosen at random.'

So it really is a device that expects the DM to just create a really big table with hundreds of effects, all powerful, ranging from useful (annihilates nearest enemy with a dozen simultaneous disintigrate spells) to pointless (rain of toads begins over nearest settlement of 100 or more people, lasts 3 hours) to dangerous (user suffers permanent Wisdom loss) to deadly (machine detonates, doing 100d100 damage to anyone within half a mile.)