"My God, it's Full of Salt": Thoughts on a Magic Item

[NowhereMan583]

I'm putting together a magic item to be given to the players as loot in an upcoming (3.5) campaign, and I feel I could use the feedback/assistance of the Playground. I want it to be something that affords them plenty of role-playing opportunities, and that grows & changes with the party.

The magic item in question appears to be a palm-sized glass sphere filled with salt, with the word "Nackleshire" engraved on it. It is actually a link to a tiny demiplane, primarily inhabited by a small band of salt mephits (about twenty). I'm planning to have the party find it early in their adventuring career, and gradually discover different things they can do with it as time goes on.

At first, however, it has exactly one function. Once per day, if the person holding it speaks the word "Nackleshire," one of the salt mephits who lives within the demiplane is summoned to the outside for one hour and bound to obey the summoner's orders. So it's basically a 1/day Summon Monster IV, except it lasts longer and you always get salt mephits.

The twist on that is, since they're always drawing from the same group of twenty, not only are they liable to occasionally get one they summoned before (I'll roll a d20 on a list of names), but they'll have to deal with their reputation within the tiny salt mephit community. So if they're rude or send them into dangerous situations, the mephits will gradually become more surly and uncooperative; if they're polite and treat them well, they'll go out of their way to be helpful when summoned. (And they can start getting better-equipped mephits if they send money and/or equipment back with the ones they summon.)

Eventually, when the party is higher level, I want to give the item a second function. Once a day, it can act as a Daern's Instant Fortress -- though the walls are made out of magically-hardened salt and it comes with a handful of salt-mephit servants (from the same group of twenty).

At a higher level still, the party should discover that the fortress they've been using actually exists within the demiplane full-time; for extra security, they can planeshift into the fortress without summoning it onto the Material Plane.

The part I'm stuck on is this: I want a reason (that makes sense within the game universe) for these extra functions to not appear until later. You know, I don't want to just write, "In the hands of a tenth-level character, the item can also..." because that kind of seems like a cop-out. At the same time, I want to hold the extra functions back until they fit with the party's power level. What do y'all think?

I'd also welcome any other suggestions and feedback, including thoughts on what level the party should be before I give them this thing at all.

Thank you.

[Gnome Alone]

Hi-freaking-larious. So these poor salt nephits are like some mercenary, planar version of Gilligan's Island, stuck in their tiny weird-ass demiplane? I think I love this idea. I would make sure to describe them distinctly if I were you - the reoccurrence of Crusty Eyepatch Mephit and Can't Stop Farting Mephit and Only Speaks in Limericks Mephit will make it easier to realize that these guys are drawn from the same group every time.

Side note, in a game I've been in for years I have a salt mephit familiar named Pancho for my duskblade named Lefty, and damned if it doesn't warm the cockles of that thing I call a heart to see such a flavorful take on salt mephits like this. Yee-ha.

EDIT: To, uh, actually answer your question, how about the fancier functions are activated by command words that simply have to be given to the PCs by the mephits? Once they're trusted enough? Saying "Nackleshire" because it's written on the snowglobe is one thing, actually learning the rest of the functions is another. Btw, Nackleshire... is that a stealth pun of NaCl town? Sodium town?

[Joe the Rat]

Only Speaks in Limericks Mephit

Only slightly less annoying that the Phat Rime Mephit. Yo yo!

EDIT: To, uh, actually answer your question, how about the fancier functions are activated by command words that simply have to be given to the PCs by the mephits? Once they're trusted enough?

That's probably the least gimmicky way to do it - if the Mephits like you, they'll drop hints or suggestions.

You could also use some sort of an arcane research puzzle/task. As you're running 3.5, setting a high enough DC to reveal additional functions. Alternatively, you could offer up a constructive puzzle kind of thing.

The added functions may need to be unlocked through specific action - casting Leomund's Tiny Hut (or other insta-shelter spell) on the sphere itself reveals the command word for the fortress mode.

You could have the mephits give them a quest to reveal a new feature as well.

The one danger here is that I could see that once the PCs get a new function, they will dump a lot of resources (in game) and time (at the table) to finding more functions.

[Mastikator]

Have the Mephits explain how to use the added functions at an appropriate time that their continued use of the Nackleshire has "loosened" it up to the point where they can summon the castle. Then even later when the Mephits trust them (when they're higher level still) it tells them about how the gizmo works.

[NowhereMan583]

I would make sure to describe them distinctly if I were you - the reoccurrence of Crusty Eyepatch Mephit and Can't Stop Farting Mephit and Only Speaks in Limericks Mephit will make it easier to realize that these guys are drawn from the same group every time.

This is actually the entire reason I decided the summon would last a full hour rather than a few rounds; this way, the mephits get some time to talk to them... and say stuff like, "Hey, you're those bastards who used Tuqu to check for traps! Do you have any idea how much mental trauma comes with being killed in a spiked pit trap? He's been a wreck ever since he re-formed!" (No, you can't dismiss them before the hour's up. Because it's more fun for me that way.)

Oh, and they're distinctly different not only in personality, but in stats. I'm in the process of rolling up twenty unique sets of ability scores and skill lists for them. This way, if I roll a 1 on the "which mephit do you get" d20, they get the poor bastard with a 4 Int, and if I roll a 20, they get the guy with a couple druid levels.

Btw, Nackleshire... is that a stealth pun of NaCl town? Sodium town?

Yeah, it is. Virtually every proper noun in my game is either a stealth pun or means something in a different language, because I just can't bring myself to throw together nonsense syllables... it always looks wrong to me.

[The Oni]

This. Is. Awesome.

Might I suggest two of your mephits be:

Sodi: Prone to emotional outbursts and strongly dislikes water of any kind. Might actually have a barbarian level.

Clor: Insufferably polite and seemingly benign, he secretly tells the guys at Nackleshire that the whole party's terrible slavedrivers, even if you're nice to him.

Naturally they hate eachother.

[NowhereMan583]

See, this is why I come here -- y'all have great ideas. Having the mephits actually tell the PCs the command words whenever they decide to do so makes perfect sense and completely fits. I think that's going to be how I do it.

This. Is. Awesome.

Might I suggest two of your mephits be:

Sodi: Prone to emotional outbursts and strongly dislikes water of any kind. Might actually have a barbarian level.

Clor: Insufferably polite and seemingly benign, he secretly tells the guys at Nackleshire that the whole party's terrible slavedrivers, even if you're nice to him.

Naturally they hate eachother.

Thank you. I might do this too.

[NichG]

If you have a specific group, you could have the mephits each gain 1HD every time they're summoned in a meaningful way - have it happen silently, but maybe someone attentive could notice that over time some of the mephits are getting more competent.

I'd probably use a band of 8 mephits for that, just so that the level gain is actually meaningful, even if its slower than the PC's gain. Or even as few as 4 mephits for a very fast-paced campaign.

[Jack of Spades]

This. Is. Awesome.

Might I suggest two of your mephits be:

Sodi: Prone to emotional outbursts and strongly dislikes water of any kind. Might actually have a barbarian level.

Clor: Insufferably polite and seemingly benign, he secretly tells the guys at Nackleshire that the whole party's terrible slavedrivers, even if you're nice to him.

Naturally they hate eachother.

For extra fun, they hate each other because as the stereotype of the old married couple. Because, y'know, chemical bonds and whatnot.

[Brookshw]

Cool concept, make sure they can upend the sphere and twist it to salt things. Salt shaker form activate!

[LibraryOgre]

This is a very neat idea.

As for why the additional functions appear, how about make it because the mephits level up? Every time they summon a mephit, the mephits gain a bit of experience (whim-of-the-DM), meaning that they can slowly keep pace with the party (not quite a follower, but not "we have quickly become useless because of your growing power"). However, the Mephits will invest some of their power in improving Nackleshire for themselves, which will have ancillary benefits for the party (i.e. increased power to the device).

[pasko77]

this can actually be a sidequest. You can power up the shire via quests, and the reward for said quests be the additional functions.
In this way you bypass the "mephit tell only if they like you".

[TheStranger]

This is a pretty awesome idea. You definitely need one of the first couple mephits to comment on the "new masters" and clue the players in on what's going on. Otherwise, they'll probably use the mephits as normal summons for a long time before they figure it out.

As for upgrading Nackleshire, maybe make it something the mephits request? If the players give them X,Y, and Z, they can build a fortress the players will be able to use. Maybe it's a sidequest, or maybe it's just a matter of investing some GP, but it puts it into the players' hands to decide how important it is to them.

Also, you should look up some real-world salt mines for inspiration on what the fortress should look like. Some of those things are pretty awesome.

And the head mephit should talk like Cespenar, especially when requesting upgrades for the fortress.

[Jacob.Tyr]

Just an odd thought but what if the mephits take salt while they're out, and bring it back to the shire with them? If the players are mean to them, perhaps they discover their salt meat isn't so salty anymore. If they're nice, maybe the mephits will request salt and be given it. Perhaps they can even gain some salt-stealing extra abilities, drawing it from living creatures etc? Useful in combat if the mephits like you, or damned irritating if the little buggers drain your salt without you realizing it every time you summon them.

"Damnit, every time I use this thing I wind up with awful cramps! Someone else call the little bastards this time!"

[Phippster]

Just an odd thought but what if the mephits take salt while they're out, and bring it back to the shire with them? If the players are mean to them, perhaps they discover their salt meat isn't so salty anymore. If they're nice, maybe the mephits will request salt and be given it. Perhaps they can even gain some salt-stealing extra abilities, drawing it from living creatures etc? Useful in combat if the mephits like you, or damned irritating if the little buggers drain your salt without you realizing it every time you summon them.

"Damnit, every time I use this thing I wind up with awful cramps! Someone else call the little bastards this time!"

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain there's a Blood to Salt spell in one of the books; I want to say it's in Sandstorm, along with a couple other salt themed spells. The mephits could also give the PCs access to some of those spells somehow, either through the mephits themselves when summoned or by granting the abilities to the PCs as they level up.

[nedz]

Can you use the item as a salt cellar as well ?

You could have one called Peter, whose a little bit explosive.
Why only focus on table salt ?

[Necroticplague]

I'd go with the "hunt down command words' rout, it seems the easiest. Just for fun, have at least one of the words be something they could presumably say normally, activating it accidentally. That should cue them in. heck, maybe the mephits don't even know what the words are, and would be more than willing to help look for them in case it has some benefit to them.

[Fouredged Sword]

I think that giving the memphits class levels is a great idea. Couple of ideas.

Let the memphits who want to able to give the party their summoning phrase so they can be summoned deliberately rather than randomly.

The orb should be restricted by arcane locks, so that it's powers cannot be accessed without first providing the key. The keys are salts from the various planes. The party must acquire sea salt from the plane of water, fire salt from the plane of fire, rock salt from the plane of earth, and storm salt from the plane of air.

The orb is sealed such because it was once owned by a dry lich of great power who created it to serve as his private demiplane. The lich is long since re-dead, and asking the memphits about him leads to tirades about how much of a pain he was.

The memphits should talk about being in a union and generally make jokes about such matters, like threatening to strike, or negotiating for a 100% pay raise (100% of nothing is nothing)

[ReaderAt2046]

Playing off the "let the mephits level up" idea, how about having them level up at full follower speed, but every time they get killed they're reset to the base stats you rolled at the start of the game. So if the party can keep the mephits alive, they get increasingly powerful (and loyal) servants.

[Toofey]

For one you should also consider when you start giving them control over which of the Mephit's they summon. As far as a reason why the powers are not all revealed at once... that's a tough one.

One idea that springs to mind is that maybe the salt sphere is only active when it's connected to a living person/persons, and the last time It was active the previous salt castle was destroyed and the mephits not having been active need time to rebuild the castle, and they'll need ritual magic (which the PC's can help them with) to be able to bring it into the prime material, and then to create a gateway the PCs can use to access their demiplane)

that's the best idea I got, it also gives you the chance to change it up and if the PC's abuse the Mephits instead of sharing that they're building the castle they do it themselves, and use it to defend themselves from the PCs.

[NowhereMan583]

Playing off the "let the mephits level up" idea, how about having them level up at full follower speed, but every time they get killed they're reset to the base stats you rolled at the start of the game. So if the party can keep the mephits alive, they get increasingly powerful (and loyal) servants.

This sounds like fun -- I might do it this way.

So, another issue: when should I give the players this item / reveal new functions? I want it to be at a level where it's powerful enough for them to want to use it frequently, but not so powerful that it breaks the game.

[Draken]

A day-long castle made of salt isn't exactly something tht will be used often.

It would probably be fine starting at level 9, I think. Letting them flee into the demiplane is essentially a 9th level spell used as intended and not as possible (... Genesis).

[Adrastos42]

Wait... so the pattern I'm seeing here is that by repeated use or discovering new command words or whatever is that the sphere is gradually "opening up". At first, only one denizen at a time can escape. They are magically bound and doomed to be dismissed once more after an hour. Then, a single building and several denizens can escape. Again, they are bound to the summoner and will disappear with time. Then, the passage becomes two-way- the mephits can be visited by their masters. This can only end one way- the sphere opens completely, the bounds are broken, and the mephits escape permanently to the material plane.

This begs the question, why were they imprisoned in the first place? How much of this will they tell the PCs? Will they try and persuade their new masters to help them (and thus take a shiny toy away from the PCs. Bad idea.), or attempt to trick them into it? If they succeed in escaping, what do they do next? Of course, many of the answers may depend upon how well your players treat their new toys.

Well, that's what came to my mind, anyway:)

As to how the extra abilities are unlocked, perhaps the first new one is unlocked simply by heavy use of the sphere, which weakens the barriers between the worlds. Have the ability happen spontaneously one time when the PCs activate the sphere normally. Then, through information either volunteered by the mephits or ordered from them (depending on your PCs) the players discover that to unlock more powers will be a far greater, sidequestlike task...

[Sith_Happens]

If you go the "they just have to find out the other command words" route, you'll need to make the sphere an artifact or else the cats are all out of the bag as soon as they pop an Identify on it. As a bonus, there's nothing like getting an "overwhelming" on Detect Magic to key the PCs in that there's more to their new toy than meets the eye.

[veti]

The part I'm stuck on is this: I want a reason (that makes sense within the game universe) for these extra functions to not appear until later. You know, I don't want to just write, "In the hands of a tenth-level character, the item can also..." because that kind of seems like a cop-out. At the same time, I want to hold the extra functions back until they fit with the party's power level. What do y'all think?

What are the mephits doing all day long, in this little world of theirs?

My suggestion: research. They are intensely interested in the world outside their little sphere, and how to interact with it. Initially, they've worked out how to be summoned individually; later, they'll work out how to shift part of their plane out of their world completely, or move part of the outside world into their plane. All of these things requiring the co-operation of someone outside, obviously.

[nedz]

Maybe the salt cellar can only be used as a retreat once the mephits have all left ? (or are dead)
Or maybe it is the mephits who control access to the cellar and will open it up for a fee of some kind ?

[TheStranger]

Sticking with the concept of the mephits leveling up, why not have one of the mephits be a wizard? Upon reaching an appropriate level, he can research a spell that will enable the fortress function.

As for what level to give things at, the fortress isn't tremendously powerful. I wouldn't worry about your players having it anytime after level 7 or so. And I'd let them plane shift into the demiplane around level 9, since that's when they could prepare plane shift anyway.

[Yuki Akuma]

This idea is amazing.

I don't really have anything to contribute but god damn it's awesome.

[Joe the Rat]

Have you got your names yet? Because you totally need a Saleena.

If you get enough bad salt puns, it will serve to limit the player's use of the item. Nothing makes players back away faster than the threat of GM puns.

[LibraryOgre]

How about the twins, Sal and Tina?