Monday, April 19, 2010

Mysterious Scroll

©2010 Frank C. Anderson, Jr.
 These mysterious scrolls are usually found in the workshop of a wizard's lair. However, they are very rare, and of unknown origin. Larger than normal magical scrolls, and covered in strange glyphs they have no similarities to magical scrolls. The scroll itself is thicker than parchment, or papyrus, ( about a half an inch thick ), and seems to pulsate as if it were alive. The glyphs have a reddish glow, and also have an interior greenish glow. If the scroll is touched or picked up it feels warm, and almost flesh-like. A Read Magic spell has no effect, and neither will any sort of scholarly read magic skill.

If a character touches one of the glyphs there can be a variety of effects. Only one glyph can be touched per day, and if another glyph is touched, the character is shocked for 1d6 damage. The scroll can only be used 3 times a week, otherwise the character will take 1d6 points of damage every attempt to use the scroll above that. A GM is free to determine the glyph's effects, and the following is merely an example...

It can either be a roll or correspond to the order of the glyphs on the scroll.

1. The character relives a horrible experience, but gets a +1 to a future savings throw versus fear.
2. The glyph is transferred to the characters hand, and can be used once to heal 1d10 points of damage. A  different glyph appears on the scroll, and has a different effect.
3. The character can see into the Ethereal Plane for 2d6 hours.
4. The character's skin temporarily turns green for 2d12 hours.
5. The character doesn't need to breathe for 1d20 days.
6. The scroll absorbs 1d6 hit points from the character, and is recharged twice that number.
7. The character's skin temporarily turns a deep black for 1d10 hours.
8. The glyph is transferred to the character's hand, and can be used to Teleport up to 100' once.
9. The character is shocked for 1d10 points of damage, and the glyph changes to a different glyph.
10. The character's hearing is heightened for 1d6 days, but cannot speak, +3 to hearing perception rolls.
11. The character upon touching the glyph will understand how the scroll works if they make an Intelligence roll, but they won't know the effects of the glyphs until they touch them. The glyph then disappears and is replaced with a different one.
12. The character's hair grows to twice it's current length.

The scroll will come with 1d20+5 charges. As the charges are consumed the glow of the glyphs is diminished. Once 100 charges are used, then it will need to be "nourished" with the blood of the characters who use it.

No comments:

Post a Comment