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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

RPG Blog Carnival: Trinkets From Space!

The theme of this month's RPG Blog Carnival is super science and sorcery, a topic that hits home for what I try to work into a lot of my games.  The melding of science, technology, and magic can result in a lot of awesome things.  From clockwork and steam powered gnomish devices to spell slinging pistols, the possibilities are endless.  Daemons & Deathrays is hosting the Carnival this month and I cannot wait to get a moment to check out what others have shared.  You can click the link above to check out their post on this and find links from other participants!

For my part in this carnival I wanted to go with something fairly simple, but something that will hopefully have a lot of potential for fun at the table.  Below is a table of trinkets for your games that blend science and magic.  These trinkets are treated to be something like those found in the 5th Edition Player's Handbook.  Something that has little meaning, but could be a great talking piece and, who knows, something of great importance.

I have found these, and similar trinkets, to be awesome ideas and provide some levity, some curiosity, and some inspiration.  The list can be used for any system, since they are minor items free of mechanics.  How you use some of these is up to you, but consider dropping some of them in your next fantasy dungeon as an interesting twist!


D10 Science-Fantasy Trinket
1 This small book-like object, made of a light but sturdy material and metal, features the phrase "Don't Panic!" on the cover. When opened there are not pages, but if asked about a subject the "book" will provide a brief piece of knowledge. This information, however, tends to have not useful relation to situation at hand or reveals information you may already have learned the hard way.
2 This round glass vial appears to have been created without opening. Nevertheless, it is hollow and the contents visible. Within is some kind of sludge or growth that sits inert and unmoving. Shaking the container causes it to solidify temporarily. Staring at it long enough a single eye may appear to look back at you.
3 You have a multi-colored, light-weight cube of some unknown material. Each side appears to be made up of smaller squares, each small face is a different color. You count six colors and nine faces of each color. The device can be twisted to rearrange rows of the small squares. What happens when different colors align to each face is a mystery.
4 The small stone cube is inlaid with golden lines and runes of some kind creating an interesting, if odd, decoration. The barest of seams can be felt along the faces, calling you to attempt to manipulate the object into different forms, but none of the changes you makes seem to do anything. If left alone, the cube resets itself, but you eventually get the urge to try re-configuring the puzzle again.
5 Within this black metal box sits a single red gem that glows with inner intelligence. If addressed, the light pulses and a monotone voice will answer. The voice claims to know much and will refer to itself as Mal, if asked. No matter what else someone requests to know, however, the object will simply answer, "I cannot do that Dave."
6 This object is the size and shape of a human heart, and appears to be one for all intent and purpose. However, it is made cleverly overlapped metal plates that have begun to rust. If you listen closely you imagine you can here the slow, creaking beat of the metallic organ.
7 You have what appears to be a metal eye-patch with no loop to old it on your head, and nowhere to attach one. When pressed you your eye the patch will remain in place, and you can sense a slight buzz or tingle. You get used to the feeling after a couple hours and there are no apparent side effects to wearing it.
8 This glass tube is closed off on both ends by hefty metal caps that can be screwed on and off. Despite a pair of metal braces running from one end to the other on opposite sides of the cylinder, the glass cracked at some point making it useless as a container. A dull, glowing green film that dried on the inside of the container can be noticed in darkness.
9 Hanging from a length of leather this strange mummified worm-like creature sits as if it used its incredibly sharp teeth to burst from your chest.
10 The small hourglass is housed in a single piece of intricately carved crystal with three clawed toes holding it up from one side. The sand within it travels up into the empty portion above, rather than down, when tapped lightly. A small depression on the top can be pressed, causing the sand to disappear in a shimmer of light, reappearing back in the bottom.

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