Arcane machinations and esoteric devices

[Superfluous Crow]

So, most of you run campaigns, and campaigns involve characters, and characters crave rewards. Now, some might be content with money and fame, but most will demand more when they live in a magical and alternative world: magical items.
Now, there has always been some controversy surrounding magic items, mainly when they become generic stat-boosters as is the case in Dungeons & Dragons. But i believe that magic items can be way more interesting than that, and can become worthy additions to any game. The issue as that most magic items are specific and thus become a solution to a specific problem, rather than being general and thus only limited in use by the users imagination; a tool.
So what interesting and creative magic items have you come up with for your games?
Here are some of my more exotic ones that my players have discovered in the game I'm currently running:
 Flashrod: A simple device really, when a glass canister at the end of the rod is shattered, a magical-chemical reaction turns anything in the vicinity to molten slug. This allows the user to burn great holes in just about anything, as well as killing pretty much anything if you can get close enough. Of course it is one use only.
 Depictor: A small brass-like collapsible frame, a button allows the user to capture the image of whatever can be seen through the frame. This is more than a photo though, as different angles yield different views of the captured image; it's more of a window frozen in time. Also, using the collapsible nature of the frame, the image can be enlarged or made smaller.
 Ghostrod: An ancient weapon, this brass-like rod with arcane carvings features three buttons: one flips out a blunt hook in one end, while the others dematerialize the two halves of the rod; allowing it to phase through matter. Pushing the button again will lock the device solidly in the matter. While the phasing is merely strange to living tissue, the phasing can bypass parries, drag opponents around, and disarm them of their weaponry. It is also a flexible tool. (last session my PC's thought of phasing a flashrod onto the end of it).
 Thaumatometer: A set of concentric circles that spin when in the presence of magical forces.
And some things I'm planning on implementing:
 Spectrality Generator: This slightly bulky device is strapped to the user with a harness and with the press of a button it can make the user intangible, allowing him to walk through walls, and on air. The single problem is that the apparatus has a slight chance of getting stuck, leaving the user in a barely physical state for the rest of eternity.    

well, maybe not the most awesome stuff ever, but it can be used creatively by the players, and i think it's better than a lot of the generic DnD crap. So what have you created?

[Loch Belthadd]

accelerator:a tube that basically launches anything put into it at bullet speed.
One of my players thought of making a gun out of it. She made a handgun that fires bullets through magic rather than gunpowder.

[sparkletwist]

I refer to Crystalstar's magic as "technomagic" because there's no real spell-based magic; it's all based on a sort of technological manipulation of the properties of crystals. As a result, some pretty interesting (at least, I think so) magic items result:

Flashburner - somewhat like your Flashrod on steroids, I guess. It emits a thin "sheet" of white light from a narrow but long slit in the front of the boxy case, incinerating everything it touches.

Duhao - a traditional spear weapon used by the warrior caste of the Varrdyeni. When being carried, the main blade retracts, and the weapon shortens considerably, but expands into a potent melee weapon. The rear end has two side blades that extend from the shaft in a scissor pattern, forming a stabbing or cutting point on the back, as well. The entire weapon is capable of being electrified or heated, and, in confined spaces, split in half and used as two hand axes.

Telelink - a teleportation system based on exchanging the "space" in two regions. This means that everything that was in space A is now in space B, and everything that was in space B is now in space A. Most Telelink mechanisms contain a laser-like scanning beam that makes sure nothing solid is in the way before it activates, as the consequences of being halfway inside an operating Telelink would be rather ugly.

Imprinted Crystal - the right psychic signature can "imprint" a violet crystal, which will in effect then "think that thought" in an infinite loop (or for a very long time anyway, crystal may eventually lose its imprinting). As long as the thought is something productive, like solving a problem, energy can be used to subtly manipulate its patterns into a sort of basic computing device.

[Stargate525]

I'll just leave these here then...

Personal Data Recorder
This thin device is roughly half the size of a sheet of paper and a half-inch thick. This device can store up to 100 pages of information, either writing it by hand or by using the built in dictation system. These pages can be edited using a series of hand movements to copy, cut, paste, shrink, whatever, as well as transcribe them to a physical sheet of paper. It also features up to four hours of audio recording, and can send either type of data to a nearby Recorder, up to 500ft. away, provided the user knows the unique ID of the receiving recorder. This ID usually comes in the form of a symbol or initial of the owner. This device is incompatible with any magical writings, any attempt to write them in the recorder results in strings of gibberish.

Navigator's Table
When inactive, this looks like nothing more than an ornately carved desk. However, when the command word is spoken and a map crystal is placed in the receptacle on the side, the table displays an illusionary topographical view of the area covered by the map, as well as the current location and orientation of the table shown as a small red orb. The table does detect altitude differences, and can calculate the distance between the table's location and several preset points, often major cities. The table can zoom, rotate, and shift the map for better views. If the table is not on the area covered by the map, then the table fails to function.

Tactical Table
This table looks exactly like the Navigator's Table, except that it can only cover very small spaces of ground, no more than a few acres in size. It functions similarly to the Navigator's Table, except that it displays any living creatures within a 200ft. radius of the table on the map. As an added feature, any of the creatures who have touched the map in the last 24 hours show up green, all others show up red, and the map itself is an amber dot.

Unlike the Navigator's Table, the Tactical Table can be linked to Surveyor's Rod. Anyone carrying linked Surveyor's Rod automatically shows up green on the table, is always shown, and acts as a second table for the purposes of determining the distance of indicated creatures on the map.

Surveyor's Rod
The Surveyor's Rod is a large stick, the size of a quarterstaff, used for magically mapping locations. There are holes in the top of the rod where crystals are placed to hold the map, allowing transfer of the maps to Navigator's and Tactical Tables. A crystal can normally hold roughly 12 square miles of terrain information, though this is reduced to two square miles for the higher-resolution maps a Tactical Table or mapper requires. This rod stores data within 500 feet of it.

[Velox]

Velocity Greaves
Mechanical leg braces attached to arcane batteries; they provide assistance to running, picking up the slack when the user feels tired. Increases movement by 30', has 20 uses.

Articulated Clamberer
A vest that appears like an exoskeletal ribcage made out of metal, with many hinges, joints, and cables. Each "rib" is actually an extendable/retractable mechanical limb, much like a spider's limb, ending in a sharp point. A user essentially has 6 spider legs, connected to his/her back. They excel at climbing and moving the user on any surface (+15 to climb checks), but can also perform many other mundane tasks. (Many years later, a similar aparatus would be featured in the cartoon "Invader Zim".)

[limetom]

Truly Imovable Rod
*CLANG*  "What the **** was that?"

This "enhanced" version of an immovable rod remains immutably fixed in the universe while the planet it was on continues to move (and thus setting off, relative to the player, at several thousand miles an hour when activated).

If enough are made, they may litter the universe until some unsuspecting planet/spaceship/etc. crosses paths with one.


Ring of Three Fishes
"One fish, two fish, red fi-"  "You're out of fishes."

Not to be confused with the slightly more powerful ring of three wishes, the ring of three fishes can summon three fish of whichever variety the wearer chooses.

[Nomadic]

Decanter of Endless Slaughter

Opening this glass container and speaking the command words causes a stream of blood and gore to shoot out from the end in a 10 foot stream. The red spray is accompanied by a chorus of screams and moans of damned souls trapped within the artifact.

[LordVreeg]

Monocle of Influence
A silver monocle frame with an onyx lens.  The silver frame has a hexagonal frame, and gives a sophisticated, rakish look to the wearer.  The viewer can see normally out of this lense. but the eyepiece is opaque from the outside.  Only 4 were made, and they were made during a period during the late 600's and early 700's when they were in fashion, and it is still considered dashing to wear one.  These were created by the diplomatic corp of the Arcanic Table of Orbi.
The wearer can use Nonce and Detect Influence, minor once a day, as well as Ridicule once a week.
Truly a nasty helpmate for those who make thier daily bread through irony and mischief.  Casting time is per item effect, (init d4+2).

[LD]

Truly Imovable Rod
*CLANG* "What the **** was that?"

This "enhanced" version of an immovable rod remains immutably fixed in the universe while the planet it was on continues to move (and thus setting off, relative to the player, at several thousand miles an hour when activated).

If enough are made, they may litter the universe until some unsuspecting planet/spaceship/etc. crosses paths with one.

That makes infinitely more sense than the DnD immovable rod. :)

[Superfluous Crow]

Truly Imovable Rod
*CLANG* "What the **** was that?"

This "enhanced" version of an immovable rod remains immutably fixed in the universe while the planet it was on continues to move (and thus setting off, relative to the player, at several thousand miles an hour when activated).

If enough are made, they may litter the universe until some unsuspecting planet/spaceship/etc. crosses paths with one.

It's bloody magic and DnD, when did it ever make sense :p
anyway, it could be oriented to a gravity field or something. Or just be immovable within its respective reference frame.

[LordVreeg]

Decanter of Endless Slaughter

Opening this glass container and speaking the command words causes a stream of blood and gore to shoot out from the end in a 10 foot stream. The red spray is accompanied by a chorus of screams and moans of damned souls trapped within the artifact.

YO, Nomadic!
How much Cubic Gore?  I have to know...
and what does the decanter look like?

[Nomadic]

Decanter of Endless Slaughter

Opening this glass container and speaking the command words causes a stream of blood and gore to shoot out from the end in a 10 foot stream. The red spray is accompanied by a chorus of screams and moans of damned souls trapped within the artifact.

YO, Nomadic!
How much Cubic Gore?  I have to know...
and what does the decanter look like?

Enough to fill the diapers of a score of gothlings. As to the look, it looks exactly like a decanter of endless water, that's part of the joke.

[Velox]

VIRULENCE IMMUNO-TOXIN VACCINATOR

This device was created in an effort to end mummy rot outbreaks, to foil the serpent's venom,  and to provide an alternative to religious cures. It is large, complicated, expensive, and takes some time to produce any useful effects, but it is singular and wonderful in the hope it can provide those up against disease-wielding foes.

1. The Material Processor.
The device itself consists of a large steel (or what-have-you strong metal) piston, large enough to fit an adult human into. At the bottom of the piston are several spinning blades. The venomous or diseased creature which inflicted the malady is placed into the piston, which is then sealed. It is best if the creature is still alive, as some of it's toxicity or virulence may be decreased upon death, which is not desireable. The maximum toxicity or virulence will ensure a strong vaccine. Upon sealing the piston, engage the spinning blades and the downward action of the piston. The creature will be compressed and reduced to it's consituent molecules; which includes it's own toxins and, most importantly, it's own defenses against these toxins. In the case of diseased foes, such as the aforementioned mummy, the resulting slurry will contain a desireable amount of disease-causing micro-creatures.

2. The Curative Render Assembly
A. In the next step, the compressing action of the piston will drive the slurry (and a considerable amount of air) into a large slurry-barrell. DANGER: clearly mark the slurry barrell; the contents are dangerous and foul!
B. The slurry barrell transfers to a series of flasks containing alchemicals (see catalog items no. x112, no. vii243, and no. iii223) to seperate the slurry from the disease causing micro-creatures OR the toxins and the creature's natural poison-defense secretions.
C. This solution will then feed into another flask filled with a mutagenic alchemical (item no.xxvii334) and a sample of blood from an infected person. IMPORTANT: This step absolutely requires one living human subject to be infected with the virulence in question.
D. This mixture will then be transferred into a filter which will remove the blood, toxins, and micro-creatures. The filter will produce an alchemical containing the creatures own defenses against the malady, as well as human immuno-response blood components derived from mutagenic alchemical no.xvii334.

The entire process takes about 1 hour to complete. Be sure to clean the processor and the assembly before each use. Results may vary. The Strangelight Workshop assumes no responsibility for the health or well-being of it's customers. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Please see section xxxv of our catalog for useful non-lethal weapons for use with the V.I.T.V.

[Superfluous Crow]

Not actually an item i would use in a serious game, yet somewhat funny:
The Optimist's Cup
Uncovered in an ancient temple, this mundane-looking clay cup has the preternatural ability to always be half full of a murky brown liquid which seems to have the same qualities as water in addition to its slightly earthly taste. It can keep a near unlimited amunt of people hydrated, although they have to drink directly from the cup: the liquid quickly vaporizes into nothingness if left in another container. Although many see this as a poweful item, Pessimist's argue that this is a pretty useless item since the cup can never be filled.

[LordVreeg]

Not actually an item i would use in a serious game, yet somewhat funny:
The Optimist's Cup
Uncovered in an ancient temple, this mundane-looking clay cup has the preternatural ability to always be half full of a murky brown liquid which seems to have the same qualities as water in addition to its slightly earthly taste. It can keep a near unlimited amunt of people hydrated, although they have to drink directly from the cup: the liquid quickly vaporizes into nothingness if left in another container. Although many see this as a poweful item, Pessimist's argue that this is a pretty useless item since the cup can never be filled.

Crow, I had a similar wineskin once, that was filled with a medicre but popular vintage from 270 yrs earlier (when the thing was enchanted)but that had a 2% chance of filling with spoiled wine, 2% chance of Liquor of Involuntary Imitation , and 1% chance of filling with hot Kaffee.