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In between breaks from writing Castle El Raja Key and attending to other matters with the blog, research, etc. I actually get to organize various projects.  There are several in the works that keep me at the grindstone for the most part in various stages of completion and development. Andy Taylor is drawing some illustrations from items and monsters I had created back in the day for a high level adventure, "Citadel of the Fire Lord."

Here's an item--rough draft--from that upcoming adventure (sometime year 2010).  I also mocked up the cover from Andy's superb art.  Reference for this adventure can be found here.

The actual adventure maps were sold at auction many years ago but still exist as color, electronic files that will be re-rendered for the project.  Enjoy!

Hrugash's Familiar Brand (minor artifact)

This appears as a normal brand of some length (varying at first sight from 3-5 feet).  For all intents and purposes it is a largish torch, which when grasped, alights, and seemingly has no end to its flame.

Its primary magical power is to adopt the properties of other flames that it is touched to.  Thus, if it is wielded when a fireball strikes the user, the wielder is transfered the fireball's properties, in essence making him or her immune to that particular fire.  The immunity, once instituted, lasts 1-10 rounds and then dissipates.  During that time other fires can damage the wielder, for these cannot be assimilated into the magical matrix and transfered.  The immunity is useable indefinitely as long as the brand is held.

This item has some interesting nuances.  If touched to lava, for instance, this allows the wielder to walk across it unharmed, thus it confers a water-walking on lava ability as well.

If encountered by an Efreet, they will immediately attempt to bargain for the item, perhaps even granting a wish in trade (50% chance).  Failing this, they will always attack the wielder to secure it for themselves.

Red dragons become enraged in its presence and launch all of their attacks against the wielder until one or the other is slain.  Their chances to breath fire while so enraged are enhanced to 75% and such damage is always +20%.

Fire demons will "mark" the user, making him or her glow a fiery red for 1-24 days (no save).  This will alert other fire demons within sight of the wielder of his or her enmity with associated allies or clans; thereafter they will always pursue and attack the wielder to recover the item.

Salamanders flee from this item if it is brandished before them and will only fight if they are cornered and cannot retreat, and then at -1 to hit and -1 to damage.

Once a year the wielder can summon one of the aforementioned creatures if these were slain by use of the brand.  These spout forth as a fiery form and physically manifest in front of the wielder in 1-4 rounds.  They will obey the wielder, but will move no more than 300 feet from him or her, for turns equal to their total HP.  If forced out of the above range, they magically disappear in a gout of red flame.

The brand does 1-8 hp crushing damage plus a bonus of 1-6 fire damage when used as a melee weapon.

After 2 years of use the brand's flame will start to sputter and its immunity power will lessen to 50% thereafter until it is re-renergized in a volcano on the Plane of Elemental Fire (DMs must create this adventure).

All text and imagery content ©2010 Robert J. Kuntz