Flea Market
Welcome back everyone to another edition of Magic Market, the number one place for magic items of all shapes, sizes, and values. In fact, this week I’ve decided to devote this article to some handy, extra value menu-priced magic items to line your character’s pockets. So whether you’re looking to spend the majority of a 2nd-level character’s wealth, or just what’s left over after you buy weapons and armor for your much higher-level character, these budget items are sure to please.
Guardsman’s Tea
This humble brew is imbued with a powerful magic, allowing the imbiber to stay awake longer. Consuming a single dose of guardsman’s tea allows the imbiber to stay awake for an additional 24 hours without suffering any ill effects due to lack of rest. It does not, however, prevent the imbiber from becoming fatigued or exhausted for other reasons, such as maintaining a forced march, or using the barbarian’s rage class feature. Consuming three doses of guardsman’s tea renders the imbiber completely immune to sleep effects for 24 hours. Regardless of the dose consumed, once the effects of guardsman’s tea wear off, the character gains the sickened and fatigued conditions until he either rests or consumes another dose of guardsman’s tea.
Instant Barrier
This handy item appears as nothing more than a simple wooden cube adorned with vibrant, multicolored spirals. When a command word is spoken, the wooden cube instantly expands, growing to 5 feet on a side, and filling a single 5-ft. cube of area with a solid wooden block. An instant barrier must be placed upon a solid surface in order for the magic to function, and the magic of the instant barrier fails to function if another creature or object already occupies the area that it would take up.
The block created by an instant barrier spell rots and crumbles to nothingness ten minutes after being created. It otherwise has all the properties of an ordinary 5-foot cube of wood.
Living Tools
This set of thieves’ tools constantly wriggles restlessly about in its case, though the tools remain still in your hands until positioned near a device. When being used to attempt a Disable Device check, the tools move of their own accord, aiding you in your task and greatly expediting the process. Living tools grant their user a +2 bonus on all Disable Device checks. Additionally, the time required to use the Disable Device skill is reduced by half as long as the living tools are used. For the purposes of this ability, any Disable device check that would normally require a standard action instead requires a move action, any Disable device check that would normally require a full-round action instead requires a standard action, and any Disable device check that would normally require two or more rounds take half as many rounds as they normally would (rounded up).
Pen Pal’s Parchment
These ornate sheets of gold-embossed parchment are one-foot to a side, and always come in pairs. Each sheet of pen pal’s parchment has two clearly-labeled sides: one for writing messages, and the other for receiving them. With a command word, the user can cause any words or drawings on the writing side of the parchment to vanish, and appear on the message side of the linked sheet of parchment. Messages sent in this way remain on the message side of the receiving sheet until a new message is received, at which point the new message replaces them.
Pen pal’s parchment can send messages regardless of distance, but does not function unless both pieces of parchment are on the same plane.
Whistle of Words
This apparently ordinary silver signal whistle is empowered with a limited ability for communication. Though a whistle of words can function as a normal signal whistle, it has two noteworthy abilities. First, it can be heard from an exceptional range: a whistle of words can be clearly heard (Perception DC 0) for ¼ mile around; for each additional 1/4 mile of distance, the DC increases by 5. Additionally, as a swift action, the user can place the whistle to his lips and speak a single word, broadcasting it at the whistle’s greatest volume, effectively conveying a one-word message to everyone who can hear the whistle. Because of the inhuman volume and pitch of a whistle of words, it is impossible to use the whistle in conjunction with bardic performance, magical spells, or any sonic-dependent effect.