New Magical Items

Case of Compression: When empty, this musical instrument case appears as any other such case. However, when touched to any instrument normally carried in a case, it transforms so that it perfectly fits the instrument. When the case is closed with the instrument inside, it shrinks until it easily fits in the palm of the hand. The reduced case weighs only a pound. When the case is opened, it returns itself and its instrument to full size.

About 10% of these cases are cursed; such cases devour the instrument 25% of the time.

Gourd of Travel: By shaking this gourd and saying the command word, the bard is able to teleport himself and one other to any known place. A gourd of travel does not allow for travel between planes.

A gourd of travel has 1d10 seeds within it, which produce the rattling sound that causes the gourd to function. Every time the gourd is used, one of these seeds vanishes. When the last seed vanishes, the gourd becomes a nonmagical item.

Harp of Healing: When this magical harp is played within 10 feet of wounded creatures, it heals each creature by one point per hour of playing. However, once the music stops or a new player takes over, further playing is useless unless new wounds are received.

After eight hours of continuous playing, a bard must begin to make successful Constitution rolls once an hour or he misplays the harp and healing ends.

Horn of Amplification: This horn is not hollow as one would expect. Rather, it is solid and resembles the horn of a rhinoceros. It is used by touching its base to the forehead. It magically attaches and conveys its special power. At this time, the one wearing the horn has his voice amplified from two to ten times in volume. The exact increase is up to the character using the horn. The horn has no other function. It can be removed by anyone who lightly pulls on it.

This horn increases the range of all songs, jokes, rhymes, and other forms of verbal communication proportionately (e.g., an amplification of five increases the range by five times the normal distance).

The character can also yell. A yell causes 2d10 points of damage to everyone except the user within a range of 5 feet times the amplification (e.g., setting 2 has a 10-foot range, setting 5 has a 25-foot range, etc.). A successful saving throw vs. petrification reduces damage by half. Only one yell per encounter can be attempted.

Each time the horn is used, there is a 1% chance that it permanently affixes to the user's forehead and loses all magical ability. It can then be used as a weapon for head butts, causing 1d3 points of damage. However, the oddity of having a horn growing from the character's head results in a -2 Charisma penalty. A wish must be used to remove the horn.

Horn of Baubles: When this instrument is blown, one 5'x5'x5' cube of useless baubles spews out of it per level of the blower. Although this is usually rather comical, it can be dangerous in a limited space.

The instrument can be safely blown once every hour. If blown more frequently, there is a 10% cumulative chance that the horn backfires, sucking the blower into it and spewing him out as a collection of useless baubles. It is impossible to resurrect or reincarnate a creature in this state, although a wish can be used to recover the victim.

Lyre of Wounding: This cursed item appears normal in every way until it is first played. When the musician's fingers strike its strings, they sever the tips of his fingers. Roll 1d6 for the number of fingers that the musician loses: 1-4 the number of lost fingers, 5 all fingers and the thumb, and 6 escaped unscathed. Each finger lost causes 1d2 points of damage, but the musician should not be lowered below 1 hit point due to lost fingers.

Each lost finger causes the musician's proficiency at playing musical instruments to suffer a penalty of -2. Other proficiencies and activities requiring manual dexterity are likewise reduced, at the DM's discretion. Lost digits can be regenerated magically.

As with cursed swords, whenever the musician decides to play, the lyre leaps into his hands; magically altering the form of the instrument does not abate its curse.

Periapt of Proof Against Sound: This small periapt is indistinguishable from other gems. The character who has this periapt gains extra resistance to any sound-based attack or influence. If a saving throw is normally allowed, the periapt provides an extra bonus to the saving throw. The level of the bonus depends upon the quality of the periapt, as follows:

D100	Save Bonus
01-40	+1
41-60	+2
61-75	+3
76-90	+4
91-95	+5
96-00	+1, 5' radius

If no saving throw is usually allowed, the periapt provides a normal saving throw vs. spell against the sound. A periapt of proof against sound affects all hostile sounds, including harpy singing, sirens, screams or shrieks that cause damage or fear, all musical influences (including bard abilities), spells that rely upon verbal communication to affect their victims (e.g., command, suggestion, etc.), and so on. However, the periapt has no effect upon communication, such as, "Kill that stupid bard!," verbal components for spells, magical item command words, or any other sound that does not directly affect the individual who has the periapt.

Pick of Strumming: This magical pick enables the user to play any stringed instrument that is normally plucked with fingers or a pick. This includes harps, lutes, mandolins, etc. The person grasping the pick can play any song he has ever heard. The pick's magic is so great that all functions of the instrument are instantly mastered. Thus, the bard automatically knows the proper grips to use on the lute, how to hold the harp, how to adjust the strings of the mandolin, etc. His skill level rivals that of a master musician proficient in the instrument's use.

Also, a bard who uses this pick to play the lyre of wounding does not suffer any severed fingers.

Recorder of Recording: This recorder has two magical functions. If, after a song is played on it, the bard says, "Play it again when X happens," the recorder will magically play the entire song over again any time condition X occurs (e.g., "When Tarnak comes within 20 feet.").

The other magical function is activated by speaking the word, "record," before playing a song. At any later time, the bard can say, "play back," and the recorder produces all sounds that it recorded within 30 feet during the song. Furthermore, these sounds are played back as if the recorder hadn't been making any noise at the time.

The recorder does not reproduce special sound-based attacks of any sort.

Zither of Speed: This zither appears to be a normal musical instrument. However, if it is played in a rapid tempo and the musician says, "Adagietto," all allies within 30 feet are affected as if under the influence of a haste spell.

If the zither is played slowly and "Adagissimo" is spoken, all foes within 30 feet are affected as if under a slow spell (no saving throw). The effects last as long as the bard concentrates upon the music or until he plays the zither at a moderate tempo and says, "Andante." If he moves, defends himself, suffers damage, rolls for a saving throw, or performs any other action, his concentration is broken.

A zither of speed functions only once per day. Furthermore, for every successive day in a row that its magic is used, there is a 10% cumulative chance that one of its strings breaks, rendering the item useless unless it can be repaired.

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