Cheap Tricks
We all love tricks—as long as we are not on the receiving end of them. Tricks of a magical nature are all the more amusing, and while your local wizard can conjure up all kinds of fun and excitement, your average Joe cannot. Not to worry, though: we have some brand new one-use tricks for sale to dazzle and amaze, and to possibly save your character’s life.
INSTANT ELEPHANT PRICE 1,000 gp
Slot none; CL 11th; Weight 3 lbs.
Aura moderate conjuration
This self-described magic trick is typically sold in a bright pink box with colorful lettering proclaiming that, by following a few simple steps, you can grow your own elephant. Inside the box is a paper replica of an elephant, a small piece of blue oil pastel, and instructions for the use of the trick.
By writing the words “grow big” in the common tongue on the paper elephant with an oil pastel, wax crayon, or piece of colored chalk (a full-round action), one can cause the paper elephant to vanish, replaced by a real elephant which appears in an unoccupied space adjacent to the trick’s user. The elephant obeys the user’s spoken commands and will perform any action the user requests, though it is limited to what can be physically accomplished by an elephant. The elephant remains for 2d6 rounds, or until slain.
Craft Wondrous Item, summon nature’s ally VI
ROPE TANGLE TRICK PRICE 50 gp
Slot none; CL 1st; Weight 5 lbs.
Aura faint transmutation
This jet black coil of silk rope constantly twitches and shakes on its spool, eager to get out in the world. The rope has a small amount of stored animating force that can be unleashed in a single burst of violent energy.
These fine, 50-foot lengths of silk rope constantly twitch and move about, making them somewhat difficult to climb, imposing a -2 penalty on all Climb checks made to scale such ropes. A rope tangle trick cannot be knotted, and if it is cut, only the longest length of rope retains any magic. Upon command, the rope can be made to lie dormant for 1 minute, allowing the rope to be climbed without penalty.
Additionally, by uttering a special command word while grasping the rope firmly in one hand, the rope can be commanded to expend all of its energy to entangle the next creature who attempts to climb it. The next time a creature touches the rope, it springs to life, wrapping around them and binding itself around them, causing the creature touching the rope to gains the entangled condition for 1 minute unless he succeeds on a Reflex save (DC 20).The rope can be cut off the target (AC 5, 4 hit points), escaped with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 30), or burst with a successful Strength check (DC 24). Note that the creature is merely entangled by this effect, and unless the rope is anchored (such as with a piton, grappling hook, or similar anchor), the target can still move about. After this ability has been used once, it cannot be used again, though the rope tangle trick continues to function as a silk rope.
Craft Wondrous Item, animate rope
SUNROD SWORD PRICE 602 gp
Slot none; CL 5th; Weight 1 lb.
Aura faint evocation
Marketed as Zelod’s Magnificent Sunrods, these magical versions of the alchemical illumination device were created by master magician and cane sword enthusiast Zelod Crane as the ultimate surprise defense. While outwardly resembling a typical sunrod, these items have a pair of buttons on the side for easy operation and typically bear Zelod’s name in gold lettering along one edge of the rod.
A sunrod sword functions like a typical sunrod, except that it is operated by a convenient button on the side, rather than by striking, which allows the rod to be activated and deactivated as a swift action. This makes it possible for the wielder to spread out the sunrod’s six hours of light over the course of one or more days. Additionally, by pressing the second button (also a swift action), the wielder of the sunrod sword can cause a long flat blade of light to project from the golden tip of the rod, allowing the rod to be wielded as a brilliant energy longsword for a short time. The blade lasts for 2 rounds per full hour of light remaining in the sunrod sword. The sword has no enhancement bonus to attack and damage but is considered a magical weapon for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. The sword feature of a sunrod sword can also be dismissed as a swift action, but every round that the effect is active reduces the amount of light left to the rod by 30 minutes.
Craft Wondrous Item, daylight