Curious Objects: Amulet vs Crystal Balls and ESP

 

 

Nothing to see here!

 

In my experience the go-to anti-scry device in BX doesn't see a lot of love, and I can sort of understand that. Like all "misc. magic" it's not a super likely item to come up randomly. The "Miscellaneous" items' table is never specifically tagged in the treasure types' table, so there is only a 5% chance of rolling on the table at all IF you even successfully roll that there are even magic items in the loot! (Here's a pro-tip: If you really want to find magic items, your best odds are to go kill or rob dwarfs.) Another issue with the item's rarity is that I don't think it gets placed deliberately very often. I think the likeliest scenarios are ones where some plotting NPC has one to stop people from scrying their nefarious schemes. 

 

I would've gotten away with it, too! If it weren't for those meddling scryers!

 

 

The description of the amulet is so brief that it's simplest just to repeat it here in its entirety:

Amulet vs. Crystal Balls & ESP: The wearer of this item is automatically protected from being spied on by someone using a crystal ball or any type of ESP.

A few quick things to note.

• Protection is "automatic." Not a bonus to a save, not a contested roll. Not "when activated." Automatic. Which is par for the course with these types of items, but useful to keep in mind.
• Works vs. "any type" of ESP. This includes spells, items, and magical abilities. 

Does "any type" of ESP include clairvoyance? Telepathy? That's probably a DM call.I would be inclined to say yes, but other DMs might feel differently.

Keep in mind that the amulet protects the wearer from this type of magical surveillance, but not the rest of the party. If the wearer is telling a party member the Big Plan, the other character's thoughts are ripe pickings. 

Like a lot of miscellaneous magic items, I see this one as one the PCs would need to think outside the box a bit to get more than simply keeping it on all the time just in case some seer starts crystal gazing. While its utility in the dungeon may be limited, such items in a relatively high magic world might be high demand by merchants, diplomats, and the like. Alternatively, higher level "endgame" PCs might use it themselves in such situations.

Curious Objects: Medallion of ESP

3 copper pieces if you know where that image is from!

Miscellaneous magic items (MMIs) are always an interesting read, as they cover what I consider the really "magical" part of magic items. Magic weapons or armor are usually just combat boosts, and scrolls or wands are mostly more spell slots. But MMIs? The sky's the limit. They might be boots or bags, musical instruments or jewelry, who knows? And who knows what they'll do? Sometimes their powers are passive, sometimes they have only a few uses. Often their abilities come with a price or a twist.

Case in point is the Medallion of ESP. This is an especially weird entry as there are two versions of it: The 30' range one in Moldvay, and its 90' cousin in Cook. Let's start with Basic, shall we?

The medallion has no charges or limited uses per day. It merely requires a round of concentration and limits what the wearer can do while concentrating (no fight, no spells). One need not be a spell-caster to use it, either. It should be mentioned that its effective range is shorter than the spell's, but its duration is limited solely by concentration.

This item's fun tidbit is that it malfunctions 1 in 6 times, causing the reverse effect and broadcasts the wearer's thoughts to everyone within 30'! I find that very funny and with great plot twist potential. This also ties in neatly with my ideas on magic having a cost.

The Expert rules add a second version of the medallion. This one with a 90' range. It's description is also somewhat different. This one merely mimics the 2nd magic user spell with the slightly farther range (90 vs 60'). This is interesting for two reasons. One, it's not only replicating a spell, it's improving upon it. Secondly, it puts me in mind that the basic version could be seen as a sort of a "flawed prototype" with less power and with some bugs in the system. I don't know why, but that just seems very "BX" to me.

RSA: Clairvoyance & Clairaudience

While I have seen some "psychic" spells used in games, mostly it's been ESP, usually to help interrogate a prisoner or dupe a guard. I've got no problem with either scenario, but it seems that the other scrying spells are less common (at least in my games).  Like Wizard Eye, these spells could be very handy for scouting and intel gathering. They have their limits, to be sure, but I can't help but feel they get short shrift because of players' leanings towards combat spells.

Clairvoyance (from Cook)
Level: 3
Range: 60'
Duration: 12 Turns

Clairaudience (from Labyrinth Lord/AEC)

Level: 3 

Range: 60'

Duration: 12 turns 

First off, their ranges aren't great for 3rd level spells. They are also blocked by 2' of stone or a lead coating. It takes a minimum of 1 full turn to "tune in" and hear/see anything, so it's not a quickie spell. Check out the durations, though! That's two hours of eavesdropping! Because they are 3rd level, I think they also get kind of drowned out by the MU's clamor to get Fireball and/or Lightning Bolt.

There are other limitations, like only targeting one creature, needing to have at least a general idea of in which direction the folks you want to spy on. In first edition AD&D, the spells center on an area/vantage point, so there are no saving throws. In B/X-LL, the spells link to a target's senses/mind, allowing a Save vs. Spells. This weakens it somewhat compared to its "Advanced" brethren. Still, there are so many possible applications for these spells. They are another great case for a mage that's something other than walking artillery.