Minor Magical Items

The Hand of Glory

A lamp that gives light only to the holder, made out of the disembodied hand of a hanged man, this item is sold in disreputable shops and other places. It burns the fat of murders for fuel, at a rate of 4 hours per pint. It gives off a constant Lumos effect, as the spell, but with a couple of exceptions:

- The Hand of Glory always takes 20 on the Lumos spell.

- Only the bearer can see the light. To others, the light gives off no illumination whatsoever. In effect, in the dark it grants the bearer total concealment without suffering from the same penalty.

- The Hand of Glory overcomes any mundane darkness effect.

Creation: The creator must beat the DC of the Lumos spell by 20, and have the hand and the body fat of a murderer equal to 1 pint.

Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder

This powder, a import from the exotic Americas, is a essential aid for tricksters, thieves, and other ne'er do wells. Since it is a non-magical effect in action, it is hard to counter by unprepared wizards.

Each packet gives off a 20 by 20 feet cloud of darkness, which grants total concealment for people within looking out and people without looking in. The powder dissipates within 1d6+1 rounds. A gust of wind or a similar effect will end the effect in 1 round.

Creation: This item is a import, not created within Britain and the secrets to its creation are not known. However, a DC 35 potionmaking check could gain some insight into its materials.

Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs

Wizards are entertained by explosions as much as Muggles are. There are many varieties of fireworks, but around Hogwarts Weasley's Wizard Wheezes's brand is the most prevalent. You don't know what you'll get, but whatever comes out is always astonishing. These fireworks comes in various sizes and bundles - the Basic Blaze Box and the Deflagration Deluxe, which have 5 fireworks and 20 fireworks respectively. Roll on this table to determine the content of your box. There are many more firework types then are listed here. Several spells have interesting interactions with these items.

1 - Fizzle!

Whatever spectacular effect was to have happened, it doesn't. I foresee a refund in your future. If a 1 is rolled, another die must be rolled to determine the kind of dud. The players certainly don't know that this one is a dud!

2 - Pop!

A massive concussive explosion from a relatively small spark creates a huge noise of incredible loudness. A clever trickster could use this as a distraction.

3 - Bang!

This firework travels for a long distance, and transforms into a flying arrow. It travels in a circle, scattering sparks in its wake.

4 - Animate!

A magical construct, emulating the spirit of the creator, resembles a humanoid that can be altered in appearance. It is less flashy then the others, but it last considerably longer. It will dance and tease passerby before jumping up in the air in a massive light show.

5 - Boom!

A large, cannonball shaped firework rises as high as possible and explodes in a veritable rain of light. This effect is impressive and can be both seen and heard for miles around.

6 - Design!

This firework will write in the sky a prerecorded message, written by a wizard or witch who succeeds on a DC 28 Transfiguration check. Usually, the store sells prerecorded messages but enterprising students can try their hand. Failure usually results in a explosion.

7 - Crack

A midrange firework, a compromise between length and explosive power, lasts for some time and has a moderate visual effect. Secondary and tertiary explosions are common.

8 - Dragon!

A massive, dragon shaped construct rampages in the sky. A DC 10 Knowledge (Magical Creatures) is required to recognize this creature as a fake dragon. It lasts for about 5 minutes before roaring and disappearing.

Dragons are considerably more sparse in these packages. If a 8 is rolled, another 6, 7, or 8 must be rolled in order for a Dragon to be in the box.

Creation: a DC 25 Transfiguration check, with the relevant materials. Bigger fireworks such as the Boom! and the Dragon! have DC 28 and DC 30 transfiguration checks to create.

Skiving Snackbox

This class-skipping edible allows a student to emulate being sick within class, and promptly cure herself or himself once leaving. A favorite of many bored students, this item is confiscated on sight by prefects. After consuming the disguised treat, the subject immediately suffers from the chosen ailment. This gives a +20 bonus to bluff for the sole purpose of feigning illness. If the cure is not consumed, the disease goes away within 1d6 hours.