Forged of Darkness

I Table of Contents Introduction .................... .......2 How to Use this Book ............ ........2 The Hands of Power ...... ......5 Many-Fingered Hand .... .......6 One-fingered Hand ...... .......8 Three-Fingered Hand .... ......10 Unfingered Hand ....... ......12 The Black Vault ...... .....14 Azalin's Crystal .... ......15 Bane's Adder ...... ......16 Blacker's Hook ..... ......18 Dead Man's Armor ...... ......20 Golden Blade of Ren ..... ......22 Headsman's Axe ....... ......24 Pipe of Mordent ........ ......26 Tome of Terror ......... ......28 Tyenn's Reflective Shield .... .....30 Guiseppe's Toys ........... .....31 Dancing Men .......... .....32 I Death-in-a-Box .... .....34 Porcelain Tops ..... .....36 Tin Soldiers ....... .....40 Toy Nightmares .... .....42 The Workshop of Klorr .... .....43 Hourglass of Klorr ... .....44 Hourglass of Souls . .....46 Moondial of Klorr ....... .....48 Waterclock of Klorr ..... .....Sample51 file Relics of Doom ............. .....53 Caskets of the Damned ...... .....54 Linen of Mummification ...... .....56 Spade of Grave Digging . .....58 The Powers of Nature .... .....59 Kren's Brazier .......... .....59 Kren's Crystal Distillery . .....62 TSR. Inc . TSR Ltd . Unearthed Arcana ........... .....64 201 Sheridan Springs 120 Church End. Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CBI 3LB Credits USA United Kingdom Design: William W . Connors Development: Harold Johnson. Steve Miller. 9493 Elizabeth Tornabene This bwk is protectedunder the copyright laws of the United States of America . Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is Editing: Elizabeth A . Tornabene prohibited without the express written consent of TSR. inc . Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights Creative Director: Harold Johnson in the bok trade for English-languageproducts of TSR . inc. Cover Art: Fred Fields Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ud. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Interior Art: Steve Bryant. John Dollar. Karolyn Guldan. ADVANCED DUNGEONS G DRAGONS. ADED. RAVENLOFT. MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM. and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned by TSR . Stephen Fabian. and Bruce Zamjahn MONSTROUS MANUAL and the TSR logo am trademarks owned by TSR. inc . Art Director: Bruce Zamjahn Ail TSR characters. character names. and the distinctive likenesses thereof am trademarks owned by TSR . Inc . Graphic Design: Greg Kerkrnan Q 1996 TSR. inc. All Riahts Reserved. hinted in the U.S.A. eep beneath the soil of my adopted How to Use This Book homeland lies a orged of Darkness is a somewhat unusual grim and terrible sourcebook for use with the RAVEN LO^ tomb. It is the campaign setting. It contains neither an final resting place fadventure nor a wealth of background imformation not of a defeated on a single person or place. Rather, it is hero, nor of a something of a catalog of items arcane. ~ villainous fiend. It is Within these pages, the reader will diacover an the repository of an amazing array of magical items. To aid the V arsenal of fell magics. I Dungeon Master's use of this book, theae items speak, as you may have guessed, of the Black have been grouped into chapters according to Vault. their last known location, their original creator, or Gathered therein are swords, shields, arms, and according to a broader category. This scheme of armor from all the worlds that the Mists have categorization doesn't mean that all the items invaded. Some are powerful, with long and dire listed in a section will be found together; a group legacies. Others are newly formed to serve the of adventurers clever and foolhardy enoygh to needs of Azalin, Lord of Darkon. Without penetrate the grim recesses of the Black Vault exception, they have left a trail of suffering and would not necessarily find all the items listed in torment behind them. the Black Vault chapter, this merely refers to the Not so many years ago, I undertook a perilous point of origin of each item. adventure in an effort to rid the world of these evil relics. Gathering about me a stalwart band of champions, I traveled to Darkon and, at no small The Entries risk to ourselves, my allies and I dared to explore Each magical item in this book is presented in a the caverns beneath the Grim Fastness where we common format, so a Dungeon Master (DM) can hoped to find the Black Vault. And there, we did quickly locate specific information about an item indeed discover its secret location. during play, without having to read an entire. By the time we reached the Vault,Sample half our file entry. This ease of reference is valuable during company was lost. My clumsy efforts to open the play, when delays can spoil the mood and pacing sealed door to that arcane arsenal cost the lives of even the best-prepared adventure. of two more of my companions. I dare say, though, that the price paid was worth the reward. Though the foul guardians of that noisome place Overview finally forced us to flee, we brought with us many '" Each item's listing begins with a physical of the Vault's malignant objects. Each of these description and a brief history. Each item is also has been destroyed or hidden safely away and illustrated, so the DM may describe it ta the will trouble the world no more. players when their characters first encounter it. Still, I must look to the future, for we left behind more evil artifacts than we dared bring forth. What remains? Dare I plan a second assault on Manufacture that stronghold of darkness? Or will their This section details what research, histary and wretched curses ravage the realms before I can legend describe as the process by which the item act? For the present, I cannot say. was created and the materials from whith it was fashioned. This information may be limited to an From the journal of item's reported form, since an item's history and origin are often shrouded in mystery and evil. Many of the magical items described in this manual can be used only a limited number of times. Details of an item’s limitations and charge usage will be explained in this section. If it is possibie for one of these artifacts to be recharged, this section will also list the means to charge the item. These methods often require Pestruction 1 perilous undertakings on the part of the weilder Since many of the artifacts described herein will and can be utilized by the Dungeon Master to cause as much harm as good, it is reasonable generate an exciting adventure. that champions of good may wish to destroy them. Many adventures can be centered around Use the destruction of these artifacts. Any known or rumored methods for destroying In almost every case, a special action is required one of these magical items are listed in this to activate the powers of the magical items in this section. However, beware! Over the years these book. A word of command, an unusual gesture, relics may have grown more powerful and the or some ritual is often required to tap the magical dark energies of the Mists may have corrupted energies stored within the item. their very nature. They will seldom be easy to However, possession of one of these relics does destroy. Many times, an item may be destroyed not mean that ihe owner automatically knows the only by completing a complex series of quests special actions required to activate the device. He and under very specific circumstances such as will not know these secrets unless he witnesses during astrological events that occur rarely. the item king used by another or researches Indeed, simply discovering the means to destroy history and legend for a hint of the forgotten one of these items can be the focus of a difficult rituals. It is possible that an artifact may possess and ch g set of adventures. a dark intelligence which seeks to corrupt others Sample file and which will make them aware of any required Placement of Magical Items actions through an omen or manifestation. A skillful DM can make learning these dark secrets Over the course of the last few years, much has the goal of, or the reward for adventures. been written to aid the Dungeon Master in creating the atmosphere of suspense and horror so vital to running a successful RAVENLOFTgame. Powers One of the topics frequently addressed in these This section recaps any known or rumored articles is that encounters should be planned. In arcane powers of each item. Further, any side short, adventures should be carefully structured effects, magical or mundane are described. and DMs should not make frequent use of wandering monsters during RAVENLOFTgames. The same holds true for the discovery of magical Curses items, they should not be casually introduced into As has been frequently illustrated, all power a campaign. The recovery of an important comes at a price, and great power commands the magical item should be carefully planned as the highest. Each of the artifacts described herein has first stage in a broader melodrama of terror. some curse or maleficence associated with it. An excellent example of how this may be done Those who would use the incredible powers of can be found in J. R. R. Tolkien’s book, The these items must accept the consequences those Hobbit, At the story’s beginning, Bilbo’s company powers may bring. Many times the costs are far finds several magical elven swords, including worse than they first appear. Bilbo’s own sword, Sting. In addition to givinp I I Adwunture Hod19 ~ of several adventures. Indeed, the$ numerous challenges to For example, the heroe the recovery of some ancient arti theft of the pipes ofMordentfrom recesses of the Black Vault.

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