Usable by all classes. Musical instruments include most magical items, except for bells and chimes, that produce music or sound while functioning. By default, an instrument must be played to be activated, although the user need not have any particular musical aptitude. In general, playing a musical instrument precludes any other action by a character. Most of these items have instantaneous effects. However, the effects of some instruments continue as long as the user plays; by default, such play is interrupted if the user takes damage or engages in any other activity. Unless otherwise specified, the effects of musical instruments are transmitted by sound, and therefore do not affect creatures without hearing. A target is not protected from the effects of these items by stuffing cotton, earplugs, or his fingers in his ears. The ranges and zones of effect listed are for air. Wood and similar materials count as double their thickness, metal as four times its thickness, and stone as ten times its thickness, for determining the actual ranges over which the sound is transmitted. By default, musical instruments are level 12 for level-dependent effects that are not specified in the item descriptions.
Magical musical instruments by default come with any tools needed to play them, such as drumsticks for drums or bows for violins. Some magical drums may be beaten with the hands instead of with drumsticks, at the GM's discretion. Most magical horns are simply hollow curved tubes that produce a single note, but a GM may specify in the item list that a horn is actually a brass wind instrument. A lyre is simply a small harp that is strummed or plucked. Pipes are wind instruments made of wood or metal tubes that can produce simple tones or complex melodies.
Level 2. When this drum is sounded, anyone within 30' of it must save vs. physical or be struck deaf for 2D4 rounds. Beings within 5' of the drum, including the user, get no saving throw and must make a system shock roll to avoid becoming permanently deaf.
Level 3. When the user activates this item, he can summon a huge elephant complete with war tower. The elephant is AC 4, HD9, moves 15", and attacks with its 2 tusks for D12 each. As an alternative form of attack, if the elephant makes a combat move of 5" or less in a straight line, it can trample all man-sized or smaller creatures in its path. These target creatures must save vs. physical or suffer 4D6 crushing damage. The elephant is under the user's control, and he alone can ride within the tower. (Climbing into the tower after the elephant is present takes a full round.) The tower provides the rider protection from missile and melee attacks as the mage spell Shield. Every time the elephant takes damage, it must save vs. mental or go berserk, attacking targets indiscriminately until none remain within 15" of it. The elephant disappears after one day of service or upon its death. After summoning an elephant, the drum cannot be activated again for thirty days.
Level 1. When played outdoors, this drum is clearly audible for up to 40 miles to all others who are outdoors. Drumbeats can be used to send messages to anyone in range who understands the code used.
Level 3. When this drum is played, anyone within 30' of the drum must save vs. mental or suffer the effects of the mage spell Fear. The user is immune to this effect. The effect ends immediately if the user stops playing; otherwise, those affected continue running as usual until they make their saves.
Level 3. While this drum is being played, anyone who comes within 30' of it must save vs. mental or begin dancing uncontrollably. The player is immune to this effect. Those who fail their saving throws get an additional chance to save every 10 melee rounds. Those affected must continue dancing until they make a save or until the user stops playing. Victims are unable to fight, cast spells, or do anything but dance in place.
Level 3. When played outdoors, this drum enables the user to cast mage Skylore spells in the cloud, rain, and lightning spheres. (The cloud sphere can be used only to create clouds, not fog.) The drum has 7 spell levels available per day, which the user can allocate to one or more castings of the spell, with the usual mage spell modifiers, as he chooses.
Level 2. This horn can be activated once per day. When it is blown, the closest dead body within 60' is animated into a low-level undead. If the body is relatively intact, it becomes a zombie; otherwise, it becomes a skeleton. The user has complete control over the resulting undead. The animation lasts until the undead is destroyed.
Level 5. Burnout 20%. When this horn is blown, it creates a cone of sound 60' long and 30' wide at the base, with the horn at the apex. The sound penetrates all materials as if they were air. All inanimate objects in the zone of effect must save vs. physical or be disintegrated, as per the reverse of the mage morphic spell Grand Patterning. Any living being in the zone must make a physical saving throw to avoid getting caught in the blasting wave and having all of his possessions exposed to the item's effect.
Level 1. This instrument appears to be one of the useful types of horn. However, when it is activated, it spews forth a cloud of bubbles that blinds the user for 2D4 rounds. The effect of this blindness in combat is a -30% penalty for the user to hit or target.
Level 4. Burnout 20%. When this horn is blown, it creates a cone of sound 60' long and 30' wide at the base, with the horn at the apex. The sound penetrates all materials as if they were air. The structural strength of all nonmagical materials in the cone is greatly reduced for 1 turn. Living beings in the zone of effect must save vs. physical to avoid having their personal possessions affected. Objects under 200 pounds are affected as if by the clerical prayer Brittle. (They become fragile; weapons and armor have a 5% chance of breaking per point of damage inflicted or sustained.) The effect upon larger structures depends upon the soundness of their construction and the stress placed upon them. Underground tunnels are seldom constructed with high tolerances, so they usually collapse when affected by this horn. Bridges, city walls, and large buildings are usually better engineered, so the effect of the horn upon them is generally less unless a great deal of stress is placed upon them (such as extreme pressure or bombardment with catapults). If he spends a turn or more examining a stone or metal structure, a Daglir cleric has a 10% chance per level of locating a critical point in the structure whose weakening would collapse it.
Level 2. When this horn is blown, it creates a cone of sound 60' long and 30' wide at the base, with the horn at the apex. Anyone within the cone must save vs. physical or be struck deaf for 2D4 rounds. Beings within 10' of the horn and in the zone of effect get no saving throw and must make a system shock roll to avoid becoming permanently deaf.
Level 2. This horn is always sensitized to the two individuals who have most recently had it in their possession for at least one day. Those who are sensitized to the horn hear it when blown regardless of their distance from it. For PrinceCon purposes, a GM may permit the possessor of the horn, and any other single consenting character of his choice, to be sensitized to it at the start of a scenario. A player character's prior sensitization to the item may be ignored if the player is not present.
Level 2. This horn enables the user to cast the mage spell Skylore, in the cloud sphere, to summon fog. The fog issues from the horn when it is blown. The horn has 6 spell levels available per day, which the user can allocate to one or more castings of the spell, with the usual mage spell modifiers, as he chooses.
Level 1. Burnout 5%. When this horn is blown, it creates a cone of sound 60' long and 30' wide at the base, with the horn at the apex. Any being with hearing within the cone receives the effects of the clerical prayer Cure Disease, with no saving throw.
Level 1. This horn is not an instrument to be played; it remains ever filled with fruits and vegetables. Its capacity is about fifteen apple-sized pieces. A constant flow of fruits and vegetables can be poured from the horn, at a maximum rate of 10 pieces per minute.
Level 1. Burnout 5%. When this horn is blown, it creates an area of silence around it equal to the clerical prayer Silence 15'r. The effect lasts for two hours and moves with the horn.
Level 1. Burnout 5%. When this horn is blown, it summons a creature randomly chosen from the Monster Summoning table of level D4. The creature appears next to the user. Unlike a creature summoned with the Monster Summoning spell, a creature summoned with this horn does not magically vanish after a short time. The creature is under no compulsion to serve the user; it acts according to its disposition.
Level variable "fighters and Leo clerics". When blown, this horn summons 2D4 fighters, who appear the following round within 15' of the user. The fighters wear chain armor; each wields either a battleaxe or a long sword, determined randomly. Under the command of the user, the fighters gleefully fight any opponents, regardless of personal safety. They serve for the duration of a single battle, or until killed. If a summoned fighter is not in melee for more than one round, or if he dies, he disappears along with his weapons and armor. Spells or prayers can be used to enhance the fighters' abilities, but they are unaffected by clerical Cure Wounds prayers. The level of the fighters, the level of the item, and the burnout chance depend upon the material of the horn, as presented in the table below.
| Material | Item Level | Fighter Level | Burnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 2 | 1 | 10% |
| Silver | 2 | 2 | 10% |
| Bronze | 3 | 3 | 20% |
| Iron | 3 | 4 | 20% |
Level 1. An Instrument of Perfect Pitch can be any type of musical instrument. When playing this instrument, the user gains the abilities of a musical virtuoso; he can play any music suited to the instrument flawlessly and with great feeling. Such play has no effect on combat, but it does make beings with a love of music favorably inclined toward the player, and generally impresses even those without any knowledge of music. The GM must specify the type of instrument in the item list.
Level 1. Cursed-10. This item appears to be an Instrument of Perfect Pitch. The first time the user plays it, however, he is struck tone deaf. Thereafter, whenever he hears a request for music, the user must play the instrument for 1 turn. The instrument creates such discordant noise that all beings with hearing within 30' must save vs. mental or attempt to move away. Those who save can depart if they wish; however, more common reactions are throwing rotten fruit and vegetables (if available) at the player or attempting to grapple him to prevent his playing. Once the instrument has revealed its true nature, the user can only rid himself of it via a successful Remove Curse as versus a 10th level.
Level 4. The user of this lyre can cast the mage spells Wall of Stone and Permanent. The Permanent spell can affect only Wall of Stone spells previously cast with the lyre. The lyre has 7 spell levels available per day, which the user can allocate to casting either spell, with the usual mage spell modifiers, as he chooses.
Level 3. The user of this lyre can cast the mage spells Patterning, in the bind or seal modes, and Hold Portal. The lyre has 7 spell levels available per day, which the user can allocate to one or more castings of the spells, with the usual mage spell modifiers, as he chooses.
Level 3. Once per day, the user of this lyre can shatter any one nonmagical object within 60 feet into tiny pieces. The object must be inorganic, rigid, and no more than 200 pounds in weight. Due to the high-pitched noises that the lyre gives off when played, everyone within 5 feet when it is activated, including the user, are deaf for one day, with no saving throw. This instrument can only be used by someone who can hear.
Level 2. Cursed-16. This lyre appears to be one of the useful types, but upon trying to invoke its powers the user activates the curse. Thereafter, whenever the user is requested to play the lyre, he stops whatever he is doing and plays for 1 turn. While playing the lyre, the user can tell only the truth and must answer any questions asked of him. He can stop playing if attacked. A person can make only one request per day that the possessor play the lyre.
Level 3. The user of this lyre can cast the mage morphic spell Skylore in the wind, cloud, rain, and lightning spheres. The lyre has 7 spell levels available per day, which the user can allocate to one or more castings of the spell, with the usual mage spell modifiers, as he chooses. The lyre can only be used to increase the effect or severity of the weather conditions.
Level 3. When this lyre is played, it causes anyone with hearing within 30' to answer all questions asked of him and to tell only the truth. The user is not immune to this effect. Anyone in the area of effect is allowed a saving throw vs. mental for each question asked of him; if he saves, he is immune to the lyre's effects for the next 24 hours.
Level 1. Burnout 10%. When these pipes are played, they cause all "giant" creatures (monsters, such as giant rats, snakes, or beetles, that are essentially oversized versions of naturally occurring animals) within 30' to save vs. physical or shrink to the size of their naturally occurring counterparts. A victim need not be able to hear to be affected. True giants and giant monsters that only bear a passing resemblance to normal animals are not affected by this item. A shrunken creature returns to its usual size if the user stops playing or if it moves more than 30' from the pipes, but the creature will shrink again if it reenters the zone of effect while the user continues playing. While in a shrunken state, a creature retains its hit points, but its movement and attack abilities are those of its naturally occurring counterpart. Burnout is checked whenever the user starts playing and every hour he continues thereafter.
Level 2. Burnout 10%. When these pipes are played, everyone within 30' is affected by the clerical prayer Cure Insanity. The pipes also attempt to free everyone in the area from any outside control or possession. The pipes engage the source of each control or possession in a level-vs-level battle; the item is level 20 for this purpose. While the user is playing the instrument, anyone attempting to control, charm, or possess any creature in the zone of effect, or to bring any such creature within the area, must win a level-vs-level battle with the pipes. Burnout is checked whenever the user starts playing and every hour he continues thereafter.
Level 2. Burnout 10%. The user of this item can summon rats as per the clerical prayer Summon Animals V (i.e., he can summon up to 10 rats if they are appropriate to the terrain). Burnout is checked for each set of rats summoned by the pipes.
Level 1. Burnout 10%. The user of this item can cast the mage spell Suggestion on any snake or snake-like creature within 60'. The effect on each victim lasts as long as the user continues playing and the snake remains within 60' of the pipe. If the user continues playing without interruption, he can cast Suggestion spells on additional creatures while maintaining the effects of the earlier spells. Burnout must be checked for each spell cast.
Level 1. Burnout 10%. The user of these pipes can reduce the grappling value of a target within 30'. If the target fails its saving throw vs. mental, its suffers a -30% penalty to its grappling value. These pipes cannot reduce a target's grappling value below 5%. The impairment lasts for one turn. The duration of the effect can be extended with multiple uses of the pipes against a single target, but the effects are not cumulative, and burnout must be checked for each use.
Level 2. Burnout 10%. When these pipes are played, they drown out all other sound in a 30' radius. They render ineffective all magical items or attacks that function through sound, such as other musical instruments, magical chimes, aural illusions, and harpies' songs. Superior Pipes dispel clerical Silence prayers wherever the zones of effect coincide. Anyone in the area who wishes even to speak must win a level-vs-level battle with the user to be heard. Burnout is checked whenever the user starts playing and every hour he continues thereafter.
Level 1 "followers of Alhazien". When these pipes are played, all normal, uncontrolled birds within 60' approach the user. With the pipes, the user can converse with the birds as per the clerical prayer Speak with Animals. The user understands the speech of all the birds, and can speak to one species at a time. The pipes grant the user no further control over the birds, although he can attempt to persuade them through communication as usual.
Level 3. Burnout 5%. When blown, this whistle affects all canine creatures within 60' with the mage spell Charm Monster. All victims get a mental saving throw to resist the effect as usual. Dogs, foxes, jackals, coyotes, wolves (not including werewolves), worgs, and similar creatures are considered canines. The user need not concentrate on controlling the affected canines, but he must blow the whistle (and check burnout) for each command he issues.
Level 2. This item appears to be a Whistle of Controlling Canines, but when blown it causes all canine creatures within 60' to save vs. mental or go berserk. A berserk canine attacks the nearest target, except another canine, within line of sight, until either no living targets remain or the canine is killed. If there are no targets in line of sight, the canine gets an additional saving throw against the madness, and another save every turn thereafter as it wanders at random hunting for more victims.
Last Modified on September 25,1995.
ammulder@princeton.edu