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Ropes

Usable by all classes A magical rope is a coil of extremely tough fiber. By default, a magical rope is 50 feet in length and can support up to 5000 pounds of weight. A heavier load forces the rope to slip any knots or fastenings if possible; if it is securely attached, the rope will break. A magical rope can be broken by physical damage. For targeted attacks, a rope is considered AC 3; it is cut by hit points of damage equal to 8 plus its item level. Breaking a magical rope renders it nonmagical. By default, magical ropes have no burnout chance.

Rope of Climbing

Level 2. This magical rope can be commanded by its user to stretch up to its full length outward or upward. The user can command it to knot or attach itself at the far end. The rope can also be ordered to free itself from any knots or entanglements by the one who initially commanded it to fasten itself. It provides +35% to climbing rolls for anyone using it.

Rope of Entanglement

Level 2. This rope provides its user with a +30% bonus to his offensive grappling rolls when used.

Rope of Slipperiness

Level 2. This rope appears to be a Rope of Climbing, but it gives a -35% penalty to all climbing rolls using it. A user who falls while using this rope is inclined to suspect his own incompetence or misfortune for his failure.

Snake Rope

Level 2. This rope turns into 5 nonpoisonous snakes when thrown to the ground. (If the rope is not 50' long, it turns into length/10 snakes.) The snakes are under the user's command and serve until killed, until commanded to return to rope form, or until one hour passes. The snakes travel with the user and do not voluntarily move more than 3" from him. Each snake is AC 6, HD3, moves at 12", and bites for D4 damage. Whenever a snake rolls 20% less than the roll it needed to hit (or lower) against a man-sized or smaller creature, it wraps itself around the victim and squeezes for D6 points of damage each round thereafter. A wrapped victim can break free if he kills the snake or if he spends a round pulling it free with a successful strength roll for opening doors. Resistance to crushing protects a target from all squeezing damage. There is a 20% burnout chance per dead snake whenever the snakes rejoin (e.g., if two snakes were killed, there is a 40% chance the rope burns out and is useless when the remaining three attempt to transform back into the rope).

Strangling Rope

Level 2. This rope appears to be a Rope of Strangulation. However, the first time the possessor sincerely attempts to use it in melee, it strikes him instead, automatically hitting. It proceeds to strangle him for 1 point of damage per round, as a Rope of Strangulation. The rope continues its attack until the victim is dead or freed. The user can attempt to free himself once per round, but this requires a successful strength roll for opening Wizard Locked doors. The rope need not be held to continue its attack.

Rope of Strangulation

Level 3. This rope can be used to strangle opponents. During the melee phase, the user can roll to hit armor class 7 to wrap the rope around the target's neck. (The rope can only be used against a creature with a neck.) Once the rope has looped itself around the victim's neck, the victim takes 1 point of damage per round until dead or freed. The rope cannot be broken or cut by physical damage. The victim can attempt to free himself once each round with a strength roll for opening doors. Resistance to crushing or the ability to live without breathing makes the target immune to this damage. The target can attack and move freely, but he cannot move more than 40' (i.e., 10' less than the rope's length) from the user while being strangled. The user must continue to hold one end of the rope while it is in use; otherwise, it ceases strangling immediately.

Tight Rope

Level 2. When this rope is thrown across a gap or rift in the ground or floor, it transforms into a rope bridge that spans the chasm. This bridge is 3' wide and cannot be longer than the rope's original length. The bridge allows man-sized and smaller creatures to pass across it in single file; it is capable of supporting up to 5000 pounds at once. The user must grasp either end of the bridge when no one is standing on it to command it to return to rope form. It can be ordered to form a bridge only once per day.

Trick Rope

Level 2. Once per day, this rope can be used to perform a Rope Trick, as per the mage spell. The default effect is the base mage spell; a GM may specify a longer duration or extra effect in his item list.

Rope of Trickiness

Level 2. This rope appears to be a Trick Rope. However, whenever it is used the pocket universe formed is occupied by a random monster from the Monster Summoning level III table. (A GM may specify any other kind of inhabitant of his choice; details should be provided in the item list.) The monster attacks the first person to enter the pocket. If either the monster or the person dies, the Rope Trick ends, disgorging its contents onto the ground below. Otherwise, the rope remains in place until 3 hours have passed, at which point it simply falls to the ground. This rope can only be used once per day.

Rope of Vipers

Level 2. This rope appears to be a Snake Rope, but the snakes into which the rope transforms attack the user instead of obeying him. The burnout chance and the snakes function as those of the Snake Rope.

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Last Modified on September 25,1995.

ammulder@princeton.edu