Magic Item of the Week - Familiar's Hat

  The debate around my house on familiars is never-ending. Yes, we all admit they are useful. Yes, they are certainly cool. No, no one has one.
  [That is not quite true; two characters have special familiars from a specific spell - I should post that and the unique familiars some day. Or they are in the book Mage Guild already. Very, very broad hint.]
  Of course, we aren't alone. While those extra hit points and such are really handy at 1st the idea of taking all those penalties when your toad get's hit with a Fireball is terrifying. WE have a lot of ideas floating around, like; having spell-like rituals that can be researched so that familiars get tougher at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, etc. levels; higher level variants of Find Familiar that get you tougher familiars or make sure you get a special one; or making magic items for familiars.
  That last one led my two oldest sons to think up the Familiar's Hat;

  The Familiar's Hat is usually in the style of a capuchon, hennin, or even capirote but may also resemble a kalpak, bashlyk, phrygian cap, dhaka topi, or even a busby or akubra. The hat may be simple or fancy, battered or crisp, plain or embroidered and bejeweled.
  Regardless of appearance all Familiar's Hats share the trait of containing an extra-dimensional space meant as a form of dwelling and protection for familiars.
  When first found the Familiar's Hat will typically be inactive; the extra-dimensional space will be inchoate and unformed. But when touched by the owner and his familiar at the same time the Familiar's Hat will both assume a specific 'interior' form and both the familiar and owner will be mystically aware of its powers.
  Once activated the familiar may enter the hat in one of two ways; they may open a magical 'door' and enter normally or they may be whisked into the hat via a very limited form of teleportation.
  When entering normally the familiar opens what appears to be a small, hinged door that appears on the side of the hat. This takes a total of 4 segments and allows the familiar to take things into and out of the extra-dimensional space. The familiar can open the door at any time and may move back at forth at will.
  To be whisked into the Hat the familiar must be on or within arm's reach of the owner and the owner must be wearing the hat. The teleportation can be triggered by thought at any time the familiar is not surprised and takes only a segment. The experience of being whisked inside is disorienting and leaves the familiar stunned and disoriented, unable to perform any action for 19 full segments.
  When inside the Hat the familiar may still communicate with the owner so long as the owner is wearing the hat. The familiar may see, hear, and communicate otherwise by opening one of 4 'windows', one each to the front, rear, and each side. When opened these windows appear on the surface of the hat and a brief glimpse of the interior and the familiar may be seen. Nothing may be passed through these windows but light and conversation; items and spells (including such things as Charm) are blocked. While inside the Hat the familiar may be harmed by no outside force.
  As mentioned earlier the interior of the hat is configured when activated and is based upon the type of familiar as well as the personalities of the familiar and owner. A toad will have a (very) small, moist glade, a raven an open area with a perch, a cat a cozy little den with a few ledges, etc. At the extreme ends an imp or quasit will have a tiny chapel of evil with a miniature altar and a brownie will have a snug miniature cottage complete with a fireplace. The owner may place nothing into the Hat directly, all will have to be taken in with the familiar directly or indirectly; the toad may be accompanied by insect and such, 'stocking up' the Hat with food while the brownie may take in tiny furniture, firewood, etc. The Hat cannot be used as another extra-dimensional storage space for loot, etc., unless it is the property of the familiar.
  The hat will always have an encumbrance of 3 lbs. It makes all saving throws as the best possible material and at +3. If the Hat fails a saving throw it is destroyed and, if inside, the familiar is immediately ejected; in this case the familiar is unharmed but is stunned for 3 rounds.

This Weekend - Tools for Teaching New Players

  This weekend will be the first of three over the next 2 months when I will be teaching people to play. This set is a dad (who played D&D in college) and his 3 teenagers. The next set are 4 teenage friends of my sons. The third will be three teenage brothers, also friends of my sons.

  I've been teaching new people how to play for about 37 years and I have slowly but surely built up some tools and ideas. Yes, I used to just throw them in the pool, but I am not 14 anymore.

  Since my main campaign and my main experience are with 1e I will be teaching them 1e. In my own opinion, it is one of the easiest systems to teach people - the stats are easy to explain, you can point to Tolkien about the races, classes are simple, etc. 2e adds skills which can really slow down character creation; 3e adds feats, too. I stick with 1e. Feel free to disagree.

  The first thing I do is send the people a copy of OSRIC and of my house rules. I also tell them I don't expect them to read them all (OSRIC is what? 404 pages? And my complete house rules are 64). But there is almost always a 13-15 year old kid who reads and understands a lot, which is nice and helps the others realize it isn't that hard.

  I also print out N+2 character sheets (N is the number of players making new characters) so that errors are OK. I usually make a custom sheet for each of my characters but for new players I love these free sheets from Dragonsfoot. Jon Woodland, thanks for making my life easier.

  I then press-gang 1 to 4 of my sons to help. When things are humming I have one of my kids helping each of the new players roll dice, select race and class, write things down, etc. while I supervise and answer questions.

  For new players I hand out some of these from my custom Massive Bag O' Dice handmade by my lovely wife. She made me a dice bag large enough for two pounds-o-dice and, by Heaven, I plan to fill it!

  I am trying something new this time. One of the most time consuming things for experienced players and most frustrating for new players goes a little something like this,

  DM: 'Roll 'to hit'"
  Newbie: "Which one is that?"
  DM: "The d20"
  Newbie: "Um, which one is that?"
  Experienced player: "That one"
  Newbie: "This one?"
  Experienced Player: "No, that's a d12, this one"
  Newbie: "Oh, OK"
  Wait 5 minutes. Repeat with same newbie.

 I call this new tool a 'dice sorter'. It looks like this;

  I will print our a copy for each new player and then place the appropriate die or dice on each image over the test and the newbie can just pick them up, roll them, and put them back until they know which die is which.

  I found out a long time ago that many (not all) new players are helped by things like lighting and music; the setting and ambiance can go a long way in helping them feel the immersion in the game. So this last week I picked up this to go with Syrinscape. Syrinscape is my gaming music app of choice and my review of it can be found here.

  I will use my 'standard method' for character generation, which all my players use: 3d6 in order, roll three full sets and take the set you prefer. Any set with 3 or more sixes or 2 or more five or less scores may be discarded.

  The first group is a bit on the younger side so they will face a scenario I call The Old Mill starring Clarence and His Kobolds. It will be three new player kids, their dad, and my oldest son. My oldest has been through the Old Mill 5-6 times like this, but he is very good at encouraging the others to lead and learn.

  The second and third groups are older so they will each have a unique encounter, probably with goblins and bandits, respectively. These other groups will also have my oldest son and probably second oldest to help them play.

  All three scenarios will involve tricks, traps, and combat and have 'plug ins' as needed (a place where tracking is valuable if they have a ranger but changes nothing if taken out; NPCs that react well to paladins or nobles; etc.).

  Anyone else have tips, tricks, or tools for teaching new players?

Spell Components

  Ah, the topic of spell components. Often a source of humor (swallowing a live goldfish?) and sometimes meant to provide balance (and to vacuum out every copper the mage has, How much diamond dust does a mage need? All of it!) they are sometimes given a miss.
  When I first began to DM I made spell components mandatory - they casters of all stripes absolutely, positively had to have the listed components in order to cast spells. The end. You don't have a live spider? You can't cast Spider Climb. This often led to drama and drove character actions - PC's mentioning that they carry small vials with corks that have tiny holes and that they catch little garden spiders while scouting, for example. In one memorable adventure one of the party's magic-users was frantically crushing some diamonds just found in a treasure chest hoping it was enough for him to cast a Stone Skin spell that might get him out alive.
  But in some games (one shots, short arcs, etc.) it was frankly too much trouble. Unless the component cost more than about 50 g.p. we just gave it a handwave. And I know I am not alone - most games that I have played in just ignore components.
  In my new-ish 2e S&P campaign when I was using spell points I had a simple rule - 50 g.p. per level of the caster per adventure to cover the cost of components. So the 7th level Fire Elementalist would make off 350 g.p. just before the adventure and we assumed this covered the cost of any components he might need. Simple, didn't require a lot of paperwork, and still removes cash from pouches. I can't remember where, but I once saw material components as 'being prepared taxes' and I think that is actually appropriate. I am also careful to track  arrows, sling bullets, etc. and have general maintenance charges for all characters, too.
  But Seaward, my 1e campaign, still requires careful track of components.
  Each city and large town has one or more magic shops (these sell components, parchment, ink, etc., never magic items) and magic shops exist in a few smaller towns. In some villages and even a few remote areas there are hedge wizards (an NPC-only spellcasting class) that either actively collect and sell components or can be convinced to sell. When a spellcaster is not collecting components by gathering them directly they usually go to one of these sources. When they do I have a chart I refer to to determine if they have the component and how much it costs.
  It sounds like a lot of work, but the chart was a one-time thing and the depth it adds is a lot of fun.

  How do you deal with them?

NPCs for Fun and Adventuring - Old Marcus

  How to introduce Old Marcus into your campaign: Old Marcus is a rather friendly fellow that likes to spend a far amount of time at the local inn sitting in a big chair by the fire, smoking a pipe, and exchanging jokes and tall tales with the locals and any strangers who happen to pass by. He has a keen ear for news and will pry stories of far lands, dungeon crawls, lost magic swords, and such from travellers, bards, and characters with wit, skill, and a free hand buying ale and food for the speaker. He is very keenly interested in old books.
  If the characters are willing to talk present Old Marcus as the stranger most happy to see them after they return from an adventure; he will buy them a round, help them settle, and eagerly listen to tales of daring, heroics, and defeat with a sharp eye, quiet praise, and emotional support.
  Old Marcus has a two-storey home a short walk from the inn and is well-liked by the people of the area.He is known for being friendly and open-handed with others. The only 'odd' thing is that he sends and receives many, many letters and occasionally has visitors from far lands.
  If villagers are asked where his money comes from they speak of him buying and selling old books (true enough). If he is asked he responds vaguely about how knowledge is money.

  How to introduce Old Marcus as a campaign resource: If the players don't think of this on their own either have Old Marcus ask about any old books they have found or have an NPC suggest they sell anything like that they find to Old Marcus. He haggles a bit but gives a fair price for any genuine work, especially written histories, journals, etc. Also, Old Marcus may show a shocking familiarity with some recovered object from deep in a tomb - when pressed he will simply respond he 'recognized it from a description in a book'.

  What is Old Marcus up to?: Old Marcus, real name Marcuse of Greenhaven, is a former Religious Brother (see the Far Realms supplement for OSRIC for the details of Religious Brothers) and sage. He earns a living answering specific questions for various people and maintains an extensive correspondence with fellow sages, a handful of clerics and mages, and current, past, and potential clients.

  Old Marcus information: Old Marcus is a 2nd level Religious Brother; h.p. 7, A.C. 9, can cast Protection from Evil once a day; may cure 1 h.p. once a day; may grant a second saving throw vs. poison once a day.
  He has a +1 ring of protection (factored into his A.C., above) and a magical inkwell that never spills, dries up, or runs out (a gift from a former client).
 His sage abilities are;

  Major Field: Humankind
      Special Categories: History, Languages, Demography
  Minor Fields: Natural Philosophy, Supernatural and Unusual

  How to roleplay Old Marcus: Old Marcus should be almost the opposite of the stuffy historian; he is a cheerful, outgoing, happy man who loves a good joke, a glass of wine, his pipe, and hearing a good tale. To him a stranger is just a friend he hasn't met yet. He will genuinely like any character willing to routinely share a drink and a story with him.

  How he can help your campaign: While largely up to you, Old Marcus can buy old books of the party, translate old documents, etc. all the way up to researching curses, prophesies, and command words. He can provide clues, suggest possible locations for lost cities, etc. While he is careful to always charge a fair (i.e., full) fee if the players cultivate a friendship with him he will certainly help them first.

Magic Item of the Week - the Ring of Warding

  This plain gold band has two different effects. When worn by most characters it simply gives a +1 on all saving throws vs. undead and their effects; +1 vs. Ghast stink; +1 to save vs. Vampire charm, etc.
  Its full powers are only seen when worn by a cleric or paladin. When such characters wear the Ring of Warding it has the following effects; the wearers acts as if one level higher when attempting to turn undead; if the wearer succeeds in turning undead an additional 1d4 undead are turned or destroyed and the undead are turned for maximum duration; the wearer has +1 A.C. vs undead and makes all saving throws vs magical or poison effects of the undead at +1; if an effect generated by an undead normally has no saving throw the Ring of Warding grants a save of 20 which can be modified by magic, etc.

  Example; Aurelius the Studious, a cleric, is 8th level and wears a Ring of Warding. He is traveling deep into a cavern system in hopes of destroying a hidden temple to the Ghoul God said to be hidden there when he and his companions are attacks by a horde of 17 wights! Gripping his crucifix firmly he raises it high and calls out,
  "Deus te Perdat!"
  He then rolls to turn undead but uses the chart for 9th level clerics, not 8th. This means that instead of automatically turning some of the wights he now destroys them! In addition to the normal 2d6 he adds 1d4 getting a lucky total of 13, meaning only 4 remain.
  The wights close so quickly he has to get his mace into his hands immediately as they fall upon the party. Doomsman the barbarian and the Amazon dealt with two of the fell creatures quickly and Jonas was holding his own but the one attacking Aurelius, perhaps by luck, perhaps by fierceness, lunged forward and touched him, trying to leech out his lifeforce.
  Normally level drain has no save, but the Ring of Warding gives Aurelius a based save of 20. He is also wearing a +3 Amulet of Protection and is under the effects of a Prayer spell he cast earlier, so he needs 16 or better to save. He rolls an 18 and handily avoids losing a level.

Magic Item: The Woundrous Fruit Basket

  Created by my fourth son, who is 11 years old. He calls it 'cleric in a basket'!
  This a large wicker basket, much like an American picnic basket, about 16 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 8 inches deep with a large handle and flip up lids. It always weighs one pound. The basket makes all saves as wood.
  When a basket is first discovered it contains the following fruit:
1d4 kiwi
4d4 bunches of grapes
1d6 cantaloupes
1d6 apples
1d8 grapefruit
1d4 bananas
2d2 mangos
  These each have wide variety of magical effects that occur when eaten:
Each kiwi removes 1d4 years of age.
Each bunch of grapes heal 2d4 hit points.
Each Cantaloupe counts as an entire day of food and water.
Each apple acts as a Neutralize Poison spell.
Each grapefruit acts as a Cure Disease spell.
Each banana acts as a Remove Curse spell.
Each mango counts as Cure Blindness/Deafness spell.

  All fruit fits easily into the basket and the desired fruit is always on top if any is left; the fruit is always fresh and delicious. Eating a 'dose' of fruit takes one round. Nothing else may be placed into the basket.
  When all the fruit is eaten, The basket vanishes only to appear in a random location in the world full of the above fruit.

Useful Magic Item of the Week - Tinker's Hammer

  I love the Mending spell; useful out of combat, sneakily important if you want a homunculus, and a spell no magic-user with an Intelligence under 16 would waste a slot on. I am half convinced that spell was put in the Player's handbook just for me.
  But of all the magic-users you know, who ever takes it?
  The tinker's hammer is a small tool hammer weighing less than 1/3 a pound. In desperate circumstances it could be used as a weapon, but things need to be pretty bad (speed 2, damage: 1 h.p.,, -2 to hit chain armors, -4 to hit plate armors, proficiency as club). It is, pure and simple a light tool.
  Once per day the Tinker's hammer can cast a Mending spell as a 12th level magic-user. The Tinker's Hammer may only repair metal items. If used by a skilled person (in 1e someone with a secondary skill like blacksmith, in 2e the appropriate non-weapon proficiency) the effects of the Mending are increased (and DM's discretion) to repair greater damage or to even restore hit points to full plate armor.
  If wielded by a spell caster that knows the Mending spell the Tinker's Hammer can be used an additional time each day by uttering the word 'damn' while using it. No Tinker's Hammer may be used more than twice in 24 hours.
  Similar items (the Seamstress' needle, the Leatherman's Awl) exist to repair items not made of metal.

New Magic Item - Mage Gauntlet

  I invented the mage gauntlet waaaaaaaaaaay back in 1983 - 30 years ago! It was later part of the loot from my adventyre 'The Island of the Gauntlet Mage' about the ruined fortress of a powerful magic user that mafe many unique gauntlet and glove items and spells. I referred to this as a 'metamagic item' when I first made it because of its function.

  Mage Gauntlet: These are always found singly; 80% are for the left hand. Typically a mage gauntlet appears as a common leather glove for riding, but some (less than 10%) are either richly decorated with wmbroidery or resemble a battle gauntlet with metal plates over the knuckles (DM's choice). Whatever the appearance, the gauntlet has no effect on A.C., spellcasting, etc. A mage gauntlet will magically change size and shape to the fit the hand of any humanoid from halfling to ogre size. The gauntlet fits snugly and comfortably
  The wearer of a mage gauntlet may wer three magical rings at the same time; two on the gauntleted hand and one upon the other hand.No more than one mage gauntlet may be worn at a time. Attempting to place more than two magical rings on the gauntlet will cause it to cease functioning for a full day (i.e., only one magical ring can be worn on the gauntlet during that time).

When is Treasure not Treasure? NPCs as Campaign Rewards

  For the last two game years the main party of my campaign has been building a joint stronghold - the soon-to-be-12th level Fighter is creating a large concentric castle which will contain a cathedral for the 9th level Cleric and two towers for the magic-users. The Thief will have a hidden fastness across the river, overlooking access to the castle. As usual I am using this as an excuse to vacuum wealth out of the characters' pouches, but it is also a huge use of treasure that isn't treasure.
  That's right; the characters are calling in favors, goodwill, and connections.
  The Dwarven architects and master masons? Working at 1/2 normal fee because the party did their king a favor game years ago. The troops protecting the place? Barbarians saved from a curse when the party was 4th level. The ship bringing in exotic materials? Doing it as a favor since the captain paid for the ship with treasures given by the characters. There are more examples, but you get the idea.
  But this only works if the DM is creating opportunities for players to build relationships between characters and NPCs. I started the (new, young) players out gently with a friendly publican named Boz. Garrulous and connected, Boz introduced the characters to their first 3 adventures - but he also introduced them to NPCs that didn't need rescuing or mercenaries, just people who lived in the city and frequented the same pub. Once they realized interacting with Boz was valuable in and of itself, they started doing the same with other NPCs.
  Soon they were friends with the officers of the merchant ship they had hired to carry them to a distant city. After fighting pirates together on a different trip (and having the 2nd officer save the life of a character) the crew of the Black Parrot became a fun part of the game with characters corresponding with the NPCs about matters like in-game family and trade. A mission to retrieve a rare component for a reclusive Diviner and her warrior husband led to the wizards of the party passing on information and even minor magics to her and, in return, receiving the occasional prescient letter from her. When she and her husband died it was much more than a plot point!
  When the party realized that they faced a foe too powerful for themselves they quickly sent dispatches to bishops and war chiefs, barbarian kings and crime lords, soon forging an impromptu alliance to save the world - all by utilizing their connections.
  So - how does a DM do this? Here are a few tips;
  1) Think about NPCs and flesh them out. I know, I know, this is about the most common advice to DMs ever. But it is repeated often for a reason. If the party is chartering a ship, name all of the officers and senior enlisted. Allow the party to interact with them. Same with Inns. And with caravans. Etc.
  2) Keep notes. I have 'the NPC box': a small filing box full of 3 x 5 cards arranged with alphabetical dividers. If the players have anything approaching meaningful interaction with an NPC I jot notes own during play. After the game that NPC gets a card in the NPC box that looks a bit like this;

  NPC Name            NPC Location
  Level/Profession/Alignment/Alliances
  NPC Stats, H.P. A.C.
  Gear, Magic items, etc.
  Characters Known
  When met, how met, where met
  important information the NPC knows (if any)
  Notes (may continue on back)

  Then I keep track of all future interactions on the card. Once every 2-3 months I go through the box and determine if any NPCs contact the characters. I also keep track of relationships between NPCs this way, especially if the NPCs were introduced by the characters!
  I keep a box for each of my campaigns.
  3) Have some NPC interactions pay off immediately. Did the party just rescue an Elven warrior from becoming the main course at a Hobgoblin convention? He might offer service to his rescuer (instant henchman) and, if that is refused, he might still stick around to help for an adventure or three. If sent off he might just send a bit of coin, or a weapon, or something to the party once he gets home. 
  4) Have some NPC interactions pay off much later. The 4th level party just saved King Snurri's lands from a horde of Goblin wolfriders? King Snurri pays them the agreed upon fee and rides off to rebuild the border forts and the characters sail back home, over the sea. That's it, right?
  Maybe. Or, maybe, King Snurri sends the now 9th level party an envoy to give them a book he found on a dead necromancer, a book with a few rare spells in it. he was too busy at the time to feast with them but he never forgot the party. Do this once or twice and at least some players won't forget NPCs, either, maybe sending off letters or gifts to NPCs to build that relationship.
  5) Don't be Galactica. What I mean by this is, while it can be fun and shocking to have a seemingly-innocuous or friendly NPC turn out to secretly be a bad guy, don't overdo it. Have I ever had a damsel in distress turn out to be a Shapechanged Greenhag? Yes. ONCE. Was the friendly linkboy in town secretly a wererat? Yes. ONCE. Keep the shocking twists to a minimum or the players will never trust any NPC.
  6) Don't count on it working out for the NPCs you think it will. I spent weeks lovingly crafting a Mage's Academy in the home city of the campaign. Fully developed members; names and stats for 12 servants; maps; unique magic items; rare spells; you name it. I had a score of plot hooks lined up and ready, even potential romances if the players wanted to go that route. I slowly introduced the NPCs and made their potential benefits obvious and...
  Zip. The players yawned rather collectively. The characters never met all the wizards let alone the multiple maids, butlers, and hostlers I had written up. Remember how I mentioned Boz the innkeep above? Yeah; he is a key NPC because I had to have someone give hooks to the players after they completely blew off all my hard work. I hadn't even named 'the guy who owns the Inn near the mage Academy' when the party decided that is where they were going to congregate.
  With a little hard work and some luck pretty soon your players will be part of a gaming world that includes a lot of 0-level NPCs that they really care about.

Magic Item of the Week: Necklace of Warning

  These pieces of magical jewelry can come in almost any design - braided cord with amber; silver links with topaz; whatever. But they always take the form of a necklace with a single valuable stone about the size of a thumbnail. When worn the Necklace of Warning gives its wearer a split second flash of warning about danger thus preventing the wearer from being Surprised, in or out of combat.
  Being magical, the necklace does have limitations. It cannot warn its wearer of attacks from a person under the effects of a Mind Bar or someone wearing an Amulet of Undetection. Likewise, a person within an Anti-Magic Shell or under a Scroll of Protection from Magic would not activate the necklace.
  If you feel this effect is too powerful, reduce the Necklace to simply reducing Surprise by 1 or 2 rounds.

Magic Item of the Week: The Portable Cottage

  As I have admitted before, I love non-combat magic items. I also love 'variant' items where you take a classic item and change it a bit to make it fit your campaign better.
  This is a magic items I came up with after reading the Secure Shelter spell many years ago; it is a variant of the Instant Fortress, of course.
  Magic Item - the Portable Cottage: Unactivated, this item appears to be a wooden cube 1" on a side with the rune for 'house' on one face. When placed on the ground and the command word uttered it transforms into a well-made cottage. The Cottage is 20' by 15' on the interior with a large door in the middle of one long wall and a smaller door at the edge of one of the short walls. The interior ceilings are 8' high. The walls and floor are of dressed planks. There is a fireplace and hearth opposite the main door. The long walls each have 2 windows with heavy shutters and the short walls each have one similar window.
  The Cottage is furnished with 2 bunk beds and a larger bed, a table and 6 chairs, a padded chair, a footstool, a large chest, and a side table. There is also a large bin for firewood and a water barrel. The bin can hold 1 days worth of wood for the fire and the barrel up to 50 gallons of water. When activated the large chest contains clean linens for the beds - anything else placed in the chest will be dumped on the ground when the Cottage is deactivated. Likewise, water may be stored in the barrel and wood in the bin - anything else is dumped on the ground when the Cottage resumes its cube shape.
  Any living creature inside the Cottage when it is returned to its cube form must save vs. Wands - if the save fails they are stunned for 1d4+1 rounds and take 2d4 damage; if successful they are stunned for one round and take 1d4 point of damage.
  If attacked treat the cottage as being identical to a large round tower for its resistance to spells or siege engines. If damaged the Cottage recovers one structural point per month is remains in cube form.

The Weekly Useful Magic Item - plus: Encumbrance and Water!

  My first ever! Well, first ever on purpose; I put the Robe of Deeppockets up last week.
  I have always had a special fondness for magic items like Daern's Instant Fortress or the Bag og Holding; useful but not combat-oriented. So I will try to add a new useful item each week!

  Magic item; Everfull Flask.This is a small metal pint flask designed to be slipped into a pocket [i.e., a hip flask] with a cork and metal stopper attached to the bottle with a chain. It is typically found full of resh water. At any time the flask is not full and the stopper is in place after 5 minutes the flask will refill itself with fresh, clean water that is pleasantly cool. Without the stopper in place the flask will not refill itself.
  Other things may placed into the flask (oil, potions, etc.) but the flask will not refill itself until after the other liquid is removed. The flask makes all saving throws as hard metal.

  The Everfull Flask is meant to be a 'nice to have' magic item about utility rather than effect. It only produces a pint of water at a time, the gap between pints is at least 5 minutes, and it only refills with the cap on - you can't use it to put out large fires or flood a room. So why have one? Well, with one of these you never need worry about dying of thirst.
  Your players aren't worried about their characters running out of water? Maybe you should fix that.   See, water is heavy 1 pint = 1 lbs in game. And you need at least a gallon of water every day just for drinking. If your players are sending their characters into a dungeon they need at least 2 full wine skins each for 8 hours of walking and fighting [for historical reasons I set a wine skin's volume at a quart] through a dungeon. That's 4 lbs. of water. Oh, they get stuck or lost and are there overnight? Then they start taking penalties for thirst and dehydration.
  Or they can take the 'Flask!

If I Had a Permanent Robe of Deeppockets

    Ah, Dragon Magazine #67; quite a famous issue, really.  I had had my subscription renewed for my 15th birthday just a few months before and I wore that issue out with re-reading. Its has so much! The write ups for St. Cuthbert and Iuz; how to adventure on the Astral; the Grugach and the cooshie; and, of course, Fedifensor!
  All of those are worthy of articles. And if you don't know what Fedifensor is, I am so sorry.
  But today I am going to write about what was one page 2 - new spells! Particularly the spell Deeppockets, which I saw as too fun not to use. The very next session the party got a permanent Robe of Deeppockets, an item that is still on my treasure tables.
  Magic Item: Robe of Deeppockets-The robe is of fine make and cut and will magically resize itself over the course of a week to provide a good fit (they come in two sizes - small for gnomes, halflings, and dwarves, and tall for humans, etc.). There are 10 hand-sized pockets within the robe. Each pocket is a separate extra-dimensional space that can hold up to 1/2 a cubit foot of volume and up to 10 lbs of weight. Rules on sharp objects, overloading, etc., are as for a bag of holding.
  Yesterday my 10 year old son, N., emailed me a list entitled "If I had a permanent robe of deeppockets". This prompted me to come up with an even longer list of things it is handy to have along when you have extra-dimensional storage on hand. N.'s items are the first dozen on the list; his notes (are in parentheses) mine are [in brackets]:
1. A Murlynd's spoon and a wooden bowl
2. An Everfull Flask [another unique magic item I will detail later; you can replace it with a Decanter of Endless Water]
3. A nice spot for my familiar
4. tongs
5. empty vials with lids
6. some torches
7. empty wooden box 18 "x 8" x 6" [note: that's .495 cu. ft., making me very proud]
8. Quills, ink, and parchment
9. Scrolls
10. an object with Continual Light
11. a Reduced mummy in a glass jar [I pointed out it would be too bug, so he's looking for a better monster]
12. a ruby ring (for bribes)
[now my stuff]
13. 100 g.p.
14. leather gloves
15. travelling spell books
16. a ceramic vial of Green Slime
17. marbles
18. a jar of pepper and spices [to throw off scent tracking]
19. a towel
20. hacksaw with extra blades
21. chalk [in various colors]
22. a jar of grease [everything from coating squeaky hinges to smearing at the top of a long flight of stairs]
23. tool hammer and chisel
24. a jar of iron filings [good for ghasts and rust monsters]
  So, what small items do you think are useful, imperative, fun, or funny to have along?

The Patented Rick Stump Continual Light Rod

  The name I used for a piece of equipment that was, effectively, standard for all my PCs.
  Work with the description, there was never a picture.
  a wooden rod 6" long and 1" in diameter, has Continual Light cast upon it then a wooden strip is glued to one side with a tab sticking up 1". This is slid into a 6 1/2" long leather case with a slot along one side and a cap attached by cords. The slot has has 6 thongs and eye hooks along its length and there is a loop from the base of the case.
  How it works: The attached wooden strip goes under the slot in the case so, with the cap on, the rod is completely covered, shedding no light. Remove the cap and the light rod is almost like a flash light, shining light out of the end to a very short distance. By sliding the rod further out and securing it by using the thongs and eye hooks plus the tab you can control the amount of light emitted like opening the shutter of a hooded lantern. The loop at the end can be put around a wrist or belt of even through a purpose-made hole in a shield or staff.