Roll Result
01-90 No quirks
91-96 One quirk
97-99 Two quirks
00 Three
quirks
Table 2: Magical Potion Quirks
Roll Result
01-05 Drinker glows (as per a light
spell) a random color for as long
as the
potion is in effect.
06-10 Drinker's skin turns a random
color for 1d10 turns.
11-15 Drinker is unable to speak or
cast spells with verbal components
for
1d4 hours after drinking the elixir.
16-21 Imbiber gets extremely hungry
immediately after the potion is
consumed
(as per a chime of hunger).
22-25 Drinker's senses sharpen while
the potion is in effect, or for a
maximum
of three turns (whichever is longer). The individual so
affected
gains a +2 bonus against being surprised (unless he
possesses
the alertness nonweapon proficiency or is a ranger,
in which
case he gains a +3 bonus).
26-30 Drinker cannot hear anything
due to ringing or buzzing in ears
for
as long as the potion is in effect, or for three turns if
no duration
is given.
31-34 Potion is diluted and works 50%
as well as a normal potion of the
same
type. Both duration and effects are diminished in power.
35-40 Potion becomes inert and useless
if left unstoppered for longer
than
five rounds.
41-44 Potion's duration doubles if
it is mixed with wine prior to
consumption.
45-50 Drinker becomes greatly intoxicated
for 1d10 hours after the
potion
is consumed. Only a dispel magic can prematurely remove
the
effects of the drunkenness (effects determined by the DM).
51-53 Drinker gains 60' infravision
for as long as the potion is in
effect,
or for three turns if no duration is given. If the
drinker
normally has infravision, it is lost for the same
amount
of time.
54-57 Potion has no effect upon demihumans.
58-62 Drinker experiences slight disorientation
for 1d6 rounds after
drinking
the potion 2 penalty on any to-hit roll and +2
penalty
on armor class during this time).
63-66 Drinker becomes drowsy; a constitution
check on 1d20 must be made
every
round for four rounds after the potion is consumed. If
the
roll on any check is higher than the drinker's constitution,
he falls
asleep for 3d6 minutes. The sleeping individual can be
awakened
only by taking at least 1 hp damage from a physical or
magical
attack.
67-71 Potion is phosphorescent and
glows (equal to faerie fire spell)
in the
dark.
72-76 Potion is found in powdered form;
water has to be added to the
powder
for the potion to be effective.
77-78 Potion is stronger than normal;
its duration is 150% of a normal
potion
of the same type.
79-83 Potion is nauseating to drink;
a constitution check on 1d20 must
be made
in order to gulp the contents of the potion. If a saving
throw
vs. poison at +2 is not made thereafter, the drinker feels
sick
to his stomach for 2d10 turns (-1 to hit during that time).
84-87 Drinker loses one point of dexterity
for 2d10 turns.
88-89 Potion evaporates (50%) or coagulates
(50%) and becomes useless
if left
open to air for longer than five rounds.
90-91 Potion is unpredictable: It works
normally 50% of the time, does
nothing
30% of the time, and sickens the drinker for 1d4 +1 days
without
any beneficial effect 20% of the time. A cure disease
will
remove this illness.
92-95 Potion is unstable; if severely
jostled or shaken, it will burst
its
container (75% chance) and become useless.
96-97 Drinker suddenly becomes extremely
verbose and talks incessantly
for
the duration of the potion, or one turn if no duration is
given.
During this time, the drinker and his associates cannot
gain
surprise on any encountered monsters.
98-99 If the potion is mixed with anything
else, it forms a lethal
compound
(if swallowed, save vs. poison at -4 on the roll, or die
in 1d4
rounds).
00 Potion is addictive;
a draft of it must be taken at least once
every
week after such an addictive liquid is imbibed. If the
addict
does not drink another such potion every week, he suffers
a -2
penalty on all ability scores until the potion is taken or
the
affliction is removed. Only alter reality, limited wish,
wish,
or going "cold turkey" without the potion for 1d3 months
will
cure such an addiction.
Table 3: Magical Scroll Quirks
Roll Result
01-06 Scroll is old and brittle; any
mishandling causes it to
disintegrate.
A scroll of this type has a -2 on all saving
throws
against fire.
07-10 Scroll glows (equal to faerie
fire) when used, opened, or read.
11-15 Scroll is written in scrawled
script and is barely legible; a 5%
chance
exists of blowing the spell in addition to any other such
chance.
16-18 Scroll is waterproof and can
be read underwater.
19-22 Scroll is exceedingly long and
takes 1-3 rounds to unroll and
prepare
for spell-casting.
23-27 Scroll is specially treated and
cannot be burned by normal fire.
It has
+2 on any saving throws against magical fire.
28-31 Scroll can only be torn by someone
making his bend bars/lift
gates
strength roll.
32-34 Scroll is written in magical
hieroglyphics; 5-10 days must be
spent
translating the characters before the scroll is usable, or
a comprehend
languages must be cast upon it.
35-40 Scroll is more powerful than
normal; any saving throws against a
spell
from the scroll are at -1, and the duration of any spell is
125%
normal.
41-44 Scroll's print disorients reader
for 1d4 rounds after a spell
from
it is cast. During this time, the reader is at -2 to hit
and
loses his dexterity bonuses to armor class.
45-49 Scroll is written improperly;
any spell on it will fail 50% of
the
time (but the spell is not erased from the scroll until a
second
reading).
50-52 Scroll is specially magicked;
the spells on it can be used twice
each
before they vanish.
53-57 Scroll is permanently stuck in
a magically strong rolled-up form;
in order
to cast a spell from it, the reader must make a strength
check
with a -2 bonus to the roll on 1d20. If the die roll is
above
the reader's strength, he is unable to keep the scroll held
open
for that round. Another try may be made the next round.
The
scroll cannot be ripped or torn.
58-63 Scroll is written on a sheet
of thin metal instead of on paper;
it makes
all saving throws as soft metal does.
64-70 Scroll's writing is hidden by
an illusory script or secret page
spell.
71-74 Scroll is protected by a spell,
such as sepia snake sigil or
magic
mouth. The protective spell is activated any time the
scroll
is opened, unless a special bypass word is spoken.
75-78 Scroll is specially treated and
is immune to acid and slimes of
any
type.
79-84 Scroll is dust covered when found;
when opened, the opener must
save
vs. petrification or sneeze and choke on the dust for 1d4
rounds
(no attacks or defense possible).
85-89 Scroll's spells are written in
complicated terms; the casting
times
of all spells upon the scrolls are doubled.
90-94 Scroll is substandard in power;
all saving throws against spells
from
the scroll are at +1, and the duration of any spell is 75%
of normal.
95-98 Scroll is slow to take effect;
all spells take effect the round
after
the casting is finished. Once the casting time is
complete,
hitting the reader will not disrupt the spell.
99-00 Scroll is very powerful; all
spells have an inherent -2 on any
saving
throw against them, and the duration of a spell on this
scroll
is 150% normal.
Table 4: Magical Ring Quirks
Roll Result
01-04 Ring is powerless during the
night.
05-08 Ring is powerless during the
day.
09-12 Ring will not function underground
at depths greater than 100'
below
the surface.
13-17 Ring will not function if a second
magical ring is worn.
18-24 Ring will not function for I&
days if it is taken off the
wearer's
finger and later placed on a new wearer or on the
previous
wearer.
25-28 Ring cannot use its offensive
power against any creature of 1 HD
or less.
29-30 Ring is easily damaged; it makes
any saving throw at a -2 penalty
on the
roll.
31-33 Ring works erratically; there
is a 5% chance when its powers are
utilized
that the ring shorts itself out and is unusable for 24
hours.
34-37 Ring magically grafts itself
to the wearer's finger and cannot be
removed
by any means other than employing a wish or physically
removing
the finger from the wearer's body.
38-44 Ring glows a random color (equal
to faerie fire) whenever its
powers
are in effect.
45-48 Ring is unable to function when
within 30' of any other magical
ring.
49-53 Wearer of the ring is colorblind
and can see only in black and
white
for as long as the ring is worn. If the wearer is
naturally
colorblind, he can see normal colors in the visible
spectrum
for as long as the ring is worn. If the ring is taken
off,
sight returns to its natural state.
54-59 Ring is specially enchanted and
cannot be destroyed by fire,
magical
or otherwise.
60-61 Ring causes its wearer to experience
terrible nightmares if it is
worn
while sleeping, preventing any rest at all. If it is taken
off
prior to falling asleep, no ill effects occur.
62-65 Ring is specially enchanted and
is immune to the effects of acid
of any
type.
66-69 Ring emits a hum audible to those
within a 10' radius whenever
its
powers are used.
70-72 Wearer's metabolism is slowed
by wearing the ring; consequently,
only
half the daily amount of food needs to be eaten.
73-76 Wearer's metabolism is sped up
by wearing the ring; twice the
daily
amount of food needs to be eaten by the wearer.
77-81 Ring functions as normal but
has no effect on one specific
creature
type.
82-83 Ring cannot be crushed by anything
short of an irresistible force
(such
as a deity or several tons of rock).
84-88 Ring will not work if its wearer
is clad in metal armor.
89-92 Ring has a command word that
must be spoken in order for it to
operate.
If the ring has a power that operates continuously,
speaking
the command word operates the ring for three turns.
93-94 Ring drains 1 hp for every two
days that it is worn, or 1 hp
every
time it is put on. Normal healing applies.
95-98 Ring is inhabited by a vain minor
spirit who wills its wearer to
polish
the ring daily. If this is not done, the spirit withholds
the
ring's powers for one day for each time it is not polished.
99-00 Ring has a 20% chance of failing
to work each time it is
activated
or put on.
Table 5: Magical Rod, Wand, and Staff Quirks
Roll Result
01-04 Wand is inefficient; double the
number of charges expended for
each
use.
05-07 Wand has an extra command word
that allows it to shrink to half
its
normal size or return to its normal size.
08-13 Wand is made of metal and is
magnetic; consequently, the wand is
attracted
to any large concentration of metal of at least 300-gp
weight.
14-18 Wand glows a random color (as
per faerie fire) whenever its
powers
are utilized,
19-22 Wand radiates nondetection and
registers negatively to any
attempt
to detect magic.
23-25 Wand does 1 hp damage to its
wielder each time that the wand's
powers
are used.
26-30 Wand is easily broken; the wand
must make all saving throws at -2
to the
roll.
31-34 Somatic gestures, as well as
a command word, are necessary for
activating
the wand's powers. The gestures take 1d4 +4 segments.
If the
gestures cannot be performed (i.e., the wielder's arms are
tied),
the wand will not work.
35-39 Wand will not work if the wielder's
hand is covered, gloved, or
gauntleted.
40-44 Wand is unstable; it fizzles
out and does nothing 10% of the time
that
is activated.
45-50 Wand is unaffected by fire, magical
or normal.
51-52 Wand is invisible to everyone
except its user.
53-55 Wand's wielder must concentrate
for one round when speaking the
command
word in order to activate the wand's powers.
56-60 Wand is unaffected by acid.
61-63 Wand cannot be snapped or broken
by any creature of less than
18/50
strength. This also applies to any retributive strike made
by another
wand, staff, or rod.
64-68 Wand will not work if the wielder
is wearing metal armor of any
kind
(including elven chain mail).
69-71 Wand has a tendency to overload.
It can be used up to three
times
in a 24-hour period. Any uses beyond that limit cause the
wand
to short itself out for 24 hours, and the charges activated
are
lost.
72-74 Wand is extremely powerful; any
saves against its effects are at
-2 to
the die roll.
75-79 Wand is unable to function in
environments colder than freezing.
80-83 Wand is unable to function in
environments warmer than normal
human
body temperature.
84-86 Wand will not function underwater.
87-89 Wand will activate whenever the
command word is spoken by anyone
within
30', whether it is being held or not.
90-93 Wand can be used as a weapon
(if it is not already one). It has
a +1
bonus with respect to hitting creatures unharmed by normal
weapons,
but has no actual bonus to hit or on damage. A wand
does
damage as a jo stick; a rod does damage as a club; and a
staff
does damage as a quarterstaff.
94-96 If all of the wand's charges
are used, the wand explodes in a
fiery
blast. The blast has a radius of 15' and does 5d4 hp
damage
to anyone therein. Those within 5' of the wand receive no
saving
throw; others may save vs. breath weapons for half damage.
97-99 Wand is capable of being placed
on automatic mode; every round,
it will
perform one function as designated by the wielder, using
the
normal amount of charges, until it is taken off automatic
mode.
During this time, the wielder is able to cast short (1-3
segment)
spells, or melee with a -1 penalty to hit.
00 Wand is intelligent;
roll on the sword intelligence table and
disregard
any result of no intelligence. The wand also has an
ego;
its personality can be determined using pages 114-115 of the
AD&D
2nd Edition DMG. Though the wand will tell its owner of the
powers
it offers, it will never disclose the number of charges it
possesses.
Note that an intelligent wand will never willingly
use
its last few charges!
Table 6: Miscellaneous Magical Item Quirks
Roll Result
01-03 Item has a habit of burying itself
in any sack, backpack, or
container
in which it is carried. If other items are in the
container,
1d3 rounds are necessary for someone to find and
retrieve
the item.
04-07 Item works normally, but it appears
dirty and ready to fall
apart.
For example, a cloak of protection +1 might be moth-eaten
and
stained, but still functional.
08-11 Item attunes itself to one owner
at a time; if it is removed from
its
owner, or if another person tries to use the device, it goes
dormant
for 1d4 days as it grows accustomed to its new owner.
12-16 Item has the annoying habit of
buzzing when it is used. The
buzzing
is audible to anyone within 60', and it is impossible to
surprise
anyone while the device is buzzing.
17-20 Item glows with a soft light
(as per faerie fire) when it is
used.
21-24 Item is durable and makes any
necessary saving throws at +2 to
the
die roll.
25-29 Item will not function if user
wears any kind of head adornment
(including
a hood).
30-33 Item will not function underground.
34-36 Item will not function at night.
37-38 Item will not function during
the day.
39-43 Item is unaffected by blows of
any kind, unless the forces are of
giant
strength (19) or greater.
44-48 Item has a finite number of uses;
it will be found with 2d20
charges
remaining. Whether or not the item can be recharged is
up to
the DM.
49-51 Item works erratically; it functions
normally 70% of the time,
fails
20% of the time, and acts as a wand of wonder 10% of the
time.
52-55 Item is magically buoyant and
tends to levitate upward at the
rate
of 5' per minute unless held or tied down.
56-60 Item is immune to electricity
or magical lightning. If the item
is metal,
it is also nonconductive.
61-64 Item can only be used twice per
day; if used more often, it will
short
itself out and be unusable for 48 hours.
65-69 Item causes its owner to become
extremely possessive of it. If
the
item is kept for more than 14 days, a mild form of paranoia
sets
in. The owner will assume that anyone mentioning the item
wants
it. The owner will never relinquish the item to anyone as
a result.
A remove curse by a 9th-level cleric, or getting rid
of the
item before 14 days pass, are the only ways to negate the
paranoia
effect.
70-72 Item is powerful; it works 125%
more effectively than a standard
item
of the same type, and any saving throw against its effects
is at
-1.
73-78 Item is substandard and only
works half as well as a standard
item
of the same type.
79-83 Item has a curse upon it.
All saving throws attempted by its
owner
are made at -1 until the item has a remove curse cast upon
it.
84-86 Item will not function underwater.
87-90 Item belongs to an extraplanar
creature or other powerful being
(this
is shown on the item by the creature's personal sign).
After
1d4 weeks, the item will be located by the being, and it
will
show up to claim "its" property.
91-95 Item must rest for six turns
minimum between uses.
96-98 Item cannot be destroyed by any
means short of an incredible
excess
of force (such as a deity), by dropping it into a lava
pit,
or the like.
99-00 Item is intelligent; roll upon
the sword intelligence table,
disregarding
any result of "no intelligence" The item will have
an ego,
and its known languages (if any) are determined as for a
sword.
The item's personality can be determined on pages 114-115
of the
AD&D 2nd Edition DMG.
Table 7: Magical Armor and Shield Quirks
Roll Result
01-06 Armor is incredibly shiny and
reflects light of any kind;
furthermore,
any creature using a gaze attack within 10' of the
armor
has a 75% chance of seeing its own reflection.
07-11 Armor is heavy; add 25% to its
total weight and encumbrance.
12-16 Armor is tight-fitting; if not
oiled at least once every three
days,
the suit will cramp the wearer's fighting skills. As a
result,
the wearer will suffer a -1 penalty on all reaction, to
hit,
and damage rolls until the armor is oiled.
17-21 Armor works normally but appears
incredibly beaten up and
battered.
No amount of repair can change its appearance.
(Status-conscious
cavaliers and paladins will have reservations
about
wearing any armor that does not look good.)
22-26 Armor is silent; the wearer does
not clank loudly if the armor is
metal.
Note that this does not mean that the wearer can move
silently;
the armor simply makes no more noise than would a suit
of clothes.
27-32 Armor glows with the light of
a faerie fire spell. Only a
continual
darkness can negate this radiation (and then for six
turns
plus one turn per level of the caster). If the armor is
covered
by clothing, the glow will still shine through.
33-37 Armor weighs one quarter as much
as normal armor of the same
type.
38-43 Armor lacks magical protective
ability against 1d4 specific types
of creatures.
44-48 Armor is resistant to fire; it
can never be burned or melted by
normal
or magical fire.
49-53 Armor has an "Achilles' heel";
every time the wearer is hit,
there
is a 5% chance that this "heel" is hit and double damage is
done
to the wearer.
54-59 Armor magically expands or contracts
to fit any size wearer from
ogre
to halfling.
60-64 Armor is attuned to a place of
special magical radiance, in much
the
same manner as is drow armor. If the armor is not exposed to
this
place once every 30 days, its magic will be lost.
65-70 Armor has complicated straps
and is hard to put on and remove.
Consequently,
the time required to put on and take off the armor
is increased
by 10 rounds.
71-74 Armor can never be scratched,
stained, or dented.
75-78 Armor has an inherent disruption
of magic. While its wearer
enjoys
a +1 bonus on saving throws vs. spells, he cannot cast
spells
if he is a multi-classed mage or a spell-using ranger or
paladin.
79-84 Armor attracts monsters; any
random encounter checks are at
double
normal chance for anyone wearing this armor.
85-89 Armor is a heat and electricity
superconductor; add +1 hp per die
to all
damage from fire or electricity.
90-94 Armor does not provide magical
protection if a clothing or
covering
is worn over it.
95-98 Armor is an exquisite piece of
workmanship and commands a price
of 150%
of its normal value due to its quality.
99-00 Armor is possessed by a spirit
of random alignment; if the
wearer's
alignment differs from the spirit's, the armor
periodically
attempts to possess the wearer. Determine the
chance
of success as noted under the 5th-level wizard spell,
magic
jar. The spirit's intelligence can be determined by
rolling
3d6. The chance of a possession attempt occurring is 15%
per
week, cumulative.
Table 8: Magical Sword and Miscellaneous Weapon Quirks
Roll Result
01-05 Weapon glows (as per faerie fire)
in normal darkness.
06-09 Weapon is lighter than normal.
The wielder has a -1 bonus on any
reaction
or initiative rolls when the weapon is used.
10-14 Weapon is unable to harm 1d4
types of creatures.
15-18 Weapon must be used two-handed
in order to gain its magical
bonus.
If the weapon is very short (e.g., a dagger or knife), is
already
a two-handed weapon, or this result does not otherwise
apply,
disregard this result and roll again on this table.
19-23 Weapon's finish cannot be marred,
stained, or scratched in any
way.
24-28 Weapon hums whenever enemies
come within 30' (and the sound
negates
any chance of surprise).
29-32 Weapon must be baptized in flame
after combat, or it loses its
magical
bonus until it is placed within a fire for at least one
hour
(weapon is immune to the effects of normal fire).
33-37 Weapon is twice as heavy as normal.
The wielder suffers a +1
penalty
to all reaction and initiative rolls.
38-43 Weapon appears beat up, notched,
scratched, stained, and dented.
No amount
of polishing can alter its appearance.
44-46 Weapon's magic functions only
at night. Also, the weapon is
evilly
aligned and radiates this alignment.
47-49 Weapon's magic functions only
during the day. The weapon is good
aligned
and radiates this alignment.
50-54 Weapon has a command word upon
it that shrinks it as would an
item
spell. To return the weapon to normal size, the command
word
must be spoken backwards.
55-59 Weapon exhibits no magical properties
until a certain condition
is met
(i.e., a bless spell is cast upon it, a certain type of
creature
is killed with it, etc.).
60-63 Weapon conducts electricity.
As a result, the wielder suffers a
-1 penalty
on all saves vs. electricity or lightning and takes +1
point
per die of damage.
64-68 Weapon radiates nondetection;
thus a detect magic spell will not
register
it.
69-72 Weapon is silent; it makes no
noise when dropped or struck
against
armor or another weapon.
73-75 Weapon's magic makes it dangerous
to wield in combat. If the
wielder
misses an attack against his intended opponent, he must
roll
under his dexterity score on 1d20 or the weapon slips. A
to-hit
roll must be made against any ally in a 5' radius (or
against
the wielder, if no allies are near). A successful hit on
oneself
or a friend does half damage.
76-79 Weapon is not affected by acid.
80-85 Weapon cannot be broken by any
means short of divine power or an
irresistible
force (such as having 10 tons of rock dropped on
it).
86-89 Weapon is immune to the effects
of rust (including the attack of
a rust
monster).
90-94 Weapon is invisible whenever
drawn or wielded in combat.
95-97 Weapon's blade or head exists
in the Ethereal or Astral plane
(50%
chance of either), and is able to hit creatures that can
"phase
out," become ethereal, and so forth when they are in an
alternate
plane.
98-00 Weapon is intelligent (if it
isn't already). The bad side of
this
is that the weapon has an awful personality and specific
goals.
Determine the extra magical abilities of the weapon as
per
the sword intelligence table in the DMG, and the weapon's
personality
on pages 114-115 of the DMG. If the weapon's goals
(determined
by the DM) are ignored by the weapon's owner, the
weapon
may refuse to fight or use its powers.
