Conversions and Considerations
This chapter covers changes to standard magical items, since it would be impossible to discuss every known magical item from every known campaign world. The collection is far too vast, and it continues to grow. Dungeon Masters may even invent new items for their campaigns, sometimes by incorporating items from other adventures or importing items from other worlds.
No matter what the circumstance, the following guidelines should provide enough information to determine the changes to any item brought into the Land of the Mists.
Planar Travel
The Mists rarely allow planar travel in Ravenloft. If an item has a power related to planar travel, that function usually does not work. Sometimes the item sends its owner to another location in the Demiplane, and sometimes the would-be traveler goes nowhere. Any item related to planar travel works properly only at the Dungeon Master's behest. In fact, a final adventure might revolve around discovering and using an item necessary to escape the Land of the Mists.
Summoning
Magical items cannot summon normal animals (wolves, cats, and so forth) from outside the domain in which the item is used. Further, animals and creatures summoned from other planes cannot go home the same way, so they will probably be very displeased.
Divination
Ravenloft weakens divination within its borders. No spell or magical item can identify evil or good alignments - only law or chaos. Likewise, spells of prophecy, clairvoyance, and the like are markedly less reliable when used through the obscuring Mists of Ravenloft.
Items that are wholly evil or that are used for evil purposes require a Ravenloft powers check when triggered. This does not include cursed items or items that simply cause harm. To necessitate a powers check, the owner must consciously choose to keep and use the item for evil purposes.
Frequency of Magic anft Treasure
Magic, especially in the form of magical items and devices, is less common in Ravenloft than in other realms. Few, if any, magical items are created here. Compared to other worlds, not many people live in Ravenloft. Thus, adventurers will not find piles of treasure just lying about for the taking. Here, wealth does not drive people; survival does. This does not mean Ravenloft lacks the element of greed, or that magical items do not exist. They are simply uncommon.
Even monsters do not ordinarily keep items they cannot use. If they hoard treasure, they must have logical and important reasons to do so; otherwise, the cupboard may be completely bare. Treasure should not ever accompany an encounter just because players expect it.
As a rule of thumb, Dungeon Masters should halve the usual chance that a given type of treasure is present. If using random die rolls to determine treasure, the Dungeon Master should generate the results before play begins. If the results call for a magical item, that item must fit the encounter logically. If not, the characters find nothing (that is, it should not simply be replaced with other types of treasure).
Although magical items are in short supply, money is not. Characters can readily obtain payment for services rendered. The folk are not usually rich, but they give up what they have for a good cause. If the player characters rid a village of a powerful evil force, the village might reward the party. They may even offer a rare magical item that they have been hiding - especially if that item will help the heroes destroy the village terror. Alternatively, they may tell the player characters where such an item allegedly exists, and the characters can then embark on a quest to find it.
In many campaign settings, the search for treasure drives both the characters and the players, but this should not happen in Ravenloft. Here, adventurers succeed by keeping their wits and skins; if they foil an evil plot, they have excelled. Survival, in most cases, is its own reward.
Intelligent Weapons
The ego of an evil, intelligent weapon rises five points in Ravenloft. (Weapons of good or neutral alignment stay the same.) If an evil weapon dominates its bearer, the weapon has a 50% chance of delivering itself to the domain lord. At the beginning of each week that a character wields an evil, intelligent weapon, he must attempt a Ravenloft powers check.
Artifacts and Relicts
Because of their unusual power, artifacts and relics may transcend the limitations of Ravenloft. At the Dungeon Master's behest, abilities and spells cast from an artifact or relic can function normally, unaffected by the Demiplane. These powerful items may even help characters escape from Ravenloft. An evil artifact might not want to leave, however. Furthermore, any character who owns an evil artifact or relic must make a Ravenloft powers check once per week - whether he uses it or not.
Table 35: Altered Magical Items
| Amulet of the planes |
| Amulet vs. undead |
| Bag of beans |
| Bag of bones * |
| Book of vile darkness * |
| Bowl of commanding water elementals |
| Brazier of commanding fire etementals |
| Censer of commanding air elementals |
| Crystal ball |
| Cubic gate |
| Curdled death * |
| Dimensional mine |
| Disintegration chamber * |
| Flask of curses |
| Gem of seeing |
| Globe of serenity |
| Helm of telepathy |
| Horn of Valhalla |
| Horn of valor |
| Law's banner |
| Libram of ineffable damnation * |
| Medallion of ESP |
| Medallion of thought projection |
| Mirror of life trapping * |
| Mist tent |
| Necklace of memory enhancement |
| Oil of ethereatness |
| Phylactery of monstrous attention |
| Plate mail ofetherealness |
| Potion of undead control * |
| Powder of the hero's heart |
| Ring of Djinni Summoning |
| Ring of Vampiric Regeneration |
| Rod of Rulership |
| Scroll of Protection vs. Undead |
| Sphere of Annihilation |
| Staff of the Magi |
| Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals |
| Sword +2, Nine Lives Stealer |
| Sword of Life Stealing |
| Sword of the Planes |
| Talisman of Ultimate Evil |
| Teleportation Chamber |
| Thought Bottle |
| Trimia's Catalogue of Outer Plane Artifacts |
| Well of Many Worlds |
* Could require a Ravenloft powers check
