Mixed Signals

Straight-forward gaming

A precious chalice is fastened to an altar. There are controls to release the chalice from its fasteners. It takes DC 18 Disable Device or DEX check to disarm.

The bad news: no matter what, when the chalice is released, so is a boiling oil trap.

The good news: players get to c...

There are said to be many of these horrible items hidden throughout the dark corners of the world. They appear as small statues of powerful animals or beasts of various kinds. On the bottom of each is a word engraved in an obscure language. If tested, they will radiate powerful magic. Cursory inves...

Possibly not a cursed item, per se, but definitely an evil one. This appears as a wide, and beautifully carved leather belt. It will radiate magic, if tested for. This belt will shrink or grow to fit any wearer.

A person wearing this belt regenerates any physical damage they may receive at a ra...

An illusory pile of treasure (**true sight** and similar negates) conceals a pressure plate which, when pressed, erects a 5 ft square glass box. The glass chamber's floor is made of coal and sulfur and catches fire, dealing 1d4 damage each minute for the first 10 minutes, then 2d4 for a minute. I...

In my previous posts in my Friday the 13th series, I wrote about the movie that started it all, and its two sequels. This month, it's time to take a look at the fourth in the series.

A machete-wielding woman threatens an innocent hockey player.

First of all, let it be said that there's no way the filmmakers honestly believed that the fourth movi...

This will appear as a 1 gallon water skin which, when filled with water or other fluid, will still be light to carry and unencumbering. In fact, the character will be able to carry up 100 gallons of water or liquid in this skin, before it is full, and it never seems heavy or difficult to bring with...

This item appears as a copper coin of human design that radiates magic if so tested. It has a depiction of an unknown king on one side, and a tall tree on the other. There are no markings or runes.

The coin will act like a beneficial +1 lucky token or charm, offering a bonus to all die rolls fo...

This will appear as an ordinary adventurer's oil lantern. When tested, it will work just like a normal one. It will not radiate magic at all, unless extensive tests are conducted upon it, at which time, it will also reveal its cursed status. When used in non-threatening circumstances, this lanter...

What music do you associate with your favourite cyberpunk RPG? When you sit down to catch up on the latest lore, or to study the latest rules, or dive deep into a new source book, what's your go-to album?

Here are our top 10 albums. See if you agree. More importantly, add your own favourites i...

For Spellcasters. This will appear as a crystal ball a bit larger than fist size. The ball will radiate magic, and will even pulse with a faint light. Testing will seem to imply this crystal ball works as a standard scrying device, allowing the user to peer across any distance, to see people and th...

This looks like a carpenter's hammer of great craftsmanship, and if studied closely, faint runes can be seen embossed upon it. The hammer will radiate magic if tested.

Anyone with carpentry or building skills (or, at the GM's discretion, elves or other creatures known for their wood craft), can...

This appears as a high quality long sword, made of shining steel, and accented with brass and silver. It will radiate strong magic, if tested. The sword is +1 to both Hit and Damage in most circumstances. Against undead and demonic creatures with physical forms it is +2. Against ghosts and other sp...

A hallway with a floor consisting of millions of pins and needles. Anyone with even nominally protective footwear can safely tread on the array of pinpoints without injury (bare feet take 1d4 damage each step).

However, a successful Perception check DC 10 notices that each time pins in the flo...

For magic users. This appears as a Wand of Magic Missiles, allowing the user to cast one Magic Missile spell per charge, up to a maximum of seven per day.

When used in actual combat, though, the wand still fires missiles normally, but offers up a terrible surprise: upon activation, the user w...

The world of Golarion is the default setting for the wildly popular Pathfinder game, a fork of D&D 3.5 edition. While former Dragon Magazine publisher, Paizo, was able to inherit all D&D rules, the OGL didn't enable them to inherit all of the lore, as laid out in decades of novels, magazine art...

For spellcasters. This appears as a gold torc of intricate design. It will radiated magic, if tested.

At first, this will allow the wearer to read the thoughts of others; these thoughts will be heard as if spoken aloud, so the wearer must be within easy listening distance. Upon first being worn...