TEXT: 1
  S
  ometimes a GM wants to spark some interest 
  and mystery via some object the player 
  characters find. Even without handing out a 
  major magic item, a GM can make a world seem more 
  in-depth by providing some colorful items that suggest 
  they have a back-story behind them. 
  To assist in such efforts, this second volume of The 
  Genius Guide to What’s in My Pocket?  provides some 
  more odd little items, none of which will be of great use 
  to players, but all of which might pique their interest.
  These items were designed to encourage players 
  to ask questions and to act as starting points for GMs 
  who wanted to introduce some new story hooks. The 
  accompanying story seeds are creative motes and ideas 
  rather than specific story elements, and they are best 
  used by GMs who like creating stories and rumors on 
  the fly. Even if one of these items doesn’t encourage 
  further investigation when found, it may provide 
  another great opportunity for a GM to create a colorful 
  background when characters attempt to sell it.
  In most cases, it should be obvious whether an item 
  is a minor valuable or essentially junk. Ultimately, it’s 
  left as an exercise for the GM to decide which is which – 
  while mithral shards may be valuable in one campaign 
  and a rat jawbone worthless, it would not be difficult to 
  conceive of an economy that reverses those valuations.
  When magical, the items list their aura, caster level, 
  and construction requirements.
  Since these items are designed more as starting 
  points for creative GMs than fully fleshed ideas, they 
  aren’t really designed to be randomly selected. Instead, 
  we recommend a GM glance through the list when 
  wanting to add a bit of spice to a treasure trove, or 
  when PCs demand to know what’s in a giant’s pockets. 
  If a GM does wish to use this list to generate random 
  and odd treasure items, roll 1d20. On a result of 01-19, 
  use the corresponding numbered item on the list. On 
  a result of 20, roll 1d12+19 and use the resulting value 
  (from 20-31) as the item number.
  
  2
  The LisT
  1. Librarian’s Friend
  Aura transmutation; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 250 gp; Weight .5 lb
  description
  A librarian’s friend appears to be an iron plank, 
  approximately two feet long, four inches deep, and 
  half an inch thick. One side is ridged or textured.
  When someone steps on the librarian’s friend 
  and speaks the command word (often engraved 
  on a blank side or edge of the item), the plank 
  rises slowly from the ground, textured side 
  up, to a height of up to three feet. The character 
  standing on the librarian’s friend controls the height 
  mentally, and can vary the height while standing 
  on it, including lowering it back to the ground. A 
  user can invoke the command word up to three 
  times per day, and each levitation lasts up to three 
  minutes.
  A librarian’s friend supports up to 200 pounds 
  of weight. If this weight limit is exceeded, it drops 
  to the ground or simply never levitates –although 
  that still consumes a daily use of the item. Although 
  the plank only moves up and down, it will move 
  side to side, like a librarian’s ladder moving along 
  a bookshelf. The plank resists any attempt to move 
  it forward or backward.
  construction
  Requirements 
  Craft 
  Wondrous 
  Item, 
  levitate; Cost 125 gp
  story seed
  A librarian’s friend could generate curiosity 
  from your players if placed in the treasure of an 
  illiterate creature, or of a creature far too large 
  to use it.
  2. Hawk oF tHe sun
  Aura transmutation; CL 11th
  Slot —; Price 500 gp; Weight —
  description
  A hawk of the sun looks like a brass hawk 
  the size of a human child’s fist. If shaken, it 
  rattles softly. The beak is hinged, and there 
  are wooden wheels on the bottom.
  When a command word is spoken, the 
  hawk of the sun rolls across whatever flat 
  surface it’s on for 1d3 feet, then the beak 
  opens and the toy emits a metallic version of 
  a hawk’s scream. This sound is roughly as 
  loud as calm speech. The pattern of moving 
  and screeching repeats 1d4 times per 
  activation. Repeating the command word 
  halts the behavior.
  A hawk of the sun cannot pull or push any 
  significant weight.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  animate object; Cost 250 gp
  story seed
  A hawk of the sun is an unusual item 
  for races or creatures not known for fine 
  workmanship. It may indicate the presence 
  of children, but would be disturbing if 
  found in an environment where no children 
  should be present.
  3. LaugHing swaLLow
  Aura transmutation; CL 11th
  Slot —; Price 600 gp; Weight —
  description
  A laughing swallow is cylindrical, with the 
  swooping wings and split tail of a swallow. The 
  forward end is balsa wood, carved to look like 
  a bird. The cylindrical body is made of layers of 
  laminated paper. From tail to beak, a laughing 
  swallow is about eight inches long, with a two-
  foot wingspan. The wings and tail are silk, with 
  brass wire and rods providing stiffening. It has 
  2 hp and 1 hardness. They are often brightly, if 
  unrealistically, painted.
  When a command word is spoken, the 
  laughing swallow’s wings flap. If tossed lightly 
  into the air, it flies around wherever it was tossed 
  from. The circular flight has a six-foot radius. It 
  does not change altitude, but flies at whatever 
  height it was tossed to, with a soft flapping noise. 
  The flight lasts 1d6x10 seconds, after which the 
  laughing swallow glides to the ground.
  The laughing swallow cannot carry any 
  significant weight.
  construction
  Requirements 
  Craft 
  Wondrous 
  Item, 
  animate object; Cost 300 gp
  story seed
  Laughing swallows are delicate toys, so they 
  would generate interest if found among clumsy 
  races. They also make no sense (and therefore 
  generate interest) if found among the treasure 
  of creatures not smart enough to understand 
  toys. Finally, your players might take an interest 
  if their characters found a laughing swallow in a 
  place where open air and broad horizons are 
  rarely seen, such as deep underground.
  
  3
  4. sHam kercHieF
  Aura conjuration; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 150 gp; Weight —
  description
  A sham kerchief appears to be a large 
  white silk handkerchief. Activation of the 
  sham kerchief requires two steps. First, a 
  user must wave or drape it over a hand-
  held object. Second, the user must speak 
  the command word. When activated thusly, 
  the sham kerchief teleports the object into a 
  pocket, pouch, or backpack on the user.
  The object may be up to one cubic foot in 
  size. The user determines where the object 
  goes, but must choose a receptacle large 
  enough to contain the object – otherwise the 
  receptacle bursts. The object’s destination 
  must be on the user’s person. It must be a 
  pocket in her current clothing, or a pouch or 
  pack that she’s wearing.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  prestidigitation; Cost 75 gp
  story seed
  Sham kerchiefs are very popular among 
  sleight of hand stage performers and street 
  thieves. Finding one in a king’s treasure 
  vault or among the remains of a legendary 
  rogue might raise questions about how it 
  got there, or why a legend would need such 
  a simple trick.
  5. eLdritcH beacon
  Aura divination; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 200 gp; Weight .5 lb
  description
  Eldritch beacons are small, distinctive 
  pieces of artwork. As such, the prices listed 
  here are the lowest possible. They are 
  usually made to custom specifications, so 
  that when one is given as a gift, the recipient 
  will always keep it nearby. Even if made as 
  a piece of jewelry, it does not occupy an 
  item slot the way that magic rings, bracelets, 
  necklaces, and crowns do.
  Eldritch beacons make divinations easier. 
  They often serve as targets for locate object 
  spells and they also provide a +5 bonus on 
  any check required by a divination spell 
  used to locate them.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  locate object; Cost 100 gp
  story seed
  Who carried it to where the characters 
  found it, and who was tracking that person? 
  Did the owner know he (or she) carried 
  an arcane beacon? If the carrier did know, 
  perhaps the characters find it at the end of 
  a gauntlet of monsters and traps, left there 
  purposely to turn the tables on any trackers.
  speciaL tHanks
  To Susan J. Morris (@susanjmorris on 
  Twitter), who was one of my players years 
  ago and gave me the seed of the idea for 
  these.
  
  4
  6. memory orb
  Aura illusion; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 350 gp; Weight 1 lb
  description
  These items are highly polished stone or 
  crystal spheres roughly three inches in diameter. 
  Forgetful people prize memory orbs for their ability 
  to record lists, recipes, and important messages. 
  Memory orbs have two command words, 
  one for implanting a short message and one for 
  retrieving the last message implanted.
  An implanted message must be twenty words 
  or less. Only one message can be implanted at a 
  time.
  Some people keep several, each made from a 
  different material, so that they can record several 
  messages. They know, for example, that the quartz 
  crystal holds recipes, the marble sphere holds lists 
  of names, and the sandstone sphere holds a daily 
  schedule.
  When a user retrieves a message, the memory 
  orb speaks the message exactly as it was recorded. 
  The orb is just as loud as the original speaker is, 
  and uses the same language.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Items, magic 
  mouth; Cost 175 gp
  story seed
  The mystery of these items should lie less in 
  where they’re found, and more in their contents. 
  It’s entirely possible that the most recent owner just 
  thought they were pretty or decorative, and didn’t 
  realize they contained information. Why would a 
  troll need pasta recipes? What do the hobgoblins 
  have to do with the lord mayor’s meeting with the 
  head of the thieves’ guild, and who recorded one 
  ominous snippet of a very tense meeting?
  7. styLus oF tHe mason
  Aura transmutation; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 100 gp; Weight —
  description
  A stylus of the mason is a steel stylus, 
  triangular in cross-section and about six 
  inches long.
  These magical styli cut shallow marks in 
  stone and clay, no more than an eighth of an 
  inch deep. They can mark other substances, 
  but require real effort to do so – like 
  ordinary styli. They will not make a deeper 
  mark into one of their existing marks. They 
  are always sharp, and surprisingly hard to 
  break (hardness 20, hp 10).
  Because the stylus of the mason is always 
  sharp, an owner may be tempted to use it 
  as a weapon. If so, treat it as an improvised 
  simple weapon that does 1d3 piercing 
  damage.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Items, 
  magic weapon; Cost: 50 gp
  story seed
  Styli of the Mason have existed since 
  before paper, but are no longer in common 
  circulation. 
  Finding 
  one 
  engraved 
  or 
  decorated in an ancient style might indicate 
  that the possessor was once in the ruins of 
  a similarly ancient place, such as a lost city 
  or a mythical dungeon, or bought it from 
  someone who was.
  8. draFter’s deLineator
  Aura transmutation; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 100 gp; Weight —
  description
  A drafter’s delineator is a very expensive 
  charcoal stick used for drawing, and therefore 
  only useful to architects, draftspersons, 
  and engineers who must make marks and 
  writing every day. Over the course of their 
  careers, a drafter’s delineator can pay for 
  itself. It appears to be a sharpened wooden 
  rod, six inches long and burned at the tip.
  A drafter’s delineator is always sharp, and 
  never wears down. The marks it makes are 
  ordinary, and can be smudged or erased 
  normally. It is surprisingly hard to break 
  (hardness 20, hp 10).
  Because the drafter’s delineator is always 
  sharp, an owner may be tempted to use 
  it as a weapon. If so, treat it as a simple 
  improvised weapon that does 1d2 piercing 
  damage. 
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  arcane mark; Cost 50 gp
  story seed
  The appearance of a drafter’s delineator 
  can be intriguing if the possessor is not 
  known 
  for 
  intelligence 
  or 
  planning, 
  such as finding one in possession of a 
  supposedly illiterate groom who is actually 
  a spy. As an alternative, consider using it 
  to indicate that the possessor was planning 
  and diagramming something unusually 
  elaborate -- a hobgoblin chieftain’s plans for 
  a new siege weapon, for example.
  
  5
  9. nobLe’s tabLe
  Aura evocation; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 250 gp; Weight 3 lbs
  description
  A noble’s table first appears as a highly 
  polished plank of birch wood, one foot 
  by two feet, and two inches thick. When a 
  user speaks a command word, the noble’s 
  table floats four feet above the ground and 
  supports one hundred pounds. 
  A gesture along the surface of a noble’s 
  table expands its size. It can quadruple its 
  length and width, unfolding in one-foot 
  increments. The weight limit remains the 
  same.
  Wealthy people who enjoy outdoor 
  activities (like hunting, fishing, or falconry) 
  often prize noble’s tables for refined outdoor 
  dining.
  Treat a noble’s table as having hardness 
  10 and hp 20.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  floating disk; Cost 125 gp
  story seed
  A floating table in a chamber used by 
  creatures not known for magical ability 
  should pique your players’ interests. On the 
  other hand, if your campaign includes an 
  arrogant noble with a penchant for hunting 
  exotic creatures, a noble’s table could indicate 
  his presence, or be a marker for anyone 
  trying to find him.
  10. needLe worker’s Joy
  Aura transmutation; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 100 gp; Weight —
  description
  Joy in needlework does not fade with 
  age, but the ability to thread a needle does. 
  The needle worker’s joy solves that. It looks 
  identical to an ordinary needle and has no 
  command word. To activate it, a user places 
  a thread against the needle, and the needle 
  worker’s joy threads itself.
  Treat a needle worker’s joy as having 
  hardness 15 and hp 5.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  prestidigitation; Cost 50 gp
  story seed
  There’s no reason for a needle worker’s joy 
  to be in the hoard of a creature with hands 
  too big to use it, or conversely among the 
  hoard of tiny or even fine creatures who 
  could thread it easily. A needle worker’s joy 
  might signal the presence of the creator of 
  elaborate and prophetic embroideries.
  
  6
  11. weaver’s wonder
  Aura illusion; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 120 gp; Weight —
  description
  The weaver’s wonder is a shuttle made of 
  flowering dogwood and twelve inches long. 
  A weaver using this item winds yarn onto its 
  bobbin. Then, while weaving, the weaver can 
  change the color of the yarn at will, allowing 
  for elaborate patterns without the need for 
  exotically dyed yarn, or for changing the bobbin 
  with every color change.
  Treat a weaver’s wonder as having hardness 
  10 and hp 15.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, color 
  spray; Cost 60 gp
  story seed
  There’s no reason for an ettercap or drider 
  to own a weaver’s wonder, so the presence of 
  one should signify something to your players. 
  For example, a spider-worshipping drow with 
  levels of oracle might own one, weaving visions 
  into tapestries.
  12. ornitHoLogist’s index
  Aura divination; CL 10
  Slot —; Price 1000 gp; Weight .5 lb
  description
  This magic item appears as a clear crystal 
  cube, three inches on each side. A wooden 
  frame runs along every edge.
  No command is necessary to activate an 
  ornithologist’s index. If held toward a bird’s 
  song for a full round, the crystal displays a 
  three-dimensional still image of the singing 
  bird inside itself. The image remains for one 
  minute. Bird lovers prize the ornithologist’s 
  index for its ability to provide an image 
  of unseen birds, and its assistance in 
  identifying bird species by showing details 
  of appearance. Using the index takes a 
  full-round action, and grants a +5 bonus 
  on Knowledge (nature) checks to identify 
  birds and bird-like animals (but not magical 
  beasts).
  The index has hardness 2, hp 5, and so is 
  relatively fragile. The loss of even 1 hp gives 
  the ornithologist’s index the broken condition.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 10 
  ranks Knowledge (nature), identify; Cost 500 
  gp
  story seed
  If the characters are searching for a lost 
  bird-watcher, an ornithologist’s index might 
  be a marker on the trail. Otherwise, it’s 
  most interesting if found where there are no 
  birds, if it is already opened to a page about 
  valuable or extinct birds.
  13. minstreL’s cHapbook
  Aura divination; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 500 gp; Weight .5 lb
  description
  A minstrel’s chapbook appears to be a 
  slim book with silk-wrapped wooden 
  covers. When opened, the pages are blank. 
  If someone plays music near the book 
  and then opens it, a left-hand page shows 
  musical notation and the facing right-hand 
  page shows lyrics. Pairs of pages continue, 
  showing songs similar to the one played. 
  The displays last until another song is 
  played near the closed book.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  arcane mark; Cost 250 gp
  story seed
  Any intelligent creature with sonic 
  abilities might prize a minstrel’s chapbook. 
  Harpies, for example, might relish such a 
  prize – and could send agents after a bard 
  known to possess one.
  
  7
  14. ceLebrant’s dispLay
  Aura illusion; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 250 gp; Weight 1 lb
  description
  A celebrant’s display is a rosewood box 
  with brass hinges and latch. The box is 
  eighteen inches deep, twenty-four inches 
  wide, and twelve inches high.
  If a celebrant’s display is open and 
  someone speaks the command word, the 
  box creates a five-minute fireworks display.
  Such displays are very loud (+10 to the 
  DC of any Perception check made to listen 
  nearby). They can be very bright (+5 to the 
  DC of any Perception check made to search 
  or spot anything for 1 minute after the 
  display ends). However, they are entirely 
  illusionary – they create no heat, do no 
  damage, and produce no smoke.
  A celebrant’s display can be used once per 
  hour.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  pyrotechnics; Cost 125 gp
  story seed
  Any adventurer who brought such a 
  display into a monster’s lair hoping to use 
  it for a distraction would face a grisly end 
  if the monster or monsters turned out to 
  be deaf, or blind, or both. Who was that 
  adventurer? Did he or she leave behind any 
  family? Is there a reward for the return of 
  the celebrant’s display?
  15. Liar’s comb
  Aura enchantment (charm); CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 120 gp; Weight —
  description
  This is a horn comb with a sterling silver 
  spine. When an intelligent creature sees 
  the comb, it must make a DC 11 Will save, 
  or become convinced that the liar’s comb 
  is worth far more than it actually is. This 
  charm effect lasts until the comb and the 
  affected person are apart for at least a week.
  Detect charm reveals the truth of this 
  object, as does dispel magic and identify. Any 
  affected person who can see the comb when 
  any of these spells is cast gets another save.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  disguise other; Cost 60 gp
  story seed
  The saving throw DC for this item is 
  very low. Only the weak-willed are likely 
  to fall for its charm. Such a person might 
  foolishly believe that a liar’s comb was 
  valuable enough to use as a bribe for a more 
  powerful creature. Such a creature would 
  likely see right through the comb’s charm, 
  and be incensed by the fool’s effrontery. 
  Your characters might find one in a dragon’s 
  hoard, next to the remains of the fool.
  
  8
  16. mask oF tHe mustacHe
  Aura illusion; CL 1st
  Slot eyes; Price 300gp; Weight —
  description
  Putting on this false mustache activates 
  its disguise self ability. It functions as the 
  disguise self spell, but the wearer cannot 
  change his apparent species and the disguise 
  must include facial hair (regardless of the 
  gender assumed by the disguise). 
  The effect lasts just 10 minutes and 
  can only be used once per day. After that, 
  the wearer returns to his (or her) original 
  appearance, albeit with a slightly silly 
  looking fake mustache.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  disguise self; Cost 150 gp
  story seed
  A spy has made numerous dramatic 
  escapes recently, vanishing into crowds 
  of people. Perhaps she owns a mask of the 
  mustache.
  17. panopLy 
  oF eternaL 
  styLe
  Aura illusion; CL 1st
  Slot body; Price 460 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  description
  This appears to be an ordinary suit 
  of clothing. It includes pants, tunic, vest, 
  jacket, and shoes. Each panoply of eternal style 
  has a label sewn in the collar of the tunic, 
  embroidered with the command word for the 
  suit. Generally, they appear to be of an old-
  fashioned or archaic cut.
  If a character puts on the panoply and 
  speaks the command word, it immediately 
  transforms into a fine suit of clothing in the 
  correct style for the region, gender, social 
  station, and any event the wearer is attending 
  in the same day. It appears to be of of the best 
  material, and in either the most current style or 
  the style of any one region or time of which the 
  wearer is conversant.
  The command word functions once per 
  day, and the effect lasts twelve hours. The 
  character can end the effect early by speaking 
  the command word again, or by removing the 
  clothing.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  disguise self; Cost 230 gp
  story seed
  The interest created by this item will 
  depend heavily on how it is encountered, and 
  who is wearing it. Why would an archon, devil, 
  or skum need a set of current, fashionable 
  clothing? For that matter, why would skum? 
  Why did the swashbuckling dandy’s clothes 
  change to such dull, ordinary garb? Can’t 
  he afford real fancy clothes? Where did the 
  merchant’s wife get a suit of clothes in such an 
  ancient style? She wore a beautiful ball gown 
  at the party last night…
  18. spice Jar
  Aura abjuration; CL 1st
  Slot —; Price 100 gp; Weight — (empty), ½ 
  pound full
  description
  This glass jar is two inches in diameter 
  and four inches high, with a metal cap 
  screwed down on the top of it. Small 
  organic matter kept in the jar remains fresh 
  indefinitely. Cooks prize spice jars highly for 
  their ability to keep herbs and spices fresh.
  Spice jars are no more durable than 
  ordinary glass objects.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  endure elements; Cost 50 gp
  story seed
  A master chef claims to have been 
  robbed when returning from a trip. Among 
  the things stolen were his spice jars. When 
  the heroes track down the robbers, they find 
  a band of giants. Why would giants have 
  a kitchen sized for medium-sized people? 
  Why is the chef’s monogram on clothing in 
  a nearby bedchamber? Who occupied the 
  prison cells near the kitchen? You know, 
  some people have disappeared in town 
  recently. What has the chef been feeding 
  people?
  
  9
  19. eternaL Lace
  Aura transmutation; CL 1st
  Slot —; Price 100 gp; Weight —
  description
  This is an eighteen inch by eighteen 
  inch square of very delicate, fine lace. 
  Despite its appearance, it has hardness 4 
  and 10 hp. It does not suffer or become 
  dirty from exposure to the normal rigors of 
  environment or temperature. It is affected 
  by attacks and magic normally.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  mending; Cost 50 gp
  story seed
  The best place for this item is somewhere 
  dank and wet, because that makes the very 
  existence of the eternal lace remarkable. 
  Under such conditions, it should be rotting 
  and falling apart. Instead, it’s clean and as 
  fresh as the day it was made. In an aquatic 
  lair, characters find a piece of eternal lace on 
  prominent display. Similarly, if a famous 
  figure was well-known for wearing lace 
  even in the most unpleasant of conditions 
  went missing, finding this lace might be 
  considered a clue to his whereabouts. 
  20. sHaving kit
  Cost: 12 gp; Weight 1 lb
  description
  This mundane kit includes a straight 
  razor, a shaving brush, a soap cup, a bar 
  of shaving soap, a leather strop, and a very 
  small whetstone for sharpening the razor. A 
  leather case holds all the items. The material 
  of the leather may be more valuable than 
  the shaving kit itself, if it’s from an exotic 
  species. 
  story seed
  Finding a shaving kit in the possession 
  of, say, a demilich could evoke several 
  responses. First, it’s funny because a 
  demilich has no hands. Second, it’s strange, 
  because a demilich never needs to shave. 
  That leads to questioning why the demilich 
  has it. Perhaps it regretted the choices that 
  brought it to its undead state.
  21. copper cHain
  Price 1 sp; Weight —
  description
  Five inches of fine copper chain, with flat 
  links. 
  story seed
  Perhaps it was once part of something 
  like a watch chain, a child’s toy, or a 
  piece of costume jewelry.
  22. pretty FLoraL 
  bonnet
  Cost: 18 gp; Weight 1 lb
  description
  This woman’s apparel is 
  a wide-brimmed, pink hat 
  with a floral embroidered 
  band and a white ostrich 
  feather. It has no business 
  being in a dungeon or crypt. 
  story seed
  Pretty 
  floral 
  bonnets 
  are 
  distinctive. 
  Success on a DC 11 Knowledge (nobility) 
  check recognizes the hat as belonging to a 
  local noblewoman. What was she doing in the 
  disreputable place where the characters found 
  it? Is she a victim, or the brains of the sinister 
  plot? Alternately, who was disguised as her 
  and whom was that person trying to fool?
  
  10
  23. bLoodLine portrait
  Aura illusion; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 1000 gp; Weight 1 lb
  description
  This small (a few inches on a side) portrait 
  sits in a teak frame. The portrait shows a well-
  known local person wearing ancient clothing. 
  If that well-known person has suffered a recent 
  injury, the portrait shows it as well. In fact, the 
  painting is linked to the person and always 
  shows the person’s current appearance – save 
  the clothing, which is always a style long out of 
  fashion.
  Success on a DC 15 Knowledge (local) check 
  recognizes the subject of the portrait.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, mirror 
  image; Cost 500 gp
  story seed
  If the PCs confront the subject of the painting 
  with the painting, the subject has no memory of 
  ever having sat for a portrait. Is this the portrait 
  of some ancestor? If so, why does it show the 
  appearance of the current person?
  24. gaming tiLes
  Cost: 1 gp/tile; Weight —
  description
  These non-magical items are part of a set 
  of gaming items appropriate for your game 
  world. They are made of exotic wood or ivory, 
  as appropriate. For example, they might be 
  teak domino tiles with crystal chips instead of 
  painted dots.
  2d4 tiles are present when found. 
  story seed
  A DC 15 Knowledge (local) or Knowledge 
  (nobility) check could identify the former 
  owner of these distinctive gaming tiles, 
  raising all kinds of interesting questions 
  about who she gamed with, and what she 
  might have lost…
  25. rake oF tHe gardener-
  king
  Aura conjuration; CL 1st
  Price 301 gp; Weight 2 lb
  description
  This rake has an ash handle with 
  adamantine tongs. When used to rake a 
  lawn or a planting bed, the gardener can 
  choose to irrigate the plot as he or she rakes 
  it. Doing so requires the use of a command 
  word that is usually carved into the handle, 
  and allows an area up to ¼ acre per day to 
  be treated as if it had the perfect degree of 
  hydration.
  If a character uses the rake as a weapon, 
  treat it as an improvised two-handed melee 
  weapon that does 1d6 points of bludgeoning 
  and piercing damage.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  drench; Cost 150 gp, 5 sp
  story seed
  This is, quite obviously, a ridiculous 
  thing to make, own, or use. Only the most 
  decadent property owners would insist 
  their groundskeepers use such a thing. If 
  no such nobles or merchants exist in your 
  world, this must be from the past. Is it a clue 
  pointing in the direction of a city that was 
  swallowed up in a sandstorm that lasted a 
  whole year? Perhaps fungus-men revere it 
  as a relic of some mad prophet or deity.
  26. bottLe oF tHe bLoodsuckers
  Aura conjuration; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 250 gp; Weight —
  description
  This clear glass test tube has a cork 
  stopper and a wax seal. Close examination 
  reveals that the tube contains 1d4+1 live 
  mosquitoes.
  The mosquitoes carry disease. At your 
  discretion, the disease may be as simple 
  as malaria, or something far more exotic 
  and deadly. The mosquitoes are starving, 
  and immediately attack the nearest living 
  creature, but they do not attack the carrier of 
  the test tube. They also fly around in a 10 ft. 
  radius from that creature for 1d10 minutes. 
  When a character enters or begins his turn 
  in this area, the character must succeed on 
  a Reflex save (DC 12) or be exposed to the 
  disease.
  Bottle of the bloodsucker is no more durable 
  than any other glass object. Once the 
  mosquitoes are released, the bottle becomes 
  nonmagical.
  construction
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 
  summon swarm; Cost 125 gp
  
  11
  story seed
  A bottle of the bloodsucker spreads death 
  and terror. If opened in a compassionate 
  nation, the resulting disease might lure a 
  flood of healers and clerics into a trap, or 
  away from the relics and treasures they 
  normally guard. It might explain a past 
  pestilence, alert characters to the presence 
  of an agent of a foreign power, or be found 
  abandoned because its owner found a more 
  effective, and horrible, way to reach his 
  goals.
  27. examination box
  Price 20gp; Weight .5 lb
  description
  This cedar box, when opened, reveals a 
  dead frog pinned to the bottom panel. When 
  the lid is open, the sides also fold down flat.
  This is a portable dissection tablet. 
  story seed
  Depending on how long it’s been where 
  the characters find it, the frog might be 
  freshly killed, or dried out.
  If you wish, a DC 15 Knowledge (local) 
  check  identifies who in the local area teaches 
  using such boxes.
  28. weatHer stone
  Price —; Weight —
  description
  When found, this rock is carefully 
  protected in a felt-lined box or a cloth bag, 
  or perhaps clutched in the hand of a corpse.
  A successful DC 15 Knowledge (local) 
  check recognizes this as a weather rock, sold 
  by a traveling huckster who recently visited 
  the area. The huckster claimed that the 
  weather was a boon to farmers and could 
  predict the weather. Simply leave it outside 
  for a few hours and, if it’s wet, you know 
  it’s going to rain. If it’s warm, you know it’s 
  sunny, and if it’s cool, you know that colder 
  weather is coming, and so on.
  story seed
  Obviously, a weather stone is a complete 
  rip-off that preys on the gullible. If found 
  with the seller, who did he trick into buying 
  it, and was his death the buyer’s revenge?
  29. worry beads
  Price 1 gp; Weight —
  description
  A tied rawhide strip holds these smooth 
  polished wooden beads in a simple loop. 
  The beads are ordinary. Some worry beads 
  are dyed or painted, and some show the 
  basic beauty of the wood grain. The devout 
  pray their concerns into the beads.
  story seed
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check 
  identifies the religious affiliation of the 
  former owner of the beads. Knowing that 
  fact might raise questions about what such a 
  person was doing dealing with the creatures 
  who have it when the player characters find 
  it.
  
  12
  30. motHer’s apron
  Price 7 sp; Weight —
  description
  A simple homespun apron for a Medium-
  sized humanoid, this item is slightly 
  threadbare but clean. Needlepoint and some 
  frills on the hems suggest a feminine owner. 
  The single pocket on the front of the apron 
  holds rocks.
  story seed
  Depending on the story that you want to 
  tell, there might be enough rocks to weight 
  down a suicidal drowning victim, or there 
  might be just a few shiny valueless rocks that 
  the owner was holding for her children.
  A DC 15 Knowledge (local) check 
  identifies the owner as a missing local 
  woman.
  31. cHicken-bone totem
  Aura varies, see text; CL —
  Slot —; Price 5 gp; Weight —
  description
  This is an intricately carved bone. The 
  carvings represent religious and mythological 
  symbols, creatures, and events or stories. Each 
  one focuses on a single deity in your pantheon.
  Levels of artisanship vary. Some are quite 
  crude, and some show tremendous skill at 
  carving tiny details. 
  You may, if you wish, use a bone from a 
  larger animal (or intelligent being) instead 
  of a chicken bone. Unless the creature that 
  provided the bone is particularly powerful or 
  exotic, don’t increase the price but do increase 
  the weight.
  Aura: These items radiate a faint 
  alignment aura based on the deity to which 
  they are dedicated. A chicken-bone totem 
  devoted to a Lawful Evil deity would radiate 
  faint auras of both Law and Evil.
  DM Tips: 
  • Keep track of each item handed out. 
  Know where it was acquired, when, 
  who acquired it, and (if sold) who 
  it was sold to and when. Follow up 
  occasionally.
  • Not every item needs to be a story 
  hook, but any item could be. 
  • Make skill rolls to identify an item 
  in secret. Be generous with hints. 
  Knowing what skill identifies an item 
  allows for metagaming.
  • Incongruity is good. A troll could have 
  an envelope of dried rose petals, while 
  a sophisticated aasimar might have a 
  vial of blood or a necklace of chicken 
  bones.
  • The skill checks to recognize an item are 
  suggestions. Clever players may come 
  up with other ways to identify them, or 
  may create their own interpretations. 
  • Don’t use more than one item unless 
  a treasure hoard is truly vast (e.g., a 
  dragon’s hoard).
  • Avoid using multiple items in a single 
  adventure.
  creative tHinking
  If you give out one of these items, your 
  players are going to come up with some 
  use you didn’t anticipate, and that aren’t 
  covered by these rules. When that happens, 
  remember DC 25. 
  A DC 25 check is beyond the realm of 
  ordinary people, even if they rolled a natural 
  20, so it’s a good measuring stick when the 
  rules say that something is impossible, and 
  players try to take advantage of that.
  
  13
  For example, a clever PC decides to use 
  the librarian’s friend to raise a portcullis. She 
  puts one end of the item under the gate, and 
  stands on the other end. She activates the 
  item. You, as the GM, know that the Strength 
  check DC to lift the portcullis is 25 and you 
  decide that the portcullis and the PC together 
  easily weigh over 200 pounds. You’d be fair 
  if you said that the librarian’s friend rose to 
  the level of the lowest cross bar, and then 
  deactivated and tumbled to the ground.
  Alternately, because the drafter’s delineator 
  is so hard to break, a desperate PC might 
  hammer it into a floor as a spike to hold a 
  door closed. If someone tries to break through 
  that door and succeeds on a check to break 
  down the door (minimum DC 25), then the 
  door breaks as the magic item is destroyed.
  magic item sources
  In some cases, an item may be remarkable 
  because it represents a level of magic use 
  unknown in your current game world. 
  Possible sources for such items may be 
  story seeds themselves. Such sources could 
  include:
  • An ancient forgotten age when monstrous 
  beings from beyond the stars ruled the 
  world
  • A previous age when gods and heroes 
  battled for the destiny of mortal races
  • An intrusion from another world – either 
  an expedition from another planet, or a 
  planar incursion
  • A rift in time allowing items from some 
  wondrous future to tumble into the past
  cLarke’s tHird Law
   “Any sufficiently advanced technology 
  is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur 
  C. Clarke
  No matter what you do, some player is 
  going to try to treat a magic item as if it were a 
  piece of technology. This is particularly true 
  of “quirky” magic items with few obvious 
  uses in combat, such as many presented 
  in this product. The player sees slippers 
  of spider climbing and thinks “suction-cup 
  boots.” A wand of magic missiles becomes a 
  Thompson submachine gun. That can break 
  the mood of your game, and turn the kind 
  of background items presented here into 
  annoyances more than sparks of interest. 
  Here are some things you can do.
  First, if the other players are annoyed 
  by the technophile breaking the mood, you 
  (and the other players) can remind that 
  player that you’re not playing a technology-
  based adventure or game. There’s no reason 
  for his (or her) character to interpret magic 
  items as advanced technology.
  Second, you could do the opposite 
  and 
  accept 
  the 
  player’s 
  interpretation as a new 
  way of seeing your 
  game. If your group 
  enjoys 
  the 
  sci-fi 
  explanations, 
  this 
  is 
  the way to go. Maybe 
  all this time that 
  they thought they 
  were on a planet 
  they were really 
  on board a slower-
  than-light 
  starship. 
  Maybe 
  they’ve 
  been 
  wandering the ruins of a fallen, far more 
  advanced, civilization. Go with it, and come up 
  with science-fiction explanations for magic.
  Be sure to talk with the technophile, one on 
  one. That player may be bored, frustrated, or 
  just not entertained. It may be time to change 
  things up if something is happening (or not 
  happening) in your game for that player. 
  Alternatively, it may be that something is up in 
  that player’s life and he (or she) just can’t “get 
  into” the game right now.
  
  14
  we err on tHe side oF awesome!
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  Published Under the SRD, OGL, and d20 (v 3) License ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does 
  not endorse this product.
  Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://
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  DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: The Super Genius Games (SGG) and OtherWorld Creations (OWC) company names and logos; the “Genius Guide To: What’s in my Pocket? Part Deux” name and logo; all artwork, backgrounds, and logos; all trade dress, and graphic design 
  elements.
  DECLARATION OF OPEN CONTENT: All game mechanics, proper names of classes, prestige classes, archetypes, feats, skills, spells, magic items, monsters, rituals, artifacts AND OR the names of abilities presented within this book are Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d) 
  of the License.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. 
  Advanced Player’s Guide. Copyright 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn.
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
  The Genius Guide To: What’s in my Pocket? Part Deux. Copyright 2012, Super Genius Games. Author: Rich Redman
  Designer:
  Rich Redman
  Developer:
  Owen K.C. Stephens
  Editor:
  Jeremy Miller
  Art:
  Robert Friis, Rick Hershey, 
  Forge Studios, Larry Elmore, and Sade
  Graphic Design and Typesetting:
  R. Hyrum Savage and Lj Stephens 
  Creative Director:
  Stan!
  Produced By:
  Super Genius Games
  www.supergeniusgames.com
  Contents ©2012 Super Genius Games
  
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