Nipping Purse

-

Nipping Purse


Aura faint Illusion; CL 4th
Slot —; Price 2,500 gp; Weight ¼ lb

This small, worn leather purse bears a tarnished brass clasp and appears capable of holding roughly twenty coins. Its brown hide is creased and weathered from long use, with a subtle, almost reptilian texture. Despite its modest size, the purse functions as an extradimensional container, capable of holding up to 500 coins while never weighing more than ¼ pound.

The purse is warded against theft with a reactive enchantment tied to its owner. If removed without consent, the clasp snaps open and the purse emits a loud, repeating cry of “Thief!” in the primary language of its owner. At the same time, the interior reveals a disturbing row of small, human-like teeth set into pink, fleshy gums. The purse attempts to bite its holder once per round (+5 melee touch attack), dealing 1d4 points of piercing damage on a successful hit. The purse ceases all hostile behavior immediately when returned to its rightful owner.

Curiously, not all Nipping Purses are crafted with perfect arcane alignment. In many examples — especially older or hastily enchanted ones — the biting mechanism does not fully integrate with the physical clasp. Instead of replacing the purse’s opening, the enchantment manifests as a secondary, semi-independent “jaw” just within the interior. These flawed constructions result in a purse that appears to have both a mundane clasp and a lurking, animate mouth beneath it. While less elegant in design, such purses are no less effective, and some claim the misalignment makes them more unpredictable — and more vicious.

The purse itself has hardness 2 and 5 hit points. If destroyed, its extradimensional space collapses harmlessly, scattering its contents at the point of destruction.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, magic mouth, shrink item; Cost 1,250 gp, 100 XP, plus a finely crafted leather purse treated with alchemical preservatives worth 50 gp and the preserved jawbone of a Tiny predator (such as a weasel or similar creature) integrated into the lining during enchantment.

Lore

The earliest Nipping Purses were devised by cautious merchants and hedge enchanters seeking a simple deterrent against pickpockets. Initial designs relied solely on audible alarms, but these proved insufficient against determined thieves. The addition of a biting mechanism marked a turning point, transforming the item from a nuisance into a genuine hazard.

Over time, variations in craftsmanship led to a range of peculiar behaviors. Some purses integrated their enchantments flawlessly, with the clasp itself forming a seamless, tooth-lined maw. Others, however, developed a strange duality — a mundane exterior concealing a second, animate mouth beneath. Whether this is the result of flawed technique, unstable reagents, or something more willful within the magic itself remains a matter of debate among arcanists.

Collectors and criminals alike have come to recognize the distinctive sound of a Nipping Purse in action. In crowded markets and shadowed alleys, the sudden cry of “Thief!” followed by yelped pain is often enough to scatter would-be pickpockets. Yet some seasoned thieves whisper that the older, imperfect purses — the ones with “two mouths” — are the ones to fear most, for they do not always bite where one expects.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spoon of Chastisement

-
Image
Spoon of Chastisement Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd Slot —; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 1 lb Description This unassuming wooden spoon appears worn and well-used, its surface smoothed by time and countless “lessons learned.” It is often found in the possession of stern caretakers, patient matriarchs, and those who believe that discipline is best taught with equal parts love and force of will. Despite its humble appearance, the Spoon of Chastisement functions as a +1 sap (see Dungeon Master’s Guide ). It deals 1d4 points of nonlethal bludgeoning damage on a successful hit. However, the true magic of the spoon reveals itself when it strikes true. On a successful hit, the target must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 14) or be affected as though by a command spell, issued by the wielder. The command must be a single word and must be something that the target can reasonably understand and perform in a single round. Creatures that successfully save are shaken for 1 round from the su...
Read more

Mystwalker

-
Image
Mystwalker (Note: Format follows  Tome Of Artifacts. Eldritch Relics And Wonders) Focus or Theme: Transportation and Travel Origin: Crafted by beings or gods who existed before the creation of the current multiverse Benefits: Immune to Fear and Fear-Like Effects Spell-Like Abilities: No Spell-Like Abilities Major Powers: Travel Downsides: Bonded Artifact, Misfortune The Tale of Mystwalker The Dark Powers that control the Demiplane of Fear, while usually capricious and seemingly evil beyond measure, also seem to possess a darkly humorous side. This cruel whimsy usually comes in the form of a dramatically ironic death, and the failures of the Dread Lords to achieve their goals would most definitely be seen as amusing to the Dark Powers as well. This isn’t always the case, however. When exactly the ring Mystwalker was originally created is unknown. There are records of the ring dating back some two-hundred fifty years or so, starting around year 500 on the Barovian ...
Read more

Coin of Wealth

-
Image
Coin of Wealth Aura faint conjuration; CL 5th Slot —; Weight — Description A Coin of Wealth appears as a single, perfectly ordinary coin of its designated type - copper, silver, gold, or platinum - though it is always pristine and untarnished. When placed within a pouch and left undisturbed for at least 8 hours (typically overnight), the coin conjures additional mundane currency of the same type. Each morning, the pouch contains an additional 1d6 coins of the same denomination as the Coin of Wealth . These coins are nonmagical, indistinguishable from standard currency, and are considered legitimate tender in most civilized regions. The coin only functions if kept inside a pouch, sack, or similar soft container . It does not function if stored in rigid containers such as chests, boxes, or vaults, nor if left exposed. Additionally, the coin ceases to function if other items remain in the pouch when the conjuration occurs; the pouch must contain only the Coin of Wealth at the...
Read more