Spes Magna Games

No less a personage than Leo Magnus bore the blessed mitre and valorous crosier into confrontation with the Seeping Horde, that vast army of gnolls that poured out of the east and ravaged the land for decades before their defeat.

1E Stats

The blessed mitre appears as a fine example of craftsmanship suitable for a high-ranking cleric of a good-aligned faith. It is adorned with nine amethysts and a single ruby, all flawless and set in platinum. Each amethyst can store a single cleric spell of up to 2nd level. The ruby can store a single cleric spell up to 4th level. The wearer decides which spells to store in the gems when preparing spells for the day. Stored spells count against the wearer’s spells per day, but a stored spell can be cast with a simple command word (activation time 1 segment). No other components are required, and releasing a spell from the mitre cannot be disrupted by damage or similar means.

The valorous crosier is made from enchanted silver and a marvelous wood native to the Upper Planes. It functions as a +1 footman’s mace. The wielder is immune to fear-based effects and receives a +1 bonus on saving throws against attacks or effects from evil creatures. Once per day, the wielder can grant heroic courage to up to four allies within 30 feet. Affected allies become immune to fear-based effects and enjoy a +1 on “to hit” and damage rolls for one turn.

Both the blessed mitre and the valorous crosier function only when used by a good-aligned cleric or a paladin. An evil creature that attempts to use either suffers 2-20 points of damage and must make a saving throw against magic or commit suicide.

5E Stats

Blessed Mitre
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement by a divine spellcaster of good alignment)

The nine gemstones affixed to the blessed mitre store divine spells cast into them, holding them until the attuned wearer uses them. Each of the nine amethysts can hold up to a 2nd-level spell. The ruby can store up to a 4th-level spell. The spells are cast into the blessed mitre by wearing it as the spells are cast. While wearing the blessed mitre, you can with a command word cast any spell that you have stored in it. The spell uses your slot level, spell save DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability.

Valorous Crosier
Weapon (mace), very rare (requires attunement by a creature of good alignment)

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. While wielding it, you are immune to effects that cause the frightened condition. You make saving throws against attacks and effects from evil creatures with advantage. Once per long rest upon command, up to four allies who are within 30 feet of you are affected by heroism. This effect lasts for 1 minute with no need for concentration.

An evil-aligned creature that tries to use either the blessed mitre or valorous crosier takes 6d6 radiant damage for each attempt.

Tags: 1E AD&D, 5E D&D, Catholic, magic items

Shown in the pictures above are the front and back of a beautiful chasuble made by Geneviève Gomi of Maris Stella Vestments. I read about these remarkable garments on New Liturgical Movement’s site, specifically this post right here.

A chasuble is a liturgical vestment worn over other vestments. It is something like a poncho. It’s an oval-shaped (or nearly so) piece of cloth with a round hole for the priest’s head to pass through. It tends to fall below the knees all around. It originated as a adaptation of common garb worn all over the Roman Empire in the first few centuries of Christianity. Originally, the priest at the altar would have been dressed very much the lay people in attendance at the Mass. In some way, the idea of reserving a special outer garment arose, possibly for no more reason than it was easier to keep one clean if it wasn’t worn every day like normal clothing. As you can see from the pictures, chasubles today are no longer common articles of clothing, but can be works of art embroidered with ornate designs and images symbolic of religious doctrines, such as the use of the phoenix as a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

My aims here, however, are significantly more modest. I’m just using a wonderful picture as inspiration for fantasy gaming.

The Phoenix Chasuble: This remarkable relic was created for the first bishop of Acqui Terme, who wore it on certain sacred days, including the day in which the bishop faced down an army of marauders at the city gates. The bishop’s words and courage so impressed the war-like chiefs of that horde that they ordered that Acqui Terme remain unharmed. For more than the past two centuries, the Phoenix Chasuble has remained in the cathedral vestry, handed down from one bishop to the next. The full powers of the Phoenix Chasuble are perhaps unknown. The wearer gains complete immunity to fire, even magical flame. He also enjoys a +4 bonus to saving throws against magic. Once per day each, the wearer can use the following magical abilities: Continual Light, Detect Invisibility, Dispel Evil, Fireball, Fly, Protection from Evil 10-Foot Radius, and Wall of Fire. The wearer can communicate with any type of fire elemental while wearing the Phoenix Chasuble. Once per week upon command, the Phoenix Chasuble causes its wearer to burst in flames. The wearer’s melee attacks inflict an additional 1d6 points of fire damage. Any creature striking the wearer in melee combat likewise suffers 1d6 points of fire damage. Usable By: Lawful Clerics only.

Tags: Catholic, magic items, Swords & Wizardry

Galgenbaum is ruled by five Mayor-Justices, each one serving for life and holding jurisdiction over part of the town, and all five meeting to decide matters that affect more than a single jurisdiction or the entire town. When a Mayor-Justice dies in office or is no longer able to perform his or her duties due to ill health, a new Mayor-Justice is carefully chosen from the Rechtsanwälte, the guild of lawyers. The selectee must be approved by the unanimous consent of the Mayor-Justices. Each Mayor-Justice possesses a magical gavel and sounding board. When a Mayor-Justice takes the oaths of office, the other Mayor-Justices invest the new justice with the gavel and sounding board. This ceremonial process links the Mayor-Justice with the gavel and sounding board. Their powers function only for the Mayor-Justice to whom they have been entrusted.

When a Mayor-Justices strikes the sounding board with the gavel, the magic takes effect on all who hear the gavel’s raps. Mayor-Justices are immune to these effects, which vary depending on the number of raps of the gavel. A Mayor-Justice may choose to exempt certain persons present from the effects. Typically this courtesy is limited to the bailiffs present in the court.

One Rap: All those affected are subjected to a Hold Person effect. After one minute, a saving throw can be attempted to move normally.

Two Raps: Those affected must stand up and remain relatively motionless. After one round, a saving throw can be attempted in order to move normally.

Three Raps: Those affected must sit down. After sitting down for one round, a saving throw can be attempted in order to stand and move about normally.

Should a gavel and its sounding board fall into unauthorized hands, the magical powers still function, but the user cannot exempt anyone from those effects. This includes the unauthorized user himself. Furthermore, the gavel and sounding board are invested to a particular Mayor-Justice, who becomes instantly aware of the items’ misuse. The Mayor-Justice even knows the general direction and distance to the gavel and sounding board. The closer the Mayor-Justice is to the items, the more precise is his or her knowledge of their location.

Tags: magic items, place of power, Swords & Wizardry

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (The Gospel According to St. Luke 10:34-35)

Samaritan’s Salve, most often found in small jars no more than three inches in diameter and an inch deep, appears to be nothing more than common medicinal ointment sold by apothecaries in most towns. When applied to the injuries of a stranger or an enemy, the Salve’s marvelous, full properties are revealed.

With a stranger or enemy, applied to the poisoned or infected wound, or when administered internally, one application immediately negates any poison or disease. A single application also heals 1d4+8 points of damage. When applied to an ally, the Salve permits a new saving throw against poison or disease, and its healing effects are halved. A jar of Samaritan’s Salve usually has five applications, and 1d3 jars may be found.

Tags: Catholic, magic items, Swords & Wizardry

“He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, ‘Where is the LORD God of Elijah?’ and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” (2 Kings 2:13-14)

The Mantle of the Prophets appears to be nothing more than a normal cloak of the sort worn by many people, especially to keep warm during the night or during chilly weather. In truth, the Mantle is a powerful Lawful relic once worn by at least two of the holiest of the People’s prophets. When worn by a Lawful Cleric who has been chosen by the Lord, the Mantle serves to channel divine power through the wearer in order to demonstrate the power and majesty of the Lord. The Mantle has had the following reputed powers:

1. Once per day, create highly nourishing food and clean, fresh water in sufficient quantity to provide for 27 human-sized creatures for a full day.

2. Once per month, permit the wearer to Raise Dead (as the spell).

3. Once per week, permit the wearer to Control Weather (as the spell).

4. Once per day, the wearer can call down a column of holy fire. The column is 10 feet in diameter and 30 feet high. It inflicts 6d8 points of damage on creatures caught in its area of effect. A successful saving throw halves this damage.

5. Once per week, permit the wearer to Part Water (as the spell).

6. Once per day, the wearer can summon a bear to fight his enemies. The bear arrives in 1d4 rounds, and it serves the wearer for 1 hour or until killed. Use standard bear statistics as the base, but the animal summoned by this ability has no fewer than 5 hit points per Hit Die, and it enjoys a +1 bonus on attack rolls.

Tags: Catholic, magic items, Swords & Wizardry