Blue Bag of tricks

[talse]

So I'm working on modest loot for my 5th level party to find in these ruins and I figure, cool, but ultimately unreliable stuff could be nice, right? So I figured I'd stat out a bag of tricks that has similar properties as the one Roy's got.

Mostly useless animals, but occasionally something potent pops out.
Blue Bag of Tricks
{table=head]%|animal|%|animal|%|animal

1-18|bat|88-89|Wolverine|96|Brown Bear
19-36|rat|90-91|Wolf|97|Lion
37-53|cat|92-93|boar|98|Heavy War Horse
54-71|weasel|94-95|Black bear|99|Giant eagle
72-87|Badger|-|-|00|Rhinoceros
[/table]

[zeruslord]

This is going to be too swingy in an actual game. Roy's works out well because the author controls what comes out of the bag, and I bet Rich Burlew doesn't roll dice for that. We as readers don't know what it will do, making it appear random, but its results are tightly controlled for maximum storytelling or comedic value. Also, with speak with animals, the lower level creatures can turn out to be quite valuable. What you are giving out is a piece of treasure that may lead to major issues with either being overpowered or underpowered, depending on the creativity of your players and their luck in rolling.

[talse]

I'm shooting for uncertainty, 3 of my players are doing it for the first time, the 4th is veteran of long standing. I want something unexpected to happen so that there are surprises even I'm not expecting.

[Fiery Diamond]

Personally, I like it, and think it fits what you're going for well.

[lord of kobolds]

You forgot to throw in a beaver, which clearly appears in the comic.
Otherwise, great item!

[DracoDei]

Make it White.... save blue for a version that summons only aquatic creatures.

[talse]

Make it White.... save blue for a version that summons only aquatic creatures.

Good call. I'm looking forward to them exploring this item, especially since i'm not giving them the table of information that goes with it. it'll be hilarious if they get a rhinocerous or aything from the 3rd column the first time and assume it's a bag of ass kicking.

[Magnor Criol]

zeruslord's got a point, but I think this item is still good. Yes, it induces randomness, but that can be fun. If it lets the PCs get through an encounter or situation easier than it should have, or broke some plot point you were banking on, so be it; that's the fun of the game, right?

If they could control the output, that'd be one thing, but it's a random chance bag, so it'll be fine.

By the way, you do know that there already is a Bag of Tricks, right? Several of them, in fact. Roy's bag is some sort of amalgamation of the three, with some extras thrown in...which seems like what you were going for, so you probably knew already, but just to throw that out there.

[talse]

i did infact know about those bags, i actually lifted the animal lists directly from them and changed the probabilities slightly.

[Solaris]

What you're looking at is basically the oldschool AD&D Bag of Tricks. Ahh, for the good old days of properly 'cursed' magic items - it's just bad enough to want to get rid of at times, but just good enough to keep. That made you think on how to use it.
Or just take the tiny little rat you just drew out, hoping to get something big, and throw it into the ogre's mouth. Hors d'ouveurs. Swanky.

[talse]

That's what I had in mind, awesome but unreliable.

[lord of kobolds]

Also, with speak with animals, the lower level creatures can turn out to be quite valuable.

That could be done with a gray bag of tricks, which would be much cheaper.

[Magnor Criol]

i did infact know about those bags, i actually lifted the animal lists directly from them and changed the probabilities slightly.

Hence why there's those two blank boxes at the bottom of the middle column. I was curious about that, it all makes sense now. :D

Speaking of which, you've got a typo - the rat currently comes up on a die roll of "19 - 13", which I'm sure you meant as 9-13.

Really, this looks pretty good.

As I count it, the chances for each animal are:
8 Bat
5 Rat
17 Cat
17 Weasel
16 Badger
2 Wolverine
2 Wolf
2 Boar
2 Black Bear
1 Brown Bear
1 Lion
1 Heavy warhorse
1 Giant eagle
1 Rhino

Any particular reason why you set them as they are? I can understand setting the big animals to only a 1% or 2% chance, but I don't see much of a reason why Bat is more than Rat, or for that matter why Cat, Rat, and Bat aren't all the same...not that it really matters, or that it'll make much of a difference in-game, since they probably won't be pulling from it enough to see the probabilities lined up. =p Just curious.

[talse]

That was because I have this typed up in a different file, not formatted for forums and I clearly copied it inccorectly. :FIXED: