NEW MAGIC ITEM: PLUTAR'S PRODIGIOUS CHESS PIECES

These wondrous statuettes come in two varieties, gold and ruby. The smallest are the pawns, which stand an inch in height. The kings are the largest at just under two inches in height. Each piece is expertly carved and appears extremely valuable based upon craftsmanship and materials alone.

When a piece is tossed to the ground and a command word is spoken, the statuette will become a real monster which will obey its owner. Pieces may be used to fight, as guards, or even to carry burdens. Pieces destroyed while in statuette form permanently lose all magic, but those slain while in animated form merely become a statuette once again, forced to remain dormant for a period based upon the value of the piece.

Piece	Duration	May be used	Dormancy if slain	XP VALUE	GP VALUE
Pawn	One hour	Once per day	One week	200	2000
Rook, Knight, or Bishop	Three turns	Every other day	Two weeks	500	5000
Queen or King	Two turns	Every third day	Three weeks	900	9000

There are only thirty two pieces in existence, equal to the number of real chess pieces (8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 1 queen, and 1 king for each of the ruby and gold forces). For higher quality pieces (rook, knight, and bishop) one of the pieces from each type will appear male and the other will appear female.

All the pieces are neutral in alignment but pieces of different colors can not coexist peacefully. Animated pieces of different types (gold vs ruby) will attack the opposite type in preference to other monsters, despite commands to the contrary. Any one attempting to obstruct this behavior will also be attacked.

Gold Pawn (AC 5; MV 6"; F2; hp 11; #AT 1; D Spear +1 to damage due to strength of 16; XP 68)

This piece appears as a headless humanoid figure with a surface of gold scale mail and carrying a normal-sized shield and spear. Gold pawns in the presence of their king or queen will attack as if they were fourth level fighters.

Ruby Pawn (AC 4; MV 6”; HD 2+1; hp 10; #AT 1; D Spear +1 to damage due to strength of 17; XP 65)

This piece appears as a crimson skinned eyeless lizard man armed with spear and shield. Ruby pawns in the presence of the ruby king or queen attack as though they were 4+1 hit die monsters.

Gold Rook (AC 5; MV 9”; F3; hp 17; #AT ½ or 1; D Heavy crossbow or short sword +1 to damage due to strength of 16; XP 153)

This piece has the form of a gold skinned human in gold chain mail equipped with a heavy crossbow and a short sword. Golden bolts magically appear loaded and ready to fire each round in its crossbow, so it can fire every round. After being spent (whether they hit the target or not), the bolts dissolve into golden liquid which quickly evaporates.

Ruby Rook (AC 5; MV 9”; HD 3; hp 16; #AT 1; D Great bow or broad sword +1 to damage due to strength of 17; XP 98)

The piece takes the shape of a red-furred gnoll. Its tongue is at least four times as large as it should be and hangs lolling from the mouth. Its great bow should be treated as a long bow that does +1 to damage if used in short range only. Red-feathered arrows magically appear within its hand. After discharge they turn to red light and fade away whether they hit their intended victim or not.

Gold Knight (AC 4; MV 6”; F4; hp 22; #AT 1; D Medium lance or long sword +1 to damage due to strength of 17; XP 200)

Gold Knight's Medium War Horse (AC 7; MV 18”; HD 2+2; hp 11; #AT 2 hoof thrusts and 1 bite; D 1-6/1-6/1-3; XP 68)

This piece becomes a human fighter in gold chain mail with normal shield, medium lance, and long sword, mounted on a yellow medium war horse. Its gold great helm completely obscures its features.

Ruby Knight (AC 4; MV 18”; HD 5; hp 23; #AT 2 hooves and 1 lance; D 1-6/1-6 and 2-24 +1 to damage due to strength of 17; XP 240)

The ruby knight is a scarlet skinned bald centaur armed with lance and normal shield.

Gold Bishop (AC 4; MV 6”; C5; hp 22; #AT 1; D Footman's mace; SA Spell use; XP 407)

This piece has the powers of a human cleric. It can affect undead as though it was aligned with good (turning or destroying). The piece is equipped with gold banded mail and a footman's mace. It can use the following clerical spell-like effects once each per activation: bless, chant, cure light wounds, dispel magic, find traps, light, and slow poison. These effects work as if the gold bishop was a fifth level cleric, but do not require spell components.

Ruby Bishop (AC 4; MV 6”; C5; hp 22; #AT 1; D Footman's flail; SA Spell use; XP 407)

This piece also appears as a human cleric but it affects undead as though it were aligned with evil. Any undead creature brought into a friendly status by the ruby bishop will revert to its normal behavior when the bishop returns to its statuette form. The piece is equipped with blood colored banded mail and a footman's flail. It is able to use the following spell-like effects once each time it is activated: bestow curse, cause light wounds, curse, darkness, resist fire, and snake charm. These act as reversed clerical spells, not requiring components.

Gold Queen (AC 4; MV 12”; F7/MU7; hp 28; #AT 3/2; D Long sword or dagger +1 to damage due to strength of 17; SA Spell use; SD Immune to special attacks of undead; XP 1105)

The gold queen appears as a stunningly beautiful gold-skinned half-elf fighter/magic-user wearing golden elfin chain armor and with normal shield. It is armed with a long sword and dagger and is immune to the special abilities of undead creatures, including level drain, strength drain, paralysis, etc. The gold queen automatically knows the location and type of other Plutar's chess pieces within 200 feet. It can use the following spell-like abilities once each time it is activated as if it was a seventh level magic-user, though it does not require the use of spell components: burning hands, detect magic, detect invisibility, ice storm, knock, lightning bolt, magic missile, mirror image, read magic, and slow.

Ruby Queen (AC 3; MV 24”; HD 9; hp 41; #AT 1; D Spetum; SA Touch drains 1 point of wisdom, spell use; 2192)

The ruby queen has the shape of a red skinned lamia wearing ornate crimson armor and carrying a spetum. Points of wisdom lost to the ruby queen are not permanently drained, but will be recovered at the rate of 1 per week.

Gold King (AC 3; MV 6”; F13; hp 62; #AT 2; D Two-handed sword +6 due to strength of 18/00; SD Immune to special attacks of undead; XP 3866)

The gold king appears as a human male in gold plate mail armor. Like the gold queen, it is immune to the special abilities of undead creatures. It can automatically detect the location and type of other Plutar's chess pieces within 500 feet.

Ruby King (AC 1; MV 12”/18”; HD 8+3; hp 39; #AT 1; D 5-10 or by long sword +4 due to strength of 18/76; SA Energy drain, charm; SD +1 or better weapon to hit, limited spell immunity; XP 4268)

The ruby king has the form of a vampire dressed all in red. Unlike as with normal vampires, levels drained by the piece will be recovered at the rate of one per week.

XP VALUE: See above

GP VALUE: See above