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New Figures of Wondrous Power: the brass monkey and the granite goose

New Figures of Wondrous Power: the brass monkey and the granite goose

The Chimera on a red-figure Apulian plate, c. 350–340 BC (Musée du Louvre)

Try these new figurines of wondrous power for your Tales of the Valiant or 5E game! As a refresher, here are the standard rules for figures of wondrous power, as seen in the Tales of the Valiant Player’s Guide:

A figurine of wondrous power is a statuette of a beast small enough to fit in a pocket. If you use an action to speak the command word and throw the figurine to a point on the ground within 60 feet of you, the figurine becomes a living creature. If the space where the creature would appear is occupied by other creatures or objects, or if there isn’t enough space for the creature, the figurine doesn’t become a creature.

The creature is friendly to you and your companions. It understands your languages and obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, the creature defends itself but takes no other actions.

The creature exists for a duration specific to each figurine. At the end of the duration, the creature reverts to its figurine form. It reverts to a figurine early if it drops to 0 HP or if you use an action to speak the command word again while touching it. When the creature reverts to a figurine, its property can’t be used again until a certain amount of time has passed, as specified in the figurine’s description.

Brass Monkey

The brass monkey is a figurine of articulated brass, able to be set into a variety of poses. A small leather belt encircles the monkey’s waist, and holds a tiny brass cup. The original brass monkey belonged to Ilmatar Kurlock, a dwarven pirate captain. It was fashioned for her by a high priest, as ransom for the priest’s son, whom she had taken prisoner. Ilmatar typically used the brass monkey to fetch loose cannon balls and return them to their racks, or to run new ropes up into the rigging to the crew. Before tough battles, Ilmatar would use the figurine’s special ability to bolster her crew and ensure success.

Brass Monkey

Wondrous Item, Rare                     10,000 gp

When activated, the brass monkey becomes a Small monkey for 8 hours. Use the stats for a baboon, with the following additional abilities:

Fling. As an action, the monkey can toss any object up to 10 pounds as a ranged weapon attack. The attack has a range of 20/60 feet, and deals 1d6 + 2 damage of an appropriate type based on the kind of object.

Grog Ration. You can command the monkey to magically fill its tin cup with a mix of rum, spirits, and citrus fruit juice, providing a ration for up to 12 creatures. This takes 10 minutes and acts as a heroes’ feast.

Alternately, the grog ration can be watered down and distributed to up to 36 creatures, allowing each creature partaking to gain 3 temporary hit points and have advantage on one attack roll, one skill check, and one saving throw. These effects last 8 hours. Once the monkey has dispensed its grog ration, it reverts to its statuette form.

Once it reverts, the brass monkey cannot be used again for 3 days (7 days if its Grog Ration is dispensed.)

Introducing the Brass Monkey

Here are a few ways to introduce the brass monkey to your PCs:

  • The adventurers are hired to track down and capture or kill the notorious pirate, Ilmatar Kurlock. They can claim the brass monkey as their own if they succeed.
  • The proprietor of a notorious tavern owns a brass monkey. He’s rumored to lease its use to figures in the local criminal underworld for a hefty price. The proprietor is known to participate in high-stakes card games, and might be convinced to stake the figurine during a hand with a rich pot awaiting the winner.
  • Several significant NPCs (allies or important local figures) have contracted a virulent disease. Local clergy can’t help. Outside aid may not arrive in time. However, a reclusive wizard lives in a tower nearby, and is known to possess a brass monkey. The PCs can attempt to bargain with the wizard for use of the item. Or perhaps the wizard isn’t home, and the desperate PCs must break and enter, braving the wizard’s defenses and eventual wrath to save the afflicted.

Granite Goose

This statuette is carved to resemble a goose in a hostile pose: wings outspread, neck arched, beak open as if hissing. The first figurines of this type were created by a conclave of lakeside druids with an appreciation for waterfowl (informally known as the Circle of the Feather). Loyal geese living in the area were protective of the druids and their grove, but the druids created the figurines as a further line of defense, to reduce the risk of harm to their feathered friends.

Granite Goose

Wondrous Item, Rare                     2,000 gp

This granite statuette can become a goose for up to 8 hours. Once it has been used, it can’t be used again until 2 days have passed. The goose understands Common and can follow simple commands (come, follow, guard, stay, carry a message to a place or creature it knows, etc.)

If you are not a druid or ranger, there is a 5 percent chance that the goose turns on you when the statuette is first activated, attacking until it is killed and reverts to statue form, you are killed, it is no longer able to detect you for 3 consecutive rounds, or you or an allied creature succeeds on a DC 11 WIS (Animal Handling) check.

Goose                   CR 0

Small Beast
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 9
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft., swim 20 ft.
Perception 12                    Stealth 11
Senses

Languages Understands Common but can’t speak it

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
−2+1+0−4+2−2

Sharp Sight. The goose has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

ACTIONS

Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing

Wing Buffet. The goose must have at least 5 feet of movement available. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning and if the target is Medium-sized or smaller it must succeed on a DC 11 STR save or fall prone.

Introducing the Granite Goose

Here are a few ways to introduce the granite goose to your PCs:

  • The Circle of the Feather hires the PCs to assist them with an incursion of invasive species. They are rewarded with a granite goose for their assistance.
  • The PCs are hired to roust the Circle of the Feather from their grove. The granite goose figurine is part of the spoils.
  • The PCs spot a nest near a lakeside with an unusual statuette in it. Nearby geese are protective of the eggs also contained therein. If the adventurers want to procure the statuette, they must do it without raising the ire of the birds . . .  or angry druids that come to defend the local wildlife.

about Jeff Lee

Jeff Lee is a 10-year veteran of RPG freelancing. He has written a plethora of material for Kobold Press and other third-party companies. You might know him from Demon Cults & Secret Societies. You might also want to support his Patreon, where he writes things at patrons’ behest: https://www.patreon.com/jeffalee

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