Dust of the Elven Wood
by Jason O'Brien with comments by John Harethe dust created by the great elven sorcerer, known only as forester, was designed for the purpose of creating a new elven wood, and domain out in the steppes, from a few copses.
the dust increases the fertility and growth rate of all forms of flora by a factor of 10.therefore a tree that would normally take a hundred years to grow to full strength or maturity, would be there in ten years.
the vegetation is also increased by three times its normal size and strength and imbued with a resistance to fire, both natural and magical.
this dust if ingested in its pure form by any living creature results in death, as the dust remains inert until mixed with water, it will therefore mix with fluids in the stomach and thus effect any grains therein.
perhaps a save vs. death at -4, if successful then is bed ridden for the next 2 weeks recovering from the dust, similar in effect to the two weeks rest required by raise dead?
any animal or being that ingests vegetation affected by this powder, is changed in the following ways.
firstly that person grows to half their normal height, and gains half again the normal strength of that character to a maximum of 18 plus exceptional strength if playing AD&D. the last effect is that the creatures fertility is doubled.
This effect might be a little too powerful. Consider Elves, normally 5'4" tall, after eating the effected vegetation or extract now become 8' tall (I might be out here, I normally work with metric :) which means they have to redesign their homes, clothes, armour & weapons. Now their race experiences a huge growth increase (double fertility should result in double number of offspring (unless they are protestants... you know, from Monty Python :) more of which may survive because they are stronger than normal.
Which means you suddenly have to expand territory to feed all the little blighters, and since this is hereditary all their offspring will have the same effect without eating the effected vegetation. (what if hereditary creatures eat the vegetation? do they also grow taller and stronger yet? ) This new race of elves would eventually take over other races. If the effects are so hereditary it could be considered the dominant gene, which means any normal elves they breed have superelf children. All and all which means elves will probably take over the world, bigger, stronger, doubled population growth and the need for increased resources to support their offspring you will have a war soon as the superelves contest the possession of lands with other races. Which could be an interesting plot device.
A couple of suggestions, remove the increased strength, and make it a +1 to strength instead, the fertility should only be active in those that continue to eat the vegetation or extract. Thus creatures who leave home won't have huge amounts of offspring. And the effects shouldn't be hereditary, but continued existence there would make it seem like it is. I would probably also remove the increased growth rate. Perhaps instead of growing more, their metabolisms are speeded up and the creatures who eat the stuff gain the ability to haste themselves 3/day?
any form of vegetable extract, i.e. honey, also causes these effects if ingested. these effects will become permanent if the animal or being continually eats affected vegetation. over a period of five years the effects become hereditary.
this item was created as a unique
magical item needed for the path of paragon on his quest for
immortality.