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Parent Pages: Rules : Magic Items
Robe of Useful Items
Despite the name, a Robe of Useful Items can be a cloak, coat or robe.
This garment is filled with patches that may be torn out to produce an object or creature. Objects small enough to do so appear in the user's hand, while creatures or large objects appear adjacent to the user.
These magic items have become somewhat popular of late and can be made to order using the Repeating Useful Item, Useful Creature and Useful Item spells. The cost of this is $100 a patch, plus the cost of whatever items are stored in the patches. However, the larger an inanimate object is, the more difficult it is to turn into a patch, so the cost will be $100 x (SM-1 squared) for objects larger than SM +1.
The most expensive versions often come complete with trained animals, such as dogs, horses and falcons. Some very exceptional versions come with magic potions or other magic items.
The standard version on the market costs $2122, plus the cost of the garment, and comes with two each of the following patches:
| Patch | Reference |
|---|---|
| Dagger | B272 |
| Lantern (lit) | B288 |
| Mirror, Tall | DF1:26 |
| Pole, 10' | B288, DF1:24 |
| Rope, 3/4”, 20 yards | B288 |
| Sack | DF1:24 |
This standard item is often supplemented with a variety of less common (but still standard) patches:
| Patch | Added Cost | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Small Purse with 100 Kc | $210 | B288, Currency |
| Small Purse with 10 Tr | $1,110 | B288, Currency |
| Ladder, 10' | $225 | DF1:24 |
| Portable Ladder, 30' | $300 | DF1:26 |
| Small Mule with Saddle Bags | $1,200 | B460, B289 |
| Large Mule with Saddle Bags | $2,200 | B460, B289 |
| Great Healing Potion | $1,100 | DF1:29 |
| Rowboat, includes oars | $1,700 | F142, F143 |
| Large Guard Dog, Trained | $1,100 | B457 |
| Large Guard Dog, Fully trained and fiercely loyal Trained to obey and protect wearer of robe | $10,100 | B457 |
| Saddle Horse with Bit and Bridle, Horseshoes, Saddle and Tack, Saddle Bags, Stirrups | $1,760 | B460, B289 |
| Cavalry Horse with Bit and Bridle, Horseshoes, Saddle Bags, Stirrups, War Saddle | $4,660 | B459, B289 |
| Camel with Bit and Bridle, Saddle and Tack, Saddle Bags | $1,885 | B459, B289 |
| Portable Pit Trap, 10' x 10', 5 yards deep | $500 | Portable Pit Trap |
| Portable Window, 2' wide, 4' tall, with two glass panes, bottom one slides up to open The glass is DR 1 and penetrating it shatters the window pane | $343 | Portable Window, Windows |
| Portable Door, Average lock/hinge (good quality), average wooden door Comes with two keys on a ring in the lock | $360 | DF2:18, Doors, Portable Window |
It should be noted that anything, even people, can be stored as a patch, but these are just the most common examples.
Weapons and/or ammunition are a particular favorite among low-class thugs that want a surprise advantage.
There's a Gnomish enchanter named Dalnock Dimbfoodle living under Iron Peak with the Tinkers that sells prohibitively expensive robes filled with firearms and their ammunition, as well as a variety of other Gnomish gadgets.
Repeating Useful Items
This sub-class of Useful Item is a magic item in and of itself. Repeating Useful Items are capable of attaching themselves as patches to the interior of any cloak, coat or robe simply through someone attempting to shove them inside such a garment.
It can be somewhat interesting to watch as a full-size ladder or rowboat is successfully shoved inside the user's robe.
Containers, such as sacks or chests, are generally considered quite useful when enchanted this way. They're often as good as or better than an equivalent bag of holding, but they do take more effort to use. An overfilled sack can be quite difficult to shove in one's robe.
These items cost $1,000, plus the cost of the item itself. Putting this enchantment on a container costs $5,000. This costs ($1000 or $5000, based on container-ness) x (SM-1 squared) for objects larger than SM +1.
