Heward's Mystical Organ is a massive musical instrument fashioned to look like a particularly sublime pipe organ. The cabinet is a great horseshoe arc with three full sets of keys; one of ivory and obsidian, one of jade and lapis, and the third of steel and brass. Arranged in three banks, one to each side and another across the front, are the organ's ivory stops, nine to a bank, 27 in all. Nine rosewood pedals sound the deepest of the bass notes. The organ is more than just the cabinet though, for without the pipes it would have no voice. Each pipe is sounded by an elemental spirit. Made of gold and silver, some pipes are only inches in height while others stretch three stories high, almost to the ceiling. Because the organ cannot be exposed to the elements (and it is in no way portable) it is always discovered housed in a cathedral-like building, not necessarily the same one each time. Sometimes the organ is discovered in the ruined shell of a temple, other times in a soaring cavern deep beneath the earth. Just how this occurs is one of the mystical properties of the device.

history

In a time long ago when the age of elves was fading and the new age of man was just being born, Heward, Patron of Bards, despaired. Heward was a man more than a man, barely less than a demi-god, for it was a time when men could rise to such greatness. For centuries Heward had listened to and learned with joy the songs of the elves. His fellow humans, though, had no time or interest in such graceful skills. Determined to teach mankind the genteel arts of composition and song, the great Heward spent his years building a device that would bring joy and wonder to the world. At last he finished his great creation—Reward's Mystical Organ. It is said that the music Heward played on the Organ was stolen from the voices of nightingales and that no man or woman who heard his aires could remain unmoved. Even the reclusive elves and the dour dwarves were lured from their hidden dens when Heward's fingers bent to the keys. Of those who came to hear, some among them were inspired to spread the wonder they had heard. From Heward they learned the arts of harmony, composition, and more—all the skills to make beautiful music. These men and women went out among the people and so Heward inspired the first bards. It is even said that when Heward played, blighted soil flowered, rain fell upon command, even the sun lingered a little longer in the sky. Heward's work did not pass unnoticed in the heavens, and among the divine powers some grew jealous of his skill. These gods spoke to the mice of Heward's hall, saying "Great Heward will some day call you vermin and use his music to drive you from this place. Go and gnaw on his organ before this can happen," and the mice with their foolish small brains did as the gods suggested. Perhaps, as some say, it was the elven gods who, fearful that their own songs would vanish, sent the mice—perhaps it was another. And so the songs of the organ changed and as the soured notes were keyed, evil things stole their tones. Thus the harpies found their voice and the sirens gained their power to lure. Enraged at the treachery of the mice, Heward played one last song on his organ that forever cursed them to be lowly and meek. Then everything disappeared without a trace. Or so the story goes.

campaign use

Heward's Mystical Organ is one of those artifacts best suited to a multi-part adventure, since several elements must be brought together before the Organ can be used. Because it is not a particularly practical device (being impossible to transport and difficult to use), most characters are not likely to seek out the Organ of their own accord. Therefore, the DM must provide them with a strong enough reason, a threat that can  only be foiled by the correct use of the device. Given the history and musical nature of the artifact, a peril such as the loss of all bardic lore or the evaporation of music throughout the world is particularly appropriate. Once faced with the problem, the characters must learn how the Organ can help, find the correct tune to play on it, practice that tune (for it must be flawless), discover the location of the Organ, and finally, get there. Of course, the agent or agencies behind this plot are not going to leave the characters unhindered. Ever-increasing efforts will be made by the enemy to stop them. Of course, along the way the characters gain hints to a few songs that just might be useful to them. At the end of the adventure, the characters could experiment with the organ, although this would be most foolish. Alternatively, if the DM wants to remove the artifact, it can simply vanish as soon as a song is poorly played.

 

Invoked. To use the Organ properly, characters must know two things; the exact song to be played and the settings for the stops of the organ. Only specific combinations of a particular song and exact stop settings have any effect. There are at least 23 powers of the Organ, requiring 23 different songs. (More can exist if the DM desires.) DMs can create their own list of tunes based on their own tastes in music. (It can be particularly effective to choose classical organ works and then play them on a stereo just as the player characters attempt the same.) It is generally a good idea to mix up the selections so that players cannot guess correctly based on their knowledge of the DM. A form is provided in Appendix C for the DM to record the settings. The stops are noted by a coded sequence. There are 27 stops lettered A-Z and one more labelled !. Each stop has eight settings (1 through 8). The settings are noted as a combination of letter and number. For convenience, any stop all the way in (set to 1) is ignored. Thus the stop setting for a particular song might be A7, G2, H3, I5, R6, S6, V2, and !3. The last setting (!) is important for, if set incorrectly, the Organ's curse is automatically triggered. Once all the stops have been set, the song can be played. A successful proficiency check must be made by one skilled in playing such an instrument. If failed, the character has erred during the course of playing, potentially triggering a bad effect. The effects of the Organ's 23 songs are quite varied. A suggested breakdown is given here, or the DM can create an effect that matches the goal of the adventure.

 

5 abilities from Table 31: Personal Enhancement

6 abilities from Table 10: Abjurations

6 abilities from Table 21: Enchantment/Charm

3 abilities from Table 11: Cataclysms

3 abilities from  Table 13: Conjuration

f the song or setting is incorrect or if the playing is poor, the DM should roll on the table below, Bad Reviews, for a result

Bad Reviews

dlO Roll     Result

1-7 No result

8-9 Curse

10 Random effect

Curse. It is said that only Heward could play the Organ without fail. Should any character trigger the curse, all those within the hall must roll a successful saving throw vs. death with a -4 penalty or be stricken mad, tortured by the screeching tones of the pipes. Those mad forever wander the world, unable to bear the slightest sound yet unable to tolerate silence either. Mad characters lose all class abilities except saving throws and hit points and are controlled by the referee. The madness can only be cured by a wish spell. There is also the risk that a character will play the Organ too well. Should the proficiency check  be a 1 (or less), the keyboardist has played with near divine inspiration, worthy of Heward himself. At the end of the piece, the musician is instantly struck with melancholia, knowing that this performance is never likely to be matched. Those listening must roll checks against their Wisdom, with those who fail coming to the same conclusion. (Wiser characters are able to rouse themselves from this depression.) Stricken characters take no joy in life, for they have heard the most sublime beauty and gradually waste away, unable to even motivate themselves to eat or drink.

table 10: abjurations

These powers primarily negate things, properties, and powers. Unlike offensive spells, the powers here are not intended to destroy those things properly in their place, but instead to remove enchantments, bindings, and the like that perhaps do not belong. The artifact can:

Die Roll

1   Cast abjure (3/day)

2   Cast avoidance between a creature and the user (1/day)

3   Cast banishment by touch (1/week)

4   Instantly dismiss an elemental (1/week)

5   Cast dismissal upon any planar creature by touch (1/week)

6 Cast dispel magic by touch (1/day)

7   Cast dispel evil/dispel good (1/day)

8  Cast holy word/unholy word (1/week)

9   Cast dispel magic by touch (1/day)

10  Cast holy word/unholy word (1/week)

11  Cast Hornung's random dispatcher by touch (1/week)

12  Cast imprisonment/freedom by touch. Imprisoned creatures can be freed by naming them (1/month).

13  Cast knock (3/day)

14  Cast lower resistance (7/day)

15  Have minor spell turning constantly in effect while the artifact is in hand. 1d4 is rolled to determine maximum level of spell turned whenever the user is affected by a spell

16  Cast purify food & drink upon all items within a 10' radius of the artifact (7/day)

17  Cast repulsion upon one named creature (1/week)

18  Cast spell turning for two turns duration (1/day)

19  Dispel illusions within a 60' radius (3/day)

20  Have turn wood constantly in effect while the artifact is in hand

Table 11: Cataclysms

Cataclysms can never be intentionally called upon by the artifact's owner. They occur at unplanned times. While a character might get lucky and trigger an incendiary cloud just as orcs storm the stronghold, the cataclysm takes no sides. Human defenders and orc attackers are equally vulnerable to the artifact's vengeance; even the artifact's owner is fair game. All of the cataclysms described here affect an area one mile in diameter. Everything within that range is subject to the awful effects of the cataclysm. The artifact will:

Die Roll

1   Cast Acid storm to rain down upon the area of effect for two full turns

2   Create a permanent aura of desolation that settles over the area of effect. Individuals of good alignment are haunted by terrifying dreams and suffer -2 penalties to THACO and saving throw rolls while evil creatures gain +2 penalties to the same. Plants twist and wither, crops fail, and herds grow sickly.

3   Blanket the area of effect with a blizzard, dropping temperatures to 0° F and inflicting 1d6 points of damage per hour to those unsheltered. Overland movement is impossible. The storm lasts 1d6 + 12 hours and snows remain 1d3 days (summer), 2d6 days (spring/fall), or 2d20 days (winter).

4   Ravage the area of effect with call lightning for 72 hours (432 bolts), randomly striking any targets

5   Create a cloudkill spell upon the area of effect for 1d6 hours.

6   Form a ring of creeping doom around the area of effect that constricts in a solid blanket inward, not diminishing until the center is reached (4 hours to reach center).

7   Settle a death fog over the area of effect that remains in place for 2d20 rounds.

8  Strike the area of effect with a permanent drought. All water present or brought into the area of effect evaporates instantly.

9   Strike the area of effect with an earthquake spell

10  Rain afire storm down upon the area of effect for 2d6 rounds

11  Flood the entire area of effect, destroying buildings and fields. All living creatures unable to fly risk drowning in the rushing waters. The waters recede to safe levels in 1d6 hours but remain covering land for 2d20 days.

12  Sweep an incendiary cloud through the entire area of effect.

13  Settle an insect plague upon the area of effect for 1d6 hours that, in addition to other spell effects, destroys all vegetable matter.

14  Instantly create a permanent magic-dead area of effect. Nonartifact magical items do not function within the zone, spellcasting is impossible, and all existing spells are instantly negated, including permanent enchantments on creatures. Summoned beings are instantly driven back to their own planes.

15  Create a meteor swarm to rain down upon the area of effect for 1dl2 hours (8 spheres/round, or 480/hour), randomly striking targets within the area of effect.

16  Create a permanent spiral of degeneration that settles upon the area of effect. Only artifacts remain unaffected.

17  Create a permanent wildzone in the area of effect

18  Transfer the entire area of effect to a randomly chosen lower plane. The artifact is not transported.

19  Strike the entire area of effect with a storm of vengeance

20  Create permanent wolf spirits to guard the area of effect that are hostile to all nonanimal lifeforms.

Table 13: Conjuration

The powers on this table relate to the ability to summon creatures or objects from other places or to create things out of thin air. The artifact can:

Die Roll

1   Cast aerial servant (1/week)

2   Cast animal horde (1/month)

3   Cast animal summoning I-III with the user choosing the type of creature summoned (1/day)

4   Cast animate object (1/day)

5   Cast call lightning (1/week)

6   Cast a conjure elemental spell of the user's choice (1/week)

7   Cast Leomund's secure shelter (1/day)

8   Cast fabricate (1/day)

9   Call upon Leomund's secret chest at any time, using the chest to store the artifact when not needed

10 Cast maze (I/week)

11 Cast monster summoning I-VII with the user choosing the type of monster summoned (1/week)

12 Cast prismatic sphere (1/week)

13 Summon 1d4 berserkers as a horn of Valhalla (1/week)

14 Summon a genie (1/week)

15 Summon an invisible stalker (1/week)

16 Cast summon shadow (1/week)

17 Inscribe a symbol of the user's choice (1/week)

18 Cast trap the soul upon a creature by touch (1/month)

19 Cast unseen servant to constantly be at hand and serve the user

20 Cast weather summoning (1/week)

Table 21: Enchantment/Charm

The powers on this table are charms, holds, suggestions, and other abilities to influence the minds of creatures. Most operate directly through the artifact—the owner must present the device boldly when activating the power. The targets are then possibly entranced by the power radiating from the artifact.

Die Roll

1   Increase the user's Charisma score by 3, with the enhancement only affecting the opposite gender. The user need not present the artifact, but the power vanishes when the artifact is no longer possessed.

2  Imbue the user with the effects of animal friendship while the artifact is in hand

3  Cast charm monster (1/day)

4  Cast charm person (2/day)

5  Cast charm plants (5/day)

6  Cast cloak of bravery/cloak of fear (2/day)

7  Cast command (7/day)

8  Cast confusion (1/day)

9  Cast demand (1/week)

10 Cast domination (1/week)

11 Cast: emotion (1/day)

12 Imbue the user's gaze with the effects of cause fear while the device is in hand

13 Cast feeblemind by touch (1/week)

14 Cast forget by touch (3/day)

15 Cast geas by touch. The mission must relate to the goals of the artifact, if any (I/month).

16 Cast hold person (1/day)

17 Cast hypnotism (1/day)

18 Cast Otto's irresistible dance by touch (1/day)

19 Cast quest by touch. The mission must relate to the goals of the artifact, if any (1/month).

20 Cast suggestion (3/day).

Table 31: Personal Enhancement

Aside from the massive powers of artifacts, these are powers many player characters dream about—the undeserved rewards of simply finding an artifact. Unlike many other powers, those given here can be used virtually without restriction. Unless otherwise stated, these powers last as long as the character owns the artifact. A few are noted as permanent, remaining with the character even after the artifact is gone. Permanent powers take effect as soon as the artifact is touched, but only once per adventuring group (or until the owner is dead). The artifact can:

Die Roll

1   Cast alter self at will

2   Cast clairaudience at will

3   Cast clairvoyance at will

4   Have animal friendship constantly in effect

5   Provide the user with the effects of deeppockets, regardless of what is worn

6   Imbue the user with invisibility to undead

7   Shield the user constantly with protection from evil/protection from good (as appropriate to the artifact)

8   Regenerate 2 of the user's hit points per turn

9   Cast feign death at will

10 Cast friends at will

11 Cast lasting breath at will

12 Provide the user with a permanent +1 bonus to saving throw rolls

13 Permanently increase the user's prime requisite score(s) by 1

14 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use comprehend languages at will

15 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use negative plane protection at will

16 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use speak with monsters at will

17 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use speak with animals at will

18 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use speak with plants at will

19 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use water breathing at will

20 Permanently imbue the user with the ability to use ventriloquism at will.

suggested means of destruction

• The King of the Mice must be convinced to lead his people in an attack on the Organ, for only they can destroy the instrument's inner workings.

• The worst composer in the entire world must be found to play the instrument. The cacophony that results causes such a titanic explosion that the Organ, its hall, and the surrounding area for a half-mile radius are destroyed.

• .The Organ must be burned in a fire kindled with a copy of every work that Heward ever composed.

Notes: originally from eldritich wizardry, Instrument