Crafting Items from Monster Parts

The following table is a list of 20 powerful items that can be crafted from monster body parts. It is written with my acid-fantasy 'City of Calyx' D&D setting in mind, but it's suitable for many other old school adventure game systems and settings.

In the wilderness beyond Calyx, beasts both both alien and terrible stalk the crimson steppe.  Merchants and loose lipped adventurers speak of creatures warped by aeons of arcane fallout, and of the magical bounty to be carved from their dead flesh. Monster bones and organs are sought after, and command a high ransom of gold at the Calyx Bazaar. In the hands of a skilled craftman, these regents can be carefully formed into items capable of strange and powerful effects.

 

 

Roll on the following table to determine what monster part can be harvested from a magical beast and crafted into a usable item.

1. Bones, talons, teeth- crafted into arrow clubs, blades, arrow tips & spear heads. Grants additional to hit bonus, cause extra damage
2. Pheromone glands- grants a bonus to ability to intimidate or persuade
3. Strong hide- resistant certain types of damage (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, etc)
4. Stomach acid- highly corrosive to a certain substance it touches (metal, flesh, stone, wood, glass, etc.)
5. Gut- craft into powerful bowstring for increased firing rate, stronger & more accurate shots.
6. Venom sac- poison causes deleterious effect when ingested or injected (paralytic, sleep, confusion, death)
7. Parasites- carnivorous worms burrow into any exposed flesh. Can be applied against a new target host, causing rapid injury and disease.
8. Organ sac- thin membrane can be stretched over body. Increases swim speed, resilience to the elements (fire, cold, electricity, acid, etc).
9. Sticky secretions- applied to hands and knees, adds a significant bonus to climbing tests. Use it as a glue to anchor something in place.
10. Pineal gland secretion- psychedelic compound causes dreamlike visions, transient psychic powers and auguries of the future.
11. Alarm pheromone- apply the hormone to one’s body to summon like creatures which will defend you against a threat.
12. Eggs- ravenously delicious--other creatures will drop everything to greedly consume them. If left to rot, they become stink bombs.
13. Fur/ feathers- incomparably comfortable. Can be turned into a blanket or stuffed into pillows/ bedrolls. Causes extra hp recovery when sleeping on them for a full night.
14. Musk gland- apply to self, creatures assume you are not humanoid and will ignore your presence.
15. Horn/ tusks/ ivory- ground into powder and added to spell components to enhance magical effects.
16. Heart- when consumed adds temporary hp (1d3 doses)
17. Bile- cures poison, disease & purifies water.
18. Tear glands- salt from tears wards away spirits, ghosts & demons
19. Oil/ fat/ blubber- burns twice as hot (x2 damage) and twice as bright (x2 light radius) as lamp fuel
20. Reproductive organs- cures exhaustion, fatigue, & generates a temporary strength increase.