I'm not as happy with this table as I was for the Architecture one - it's too short, for one thing, but coming up with ways for ceramics to be artistically magical (as opposed to inherently magical) has been trickier than I first anticipated, and I wanted to get something up.
| 
Roll | 
Pot effect | 
Statue effect | 
| 
1 | 
The pot is somehow 25%
  larger on the inside | 
The statue absorbs the
  bad luck of whomever's features have been impressed upon it, granting a +2
  bonus when it would be most helpful. | 
| 
2 | 
The pot retains heat -
  warm objects stay warm indefinitely. | 
The ripples and curves
  along the statue's surface are innately relaxing.  Resting while observing it grants 1
  additional HP per HD. | 
| 
3 | 
Somehow, the pot stores
  the creative unconscious.  After being
  filled by passers-by (which requires at least 100 visits), the pot can be
  emptied and reduce the creation time of new things by 25%. | 
The shape of the statue
  subtly expresses some incomprehensible arcane principle.  Arcane research and creation times are
  reduced by 25%. | 
| 
4 | 
Due to some unexplained
  property of magical thermodynamics, targeted magical effects within 5' are
  drawn to the pot's interior. | 
The statue draws upon
  local myths to inspire a stronger work ethic - construction times are reduced
  by 25%. | 
| 
5 | 
The urn is covered with
  sacred writings.  Water stored
  overnight within it becomes holy water. | 
The expression on the
  statue's face is full of judgement. 
  Lies are more difficult to tell while near it. | 
| 
6 | 
The designs on the pot's
  exterior tell a local legend that inspires deep reflection.  While gazing at the pot, Wisdom is
  increased. | 
The statue is actually a
  clay half-mask which charms those who see it, effectively increasing the
  wearer's Charisma. | 
| 
7 | 
The impurities within the
  clay have been arranged so that when placed in a specific spot and exposed to
  the elements, the ley lines of the area are reinforced.  Druidical magic is strengthened in such a
  place. | 
The statue depicts a holy
  event, turning undead, demons, and devils as a cleric of the bard's level (or
  the inverse). | 
| 
8 | 
The whorls in the clay
  trigger a short-term hypnotic effect on those who see it and fail a saving
  throw. | 
The statue represents a
  holy figure.  Water run through the
  small hole in the statue becomes holy water. | 
| 
9 | 
The minerals within the
  clay are remarkably nourishing; food stored within it becomes tastier and
  acts as one step greater when determining food benefits. | 
By exquisitely depicting
  the true nature of fire, all nearby flames burn brighter and hotter (50%
  increase). | 
| 
10 | 
The clay leaches
  impurities from metal ores placed within, resulting in improved quality (25%
  increase). | 
The statue represents a
  noble figure, inspiring loyalty. 
  Morale checks made in its vicinity are improved by 1 (or the inverse). | 
One of the chief limitations of ceramics is the limited scope - while we can have arbitrarily large paintings, and massive sculptures, there's a definite size limit to ceramics because they have to be fired - they must be portable. Of course, that portability can be a huge asset - Pot 5 would be invaluable for many adventuring parties, while Statue 8 would be pretty cool overlooking a gate besieged by undead (weaponized urinating cherubs, anyone?).
 
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One of the results here is "food benefits." What system do you use for that?
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent question. I don't have one right now - on my list of things to do is determine what foods, specifically, go into '1 day's rations' - how do imperishable rations function (if at all), and so on.
ReplyDeleteFor D&D, my idea would be that food with quality below a certain threshold (based on ingredient quality and cooking ability) would limit the number of hit points restored upon resting, while food with quality above a [different] threshold would actually improve hit point recovery. This goes hand in hand with benefits garnered from quality resting locations: after a long, fatiguing adventure day, a hearty meal and quality bed provide a stronger restorative result than a bowl of porridge and the tavern's floor.
I'll go more in depth on this when I address bardic cooking.