Dust created to allow seeing invisible creatures of all kinds, even if immaterial.
Description:
A fine dust of various unknown ingredients, the grains have the colors of grey, black, silver, brown, and others. The dusts itself is not harmful. It is not very common on the market, the durable variant can fetch a high price.
Magical Properties:
When thrown, the dust disperses gently and clings to all surfaces, including those 'not entirely here'. It allows to see the shapes of invisible and even immaterial beings, but ignores illusions, so some may be recognized as such. It is useful for fighting ghostly creatures, though they can get rid of this mark by passing through a wall.
Creation and History:
The original Dust Of Sight was created by the priests of a vanished sect, developed to tear away the veil that hides the ultimate truth. Whether they found their truth, or something else, they are no more.
The creation itself was a potent ritual. Four virgins would recite holy texts for days, sacred incense was burned, and prayers uttered... all that is gone. What remains is a dirty and easy alchemistic process. The basic formula can be found in many resources:
Ashes of Dead,
Grain Despoiled.
Love Letter Burned,
Curse Employed.Stirring thryce Westward, your Blood won't be Spared,
Cooling the Night through, on the Headman's Blade.Use it in Haste, lest it sees thryce paired Days,
Pain you will feel, for an Old Ones Disgrace.
Oh, right: the formula is well known, but there are many possible interpretations (for a start, the "Ashes of Dead" can mean the ashes gained by the burning of the dead, or the ashes that stay behind after undead burned by sunlight, etc), not to speak of the manufacture. How widespread is the secret will determine the price of Dust.
Sometimes, remains of the original Dust of Sight are found, fully effective after hundreds of years; what is produced now lasts a few days. After the expiration period, or in case of partial success may manifest side effects. 'The veil that hides the truth' may be pierced even more; going as far as revealing what lies beneath the skins of people... not a sight for the faint of heart.
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I do recal having seen items like this before. If I am correct even in the Dungeon Master Guide..
Umm, well, I did not.
(But I must admit this is a weak one. Shame on me. But one of my first.)
I will not hold it against you......
I do not know the DMG by hart either....
Actually used this (as a player) in CoC
We bought it in the local supermarket
It was called flour - yes, the stuff you make bread from
A bit weak manfred - not up to your normal standard
Not quite a 2 but better than a 1 - lucky the new version allows 1 1/2
Ouch. Not your best Manfred. I have to stick with DL here.
Hey, easy with the old ones! :)
It is one of the ancient submissions. Admittably, it is of low quality, but it shows where we have begun.
I think I'll keep this as personal reminder.
That said, I don't think they got the point of it: flour wouldn't stick to a ghost. It'd pass right through. The powder was made to stick to immaterial things, not just things that are entirely here. Take it as it was made.
Update: because my ego didn't let me, and blatant oversights were noticeable in (some of) the detracting comments, I have decided to give this a re-haul.
So now, it is still not much, but it has... *drumroll* ...more color! :D
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Special thanks go to Pariah for his ideas, and especially the artistic assistance.
If one can do New Take on Orcs or whathaveyou, I don't see the problem with new takes on magic items.
Like the history and details. If only all magic items were this detailed....
Much better than the original item that you showed me, good job Man.
Pretty good actually. I don't see what the fuzz is. Good solid idea.
I'm with val.