Spennymore's Skating Boots look normal to the untrained eye. It is difficult to mentally connect them to the legends that cling to them, of those who would attack the wearer suddenly ending up head over heels.
Full Item Description
A pair of brown boots of the finest soft suede leather, with a large star of rolled gold on the side of each boot.
History
Sir Adam Spennymore was an actor, a jester, a storyteller, and most of all, a dancer. He was knighted not for any feat of arms or grand strategy but because of his skill in entertaining Queen Yocasta, and he had quite a lot of help from his brown leather boots.
His brother had taken to the path of legitimate white magic from an early age and had become highly skilled in its use. Whilst black magic was illegal, and its users were heavily punished or even executed when caught, nobody had a problem with white magic as it made things so much easier. His brother enchanted the boots so that they could be used to skate around on as if the wearer was dancing on ice, which had a wonderful effect on the stage.
Inevitably his fast rise through the ranks at court caused jealousy to rise and rumours were spread about him amongst the nobles and royal courtiers, each one worse then the last. It was whispered that Queen Yocasta had fallen in love with him. That he had bewitched her with love magic. That she was pregnant with his child who was going to be the next ruler of Vallermoore after her death. Even that he was a demon in disguise.
In fact, none of these rumours were in any way true, but that did not stop people at the time believing in them totally. Finally a few of the nobles decided that Sir Adam needed to be murdered for the good of the country, and waited just outside his suite of rooms with their swords drawn. But when he came outside and they attacked him, things did not go according to plan.
When one of them ran forward with his sword raised, totally scaring Sir Adam in the process, he found that it was as if he was running on an invisible sheet of ice and he slipped all over the place and crashed into a heavy suit of plate armour. The other nobles ran to help only to find themselves falling about all over the place whilst Sir Adam fled.
As he ran however his fear lessened and when that happened the floor ceased to be slippery, enabling his attackers to catch up with them just as he reached the royal hall. They hacked him down, but not in secret as they had hoped but in front of the outraged Queen and her court instead.
The Queen screamed for her guards and those responsible for the murder paid with their lives in a humiliating way, by crucifixion in front of the common people instead of the traditional axe and block in semi-private.
Magic/Cursed Properties
Under normal circumstances, the boots may be used to make any solid surface slippery right under them. They also give the wearer perfect abilities to skate, dance, twirl and jump on this slippery surface instead of falling over.
When the wearer is terrified to the point that he or she truely fears either being killed or badly hurt, the area within several feet of him becomes slippery and those not prepared for this will slip, slide and comically fall about all over the place. The more there are of the foe, the stronger the effect.
Friends, however, are not spared and are just as likely to fall over. And the effect only lasts as long as the wearer of the boots is terrified. As soon as he or she ceases to be frightened enough, the foes will cease to be unable to stand up straight and will close in for the kill.
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This is actually quite a potent but deadly item. The fact that if your fear stops, you might very well end up dying at the hands of your enemies, makes it a rather sinister item. Was the slippery effect over a wider radius than normal when the wearer is afraid, an intentional or accidental effect?
It's accidental as the boots were never made as a weapon of war but a tool to amuse. Great fear from the wearer affects the magic and makes it spread out.
This is really not that silly.
They are a basic magic item made for a standard purpose. They just happened to be used in an odd way.
Now is there only one pair of these boots, or do others make them and utilize the noble's name in honor of this more exciting use?
I'd think sooner or later this could be modified and made into a fighting boot with the slippery ability for whole platoons of soldiers, to make opposing units fall over.Then other armies would develop it and it might become the basic magic army boot.
There is silliness, but it is alright; just the right side effect most magical items should have. Me likes!
It is an interesting effect that the slipperiness of the boots is dimished when the user isn't afraid. I think I like that part the best.
Pretty Slick Cheka!
A little odd that emotions affect the magic - would like some explanation on the why, but then again, it is magic.
I think slipperiness is an under-estimated obstacle. If you wanted something sillier you could go with Shoes of Floor Buffing that shine and polish the floor, leaving slippery lines where the wearer has slid by.
I like it. My players are constantly coming up with new uses for things and, halfway deliberately, trying to shortcut my scenarios. They will love this. Thanks, Cheka.