Danial Dravot's Head

Sad day today, as Sean Connery passed away. Like Harold Ramis, I figure he needs an homage in my gaming.

Stats for Zed from Zardoz?

A rule for gangster games about knives vs. guns?

A review of the James Bond Roleplaying Game?

A magic sword based on The Highlander?

How about an enchanted head of a Man Who Would Be King?

Bingo.


The Man Who Would Be King is a great example of two things - a steller GURPS-friendly adventure, and a great way of showing how to take source material (the original short story) and turn it into a similar but noticeably different piece of entertainment.

I adore this movie. I've seen it so many times that when I got the DVD, I could point out the missing line oddly edited out from the original - "You just wait one jiffy" - Billy Fish (played by the incomparable, and also sadly deceased, Saeed Jaffrey.)

Two bits in it really scream out to fantasy gaming. The first is when Danny Dravot and Peachy Carnahan take possession of Alexander the Great's treasury. And that guy looted a hell of a lot of loot .

And the second . . . well, let's let Peachy talk about another time Sean Connery was deceased.

"And the mountains they tried to fall on old Peachy, but he was quite safe because Daniel walked before him. And Daniel never let go of Peachy's hand and Peachy never let go of Daniel's head."

Danny Dravot's Head

A decaying, decapitated head of a European man, wearing a crown of gold (worth $20,000). It's rotting (Bad Smell) but never finishes rotting. Carried openly in one hand, by the hair, the head gives the bearer the ability to cast Pathfinder at no cost, only to find the way out of a dungeon, country, or dangerous locale and back towards "home." Additionally, the bearer will never suffer death from any natural hazard - rockfalls, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. may cause harm but will not cause death - and if a death check is called for, the bearer will always succeed. If held continously, the head will not be dropped accidentally or from falls, knockout, critical failures, etc. If the bearer lets go of Danny Dravot's Head, all benefits are lost for 1d6 days. The head loses all power if the crown is removed from the head.

Rest in Peace.