The Cat's Craddle

R: Touch

You do some figure-work with a rope, in a complicated yet silent spell cast over many rounds.

In the first round, you make the Cat’s Cradle. For [dice] following rounds, you can add any one step to the final effect, and either unleash its power or hold it to elaborate it into a different figure next round. The same step can be taken multiple times but never twice in a row.

  1. The Cat’s Cradle: the magic will last an extra 10 minutes.
  2. Dugout Canoe: the rope will be able to keep 2*[step] humans afloat.
  3. Find the Owl: the rope will attract [step] birds.
  4. Open the Gate: the rope will be able to pull [step] locked doors open.
  5. Path to the Well: the rope will be soaked with [step] rations of water.
  6. Fire Drill: the rope will set things it touches ablaze, inflicting [step] damage per round.
  7. What Will You Do?: everyone seeing the rope except you will have to save or be confused for [step] rounds.
  8. Mattress: the rope’s transformation will put up to [step] creatures asleep if they fail a save.
  9. Candles: the rope will shine bright enough to light [step]*10’.
  10. Manger: the rope will become edible and be enough food for [step] rations.
  11. Saw: the rope will be able to cut through [step] feet of wood.
  12. Diamonds: the rope will seem made of [step] valuable gold bars.
  13. Cat’s Eye: the rope will point at [step] things hiding a secret.
  14. Fish in a Dish: if offered to someone, the rope will make [step] creatures happy.
  15. Hand Drum: the rope will make terrifying noises causing all enemies of [step] HD or less to flee if they fail a save.
  16. Lucky Tea Kettle: while touching the rope, you will be able to re-roll a roll [step] times and choose the result.
  17. Fish: the rope will be able to move across water as fast as [step] running dwarves.
  18. Pig: the rope will be strong enough to carry [step] extra objects by itself.
  19. Frog: the rope will be able to jump [step]*10’ long and high.
  20. Dazzle: the rope will be the first priority of the first [step] creatures who see it.
game + rope
Adapted from Marvels & Malisons
Written on November 13, 2020