THE NATURE OF MANA CRYSTALS

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On Orlantia there can be found small amounts of an unusual substance called mana crystal. Current conjecture is that this compound, which is usually found in the form of a small crystals, is nothing less than the remnants of a few drops of blood from a god, or at least, a god's avatar, spilled upon the Prime Material Plane or PMP. Wherever it comes from or whatever it really is, there can be no doubt that it is highly useful.

The mana crystals are, therefore, probably some reflection of divine magic. Quite simply, they somehow manage to gather energy from their surroundings until they are filled to capacity. If such energy were to be used, the then drained crystal would simply start to gather more energy until filled to capacity once again. (This is similar to the sacrifice of personal energy during a prayer; you naturally regain this energy over time and so does the mana crystal). The amount of energy and the length of time required to fill itself to capacity depends partly on crystal size, purity, and quality, but mostly the shape is the largest factor. In fact, an expert jeweler may cut a mana crystal and the resulting pieces may end up holding more total power than the parent piece (10% chance of increased total power, 80% about the same total power, and 10% he will lower or even destroy the crystal). The DM may adjust these percentages upward for exceptional skill in gem cutting or downward for the reverse.

These mana crystals are frequently incorporated into the manufacture of magic items. Their effect can typically be seen in the self-charging qualities of many magic items. For example, a sword which will cast a continual light three times a day, an amulet which will absorb one magic missile per day, or a broach which will allow its wearer to cast a tongues spell once per week. Any magic item, which has an apparently self-charging function in it, may be using a mana crystal of some sort.

Orlantia is famous for its magic pearls, boasting about 50 types with known magical properties. I started this article with a brief description of mana crystals because it is typically the case that a mana crystal was used as the seed for these pearls. As such, they frequently have a naturally self-charging nature.

THE ROYAL OYSTERS OF ORLANTIA

There is a race of giant, intelligent oysters on Orlantia. Current speculation suggests that some powerful Arch Mage who wished to capitalize on the oysters' natural gifts transplanted members of this race from the elemental plane of water to Orlantia. The Mage was probably disappointed, though. Whatever the case may be, these oysters can still occasionally be found in the oceans and seas of Orlantia. Naturally, the oysters don't like to be bothered and so they are always on the move and therefore very hard to find; especially since they don't seem to favor any particular type of waters and can therefore be found in all sorts ranging from the very cold and dark to the very warm and bright. One of the unusual and useful qualities of these oysters is that they have a positive gift for locating mana crystals within the waters. They love to build their pearls using them as these produce the most beautiful results.

Since it may take years to properly grow a magic pearl, the oysters greatly desire to use mana crystals as the seeds for their pearls. Thus, if they can help it, they do not waste their time on mundane pearls. Of course, since they like their solitude, they will refuse to make anything along these lines while in captivity. They would rather die. It is for these reasons the oysters are so very hard to find. But, if you do find one, it's usually best to leave them alone. There are, however, exceptions.

If you happen to have a mana crystal with you and the oyster happens to be holding a completed work, they will actually trade the pearl for the new mana crystal seed. Like an artist, they wish to try to improve on their last work, or perhaps create another masterpiece, and they have no problem letting their completed work go so that it may be enjoyed. In fact, this may improve their social standing as a great artist. Of course, you may be of a bent that feels the life of such a creature is nothing and the pearl it may contain is rightfully yours anyway, so having a mana crystal for trade isn't really a concern of yours. Well, you know who you are.

It has been known to happen that a royal oyster will use other things rather than mana crystals to create a work of art. One example was a human skull that was used and subsequently covered in royal mother of pearl. Other small items may also be used, such as holy symbols of various gods, religious relics, or small weapons, and this mother of pearl coating frequently has some magical quality about it such that a mage may make some magic item from such an object, but this would be rare.

As a last note on these giant, moderately to highly intelligent oysters, I will give you some more information concerning the oysters themselves. They range is size from 6 feet across for the small ones to as large as 50 feet across. They have a royal family, of sorts, and the other oysters must give up any mana crystals to a royal family member if requested to do so. Naturally, a royal oyster would only ask if the shame of not finding his or her own mana crystal was less than the shame of not producing an exceptional work in a very long time.

Members of the royal family usually produce the best pearls. In fact, the royal line is determined by who can produce the best pearls. If a non-royal oyster produced a relic class pearl (from table 4), and the current king hadn't done as much for at least a century, such an oyster and its family would become the new royal line. Since these oysters live for about 500 years, each one may produce as many as 50 magic pearls during their lifetime, averaging about one pearl every decade.

These royal oysters are pretty non-offensive creatures. If forced to fight for their lives, they will do so. Their AC is 0. They have 4 to 10 HD. They can move surprisingly fast as a kind of jet propelled jump. If their opponent isn't aware of this, the oyster may attempt one, and only one, such maneuver on their attacker. A roll of 5 or less on a D10 indicates the unaware opponent is surprised. If the oysters then hits the AC of their opponent (without the enemy's dexterity bonus, if any) with a +4 to the oyster's normal attack roll, the enemy is engulfed and will suffocate in a number of rounds equal to one half of their constitution score, rounded down. This already assumes they are able to breathe water, for if they can't, they'll drown in 3 rounds or less.

During such time only characters of exceptional strength may move at all, for the muscle of the oyster is very dense and strong. Each such round the victim is engulfed he or she may, with exceptional strength, automatically do their strength's damage bonus to the oyster, and also add a small hand held weapon's maximum damage (like a dagger but not a mace) if and only if they happened to have had it out before being engulfed. If they manage to kill the oyster before suffocating, they are free.

Unfortunately, if the oyster misses their only surprise attack roll, they'll probably be killed as they only move at a 3" movement rate and are so slow; a prepared character can usually manage to avoid any attacks by always attacking from a flanking position. As such, they may dance around the oyster and keep taking pot shots as long as necessary to break through the shell and kill it.

Humans who know about these oysters collectively refer to them as ROYAL OYSTERS. As I have mentioned, only a specific family line is actually royal. As a race, they have a form of limited mental communication and can therefore communicate with any intelligent creature if they are within 20 feet, and, of course, with each other, if within 100 miles of one another. It is impossible for an oyster to lie to another oyster. In fact, the entire concept of dishonesty is hard for them to understand.

NOTE: This is probably why they can give away their completed works of art and still get fame and credit and honor and praise from their peers, for all others know what they said they made, they did, in fact, make. There is no way from them to lie to one another.

At any given time there is only a 10% chance the oyster has a magic pearl ready inside. If ready, a random pearl may be rolled on the following tables. Restrict yourself to the first two tables for all but a pearl from a 9 or 10 HD oyster, or from a member of the royal line no matter how many hit dice they may have. If so restricted and you're rolling on the second table, continue rolling there until you produce a result. If the DM decides a particular oyster is a member of the current royal family, they MAY skip the first table and proceed directly to the second table.

If such a pearl is from an oyster of unknown size, roll 1D20. A result of 16 or higher requires a roll on the second table. Another 1D20 is rolled. A result of 16 or higher goes to the third table. Another 1D20 roll. A result of 11 or higher places you on the forth and last table where a 1D10 roll will give you the final, relic class pearl. Getting to the relic class table should happen about 03.25 % of the time (unless it is a member of the royal line). Two numbers - their table number, and then the number on that table - can demarcate these pearls. For example, 03-08 is table three, pearl 8 that is a Translucent Red Pearl. Full write-ups for each pearl can be found after the tables as well as a few notes to help explain the terminology used therein.

PEARL TABLE ONE (1D20)

Amber 5,000 gp.
Black 20,000 gp.
Blue 20,000 gp.
Blue with White Swirls 25,000 gp.
Clear 10,000 gp.
Fire 15,000 gp.
Green 25,000 gp.
Gold 20,000 gp.
Ice 15,000 gp.
Ivory 10,000 gp.
Pink 13,000 gp.
Purple 15,000 gp.
Red 20,000 gp.
White with Blue Swirls 10,000 gp.
White with Purple Swirls 10,000 gp.
or higher indicates a roll on table two.

PEARL TABLE TWO (1D20)

Black&White 7,000 gp.
Black with Broken Gold Rods 10,000 gp/daily charge.
Black with Gold Bands 25,000 gp.
Brown 75,000 gp.
Dark Greenish Red 60,000 gp.
Green with Brown Swirls 20,000 gp.
Half Copper and Half Dragon Color, with a central Copper Band 18,000 gp.
Jade 30,000 gp.
Orange 40,000 gp.
Platinum 45,000 gp.
Shadow 15,000 gp.
White with Gold Swirls 20,000 gp.
White with Red Swirls 15,000 gp.
White with Silver Bands 35,000 gp.
White with Silver Swirls 20,000 gp.
or higher indicates a roll on table three.

PEARL TABLE THREE (1D20)

Coral 15,000 gp.
Cream 20,000 gp.
Gray 50,000 gp.
Honey 10,000 gp.
Translucent Beige 25,000 gp.
Translucent Blue 30,000 gp.
Translucent Gold 40,000 gp.
Translucent Red 30,000 gp.
Translucent Silver 15,000 gp.
Translucent White 40,000 gp.
or higher indicates a roll on table four.

PEARL TABLE FOUR (RELIC CLASS MAGIC ITEMS) (1D10)

Black with Gold Swirls 30,000 gp.
Black with Red Swirls 50,000 gp.
Black with Silver Swirls 70,000 gp.
Black with a White Lightning Streak 75,000 gp.
Lavender 150,000 gp.
Rainbow 150,000 gp.
Salmon 30,000 gp.
Silver 50,000 gp.
Smoke 100,000 gp.
Yellow 50,000 gp.

THE MAGIC PEARLS OF ORLANTIA

PEARL TABLE ONE

01-01 Amber
The attuned gains a base 50% skill level to his or her evaluate treasure ability or +10% if natural ability already exceeds this level.

01-02 Black
The attuned assassin gains 10% to each of their rogue-like skills with percentages. If this character class is not used, the pearl will have a similar effect for Chaotic Evil Rogues or Thieves.

01-03 Blue
A mage may cast an already memorized spell through this pearl once/day and not forget that spell. If a 7th or 8th level spells is so cast, there is a 10% chance the pearl will be destroyed. Similarly, a 9th level spell has a 25% chance to destroy the pearl. Even if the spell destroys the pearl, the spell will still work and it will not fade from memory, but the pearl is thereafter gone. (If the optional mana system for spell casting is used, a spell caster may not cast a BLANK spell through the pearl, but must use a spell that has been memorized).

01-04 Blue with White Swirls
The attuned gains the ability of flight, similar to the fly spell (p 149 PHB) for 1D6 hours. This function works once/week.

01-05 Clear
The attuned psionic individual gains 10 psionic strength points. Up to 10 such pearls may benefit a single individual.

01-06 Fire
The attuned gains protection similar to a Ring of Fire resistance (p 130 DMG).

01-07 Green
The attuned Druid, Ranger, or Bard may cast an already memorized spell through this pearl once/day and not forget that spell. If a 6th level spell is so cast, there is a 10% chance the pearl will be destroyed. Similarly, a 7th level spell has a 25% chance to destroy the pearl. Even if the spell destroys the pearl, the spell will still work and it will not fade from memory, but the pearl is thereafter gone. (If the optional mana system for spell casting is used, a spell caster may not cast a BLANK spell through the pearl, but must use a spell that has been memorized).

01-08 Gold
A Priest may cast an already memorized spell through this pearl once/day and not forget that spell. If a 6th level spell is so cast, there is a 10% chance the pearl will be destroyed. Similarly, a 7th level spell has a 25% chance to destroy the pearl. Even if the spell destroys the pearl, the spell will still work and it will not fade from memory, but the pearl is thereafter gone. (If the optional mana system for spell casting is used, a spell caster may not cast a BLANK spell through the pearl, but must use a spell that has been memorized).

01-09 Ice
The attuned individual gains protection similar to that of a ring of warmth (p 131 DMG).

01-10 Ivory
The attuned individual may gain control of 1 hit dice of an already animated skeleton (the skeleton gets no save). This control last until the skeleton is destroyed. After the skeleton's destruction, the pearl will not work again for one week.

01-11 Pink
The Pink Pearl will restore 5 hit points to a wounded individual, not to exceed their normal maximum hit points. The pearl must touch the skin, flesh, hair or fur of the creature, and the possessor of the pearl may mentally activate the pearl at the speed of thought.

01-12 Purple
The attuned rogue gains 10% to each of their thief abilities with a %. An attuned Monk similarly gains 5%.

01-13 Red
The Red Pearl will restore 10 hit points to a wounded individual, not to exceed their normal maximum hit points. The pearl must touch the skin, flesh, hair or fur of the creature, and the possessor of the pearl may mentally activate the pearl at the speed of thought. However, the Red Pearl's Healing is harsh and only those of the Warrior Class and Fighter Subclasses may freely do this. If a non-Warrior attempts this, they must make a system shock roll, failure indicating death, though they may be raised from the dead as normal.

01-14 White with Blue Swirls
Once/day, the attuned individual may cast a detect magic spell of the Mage variety.

01-15 White with Purple Swirls
Once/day, the attuned individual can concentrate on an item or specific location and detect the presence of poison.

PEARL TABLE TWO

02-01 Black and White
This pearl must be attuned to one specific spell. It may not hold 7th level Priest or 9th level Mage Spells. It may not hold spells unusable by the attuned at their current level of experience. The pearl may only become unattuned to a particular spell after one entire year of disuse. Thus, the Black&White Pearl may act as a spell storing device for one particular spell. The attuned individual may cast the held spell from the pearl with an activation word. This function takes 5 segments. Then, the pearl may receive a similar spell from the attuned whenever they have the time to cast the spell and charge the pearl, making it ready again.

02-02 Black with Broken Gold Rods
The attuned individual may cast the spell Dispel Magic as if a 12th level Mage. When first found, the DM determines how often this function works by rolling 1D3. Forever after, this pearl may dispel magic that many times/day.

02-03 Black with Gold Bands
The attuned individual's magic items, when required, get a +5 bonus to their saving throws. This is not in addition to other bonuses, so +5 is each item's maximum save bonus (unless the item would normally have a higher bonus for other reasons).

02-04 Brown
This pearl acts as if the individual had a Blue, Green, and Red Pearl. Treat this as if the attuned had each of those 3 separate pearls. (If the optional mana system for spell casting is used, a spell caster may not cast a BLANK spell through the pearl, but must use a spell that has been memorized).

02-05 Dark Greenish Red
This pearl acts as if the individual had a Green, Red, and Purple Pearl. Treat this as if the attuned had each of those 3 separate pearls. (If the optional mana system for spell casting is used, a spell caster may not cast a BLANK spell through the pearl, but must use a spell that has been memorized).

02-06 Green with Brown Swirls
The attuned individual gains 1 HP of healing/Turn while in contact with a healthy tree.

02-07 Half Copper and Half Dragon Color, with a central Copper Band
The attuned individual is immune to the breath weapon of that particular color of dragon. This function only works once/week for a single breath attack. If more than one such pearl is held, the attuned individual may withstand one breath attack for each such pearl.

02-08 Jade
The attuned individual is totally immune to all animal and plant venom that naturally have no negative modifiers to the saving throw. Otherwise, the pearl grants a +4 bonus to the save against the more potent animal and plant poisons.

02-09 Orange
The Orange Pearl will restore 20 hit points to a wounded individual, not to exceed their normal maximum hit points. The pearl must touch the skin, flesh, hair or fur of the creature, and the possessor of the pearl must mentally activate the pearl at the speed of thought. However, the Orange Pearl's Healing is harsh and only those of the Warrior Class and Fighter Subclasses may freely do this. If a non-Warrior attempts this, they must make a system shock roll, failure indicating death, though they may be raised from the dead as normal.

02-10 Platinum
The attuned Paladin (or Holy Fighter) gets an extra "lay on hands" once/day. The attuned may also memorize and cast spells as if they were one level higher than they really are. Also, this pearl has a similar function resembling an Orange Pearl. Only Paladins and Holy Fighters may use this pearl. That is, only they may activate it, but like other healing pearls, they may still apply it to another creature to be healed. However, like the orange pearl, if this is done to a non fighter, that creature must make system shock if they willingly accept the healing attempt or they must first make their saving throw vs. death magic if they are unwilling.

02-11 Shadow
The attuned individual gains benefits similar to those given by boots of Elvenkind (p 139 DMG).

02-12 White with Gold Swirls
The attuned individual gains +1 to AC, +1 to all Saves, and +1 to Hit (but not +1 to Damage) for One Turn, once/Week.

02-13 White with Red Swirls
The attuned individual can Detect Enemies 1/Week. An enemy is one who is currently planning on harming or stealing from the attuned individual or his traveling companions and/or company.

02-14 White with Silver Bands
The attuned individual may declare "good luck" on a roll before the roll is actually made. They MAY then reroll the roll once if they wish to try to better their roll. The second roll, even if it is worse, is the one that will count. The character (player) may use this pearl only once/gaming session. If they declare the pearl's use but then choose not to reroll (as they rolled well the first time), the function is still used up for that gaming session.

02-15 White with Silver Swirls
The attuned individual can Detect Lie once/day.

PEARL TABLE THREE

03-01 Coral
Once/day, the attuned individual may know what a potion really is when concentrating upon it for one round.

03-02 Cream
(A Fertility Pearl) The attuned individual (male or female) can prevent or insure pregnancy of the female during normal intercourse. The fertility spirit will make this possible, even if the male is normally infertile or the female is barren, as long as she is of childbearing maturity. If this is particularly hard (as may be the case for an older women or for other reasons), the spirit must remain with the baby until birth (assuming this option was requested). The Cream Pearl will not function elsewhere during this time, but the fertility spirit will return to the pearl after the birth of the child or the death of the female. In the event two such pearls are at odds with one another, the pearl held by the female takes precedence.

03-03 Gray
The Pearl Bearer summons an inanimate attuned object. The inanimate object is attuned by touch and command word. The object may not weight more that 50 lbs. The pearl may be unattuned by thought and reattuned to a different object. This process takes one round.

03-04 Honey
The Pearl Bearer knows direction to an attuned object if it is less than one light second away (186,000 miles). The object, animate or otherwise, must first be attuned by touch and command word. The pearl may be unattuned by thought and reattuned to a different object. This process takes one round. An animate object would get a saving throw vs. spell.

03-05 Translucent Beige
The attuned individual's Wisdom, if lower than 18, increases to 18 while they retain the pearl.

03-06 Translucent Blue
The attuned individual's Intelligence, if lower than 18, increases to 18 while they retain the pearl.

03-07 Translucent Gold
The attuned individual's Dexterity, if lower than 18, increases to 18 while they retain the pearl.

03-08 Translucent Red
The attuned individual's Strength, if lower than 18, increases to 18 while they retain the pearl. A Warrior Class individual would increase to 18/01.

03-09 Translucent Silver
The attuned individual's Charisma, if lower than 18, increases to 18 while they retain the pearl.

03-10 Translucent White
The attuned individual's Constitution, if lower than 18, increases to 18 while they retain the pearl.

PEARL TABLE FOUR (RELIC CLASS MAGIC ITEMS)

04-01 Black with Gold Swirls
The attuned individual gains +20% to each of their secondary abilities he or she has acquired to a Maximum of 95% or 19 out of 20.

04-02 Black with Red Swirls
The attuned individual's maximum Hit Points is normal plus their current highest level in class. For example, a 7th level fighter who normally has 40 hit points would have 40+7=47 hit points while they have the pearl. A 5th level Mage/6th level rogue (with 24 HP normally) would have 24+6=30 hit points. Losing the pearl will damage the attuned for the extra hit points, just as if they were the victim of a cause light wounds.

04-03 Black with Silver Swirls
The attuned gains +5% Magic Resistance to their magic resistance, if any. No more than 10 pearls may be used in this fashion by one individual.

04-04 Black with a White Lightning Streak
This pearl will hold any spell the possessor cast into it. The spell will remain there until discharged (by command word and after waiting 5 segments) and acts just as if the person who charged the pearl cast the spell. The possessor must make all decisions for the spell at that time, even if not a spell caster. There is a 10% change the pearl will be destroyed if the discharged spell is a 7th or 8th level Mage spell or a 6th level Priest spell. Similarly, there is a 25% change of destruction if a 9th level Mage or 7th level Priest spell is discharged. These percentages are doubled if a non-spell caster is the one discharging the pearl.

04-05 Lavender
Once/day, the Lavender Pearl will restore all hit points to a wounded individual, not to exceed their normal maximum hit points, remove one disease, and perform all the other function of the 6th level Priest Spell, Heal (p 228 PHB). The pearl must touch the skin, flesh, hair or fur of the creature, and the possessor of the pearl may mentally activate the pearl at the speed of thought.

04-06 Rainbow
The possessor of this pearl may invoke the power of a Full Power Wish Spell (p. 197 PHB) once and only once. Once used by the possessor, the pearl becomes a Clear pearl (See above) and will no longer grant wishes. This does not age the possessor of the pearl.

04-07 Salmon
A randomly determined statistic (the DM will do this once for each individual who tires this particular pearl), if lower than 18, will be raised to 18 while they retain this pearl. A different Salmon Pearl may work on a different statistic, but the same pearl will always affect the same statistic for the same individual.

04-08 Silver
Once/Week, a spell that targets the possessor of the pearl will damage and/or heal the caster of the spell for double that amount. For example, a Priest cast a cure serious (for 10 points) on the holder of this pearl, and the Priest is also healed, but for 20 points (not to exceed normal maximums). A Mage cast magic missiles at the holder of this pearl, doing 15 points of damage, but that Mage is hit with 30 points of magic missile damage in return (assuming they have no protection against this spell). A fireball spell is not a targeted spell and will not be affected. The holder may have the pearl on continuous guard or they may have it turned off. If on guard, the next targeted spell will set off the pearl's effect. Otherwise, the pearl remains dormant until set to continuous guard. This process takes one entire round. Once the pearl doubles an effect, it will not work again until one week has gone by from that point.

04-09 Smoke
This pearl allows the attuned spell caster to benefit from an abbreviated rest period, as far as the memorization of spells is concerned.(1 / (( ( INT+WIS ) - 24 ) / 2) times the normal time required to rest and regain spells is all that will be required. For example, if the caster's INT is 16 and their WIS is 14, (1/((16+14)-24)/2)=(1/(30-24)/2)=(1/(6/2)=1/3 or one third the normal time is required for rest. Thus, if they normally would have to rest 12 hours before starting to regain their spells, only 4 hours of rest would be required here. It still takes 10-minutes/spell level to memorize their spells after the rest period.

04-10 Yellow
This Pearl is usable only by the Monk Character class. It increases the Monk's letter ability by one (C to D or E to F, for example). It also confers a +1 bonus to each attack with opens hands and/or feet (or other body weaponry). Furthermore, the pearl grants twice the normal healing of a Monk (ability E). Also, the Yellow Pearl confers +1 to AC and +1 to all saving throws for the Monk. Finally, this magic item, which is so naturally in tune with the harmonious nature of the monk, does not count toward the limit of the number of magic items they may retain.

General Properties Of Magic Pearls

The term "attuned" refers to an individual who keeps the pearl at least one week, possibly longer (ask your DM). If the pearl is out of their possession for more than one week, the attunement is lost, but keeping the pearl for another week will regain attunement. A pearl can be attuned to at most one individual at a time. This generally makes it impossible to hand certain pearls around during an adventure. However, the possessor may frequently use the pearl's function to aid another, even though only the attuned may declare the pearl's use. Also, unless specifically mentioned, a pearl does NOT need to be attuned in order to work. Frequently, however, to continue to benefit from a pearl you must retain possession of it. If you lose the pearl or it is destroyed, it will no longer benefit you.

Some pearls act at the speed of thought and are incredibly quick acting pearls. The Pink, Red, Orange, and Lavender pearls are the primary examples of this type of mental activation. Simply by thinking it, (so they must be conscious and capable of thought), the possessor of the pearl kicks off the pearl's effect at any time, anti-magic fields not withstanding. Also, only one such pearl can be used per round for each individual.

For example, a fighter with 7 hit points left takes 22 points of damage. This would take them to -15 HPs and render them unconscious or kill them. On my world, an individual dies when their HPs reach one beyond their negative constitution score. Now, the pearl can be activated while falling. If it is an Orange Pearl, for instance, the fighter would go to -15, then to +5 HPs. Next round he would have to spend some time getting up. Of course, if -15 was enough to kill them, the cure effect wouldn't heal them and they would simply be dead. But, if they didn't die at -15 HPs, then he could get up the next round. If he decided to use the pearl before the DM told him he was even hit, he would go to +27, not to exceed his maximum HPs, then to +5 and not fall down. Although only one pearl may be activated/round, some of them (like the healing pearls) are so quick the owner may perform all their other normal actions in that round as well.

Finally, a Red and Orange Pearl is not as gentle as a Pink or Lavender Pearl. Only warriors and other fighter subclasses may withstand the rough, forced healing of a Red or Orange Pearl without penalty (Platinum pearls also are like this). Non-fighter types must make a system shock roll. Failure would cause instant death, but such an individual may be brought back to life by the usual conditions as they are NOT in that irrevocably dead class of people. Naturally, subsequent failure of their resurrection survival roll would permanently kill them. It is usually, therefore, an act of desperation for a non-fighter to agree to such a maneuver. Also, if the pearl's possessor attempts to force someone into something they didn't agree to, that person would get a saving throw vs. death magic before anything else happened. If successful, there would be no effect (and the pearl wouldn't even be discharged); otherwise a system shock roll would then be required for a non-fighter on the business end of a Red or Orange Pearl. If it matters, the save is usually made against a spell at 12th level ability.

Furthermore, if an unconscious individual were partially healed by spell, or by pearl, or by potion, they would be in stable condition. That is, the typical bleeding of 1 hit point / round after being cut down would stop just as if someone had taken a round to administer first aid and bind the wounds of their fallen comrade.

When found, the possessor of the pearl will be awarded 1/10th the GP value in experience points if they personally keep the pearl for their own. If sold or traded, no xp. is awarded. If purchased or traded for, no xp. is awarded. The current market value of each pearl can be found in the above tables.

Finally, despite the fact these pearls originate from rather large oysters, each pearl is typically the size of your average marble (even smaller than a standard D20).