What Is With This Giant Floating Crystal?

 Salutations sagacious sleepwalkers! Welcome to this weeks article, a big ol' encounter table for a weird encounter with a giant floating crystal! The oddity of a floating mass of translucent crystal with vague and otherworldly secret is a great encounter to throw at your OSR party of gonzo adventurers! Use it on the fly to create a short random encounter or expand on the table to create an entire session of weird fun. Once you've read this article try the hovering island generator for some more gonzo encounter ideas, or even the article on technomagical prosthetics if you're looking to add some mystically powered technology to your campaign world!

*Floating Crystal By TYPK 

What Is With This Giant Floating Crystal?

 

Fantasy roleplaying games, and by extension the OSR, are filled to the brim with oddness and weird happenstance. It can be hard session in, session out to come up with enough mystical mumbo jumbo to keep your players happy. The table below can be used to create an interesting encounter with a truly weird object, a giant floating crystal. A random encounter with this odd object is sure to intrigue your players, and the out-of-place nature of such an encounter makes it easy to fit into an existing campaign or adventure. Take note, these crystals float but not very high. They usually hover between three inches to five feet above the surrounding ground level. 

 

D10	The Crystal’s Appearance
1	The crystal is about the size of a wagon and tabular in shape. It is a swirling metallic cerulean color and it emits a slight warmth within 10 feet.
2	The crystal is roughly the size of a horse and shaped like a lumpy mass. It is a translucent pinkish red and emits an odor of ozone within five feet of it.
3	The crystal is approximately the size of a large chest and dipyramidal in shape. It is made of a shiny black obsidian. Small bursts of static electricity randomly discharge from the crystal’s surface.
4	The crystal is roughly the size of a small hill and shaped like a cube. It is an opaque, milky teal color. The crystal gives off a smell of smoldering incense within 30 feet of it.
5	The crystal is about the size of a hand cart and rhombohedral in shape. It is a semi-translucent amber color and the air within 30 feet of the object feels denser than the surrounding air.
6	The crystal is approximately the size of wagon wheel and shaped like a tetrahedron. It is a glowing translucent green/blue color. Fires won’t burn within 10 feet of the floating crystal.
7	The crystal is about the size of a grown human and dendritic in shape with many fan-like growths. The semi opaque purple crystal glows brightly. Within 10 feet of the crystal a quiet high pitched hum can be heard.
8	The crystal is approximately the size of a large chest and pyritohedral in shape. It is a translucent saffron color with veins of opaque corral orange threaded throughout. Looking directly at the crystal for too long will make most folk nauseous.
9	The crystal is roughly the size of a large cauldron and pyramidal in shape. It is an opaque blue color and glows faintly. Those who gaze too long upon the crystal will be filled with a sense of déjà vu.
10	The crystal is about the size of a house and prismatic in shape. It is an opaque pearlescent color. The sickly scent of clove clings to the crystal, perfuming the air within 30 feet of it.

 

*Floating Crystal by BonkiHart  

 

D66	What is with this giant floating crystal?
11	This is the prison of an ancient mage who tried to take over the world in a long- forgotten age. They want nothing more now than to be free to die. Their physical form long ago withered away and now they are but an insubstantial spirit trapped within the crystal.
12	This is actually a noncorporeal explorer from another universe named Zzxx*yc’llqq who is piloting the crystal around in order to sustain his existence in the material world. Zzxx*yc’llqq is researching how physical beings procreate and is unfamiliar with the concepts of love, children, family, and pets. They are friendly enough, but do not understand the natural and cultural rules of this world and may do horrible or funny things without understanding the consequences of their actions.
13	This is actually the god of mathematics and music Duranhas. Duranhas is searching for a melody that have escaped his musically perfect realm and may be wreaking havoc on the local populace. The escaped melody acts like a malicious earworm on those who hear it, transforming the weak-minded into slaves for the rogue song spirits.
14	The crystal is a device from the future that a curious wizard is using to research the party’s current era. The crystal acts as conduit for the wizard to see into the past with, and it allows them to communicate through the crystal. The wizard will politely try to enlist the PCs in aiding them by answering some odd questions about the current state of the world. The future wizard may find it hard to not let some clues slip out about the goings on in the future, although they claim they “don’t want to contaminate the past.”
15	This is actually a crystalized chunk of ancient dragon’s blood. Some kind of unknown magic transformed the blood into its current form. The crystal is exceptionally hard, but PCs who spend at least an hour chipping away at it can collect about a pound of the dried dragon’s blood. This can be used as a reagent in spells and rituals. The dragon’s blood may also be smoked as an inebriant, leaving imbibers feeling light-headed and relaxed, although those who do smoke it will have fitful dreams of conquest and riches beyond measure. The blood is highly addictive, and there is a 1-in-6 chance each time of the imbiber getting hooked on the stuff, suffering -2 to all dice rolls if they go a day without smoking. (A pound of dragon’s blood yields ten pipefuls.)
16	This is the crystal funerary receptacle of the ancient emperor of a legendary nation that once ruled these lands. The emperor’s spirit is still present in the crystal and he is happy to have someone to converse with. The emperor was well-known for their wisdom and understanding and is still always willing to listen and give counsel to those who show him respect and kindness.
21	The crystal is a mischievous incorporeal spirit that has taken this form to enter the material world. The spirit can mimic any person or animal they hear, and they like to use this power to cause confusion by picking fights, getting people lost, and generally fooling folks into conflict. The crystal spirit has an irrational fear of flowers, however, and will avoid areas where they grow in abundance.
22	This crystal is an advanced artificial intelligence created in the future and sent back to the present to search for lost secrets that will prevent the sun from eventually burning out. The crystal is named Gort and is emotionless but friendly. Gort will attempt to enlist the  PCs to aid it in preventing this future calamity by searching for lost knowledge on its behalf in a nearby dungeon or two.
23	The crystal is actually an alien creature that has travelled to this world through the darkness between the stars to gather samples from this world and bring them back to the creature’s home world. The alien is looking for large and/or intelligent creatures as well as magic items. The crystal  can issue a beam of bright red energy with a range of  40 feet that is meant to incapacitate any creature the beam strikes. (40’ range, Save vs. Wands or become stunned for an hour.) The crystalline alien will then teleport the incapacitated creatures into its internal stasis chamber.
24	The crystal thinks that it’s a local drunk named Wendel Wallagen. In actuality it is an ancient broken magical device Wendel came upon while drinking in the woods that activated when Wendal relieved himself upon it. It then scanned him, malfunctioned, and now thinks that it is the real Wendel stuck in a crystal. The actual Wendel is sitting at his usual spot in his usual tavern passed out drunk and is completely unaware of the situation, as he had blacked out around the time he stumbled upon the crystal.
25	This crystal is actually Ambassador Runnhus of the Elemental Plane of Earth who has come to the material plane to negotiate an end to intrusions into his people’s lands by a nearby evil human kingdom. The evil humans have been taking portals to the Plane of Earth in order to mine precious gems and minerals. They also delight in hunting the creatures the live there for sport, whether they are beasts or intelligent creatures. Ambassador Runnhus has gotten himself lost on his way to the kingdom’s capital.
26	This crystal is the freakish result of a magical ritual gone wrong. This crystal contains the combined bodies and souls of seven mages and one poor assistant that were amalgamated together by the failed spell. This new entity is full of pain and confusion and hasn’t truly grasped what it has now become. Though the thing may lash out, what it truly needs is empathy and someone to help it so that it may calm down. Talking to the crystal is like talking to eight different people at once.
31	This is an artifact created long ago by a deranged necromancer. All dead bodies within 100 feet of the crystal will arise as skeletons and start seeking out life to extinguish. Additionally, the magic field around the crystal prevents turn undead checks from being cast within it. The crystal is slowly moving at a pace of 10 feet a minute towards a populated area a few miles away with that lies adjacent to a large cemetery.
32	The crystal bears the runes of the god of plenty and drips fresh water from atop it. Small berry bushes and edible flowers spring up in the crystal’s path as it travels at a slow pace of 10 feet a minute towards the west.
33	Those who approach within 200 feet of the crystal hear the most beautiful music they have ever heard. No two individuals hear the same song, however. PCs who make camp near enough to hear the music will heal an additional HP after resting for eight hours. The song that emanates from the crystal also negates fear effects within 200 feet due to its soothing tone.
34	This crystal emits a different color of light depending on what note is sung or played within 100 feet of it - red for A notes, orange for B notes, yellow for C notes, green for D notes, blue for E notes, indigo for F notes, and violet for G notes. The light shines as bright as a torch.
35	Arcs of red lightning peel off the crystal and strike the ground around it. Anyone who approaches within 20 feet of the thing has a 1-in-6 chance of being hit by fingers of lightning. Those who are struck by the lightning take no damage but instead gain a limited sort of telepathy with others who were also hit. When  within 40 feet of each other, individuals struck by the red lightning can speak to one another by thought alone. No matter the language they speak, individuals with this power can understand each other perfectly. This lasts effect lasts an 1d4 hours.
36	Small woodland creatures play and frolic all around the crystal. Predators and prey peacefully coexist alongside each other here. If the PCs stop to peacefully play with the animals, they will be rewarded by gaining the ability to speak with animals for the rest of the day. The creatures here will let the PCs know the crystal is their forest god that has blessed them with peace. They wish to spread the message of peace amongst species and hope for a more harmonious relationship between man and beast.
41	The crystal is visibly shifting in and out of reality, back and forth between the material plane and the ethereal plane. Every five minutes the crystal shifts from one plane to the other. Any person or object occupying the crystal’s space when it shifts back to the material plane will be violently pushed in a random direction 100 feet. Objects hurled this way deal 2d4 damage to those they might strike (Wands save to avoid harm if the object is flung in the general direct of a character). Characters who are flung in this manner take the 2d4 damage they deal to others whether they hit someone or not.
42	This crystal eats the light around it, casting an area  of darkness within 100 feet of it. No nonmagical light sources can pierce the magical darkness that surrounds the crystal. Those who get close enough to touch it will find the crystal covered in swarms of writhing insects.
43	The crystal is a shattered machine from an ancient lost kingdom. Every 30 seconds to a minute an intense blast of psychic energy emanates from the crystal, forcing characters within 50 feet to succeed at a Spell save or become overwhelmed with a flood of psychic memories from the entire kingdom’s lost inhabitants. Those effected by the strobing psionic field can take no actions during their round but can move if they need to. This effect ends after exiting the crystal’s 50 foot radius of effect.
44	High in the sky above the crystal an angry raincloud continuously dumps rain down around it. The crystal and the area surrounding it are perpetually stuck in a torrential downpour. The clouds never seem to dissipate nor the rain abate no matter how long one waits. The most curious thing about this precipitation though is that it is not water at all, but wine!
45	This isn’t a crystal, but a broken shard of a divine machine from the heavens that gives off a warm light in a 40 feet radius. The light emanating from the crystal shard is divine in nature, and any creatures with evil intent (or objects enchanted with evil magic) will glow purple within the halo of the warm light cast by the crystal.
46	Sounds within 100 feet of this crystal are muted and dull, and smoke seems to always curl to the east within it. If characters stop to inspect the crystal, they will get the distinct feeling they are being watched although no obvious creature watches them. This feeling will only abate once the characters leave the 100 foot radius around the crystal. That night they will dream of being hunted by wolves made of shadow.
51	The elven runes for “plentiful,” “friend”, and “give” are carved onto one facet of the crystal. If characters touches the runes, they will be transported inside the crystal to an extradimensional space roughly 20 feet in diameter. The space is lit by a dull glow emanating from the walls. There are three large bins here, each full of ripe fruits and vegetables. No matter how much food one takes, they will find the bins refilled with delicious food the next time they return. The crystal will remain in the area for a day before it disappears to a different location.
52	Within 100 feet of this crystal, colors seem to become more and more muted. A character who stands within five feet of the crystal will appear in shades of black, white, and gray. Anyone who touches the crystal will be transported to a shadowy reflection of the material plane, the Plane of Shadow. Characters who find themselves here can touch the crystal again to return to the material plane. Those in the shadow plane can’t see or interact with those in the material plane, and vice versa. This is a dangerous place. There is a 3-in-6 chance every half hour of a pack (1d8) of sentient shadows attacking the party. These feral shadow creatures are drawn to the PC’s lifeforce and wish to devour it.
53	Otherworldly plants and fungi never before seen in the area can be found growing around this large floating crystal. Blue-leaved red- and yellow-flowered vines wind themselves around stalks of woody purplish shrubs with little white flower buds shaped like seven-pointed stars. Lacy fuchsia mushrooms and greenish-blue puff balls can be found nestled at ground level. The crystal itself is carved with a repeating set of seven unknown symbols. If a character touches the crystal, they must make a Spell save. Nothing happens if they succeed, but if they fail, they are transported to a small metal room (15’ x 15’) with a large wide window in it. Beyond the window is a vast and unending sea of stars, like on a moonless night. At the center of the tableau is a gleaming blue and green sphere, a planet upon which mountains, rivers, and seas can easily be discerned. PCs may leave this doorless room by touching a small glowing red stone on the wall opposite the  wall containing the window.
54	A loud discordant noise can clearly be heard emanating from the floating crystal. Those that approach the large crystal can hear the sound change depending on the way they approach and stand near it. The taller someone is or make themselves dictates the pitch of the sound. Their closeness to the thing seems to effect its volume, and a person’s apparent width seems to effect the timbre of the sound. The wider a person appears, the less high frequencies can be heard in the timbre of the sound being produced. With enough time and musical know-how, a person or persons could play very beautiful music with what would look like a frenetic but coordinated dance.
55	This floating crystal seems to bob and pulse with a strobing blue light as it slowly meanders across the countryside. The crystal gives off a strong antimagic field within 50 opposite of it, negating any magic or magical effects cast into the field. No spells can be cast from within the field either.
56	This unusual floating crystal is a forgotten relic of a bygone era. Within the crystal is an extradimensional farmhouse. All one must do to gain access to the house is touch the crystal and speak the ancient draconic word for “waystation.” They will then instantly find themselves and their gear inhabiting a three-story farmhouse looking out onto an idyllic scene of green fields and blue skies. There is no food within the house, but there is always fresh stocked wood for the fire and plenty of utensils to use to cook with. To leave, all one has to do is open the farmhouse door and they will find themselves transported back to the field with the crystal.
61	This crystal seems to drive off bad weather. There are never clouds to be seen within 200 feet of the floating crystal. The air around it is always cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and snow never seems to fall around it. Those who sleep within the crystal’s 200 foot aura will dream of being generals leading troops to die in a war alongside the gods to save the world.
62	The surface of the crystal is hot to the touch and the ground around it has been scorched and burned. The air around the crystal for about 100 feet is always a warm 80 degrees (F). Any fire damage delt within 100 feet of the crystal is doubled, and all fires burn twice as bright and hot. Any fire elementals summoned within the aura will be summoned with two hit dice more than normal.
63	Odd patterns swirl around the crystal’s surface like reflections on the moving water of a pond. If one gazes for at least 30 minutes, one will see glimpses of their future - not enough to truly see their fate, but enough to grant them a +2 to all saving throws until they take a long rest (8 hours).
64	The ground around the crystal appears warped and pitted. A stench like half-rotten meat wafts through the air. Anyone who touches the crystal or who sleeps within 200 feet of it will awaken to find they have gained an additional 1) thumb on one hand 2) eye in their forehead 3) tongue in their mouth 4) set of ears behind the other. These mutations are permanent.
65	Anyone who comes within 30 feet of this floating crystal will start to feel nauseous after a few minutes. The crystal is oily to the touch and the ground around it periodically shudders. After 10 minutes of examining the crystal everyone within 30 feet of it must make a Spell save or have their appearance change to that of a(n) 1) orc 2) hobgoblin 3) Elf 4) Dwarf. This effect is actually illusory, and those effected will have their appearance revert back to normal after 24 hours.
66	Fingers of blue and purple electricity arc off of the crystal’s surface, striking the ground within 20 feet of it. The electric discharge doesn’t appear to damage the grass, however. There is a 2-in-6 chance every ten minutes of a flash of lightning from the crystal curling out and striking a character within 50 feet of the crystal. If hit, a character must make a Paralysis save or be shrunken in size to 12 feet tall (AC becomes 19 and can only deal 1 damage with melee or ranged weapons due to their size).