2019 is almost over, but it can’t really be gone before the last topic is delivered for the RPG Blog Carnival, right? Rodney, at Rising Phoenix Games, has chosen «Adventurer, Take This…» as the topic we have been summoned to write about, and here I am answering to the call by rolling initiative. Among some of the ideas that Rodney mentioned to spark our creativity, there are many which can become a good fit for «Artificer’s Month» here at Codex Anathema, and a recent article in the Worldbuilding Blog titled «Lead With Story» about  leaving the mechanics for last with some nice and comforting advice for players got me inspired. I don’t think Rodney nor James intended them in such a way, but here is my interpretation.

Adventurers, take this:

The Mystery Wagon, artificer’s edition

The Mystery Machine is the main transportation of Mystery Inc., the inquisitive group of teenagers who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural events through a series of antics and missteps. They use it mainly to take them on their adventures all over the world. It looks like a 1960’s era panel van, painted a medium blue with a distinctive horizontal green stripe and adorned with two orange flowers. Each side of the van has a distinctive painted green panel with «THE MYSTERY MACHINE» painted in orange. The front of the van has a spare tire carrier, painted green, with one large orange flower located in the center. Two roof racks protrude from the top of the van to secure further storage, and the van is also equipped with green and orange or yellow and orange flowered wheels or hub caps.

The Mystery Machine has the uncanny ability to adapt to any given situation (and the conveniently packed items that might be needed in any given situation): the back is filled with various kinds of equipment (ladder, lanterns, and ropes) and a bench running longwise can be stored in the rear of the van. Also, the back can fit a table and chairs, plus the walls are lined with computer equipment including a large antenna that can be attached on the roof. We have seen even a table with kitchen cabinets on the walls!

We don’t have that much space unless you turn your wagon into a magical item by casting one of the many Mordenkainen expansion spells on it. So, considering space, weight and some DM-approval-dependent commodities, allow me to introduce you the Mystery Wagon:

What’s inside? I’m glad you asked. The goal here is that if your campaign is starting and it involves some traveling and exploring, you can approach your DM and negotiate to agree to give you a Mystery Wagon Artificer’s edition instead of each player buying individual equipment. Good luck with that, though, as the contents’ value may be very higher (a little more than 193 gp).

Besides the furniture and storage (which can be easily stored one inside another when empty) these are the things you can find inside your wagon: A bell, a lamp and ten candles; a healer’s kit with two vials of antitoxin; a Climber’s kit with a grappling hook; 4 bedrolls, 2 blankets and a tent; a chest with a lock; a crowbar, a fishing tackle, five flasks, a hammer, a set of two hunting traps, a 20-ft foldable-in-two ladder, a mirror, 100-ft of hempen rope and 50-ft of silk rope and a 4-people mess kit with a pot and eight rations.

At this point, you might be wondering why this is an «artificer’s edition». I’m (again!) glad you asked. Let me introduce you a new infusion for your artificer designed specially in order to bypass the limits of the Enlarge/Reduce spell:

Contractible Transportation

New Artificer Infusion
Prerequisite: Replicable Item (bag of holding)
Item: a vehicle

You cause a vehicle you can touch to become smaller. There can be no living beings inside the vehicle at the moment this change is activated.

The vehicle’s size and weight are reduced so it can fit in your hand and carried easily (approx. 5 inches and 1 pound). You can change its appearance at this moment in order to make it look like an amulet or a trinket. You can also select a password to be uttered while held to revert it to its original size. If you don’t, only you can do so.

When reduced, placing the vehicle inside an extradimensional space such as a bag of holding instantly destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The gate originates where the one item was placed inside the other. Any creature within 10 feet of the gate is sucked through it to a random location on the Astral Plane. The gate then closes. The gate is one-way only and can’t be reopened.

I hope you’ll find this useful for your next campaign! I particularly love the idea of having my wagon look like a Rubik cube and have it expand when solved.