Item of the Day: Royf's Coif

The legendary illusionist Mallard Royf performed across the whole of the land -- traveling from city to city to showcase his sleight of hand skills. He was particularly well known for a dagger throwing feat where he would juggle eight daggers high into the air -- only to have one come down awkwardly and "pierce" him straight through the skull. He then would "pull out" the dagger and show the crowd how he was "miraculously" unharmed.

Description

Royf was easily identifiable by his unique headdress -- which he wore wherever he went. It is a piece of chain mail made from links of both copper and silver, arranged in an argyle pattern. Like all coifs, it covers the skull, ears, forehead, and then drapes down the neck.

From a smell and touch standpoint -- other than being heavier than, say, a hat -- this piece is unremarkable. It does, however, make quite a racket as it rattles about on the head.

Spell: Feign Demise

1. Create an illusion that makes the wearer appear as though he or she had a dagger jammed through the eye.
2. The spell requires a hand motion of a clenched fist and the verbal incantation "Oh gods, I'm off." (aloud or whispered)
3. The illusion replicates the blood spatter patterns of a mortal wound in the immediate (1m) vicinity
4. The illusion replicates any small dagger that the caster has seen in the past
5. The illusion can move with the caster if the caster is walking or standing from a prone position; faster motions like dodge or run ends the spell
6. The illusion ends if anything moves through the dagger
7. The illusion ends whenever the caster desires
8. The illusion can be dispelled

Traits: Lots of Pockets

Visually, from the outside, this coif appears as any other -- a single piece of mail fitted to the skull. But in reality, there are TWO layers of mail in certain places that give the piece neat little pockets in which to hold tiny objects and tools.

1. x5 pockets for keys and like-sized objects
2. x3 pockets for pencil-thin cylinder objects (think chopsticks)
3. a "lockpick pocket" behind the right ear
4. a "dagger pocket" in the rear at base of skull
5. a "cantaloupe pocket" for a small circular object in the rear behind the neck

Traits: Buffs

1. Charisma bonus as this piece is a conversation starter at parties
2. Performance bonus as the wearer is regarded by NPCs as an illusionist or impresario
3. Sleight of Hand bonus as the piece is riddled with compartments in which to hide small to medium objects
4. This item is not considered "armor" by NPCs if the adventurers are asked for some reason to leave behind all their "armor"
5. This item offers a small armor protection against slashing and piercing damage to the head

Curses and Restrictions

1. Penalty to all auditory perception checks while worn on the head.
2. If this piece is confiscated by a guard (for instance, if the wearer goes to prison), it is likely to be in the possession of a guard rather than with the rest of the adventurer's stuff. However, the piece is so well crafted that the new owner will probably not know about the compartments -- unless there is something large in the "cantaloupe pocket" to tip him or her off.
3. It is generally socially acceptable for this type of object to be worn by adventurers of either gender.
4. Due to the shinny, recognizable nature of this item and the noise it creates while moving, the wearer takes a penalty to stealth actions
5. Because Royf was so well known and his headdress so recognizable, this piece is often the target of thieves who know they can sell it for a tidy profit.

Origin

This is certainly a museum piece or could be part of the late magician's estate. Obviously given his fame and the aesthetic nature of the coif, various nobles would be more than willing to wear it. If you have a performer in your group (bards and such), perhaps his or her mentor gifts the "lost" Coif of Royf.

Alternatives

• The draped nature of this object is what makes it easy to hide so many different objects within it. A scarf or cravat could also work here.
• In a more modern setting, there are hunting caps that have similar coverings of the neck that would work.
• In a more futuristic setting, I'm thinking we're looking at a combo stormtrooper helmet/mini-cape.

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Is a stormtrooper wearing a mini-cape sacrilege? Is there better name that rhymes with "coif" (pronounced koy-f)? Rage against me in the comments below. Feel free to change anything you see here and, if you like this post, share it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.