The drum may only be played by the righteous. This block of wood has wedges and faces carved into it, so that striking the top of the drum sounds one of four notes. Should the player have strayed from the moral code of the drum, one of the notes will fail. Should one of the notes fail, a consequence is determined by random roll. A failed note should be accompanied by descriptions of sudden silence, as if the world stood still and took notice. This should be ominous. The player of the note will immediately remember any and all offenses committed and understand that punishment is coming to the entire party. It’s probably best if the party does not know.

Should the player sound all notes correctly, the spirit of the drum will grant one great boon to the party. If the DM cannot think of a good boon (such as find our way home, the mountain pass melting early, the dragon lose their trail, etc.) then the voice of the drum will ask the party what their common desire is and it will be granted, at discretion fo the DM. The spirit does not seek to twist the words of a request, as would a devil, but it is rather unsophisticated and literal.

Note 1:  AH – This measures the moral condition of the character in relation to the sky, particularly bird, bats and creatures that live in trees, such as monkeys. Should the character have committed any offenses against the sky, the note will fail and d100 giant bats will pursue the party any time they are above ground on within a cave.

Note 2: KU – This is the note of the ground. If the character has spilled the blood of any earth creatures smarter than, say, a mole, the party will be pursued by a 10HD earth elemental/doppleganger. This avenging spirit will follow the characters and catch them off guard when they are underground.

Note 3: MO – This is the note of the ocean. Should the player have offended the ocean or its spirits, all water in the party’s possession will violently sublimate into steam.

Note 4: SAH – This note represents the tribe, race or community who created this artifact (up to DM) so that any serious offenses to that group will cause the note to fail. The party will then be pursued by 2d6 x 10 agents or members of that group, who will arrive in 2d4 hours. The pursuers will not stop until the entire party is dead or the offense has been undone, the dept paid or the karma purified.

This item was inspired by an item I found just a few minutes ago looking over the Metropolitan Museum of art’s Heilbronn Timeline of Art History.