I made this Horn for the Armory - Now what should it do?

[GimmeYerGold]

It's meant to be a commonly available non-magical tool, like the tool kit you can purchase in the Armory. I don't want to invent a complex ruleset for what it does, but what do you think its use would be to the day-to-day dungeon crawler?

Nethack has a "tooled horn" with a few uses, mainly to frighten monsters. They have a chance to resist, of course: http://nethack.wikia.com/wiki/Tooled_horn

[chaoticprime]

It should do what horns are made to do: signal. The horn lets you call in mercenaries.

[GimmeYerGold]

All the uses of signaling I thought of seemed too powerful, like calling a hero to your side, but calling in one or more men-at-arms could be a more balanced use. Basically like being able to hire them in-quest incase you underestimated how tough things might get? (or maybe you were broke while in town.)

Could be the roll of a combat die with a 33%-50% chance of calling them successfully, and then you can hire them for the duration of the quest.

That's a good one--I'm open to more ideas for this toot toot horn I made for no reason other than it was easy to photoshop off the helmet

[Teldurn]

A once per quest, one turn only, mass fear.

[gootchute]

That's an amazing idea!

Price: 200 gold
Use: "The horn may be used once per quest to call for aid. Place one mercenary of your choice at the start of the quest, either the spiral stairs or entrance door (if the quest started in another location the horn may not be used). The mercenary is treated as any other except that it will demand payment immediately after the game. If the hero can not pay they take the horn instead."

In this way it would cost too much to use foolishly but could get you out of a jam.Special horns could be given as Artifacts instead. If the heroes rescue a lost knight he might reward them with a one-time use horn which summon 4 mercenaries form his private guard.

[GimmeYerGold]

That's an amazing idea!

Price: 200 gold
Use: "The horn may be used once per quest to call for aid. Place one mercenary of your choice at the start of the quest, either the spiral stairs or entrance door (if the quest started in another location the horn may not be used). The mercenary is treated as any other except that it will demand payment immediately after the game. If the hero can not pay they take the horn instead."

In this way it would cost too much to use foolishly but could get you out of a jam.Special horns could be given as Artifacts instead. If the heroes rescue a lost knight he might reward them with a one-time use horn which summon 4 mercenaries form his private guard.

I love everything about this! In fact, 200 gold coins was what I was going to price it. ...however, I can see my players exploiting the mercenary and having him (oopsy!) suffer a little accident before payment is due

[chaoticprime]

200 gold coins is enough to exempt you from paying his base fee. I think the mercenary should vanish if slain or the quest ends.

[TMU]

Another idea, once per quest, you can blow to the horn. Then one of the other players gets to roll twice for the movement. Then it sprints to help the other player.

[Sjeng]

Yeah like a moral buff. All heroes in sight get some sort of temporary buff.

[Tott]

just some ideas, all of them once per quest, one turn only.
on the next turn, all enemies in the same room or corridor will attack the person blowing the horn.
all allies, regardless of their location on the board, can move a maximum of 12 spaces on their next turn.
all allies in the same room or corridor can restore up to one lost mind point.
all allies will get a bonus skull on their next attack.