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Nolzur's marvelous pigments was a magic item that enabled an artist to create real things out of paintings.[1][2][3][4][5][6][8]

Powers[]

When placed upon an artist's paintbrush, these pigments flowed from the brush to create a real item based upon whatever the wielder concentrated upon. This process took ten minutes. A single pot of this magical pigment had enough material to create up to 1,000 ft³ (28 m³) over a 100 ft² (9.3 m²) area.[3][4][5][6][8]

Only mundane inanimate objects could be created with this pigment, including all manner of food, and acted as expected.[2][3][4][5][6] Alchemical items could also be created, such as tanglefoot bags.[9] However, magic items and creatures could not be created,[2][3] regardless of whether they were mundane creatures, magical creatures, or constructs such as golems.[2][8] Plants, such as flowers and trees, could also be depicted.[1][3][8] Following the Spellplague, copies of Nolzur's marvelous pigments lost the power to create plants,[2] but regained the power to do so following the Second Sundering.[1]

If objects with any significant value were depicted, such as gems, jewelry, ivory, or so on - the item would look authentic and maintain the appearance of luxury, but be made of more inexpensive materials such as bone, brass, lead, tin, etc.[1][3][8] Following the Second Sundering, it was found that this stipulation applied to objects that were valued roughly over 25 gold pieces.[1]

History[]

Nolzur's marvelous pigments originated on the world of Oerth,[10] created by the alchemist Nolzur.[11] They were introduced to Toril sometime around the 900's DR by the planewalking archmage Alzennak, who was so fascinated by their potential that he recreated the formula necessary to produce more of them. The archmage would then spend much of his life further tinkering with the formula, creating the lesser known variant Alzennak's marvelous pigments. By the mid-14th century DR, about 5% of all instances of Nolzur's marvelous pigments on Toril were actually instances of Alzennak's variant.[10]

Notable Owners[]

Individuals[]

  • Krr'ook, a grung priestess in Dungrunglung in the late 15th century DR, owned a set of Nolzur's marvelous pigments that she hid from the settlement's despot King Groak and planned to use to create a realistic imitation of the grung goddess Nangnang in order to fulfill his mad requests of having Nangnang summoned.[12]
  • Marbol Etcheen, a crafter of chess sets in Ravens Bluff, owned ten jars of Nolzur's marvelous pigments that he used to fashion special sets.[13]
  • Torm, a member of the Knights of Myth Drannor who was a notorious hoarder of magic devices and trinkets, owned a set of Nolzur's marvelous pigments and sometimes kept it on his person.[14]
  • Zox Clammersham, a gnome archmage inhabiting Undermountain, owned a set of Nolzur's marvelous pigments.[15]

Religions[]

  • Goldeyes, the specialty priests of Waukeen, had a chance of receiving some Nolzur's marvelous pigments as one of the magic items they were given upon their admission to the clergy.[16]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 183. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Jeremy Crawford, Stephen Schubert, et al. (September 2011). Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium. Edited by Cal Moore, Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-0-7869-5744-6.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams (July 2003). Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 263. ISBN 0-7869-2889-1.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 David "Zeb" Cook (1989). Dungeon Master's Guide 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 175–176. ISBN 0-88038-729-7.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 David Cook (April 1995). Dungeon Master Guide 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), p. 233. ISBN 978-0786903283.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 slade et al (June 1995). Encyclopedia Magica Volume III. (TSR, Inc.), p. 837. ISBN 0-7869-0187-X.
  7. Gary Gygax (1979). Dungeon Masters Guide 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 123. ISBN 0-9356-9602-4.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Gary Gygax (1979). Dungeon Masters Guide 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 151. ISBN 0-9356-9602-4.
  9. Jason Bulmahn, Rich Burlew (February 2007). Dungeonscape. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 38. ISBN 978-0-7869-4118-6.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Eric L. Boyd (March 1995). “The Living City: Talon's Tattoo Parlor”. In Dave Gross ed. Polyhedron #105 (TSR, Inc.), p. 30.
  11. Gary Holian, Rick Miller (September 2007). “Treasures of Greyhawk: Magic of the Company of Seven”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #359 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 74.
  12. Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
  13. Brien J. Miller (December 1993). “The Living City: Master Etcheen's Chess Shop”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #90 (TSR, Inc.), p. 19.
  14. Ed Greenwood, et al (1989). Hall of Heroes. (TSR, Inc), p. 119. ISBN 0-88038-711-4.
  15. Tim Beach, Tom Prusa and Steve Kurtz (1993). “Gem of Zakhara”. City of Delights (TSR, Inc), p. 51. ISBN 1-56076-589-5.
  16. Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 180. ISBN 978-0786903849.
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