The Monkey
This is another one of those ideas that hit me while I was driving along listening to videos. This one was talking about Stephen King short stories that had been adapted into movies. One was "The Monkey."
SPOILER ALERT: The titular toy is bad. Every time it claps it's cymbals together, someone dies.
I started thinking about why and how we could incorporate it into a campaign and here we are.
The Monkey
Cursed Wondrous Item (Unique Artifact)Appearance:
The Monkey appears to be an ordinary wind-up toy: a small, mechanical monkey made of painted wood, tin, and brass. Its features are exaggerated and cheerful, with a wide grin, bright painted eyes, and a pair of brass cymbals held in its hands.
Age and craftsmanship vary between examples, but all known versions share two characteristics: A functional winding key protruding from its back and pair of cymbals.
History
History
The earliest known creation is attributed to a gnomish cleric devoted to Urdlen, the Crawler Below, whose theology embraced destruction, greed, and the suffering of others.
The creator's philosophy was simple:
A sword is feared, a trap is avoided, a toy is welcomed.
The Monkey was intended to be discovered by children. A curious child would find the strange little toy, bring it home, wind it up, and show it to their family.
The Monkey would play. It would move. It would clap its cymbals. Then everyone nearby would die.
The creator considered this cruelty the true genius of the device: the victims were not defeated in battle. They invited the weapon into their home.
Game Mechanics
The creator's philosophy was simple:
A sword is feared, a trap is avoided, a toy is welcomed.
The Monkey was intended to be discovered by children. A curious child would find the strange little toy, bring it home, wind it up, and show it to their family.
The Monkey would play. It would move. It would clap its cymbals. Then everyone nearby would die.
The creator considered this cruelty the true genius of the device: the victims were not defeated in battle. They invited the weapon into their home.
Game Mechanics
The Monkey is a cursed magical device.
A creature winding the key may choose how many turns to give it, from one to ten.
Once released, the Monkey begins moving and counting down.
Delay:
Each turn of the key creates a delay of one round.
• 1 turn: Activates immediately after 1 round.
• 5 turns: Activates after 5 rounds.
• 10 turns: Activates after 10 rounds.
The Monkey cannot be stopped once activated.
Attempts to remove the key, restrain the arms, cover the cymbals, damage the toy, or dispel its magic do not prevent the final effect.
When the countdown ends, the Monkey strikes its cymbals together.
CLANG.
A creature winding the key may choose how many turns to give it, from one to ten.
Once released, the Monkey begins moving and counting down.
Delay:
Each turn of the key creates a delay of one round.
• 1 turn: Activates immediately after 1 round.
• 5 turns: Activates after 5 rounds.
• 10 turns: Activates after 10 rounds.
The Monkey cannot be stopped once activated.
Attempts to remove the key, restrain the arms, cover the cymbals, damage the toy, or dispel its magic do not prevent the final effect.
When the countdown ends, the Monkey strikes its cymbals together.
CLANG.
The Monkey releases a Mass Inflict Moderate Wounds effect centered on itself.
Caster Level: 15th
Living creatures within range suffer the effects of the spell normally. The Monkey is unaffected.
The "Socks"
All recovered examples of the Monkey have been found with the cymbals covered. The coverings do not prevent the magic from functioning. They do, however, prevent accidental activation. The presence of the coverings is considered evidence that someone previously understood the danger of the item and attempted containment.
A common warning found in recovered records:
"Do not remove the socks."
A common warning found in recovered records:
"Do not remove the socks."
§4-B personnel are trained to treat any cymbal-banging monkey with fabric coverings as a possible containment marker.
Earth-218 Classification
Earth-218 Classification
On Earth-218, the Monkey is classified as a §4-B Restricted Artifact.
The current theory is that multiple versions were produced as part of supernatural weapons programs.
Unlike battlefield weapons, the Monkey was designed as a sleeper weapon.
Examples were deliberately hidden in abandoned villages, war-damaged homes, along refugee routes, and in occupied territories.
The objective was not to kill soldiers. The objective was to ensure that the aftermath of war remained dangerous long after the fighting ended. A child rebuilding a home was just as valuable a target as an enemy combatant.
The current theory is that multiple versions were produced as part of supernatural weapons programs.
Unlike battlefield weapons, the Monkey was designed as a sleeper weapon.
Examples were deliberately hidden in abandoned villages, war-damaged homes, along refugee routes, and in occupied territories.
The objective was not to kill soldiers. The objective was to ensure that the aftermath of war remained dangerous long after the fighting ended. A child rebuilding a home was just as valuable a target as an enemy combatant.
The Soldier's Toy
Although the Monkey was originally created as an instrument of cruelty against the innocent, later users discovered a far more practical application.
A wind-up Monkey could be carried into battle.
Unlike a traditional grenade, it did not need to be thrown immediately. A soldier could wind the key, set the delay, and place or throw the device before taking cover. The victim would hear only the faint mechanical movement of the toy before the cymbals struck.
The longer the Monkey was wound, the greater the delay. A single turn could make it an immediate battlefield weapon. Several turns allowed it to be placed behind enemy lines, left inside a building, or hidden among supplies.
Military users quickly learned the psychological effect was often as important as the magical one. A battlefield is already filled with the sounds of danger: weapons, explosions, shouted commands. The cheerful mechanical rhythm of a children's toy created a moment of confusion before the inevitable clang.
For this reason, examples of the Monkey have been found among the equipment of soldiers, mercenaries, and magical specialists across multiple conflicts.
Market Price: 250,000 gp
Cost to Create: 125,000 gp/10,000 Xp
A wind-up Monkey could be carried into battle.
Unlike a traditional grenade, it did not need to be thrown immediately. A soldier could wind the key, set the delay, and place or throw the device before taking cover. The victim would hear only the faint mechanical movement of the toy before the cymbals struck.
The longer the Monkey was wound, the greater the delay. A single turn could make it an immediate battlefield weapon. Several turns allowed it to be placed behind enemy lines, left inside a building, or hidden among supplies.
Military users quickly learned the psychological effect was often as important as the magical one. A battlefield is already filled with the sounds of danger: weapons, explosions, shouted commands. The cheerful mechanical rhythm of a children's toy created a moment of confusion before the inevitable clang.
For this reason, examples of the Monkey have been found among the equipment of soldiers, mercenaries, and magical specialists across multiple conflicts.
Market Price: 250,000 gp
Cost to Create: 125,000 gp/10,000 Xp
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