Fenwick's Bargain Bin (Small Module)

The golden amber glow of candelight suffuses this cramped claustrophobic nightmare; the shelves and tables in this room are overburdened beneath towering piles of books, knicknacks, and baubles. At any given moment, the place seems to be only a single step away from a catastrophic avalanche that would surely drown everyone here in a heap of junk. Several suits of towering armor are set in the corners of the room, towering like giant mannequins brimming with the latest in stylish plating.

Behind the counter, a bald hairless gnome sits and happily ignores you. He is bent over an ancient manuscript, studying it closely with a long gold-plated telescopic lense mounted over his left eye. Over him, a sign proudly proclaims in bold-writing:

Fenwick's Bargain Bin is a very small module intended to provide a means for low-level and mid-level campaign characters to buy, sell, trade, and access magical gear, including equipment only available to planar travelers. Additionally, it is intended to introduce characters to the realm of Planescape, and allow access to both planar goods and the Planes themselves. It can be wedged into just about any campaign with relative ease.

Additionally, Fenwick's Bargain Bin makes an excellent jumping-off point for new adventurers. Fenwick sells a detailed array of maps and books collected from all over the planes, many of which often hold tales of ancient civilizations or dark, treasure-laden ruins.

Included in this module are several detailed descriptions of new magical items (Part 2) which are offered in Fenwick's shop. Many of these items are useful, some are funny, and some are completely useless. Part of the danger in dealing with Fenwick is that he is notorious for being completely ambivalent to the safety of his buyers. If you do not wish to have fun at the player's expense or feel that a magical item included here would not fit in your campaign, feel free to remove any or all of the magic items detailed in this document. DMs are also encouraged to add a few of their own items.

Part 1: Business as Usual
1.1 Arriving at Fenwick's
1.2 Dealing with Fenwick
1.3 Magic Manifest
1.4 Leaving Fenwick's

Part 2: New Magic Items
2.1 Fenwick's Gear
2.2 Sellable Gear

Part 3: Nothing But Trouble
3.1 Fenwick's Home
3.2 Angering Fenwick
3.3 Fighting Fenwick
3.4 Consequences of Fenwick

Part 1: Business as Usual

Arriving at Fenwick's

Amidst the riches and treasure of the defeated bandits, you find a most peculiar object. The glass doorknob is surprisingly smooth and light, and has a single metal bit on the end. At best, you imagine it is worth no more than a pittance - why it was kept with their most valued possessions remains a mystery.

Rumours abound of a shopkeep who appears without warning in several capital cities. In the back of smoke-filled bars, rogues of the black market can be heard cursing the name of a magician who plies his trade anywhere he pleases, cutting into their profits. Government officials have grown irate over reports that there's someone selling magical weaponry in their country, and not paying their taxes.

There are many ways your party could learn of Fenwick's existence. Finding him is another matter entirely. Depending on how you wish to present him, reaching Fenwick may be as easy as knocking on his front door or as difficult as finding the key in an ancient, sunken ruin.

Fenwick's entire shop exists on a demiplane located in the Astral Plane. For all gameplay purposes, consider this the equivalent of a Cleric's Astral Hospice, only with a portal that moves from place to place on the Material Plane. (Planar Handbook, page 93). If you are unfamiliar with this spell, you only need to know that Fenwick's home cannot be reached by any means other than entering through one of the predesignated portals. Plane Shifting, Teleport, and similar effects cannot allow a caster to step into Fenwick's home, although Plane Shift can be used to leave it.

Depending on how you institute Fenwick, he will likely own several buildings in various cities. All of these buildings are abandoned and empty. Ringing the doorbell located at the front of each building sets off an alarm in Fenwick's plane, which causes him to open the portal to his home precisely behind the abandoned building's door. He then commands his Unseen Servant to reach through the portal and open the door. Fenwick has several of these doors in Bytopia, and may (depending on the flavor of a campaign) have a door in Mechanus, Acheron, and several doors in the Prime Material Plane. All of these doors are located in generally safe, well-populated regions. Sometimes, Fenwick will have one door that leads to a very dangerous place (such as the Negative Plane) for the purpose of dealing with thieves.

Alternatively, another means of entering Fenwick's home is through use of the Magic Knob (see Part 2: New Magic Items for full description). By attaching the knob to any door (which takes ten minutes) and knocking three times, the player rings for Fenwick. So long as this is done in an area where players can cast Plane Shift, Fenwick can (if he is willing) move the portal behind the door and cause it to open (if it is not locked or otherwise unopenable), allowing the players in.

It is important to note that Fenwick can only place the portal behind doors that have either been ritualistically prepared (as the doors in the cities are) or doors that someone is using the Magic Knob on. Fenwick can not open a portal anywhere he pleases.

Optional Rule: There is always a chance someone other than the PCs is using the door at any given moment, or that Fenwick simply does not want any visitors right now. Therefore, there is a 25% chance every round that both the Magic Knob and any of Fenwick's many doorbells will do nothing.

Dealing with Fenwick

The surly gnome peers up at you through that ridiculously long telescopic lens with a gaze that could wilt dandelions at thirty paces. Apparently, he's waiting for you to leave.

Fenwick Ironcore is not a particularly nice man. He is surly, combative, and generally hateful of everyone who draws him away from his books.

For the purposes of Diplomacy checks, Fenwick is treated like a PC: They have no effect on him. He is far too detached to be swayed by someone's pretty words. Furthermore, his ring of Free Thought protects him from Charm Person and other mind-effecting spells, and his surprisingly high Sense Motive score (thanks to his Telescopic Lens) makes it very easy for him to detect when someone is lying.

Fenwick will never do anyone any favor for any reason whatsoever. He does nothing unless he gets something of equal or greater value out of the trade. All price-tags on all his items are final, and he is completely unwilling to haggle. He will buy up to 100,000 gold in interesting magic items from PCs per year, paying the full market price. Additionally, Fenwick will identify items for a flat rate of 500 gold.

Optional Rule: Depending on how you want your campaign to be run, Fenwick may also be willing to 'ferry' PCs from one door to another to allow for fast travel. If you allow this, Fenwick charges 1,000 gp for each PC that is transported in this fashion.

Magic Manifest

Sitting atop of the dusty old tome is a long glass flute, filled with a disturbing miasma of grey swirling mist. When you look especially close, what seems to be the face of some howling beast briefly appears, before dissipiating into a formless oblivion.

Fenwick has an immense quantity of magical items available. To determine his inventory, roll 1d10+5 times on all Minor tables, 1d4+3 times on all Medium tables, and 1d4 times on all Major tables for the following items: Rings (DMG, page 192), Potions* (DMG, page 191), Rods (DMG, page 196), Staffs (DMG, page 204), Wands (DMG, page 206), and Wonderous Items (DMG, page 208). He has only a few selections of magical Weapons and Armor (roll 3 times on all Minor tables, 2 times on all Medium tables, and once on all Major tables). Additionally, Fenwick has a 95% chance of having a particular arcane or divine scroll a PC may be looking for (subtract 10% from this chance for every spell-level after 1st). Fenwick sells all his magic items for the market price.

For easy reference, it's recommended you write or print out a list of these magical items to hand out to players who arrive in Fenwick's shop. If more than a year passes between the PCs' last visit to Fenwick's shop, reroll his complete inventory. Considering the passage of time in your campaign, you may wish to reroll his entire inventory several times and keep copies available for ease of use.

Optional Rule: Don't feel like rolling a bazillion times? Optionally, you may decide Fenwick only has a small handful of magical items (roll or select 3 Minor Objects, 2 Medium Objects, and 1 Major Object of each type listed above). If you do this, it is highly recommended you include many if not all of the items under Part 2: New Magic Items in Fenwick's list.

Optional Rule: If you have the Planar Handbook, Fenwick may also sell all the special substances located on Table 4-6, page 78.

Optionally, Fenwick has one of each item listed under Part 2: New Magic Items. Feel free to exclude any of these magic items from the list.

* Fenwick has at least 10 of each potion rolled up on the table. After one week, he replenishes any purchased potions back up to 10.

Leaving Fenwick's

You open the door, stepping out from the claustrophobic nightmare of the small curio shop... And instantly find yourself plumetting several thousand feet to the ground.

Fenwick has complete control over the portal that lays behind the door to his shop. The only limitations as to where this portal may manifest are the following: It must manifest behind an unlocked door, it cannot manifest in a place where the Plane Shift spell would not work, and the door must have been either prepared by Fenwick in advance or someone used a Magic Knob on it.

Whenever PCs enter Fenwick's shop, the portal they stepped through remains open until the PCs or Fenwick shuts the door. Fenwick will do this on his own after 2 rounds, preferring to keep the portal closed as a rule. Once the PCs have finished their business, he re-opens the portal and opens the door for them, allowing them to exit in the precise location they entered.

If PCs do not wish to return to the same spot of their departure, they may plead their case to Fenwick. If you allow Fenwick to have multiple enchanted doors in various cities, he can (for a fee) allow the PCs to exit through one of these doors instead of the one they stepped through. Fenwick regularly charges 10,000 gold for the first time, 20,000 for the second, and 50,000 for the third time. His fee doubles every additional time after this.

When leaving Fenwick's abode, PCs cannot tell where the exiting portal will take them until they have stepped completely through it.

Optional: Fenwick may have prepared a door in the Negative Material Plane. If he has done this, he will use it on PCs who have either stolen from him or threatened him.

Part 2: New Magic Items

Gear

The following are various items which Fenwick either sells or commonly uses. Items that are not for sale are marked with a * besides them (these are Fenwick's personal items). All of the following are optional. Additionally, Fenwick will have 10 of any consumable items on hand, and will restock his supply back to 10 after one week of purchase.

Fenwick's Wonderous Goo
When the light hits it in just the way, the brownish goo in this bottle gleams with a rainbow of colors. It smells strangely fruity.

Description: One of Fenwick's earliest innovations. When a PC takes a standard action to smear the entirety of the contents over any weaponry or armor, it gains a +1 magic enhancement bonus for one hour. This bonus never stacks with any pre-existing enhancement bonuses. Non-magic armor and weaponry is considered magical for the duration of this effect. When used on a shield, the enhancement bonus applies both to AC and to-hit/damage rolls. Alternatively, the entirety of this potion can be used on 50 arrows, rocks, or bolts.
Caster Level: 1st; Prerequisites: Brew Potion, Magic Weapon; Market Price: 500 gold

Fenwick's Marvelous Goo
The goo in this bottle is completely transluscent, with the colors of the rainbow often shimmering through its surface when held at just the right angle.

Description: Identical to Wonderous Goo, except that its enhancement bonus is increased to +2.
Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Brew Potion, Greater Magic Weapon; Market Price: 1000 gold

Magic Knob
This rather simple-looking brass knob seems to have been detached from a door somewhere.

Description: Fenwick has a considerably large amount of these on hand, and will sell them to interested characters who he has had several business dealings with before. So long as Fenwick is aware of which Magic Knob he is dealing with, barring the item from working is simple. He keeps studious records on everyone he's sold the Magic Knob to, and can identify a particular Magic Knob on sight. When a PC takes ten minutes to attach a Magic Knob to any unlocked, non-magical door, they may proceed to knock on the door three times to summon Fenwick's portal. So long as the item is used in an area where Plane Shift can be cast, Fenwick will open the portal on the other side of the door for the player. Removing the Magic Knob from the door requires an additional ten minutes. So long as the Magic Knob is attached to the door, the door is considered magical and one of Fenwick's designated doors.
Market Price: 50,000 gp

Telescopic Lens*
This rod-shaped golden telescope straps onto the head with three seperate leather buckles, mounting itself over the left eye. When you peer through one end, everything is filtered into a bright, emerald green...

Description: One of Fenwick's earliest and most favored creations. Fenwick is never seen without his Telescopic Lens, which was specifically designed to filter out unnecessary details and cut straight to what is important. At will, the lens may cast Detect Magic and Read Magic. Additionally, it grants a +5 competence bonus on all Spot, Search, and Sense Motive checks.
Caster Level: 1st; Prerequisites: Forge Wonderous Object, Read Magic, Detect Magic; Market Price: 2700 gold

Questionable Gear

Most of this gear is humorous and possibly too light-hearted to fit into more serious campaigns. For this reason, you may wish to exclude it from Fenwick's shop. None of it should be particularly game-breaking; the vast majority is identical to pre-existing magical items, except with distinct disadvantages (and occasional reduced costs to mitigate this).

Bag of Scolding
This average-looking grey leather handbag has a particularly odd shape to it--you could swear that the way it creases and wrinkles seems to form the shape of a scowling old hag...

Description: Literally the skin of a Grey Hag, this Bag of Holding (Type III) comes with the incredibly irate spirit of an ancient evil (Neutral Evil; Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 8, Ego 20, no special benefits). This would seem to be a boon, but the fact of the matter is that she's really just a total bitch. Unless PCs actively satisfy the bulk of her wants (feed the bag food from a fancy restaurant costing no less than 100 gold once per week; never store anything Holy or Good aligned inside her; and regularly apply oil to her once per day), she will rearrange her contents to make retrieving any object from her require two full-round actions, regardless of how full she is. Additionally, she will endlessly scold the PC in a loud, screeching voice until either her demands are met or the PC ties her shut. Whenever she is screeching, all creatures gain a +10 to their Listen checks to notice the PC and moving silently is rendered impossible.
Caster Level: 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, secret chest; Market Price: 7,500 gp

Magic Sword
This dusty, ancient long-sword seems to hum with an eldritch power--incredibly complex script has been engraved across the length of its blade, while its unnaturally sharp edge is hot to the touch.

Description: Legends speak of an ancient blade who's magical might could sunder even the mightiest of mountains in a single stroke... This isn't that sword. Infact, anyone who makes a successful Decipher Script check (DC: 20) will notice that the engraving on the edge of the sword says, literally, +1 Sword. And that's exactly what it is.
Market Price: 2000 gp

Jaunty Fez
This fez is an absurd shade of bright pink with indigo tiger-stripes and a tassle of ridiculous purple. The thing is a complete abomination, and just looking at it makes you feel nauseous to the stomach.

Description: No one in their right mind would be caught dead in this. This hat is so ugly that wars could be fought over it. Wearing it should be considered a crime. But you know what? You're going to wear it anyway. Why? Because it gives you a +4 Deflection bonus to your AC. And really, that's all that matters to you, doesn't it? You sicken me. Take your bonus and get out.
Market Price: 48,000 gp

Awesomantine Full-Plate
This suit of armor is so bright and shiny that it actually hurts to look at. Every inch of it is covered in carvings of dwarves beating down dragons, beholders, mages, tarrasques, and even other dwarves.

Description: Identical to adamantine, only made out of 100% pure awesome. By DWARVES. In all respects, awesomantine full-plate is identical to adamantine full-plate (+1 Masterwork enhancement bonus and 3/- DR), except that it's so awesome that people wearing it will sometimes catch on fire--literally. Every round Awesomantine Full-Plate is worn, there is a 10% chance that the wearer will ignite, doing 1d6 points of fire damage every round until they take a full round action to extinguish the flames. Once the armor is on fire, there is an additional 10% chance every round thereafter that the armor will explode in a 10d6 fireball, instantly disintegrating itself in the blast. Yes, it's just that awesome.
Market Price: 16,650 gp

Eye of Zecna
This rather unattractive looking eyeball is preserved in a jar filled with fluids of preservation, staring at you with unsettling attentiveness.

Description: Vecna, Zecna, who can tell the difference? It's a powerful Mage's eyeball, and isn't that what counts? Look, are you going to scoop your eyeball out and put this one in or am I going to have to do it for you? The Eye of Zecna gives its wielder no benefits, being a completely ordinary eye.

Part 3: Nothing But Trouble

Aside from some obvious questions the player may have concerning the layout of Fenwick's home, this entire chapter is completely optional. The information contained herein should only apply if, for some unforseeable reason, your PCs decide it would be a good idea to attack Fenwick and/or take all of his stuff.

Fenwick's Home

A - Entrance to Fenwick's Bargain Bin
This ancient wooden door is enscribed with a myriad of fiery runes that flicker and lick at its edges. Sometimes, the letters crawl down over the planks and form new indistinguishable words of magic, before briefly flashing and returning to the frame.

This is the front door that leads in and out of Fenwick's Bargain Bin. It is the only means of entering and exiting Fenwick's personal demiplane. Upon arriving for the first time, PCs will often be ignored by Fenwick until they begin pestering him with questions, at which time he will proceed to explain to them that this is a shop, and if they aren't going to buy anything, they should probably go.

The door is controlled by Fenwick's Unseen Servant, which is always operative inside the room. With a free action, Fenwick can command the Unseen Servant to close or open the door. Regardless of whether or not the door is closed or open, Fenwick can cause the portal behind it to activate and deactivate at will (free action). When the portal is inactive, opening the door reveals a solid impenetrable wall of stone (the actual border of the demiplane).

B - Main Shop
Various curios, knicknacks, baubles, and books have been spread out here along the table and book-shelves, carelessly arranged in heaping piles of merchandise, thick with cobwebs and dust...

The Main Shop contains all the merchandise mentioned in Part 1: Magic Manifest, as well as possibly some of the optional magic items listed in Part 2: Sellable Gear (if you included them). Wonderous items and rods are on top of the table at B, rings and staves are on the shelves at D, and potions and wands are on the shelves at C. Any new magical items are carefully separated and placed on the shelves next to A. Additionally, there is a permanent Wall of Force in this room that acts as a screen between Fenwick and his customers when he is behind the counter (it runs east-to-west, from one end of the counter to the other). The wall sits on top of the counter and extends to the ceiling. Finally, there is a Cloudkill/Wall of Stone trap (Search DC: 28, Disable Trap DC: 25) with a hidden trigger placed underneath the countertop within Fenwick's immediate reach. When activated, it casts Cloudkill through the room and creates a Wall of Stone in front of the doorway leading to room F.

Whenever PCs enter the shop, Fenwick will be sitting at the counter above B.

E - Door to Lab
This door leads to Fenwick's lab (located at F). Fenwick will never allow anyone under any circumstances whatsoever to enter his lab. At will, he may command his Unseen Servant to lock, unlock, close, or open this door. When locked, this door is considered under the effects of a Hold Portal spell.

F - The Laboratory
Bubbling beakers and an array of concoctions, flasks, tubes, scales, and other alchemical equipment weigh down the table at the center of this room. Along the northern side of this room are bookcases overflowing with volumes on every subject imaginable - from spell-casting to cooking. A sign hangs directly in front of the doorway leading into this room.

This is where Fenwick enchants magical items, studies alchemy, and experiments with spells. This room contains a variety of base magical and alchemical materials worth at least 50,000 gold, as well as the following magical items (none of which are for sale, although duplicates may exist in his main shop): Dimensional Shackles, 5 Candles of Invocation, an Iron Flask with a Rakshasa who tried to cheat Fenwick inside, Murlynd's Spoon, Universal Solvent, a Portable Hole, and a Bag of Holding with various dry-goods and 100,000 gold inside. The Bag of Holding and Portable Hole can only be found on a successful Search check (DC: 25). They are underneath the desk at the center of the room, placed in a specialized magic trap explained below (DC: 27 to disarm). Additionally, there is a Bag of Devouring here which Fenwick keeps for research purposes. Finally, there are four traps in this room: The sign hanging in front of the door from the ceiling is actually a permanent Symbol of Death which Fenwick is attuned to, there is a Horrible Wilting trap (Search DC: 30, Disable Trap DC: 28) in the center of the room, a Wall of Stone trap (Search DC: 35, Disable Trap DC: 30) that creates a stone wall in front of the door leading to room G, and a magical trap that drops the Portable Hole into the Bag of Holding underneath the desk. All three of these latter traps are triggered by switches located under the desk in room G.

G - The Bedroom
This simple Spartan-styled set of sleeping quarters is completely uneventful, except for the large standing mirror besides the desk and a bookshelf that sits besides the bed. Upon the floor, a small circle in chalk has been drawn.

Like the door at E, the bedroom door is always considered under the effect of Hold Portal when closed. The mirror is actually a Mirror of Mental Prowess. A Search check (DC: 25) will reveal that the floorboards near the center of the room can be pried up, revealing a Sphere of Annihilation. Amusingly enough, Fenwick uses this for waste disposal, but he will also employ it against PCs who chose to attack him (see Part 3: Fighting Fenwick). Additionally, this entire room is under the effect of a permanent Mage's Private Sanctum.

X - The Golems
Iron Golems are located on the spots marked X. The Iron Golems in room B will automatically attack if Fenwick leaves the room. The Iron Golems in room F and G will automatically attack anyone who isn't Fenwick.

Angering Fenwick

The gnome looks up at you through the green-filtered lens of his eye-piece.

"Get out."

As explained in Part 2: New Magic Items under the Magic Knob description, Fenwick can disable any Magic Knob so long as he knows which Magic Knob it is the PCs have (each Magic Knob is unique, and Fenwick can identify each individual one by sight). He will not hesitate to use this if the PCs try to cheat him, lie to him, charm him, or cast magic inside of his home without his explicit permission (which he will never give except under the most dire of circumstances).

Fenwick will know if PCs cast magic in his home thanks to his Telescopic Lens (see Part 2: New Magic Items), and he'll probably be able to smell a liar with his Sense Motive checks. Additionally, he'll probably notice a thief thanks to his Spot-Check bonus with Robe of Eyes.

If Fenwick believes someone has lied to him, he will tell the PCs to leave immediately. If they possess a Magic Knob, he will request them to give it to him. If they refuse, he'll disable it. If the PCs refuse to leave, see Part 3: Fighting Fenwick. If one or more of the PCs have stolen from him, Fenwick will say nothing until the PCs try to leave. He will, at that point, shift the portal that leads outside of his home to a door on the Negative Material Plane. If the PCs are killed, he will send his golems out to collect their things and bring them back into his store.

Fighting Fenwick

Suddenly, Fenwick disappears. Then all Hell breaks loose.

In the event where the PCs refuse to leave after Fenwick demands they do, or the PCs reveal themselves to be hostile, Fenwick will instantly close the portal, command his Unseen Servant to trigger the Cloudkill/Wall of Stone trap behind the counter, use a Quickened Dimension Door to disappear into his bedroom (G), and cast Dimension Lock. Once Fenwick has left the room, the Iron Golems will begin attacking in the next round. In the next round, he'll remove his Sphere of Annihilation from under the floorboards and manuever it in front of his bedroom door. In the third round, he'll use his Mirror of Mental Prowess to monitor the PCs. If they enter his laboratory, he'll wait to see if they set off the Death Symbol, and then set off the trigger under his desk that activates the Horrible Wilting trap, and second trigger that activates the Wall of Stone trap. If the PCs manage to survive the Horrible Wilting and the defeat the Iron Golems, Fenwick will trigger his final and most devastating trap - a Portable Hole dropped into a Bag of Holding in the center of room F. This shunts all the room's treasure to the Astral Plane, possibly including the adventurers. He will then send in the Sphere of Annihilation to destroy any remaining characters. If this fails, he will (reluctantly) switch to spells, reserving his last Quickened Dimension Door in case the battle goes badly - in which case, he'll cancel his Dimension Lock and Dimension Door to the exit of his home, leaving.

If Fenwick leaves his home, the portal to the demiplane immediately opens to a random spot in the Astral Plane. Since Fenwick himself cannot Plane Shift into the demiplane, he must search and find the entrance himself. Doing so will take him an average of 1d4+1 weeks. During this time, characters inside the demiplane who succeed on a Knowledge: Planes check (DC: 35) may discover the means by which Fenwick attuned the demiplane to himself, and use it to attune themselves to the demiplane. Doing so requires one full day of meditation and transfers control of the plane over to the PC.

Fenwick will do everything within his power to regain his demiplane if it is stolen from him, but if it becomes obvious he cannot wrest it away from the PC, he will give up and move on.