Is there any mention of fairy dust in PNP dungeons and dragons? What does it do?
i know this is awfully tardy, but so surprised there was so little response... there's never been an extensive game mechanics study of fairy dust in PNP, afaik (tho i haven't memorized the entire 3[.5]E library yet), but as far as general fairy shenanigans both in various AD&D modules and in peripheral folklore (shakespeare notwithstanding), it could be...
[*DISCLAIMER* i recognize that this might only be a thread to figure out what some items were intended for before they fell by the proverbial wayside. but i'll babble out my braintap any time (not *everyone* has noticed yet), and if this is of no use, either someone will be polite/patronizing enough to tell me so, or i'll have the catharsis anyway.]
...derived from ground pixie wings or leprechaun whiskers or dryad hair or some such. (i mean, a notable quantity stored in a bottle - that doesn't sound like it was a fairy's idea. the most benign explanation would probably be a 'friend' or 'student' of the wee folk building up a collection over time.. but i'd guess more sinister. perhaps an ambitious mage who captures fairies and demands dust as ransom. but unless the mage is a peerless diviner or something, such bargains are easily tricked-out, since:
...capable of producing powerful psychedelic and/or soporific effects
...useful in major/bizarre/experimental enchantments (another possibility for planar-sphere-stronghold apprentices?)
...a tracking device, so the party can be scried by
- one of the captive dryads who has a crush on [or grudge against] somebody in the party
- somebody/anybody who hung out on the periphery of (or escaped during an encounter resulting from) any extraplanar quest, through the sphere, or the raelis shai & co. rescue, or the Deck-slinging cambion & his crew...
*now* somebody can tell me "oh yeah, X incorporated that stuff into Xmod last month. don't worry about it." k thx byee.
but if nothing else, i'll damn sure use it in my first mod.