Here is a statistical write-up for the Wishmaster Djinn tailored for Sword of Cepheus (2D6 2D Sci-Fi / Old-School Fantasy RPG).
The Djinn (Wishmaster)
Born of fire in the dark void between light and darkness, the Djinn are malicious, immortal entities of pure reality-warping malice. A Djinn cannot act on its own accord to alter reality—it feeds on human desire and is bound to grant the wishes of mortals, maliciously twisting their words to cause agony, murder, and soul-harvesting.
UPP: 8AFFFF (STR: 8, DEX: 10, END: 15, INT: 15, EDU: 15, SOC: 15)
Armor: 6 (Natural chitin/scales, +12 vs. conventional non-magical physical weapons)
Hit Points: 45
Attacks: Claws/Tentacles 3D6, Reality Distortion (Variable)
Skills: Deception-3, Persuasion-3, Sorcery-5, Melee-2, Tactics-2
Reactions: Always hostile, masquerades as helpful or agreeable
Special Traits & Rules
Impure Invulnerability: The Djinn cannot be killed by mundane physical damage or conventional combat spells.
If reduced to 0 HP by physical attacks, its body disintegrates, only to reform within $1D6$ rounds at full health. It can only be permanently bound, banished, or unmade using sacred artifacts, divine intervention, or by tricking it into undoing its own awakening (e.g., wishing the event that freed it never happened). Flesh-Mask (Disguise): The Djinn can peel the face or assume the form of a deceased humanoid to blend in with society, gaining their voice and identity.
While in this form, it retains its mental stats and wish-granting ability. Soul Harvesting: Every time a mortal accepts a wish, their soul is instantly bound to the Djinn's power source (usually an enchanted gem or opal) upon their death.
Wish-Granting Mechanics
The Djinn cannot cast spell-like reality warping unless prompted by a mortal voice.
Casual Wishes: Any rhetorical, casual, or off-hand desire spoken by a PC or NPC in the Djinn's presence ("I wish you'd just get out of my face!", "I wish I was dead rich!") allows the Djinn to cast an un-resisted Instant-Effect Sorcery. The wish is granted in the most literal, ironic, and brutal manner possible.
Example: "I wish to escape this prison"
$\rightarrow$ The target's skeleton bursts out of their flesh and runs away.
The Waker's Three Wishes: The specific mortal who freed the Djinn from its gemstone prison is granted 3 Core Wishes.
Wish 1 & 2: Reality bends to whatever the waker asks, but always creates unforeseen side effects.
Wish 3: Fulfilling the third wish shatters the planar boundary between dimensions, freeing an army of Djinn to enslave the mortal realm.
Combat Strategy
The Djinn rarely relies on raw physical strength, though its facial tentacles and claws hit with supernatural force.
During an encounter, describe the Djinn subtly offering bargains, goading enraged characters, or offering "free samples" of its power to tempt the party into making a mistake.
Here is a scenario hook and artifact entry tailored for Sword of Cepheus, designed to plunge an unsuspecting party into a nightmare of corrupted desires.
Artifact: The Fire Opal of the Void
A swirling, blood-red cabochon that pulses with an inner, incandescent warmth. To look closely into its depth is to feel an agonizing, electric tug at the back of your mind.
| Attribute | Details |
| Artifact Classification | Grade-5 Forbidden Arcana / Sentient Prison |
| Market Value | Priceless (300,000+ Silver to cults or collectors; cursed) |
| Resist DC | INT / SOC 10+ to withstand its passive psychic pull |
Properties & Mechanics:
The Calling Pulse: Any creature within 12 meters who locks eyes with the gem must pass an INT or SOC check (10+) or feel an irresistible urge to pick it up and handle it.
Awakening: The Djinn reclaims its physical form only when the gem's current possessor utters a direct desire to the gem (e.g., "I wish I had enough gold to buy this city"). Upon the first wish, the gemstone shatters, releasing the Djinn into the physical plane.
Soul Receptacle: Whenever a target dies as a direct result of a granted wish, their soul is sucked into the shard fragment left behind. Destroying the shard requires sacred fire or a Dispel Magic cast at Sorcery level 5+, which liberates all trapped souls.
Scenario Hook: The Red Jewel of Oakhaven
The Setup
The party arrives in the wealthy trade hub of Oakhaven during the annual Solstice Auction. Master Valerius, an eccentric antiquarian, has unveiled his crown jewel: an unblemished, pulsating red opal unearthed from a pre-cataclysmic desert tomb. Unbeknownst to the town, Valerius accidentally awakened the entity during a private viewing when he idly muttered, "I wish my arthritis wouldn't pain me tonight."
The Djinn "cured" him by turning his nervous system into inert silver filigree—and took his form to walk among the high-society guests.
[ SOLSTICE AUCTION HOUSE ]
│
┌───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[THE AUCTION FLOOR] [THE PRIVATE VAULT]
- "Valerius" host auctions gem - True Valerius's silver corpse
- Tempts wealthy patrons into wishing - Scattered warding runes & journals
The Complications
Infiltration & Temptation: "Valerius" (the Djinn in disguise) uses the auction to goad powerful local figures into making off-hand wishes, rapidly building an undead/corrupted army beneath the city streets.
The Waker's Burden: The Djinn needs the original finder—a terrified junior archeologist named Elian currently hiding in the tavern—to speak two more formal wishes to open the planar breach. The Djinn cannot force Elian to wish; it must manipulate or trick him into doing so.
The Party's Dilemma: The PCs might be hired by Elian for protection, or hired by a rival merchant to steal the gem. Once in the Djinn's orbit, every casual phrase spoken during combat or negotiations ("I wish these guards would shut up!") will be weaponized against them.
Encounter Seed: The Bidding War
While the party is on the auction floor, a rival mercenary captain gets into a heated argument with "Valerius" over the gem's authenticity.
Rival: "This is a scam! I wish you'd show everyone what you're really made of!"
The Djinn's Grant: The merchant's skin turns transparent, exposing his organs and skeletal structure to the horror of the crowd, while "Valerius" smiles warmly and asks the PCs: "And you, travelers? What is your heart's truest desire?"
