Let’s Play D&D With the Indiana Jones MacGuffins
All of these items belong in a museum! Or maybe they belong in your next D&D game. This week we’re playing with the Indiana Jones MacGuffins.
Indiana Jones is back next month with another movie… And after the last return of the franchise I am hopeful but not entirely optimistic. But we’ll get to that later! And Indy has had some really good, memorable, and fun adventures, too! Of course, each of these adventures is marked by their MacGuffin item; the thing that Indy is searching for and keeps the plot moving forward. And often the item that’s a little too overpowered for any one person to use responsibly. Which is why it belongs in a museum! Or at the bottom of a cave pit…. or in an indistinguishable wooden crate in an unknown warehouse… This week we’re playing D&D with…
Indiana Jones’ MacGuffins
All of the Indiana Jones items are a bit overpowered and are the sort of things that should be saved until the very end of your game and then immediately taken away so the players can’t be irresponsible with them. Because let’s be honest, we know how most D&D players operate.
I really thought about just giving the Ark the equivalent of ‘Power Word Kill’ but that seemed too mean. Even though the whole face-melting thing is pretty darn close. Instead, it does a whole lot of damage so some characters may survive. And some others still may be wise enough to just look away.
Next up are the Sankara Stones, and in the grand scheme of Indy items, these were the nicest to make and the ones I could most easily see making their way into an actual adventure. They do some damage sometimes, but also have benefits, and aren’t terribly overpowered at all. In act, I’d bet you could sneak these into a campaign and many people just wouldn’t even notice. Let’s be real, how many people remember Temple of Doom clearly? And how many of those people remember the specifics of the series’ most boring MacGuffin item? These may be perfect for D&D.
Another almost perfect D&D item… but for very different reasons. It will heal your characters up after a long adventure, but then they are not allowed to leave with it and periodically chug the life juice. I wrote and deleted a bit about drinking for eternal life at least three times, and in the end, I decided against it. Because again, nobody’s players would be responsible for that kind of power. I’m sure the Grail in your setting has tales told about eternal life, but it should probably just stay a legend. Or add eternal life to yours; I’m not going to tell you how to run your game. Maybe that would be a nice end-game treat for your players.
This one was the hardest to write, and not because I had too many fun options to choose from. Like the movie itself, the Crystal Skull’s abilities left me feeling disappointed. Full disclosure: I haven’t seen this movie since it was in theaters, years ago. And while I have re-watched the other Indy films a bunch of times each, this one has never been considered for a return viewing.
So I had to look up what the Crystal Skull’s powers were. I thought it summoned aliens or something, but apparently, it was just very magnetic- even to non-magnetic metals like gold- and vaguely psychic. I almost gave it a special ability for making people walk out of the theater away from an encounter. But let’s be honest, you’re probably using its psychic ability to make an enemy leave the encounter, so that seemed redundant.
How would you make the Indiana Jones MacGuffins for a D&D setting? Are you excited for the upcoming movie? What movie, show, comic, or game should I make sheets from next time? Let us know in the comments!
Start the engine, adventurers!
