Illustration of a softly glowing, golden apple that is surrounded by darkness.
Safety Rating: Situationally dangerous and situationally beneficial.
Environment: Mountains.
Details: The Discord Apple, sometimes also known as the Golden Apple, is a tree with magical golden apples. The beauty of these apples is entrancing and gazing upon one of them is enough to trigger their emotion-altering magic. Those who fall under their spell want an apple more than anything else in the world.
When people are near the tree, this magic isn’t a significant problem. Anyone who falls under the spell simply picks an apple, eats it, and then carries the core until they find a place where the seeds can be planted. In addition, eating the apple heals any injuries that the character has. However once taken from the tree, these golden apples become extremely dangerous. Their magic causes the people who fall under their spell to fight over them.
Lore: There are numerous accounts, both in history and myth, of people trying to use the power of Discord Apple for personal gain, only to have it backfire. Because eating the apples is healing, there have been several attempts to breed a Discord Apple with just the beneficial effects, but that too has resulted in failure.
Knowledge Rolls: If the character gets a brief glimpse of the Discord Apple without an opportunity to gaze upon it, they can make a Nature dice roll to find out how much they remember about Discord Apples before they are affected by its magic. Otherwise, they will be affected by the magic at first sight and will only get to roll their Nature dice roll for knowledge after they experience its magic.
- 0 Successes: A failure means that the characters only remembers that the apples from this tree are magical and that people really want them.
- 1 Success: A partial success means that the character remembers that the apples are only dangerous when taken away from the tree. They also remember that eating the apples is delicious and healing, but they don’t remember the part about being compelled to carry around the apple core.
- 2 Successes: A full success means that the character also remembers that anyone who eats one of the apples is compelled to carry around the apple core until they find just the right conditions to plant the seeds.
- 3 Successes: An outstanding success means that the character also knows the exact conditions needed for planting the seeds.
Magical Compulsion: Anyone who gazes upon one of the ripe Discord Apples must roll their mental defense.
- Eating an apple: Anyone who eats an apple has the same basic experience. “It is the most delicious apple you have ever tasted. In addition, you feel amazing. You are full, rested, and energized.” If the character is injured, then their injury is healed. However they are compelled to hold the apple core with its seeds and carry it with them. It is precious to them and they can’t put it down, even for a moment. Nor can they put it in a bag or pocket, but they can get creative about how they hold it. They will only be able to put the apple core down when they find an appropriate place to plant the seeds, but the character does not automatically know this fact; they only know that the apple core and its seeds are incredibly important to them.
- 0 Successes: Failure means that the character intensely desires one of the apples. They are compelled to pick and eat one and then to carry its core around.
- 1 Success: A partial success means the character is compelled to pick an apple and they have a strong feeling that eating it would be delicious and beneficial, but they are not compelled to eat it. If they choose to eat the apple, then they will experience the same magical benefit, as well as the compulsion to carry the apple core with them as someone who failed their dice roll.
- 2 Successes: A full success means that the character is completely able to resist the apple’s magic and they feel no compulsion or special desire for one of the apples. If the character chooses to eat an apple, then they experience the same magical benefit and compulsion to carry the apple core as someone who failed their dice roll.
- 3 Successes: An outstanding success means that the character has resisted this magic so well that they could eat an apple and they would not be compelled to carry around the apple core.
The Discord Apple is part of the Crossroads Setting for the tabletop role-playing game, Magic Goes Awry. Click here to go to the list of wild and whimsical magical plants from the Land of Crossroads.
I really loved how this played out in “Into the Research Garden” because the magical compulsion was creepy and that made me suspicious of the (seemingly?) beneficial effects of the plant, but then learning more about it made me adore this useful plant! It’s a win-win: Whoever eats the apple feels amazing and gets healed, and the apple gets its seeds planted in a good spot 🙂
Thank you! This dynamic was so fun to work with! The mind control is pretty creepy, but underneath the surface it is a mutually beneficial situation. I love plants that have their own agenda!