The Alexandrian

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy Collins, David noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

The Complete Book of Eldritch Might Copyright 2004–2006 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
The Book of Eldritch Might Copyright 2001–3 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Book of Eldritch Might II: Songs and Souls of Power Copyright 2002–3 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus Copyright 2003 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved Copyright 2005 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Ptolus: The Spire and Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire ©2006 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
The Night of Dissolution ©2006 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
City Supplement 1: Dweredell, Copyright 2006, Justin Alexander.
Freeport: The City of Adventure is ©2002 Green Ronin Publishing.
Relics & Rituals Copyright 2001, Clark Peterson
Chaositech, copyright 2003 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Spells & Magic, Copyright 2002, Bastion Press, Inc.
The Serpent Amphora Copyright 2001, White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
Open game content from The Tome of the Drow, copyright 2005, Mongoose Publishing Ltd.

The Alexandrian; Copyright 2005-2015, Justin Alexander. https://www.thealexandrian.net

Flame of the Phoenix, Copyright 2010, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=7445

Honeytrap, Copyright 2011, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=5859

E(X): The Many Games Inside the World’s Most popular Game, Copyright 2011, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=9470

Healer of the Sacred Heat, Copyright 2011, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=8144

Ocular Tyrant, Copyright 2012, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=13389

Force Missile and Greater Sleep, Copyright 2012, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=13389

D20 Drugs, Copyright 2013, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=24631

Alternate Magic Item Creation, Copyright 2002, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=36220

Temple Street, Copyright 2015, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=36714

Lost Laboratories of Arn, Copyright 2015, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=38047

Kitchen Sink Fantasy, Copyright 2016, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=38506

New Combat Maneuvers, Copyright 2018, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=40127

Ritual Magic, Copyright 2018, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=40139

Blood Terrors, Copyright 2018, Justin Alexander. https://thealexandrian.net/?p=40336

Adamantine Skeleton, Copyright 2020, Justin Alexander, https://thealexandrian.net/?p=44049

Kaostech, Copyright 2020, Justin Alexander, https://thealexandrian.net/?p=44099

Encumbrance By Stone, Copyright 2011, Justin Alexander, https://thealexandrian.net/?p=3987

The Lore of Sagrathea, Copyright 2022, Justin Alexander, https://thealexandrian.net/?p=47297

END OF LICENSE

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: The following items are designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a:

The Alexandrian and Justin Alexander.

Any and all Dream Machine Productions logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all product names, product line names, cover design, and lay-out.

“Legends & Labyrinths”, “3rd Edition Lives!”, “So You Want to Be a Dragonslayer?”, “So You Want to Be a Dragon Master?”, “So You Want to be a Dungeon Master?”, “So You Want to Be a Game Master?”, “Technoir”, “Mechnoir”, and “Hexnoir” are trademarks owned by Justin Alexander.

Emperor Atal XIV, Bloodwight, Sons of Jade, Lost City of Shandrala, Jade Magi, Ranthir, Agnarr, Tithenmamiwen, Athvor Krassek, Mithrilani, River Kings, Forest of Eternal Youth, Scarlet Plains, Wizard’s Blight, Orcs of the Seven Tribes, Desert of a Thousand Droughts, Pentagram Killer, Gallas Karr, Ebon Vested, Lithuin, Banelord, Brotherhood of the Silver Hand, Tyrannis Gígās, Sagrathea.

Dreaming Lore: The Dreaming (including the Dreaming Moment, the Dream That Was, and the Dream That Will Be); the terms “Dreaming Lord” and “Lords of the Dreaming”, along with all names, titles, and descriptions of Dreaming Lords; Dreamsight, Dream Pacts, and Dreamspeaking; the terms Seeking the Hidden Truths, Dream Echos, Dreaming Touch, Dreamign Voyance, Vision of the Dreaming Shadows, and Voice of the Dream.

Banelord, Western Lands, Lithuin, Titan Spawn, demonweb.

All artwork not otherwise in the public domain is copyright the original creators.

Any and all trademarks stated or unstated.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN CONTENT: This license explicitly covers the text appearing on this WordPress page and any passages from this page which are duplicated elsewhere on the website. All other material on this website is explicitly NOT placed under the OGL.

HONEYTRAP CR 8
CE Large Magical Beast
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Listen +13, Spot +13
Init: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Languages: Common, Elven

AC: 24, touch 10, flat-footed 23 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +14 natural)
Hit Points: 85 HD: 10d10+30
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +8

Speed: 40 ft.
Melee: bite +13 (1d6+6)
Ranged: 6 strands +11 ranged touch (drag and weakness)
Space: 5 ft. Reach: 5 ft. (30 ft. with strand)
Base Atk: +10 Grapple: +14
Special Actions: quicksand liquiesence
Metamagic Feats: (spontaneous casters only)

Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 17
Special Qualities: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (strand)
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +10*, Listen +13, Spot +13
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 11-15 HD (Medium); 16-30 (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

Drag (Ex): If a honeytrap hits with a strand attack, the strand latches onto the opponent’s body. This deals no damage, but drags the struck opponent 5 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires an Escape Artist check (DC 23) or a Strength check (DC 19). (The DCs are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist check includes a +4 racial bonus.)

Drag and Bite: A honeytrap can draw a creature within 5 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round. A strand has 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a honeytrap’s strand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the strand is currently attached to a target, the roper takes a -4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a strand deals no damager to the honeytrap.

Drag and Drown: A honeytrap who has drawn a victim into its quicksand will often try to drown them. A honeytrap can draw a creature 5 feet and attempt to drown them by making an opposed grapple check. If the check succeeds, the victim is pushed below the surface of the quicksand.

Strands (Ex): A honeytrap can extrude up to six strands at once, and they can strike up to 30 feet away (no range increment). If a strand is severed, a honeytrap can extrude a new one on its next turn as a free action.

Quicksand Liquiesence (Ex): A honeytrap can turn a 10 ft. radius of earth, dirt, or stone into quicksand in 1d4 minutes by excreting a powerful, acidic chemical. If a honeytrap is slain, moves, or stops excreting the chemical, the ground will re-solidify within 1d4 hours.

Quicksand requires a Survival check (DC 8′) to spot. The momentum of a running or charging character will carry them 1d2x5 feet into the quicksand. Characters in quicksand must make a Swim check (DC 10) every round to simply tread water in place, or a DC 15 check to move 5 feet in whatever direction desired. If a trapped character fails this check by 5 or more, he sinks below the surface and begins to drown whenever he can no longer hold his breath (see Swim skill). Characters below the surface of a bog may swim back to the surface with a successful Swim check (DC 15, +1 per consecutive round of being under the surface).

Pulling a trapped character out of quicksand often requires a branch, spear haft, rope, or similar tool to reach the victim with one end of it. The character performing the rescue must make a Strength check (DC 15) to pull the victim out, while the victim must succeed at a Strength check (DC 10) to hold onto the branch, pole, or rope. If the victim fails to hold on, he must immediately make a Swim check (DC 15) to remain above the surface. If both checks succeed, the victim is pulled 5 feet closer to safety.

Weakness (Ex): A honeytrap’s strands sap an opponent’s strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 18) or take 1d8 points of Strength damage. The DC is Constitution-based.

Skills: *Honeytraps have a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks if they are submerged in quicksand or similarly concealed.

 

OCULAR TYRANT (CR 12+1*): 152 hp (16d8+80), AC 23, ranged touch +21 (eyestalks), Save +15, Ability DC 21, Size Large

Str 10, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 14

All-Around Vision immune to flanking

Darkvision 60 ft.

Fly 20 ft. (perfect)

Antimagic Eye (Su): The ocular tyrant’s main eye emits a continual 160-ft. cone in which magic items, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities (including the tyrant’s eyestalks and psychic tendrils) have no effect. Spells or effects brought within the area are suppressed, but not dispelled. Summoned creatures and incorporeal undead wink out of existence within the area, but reappear in the same spot when the tyrant’s gaze moves away. (Time spent within the area counts against the suppressed spell’s or summoned creature’s duration.) The ocular tyrant can redirect the gaze of its main eye as an immediate action.

Eyestalks (Sp): As a full action, the ocular tyrant can fire any number or combination of its eyestalks and psychic tendrils. The tyrant’s eyestalks require successful ranged touch attacks (unless otherwise noted below). The maximum range is 160 ft. The effective caster level is 11th.

Disintegrating Ray: A thin, green ray which inflicts 2d6 points of Constitution damage (or 5d6 hit points on a successful Fortitude save). If this damage kills the target, it is entirely disintegrated. When used against an object, the ray simply distintegrates up to one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter. The ray even affects objects constructed entirely of force energy.

Flesh to Stone: A dull gray ray which inflicts 2d6 points of Dexterity damage (Fortitude save negates). If this damage reduces the target’s Dexterity to 0, the target, along with all its carried gear, is turned into a mindless, inert statue.

Inflict Moderate Wounds: A black ray coruscated with silver, inflicting 2d8+11 points of damage.

Force Missiles: The eye emits five missiles of force energy, which can be directed independently at multiple targets. Each missile unerringly strikes its target and inflicts 1d6+1 points of force damage. In addition, a target struck by one or more force missiles must make a Fortitude save or be forced back 15 ft. directly away from the ocular tyrant. (This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)

Slow: An orange-red ray which drastically slows the target (Will save negates). The victim moves at half speed, can only take a single standard action each turn, and suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves.

Psychic Tendrils (Sp): The ocular tyrant can fire any number or combination of its eyestalks and psychic tendrils as a full action. Each psychic eyestalk affects a single target (unless otherwise noted below). The maximum range is 160 ft. The effective caster level is 11th.

Charm Monster: The target considers the ocular tyrant to be its trusted friend and ally. The charm effect lasts for 11 days. (Will save negates; +5 bonus on the saving throw if the ocular tyrant is currently attacking the target or its allies.)

Confusion: The target becomes confused for 11 rounds (Will save negates).

Fear: The target must make a Will save or become panicked for 11 rounds. On a successful save, they are shaken for 1 round.

Greater Sleep: This psychic tendril causes 4d6 HD of creatures to fall unconscious for 11 minutes (Will negates). It can affect multiple creatures within range, with those closest to the ocular tyrant succumbing to the effect first. Wounding a sleeping creature awakens them, but normal noise does not. Allies can use a standard action to slap a victim awake.

Telekinesis: Using this tendril, the ocular tyrant can apply a sustained force (moving objects weighing 275 pounds or less up to 20 feet per round; creatures can negate the effect on an object it possesses with a Will save), perform a combat maneuver (bull rush, disarm, grapple, or trip without provoking attacks of opportunity, using a +14 bonus for any required action checks), or make a violent thrust. During a violent thrust, the tyrant can hurl up to 11 objects or creatures (all within 10 feet of each other and weighing no more than a total of 275 pounds) towards any target within 10 feet of the objects. The tyrant makes an attack roll for each object, dealing 1 point of damage per 25 pounds (for less dangerous objects) or 1d6 points of damage per 25 pounds (for hard, dense objects). Hurled creatures and creatures holding hurled objects get a Will save to negate the effect.

* CR adjustment due to multiple attacks each round.

 

E(X): THE MANY GAMES INSIDE THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR RPG

THE CORE RULE: Level advancement is capped at Level X. Upon attaining Level X, characters earn a new epic feat every time they earn an amount of XP equal to the amount of XP they needed to advance to Level X from the previous level. (For example, advancing from 7th level at 21,000 XP to 8th level at 28,000 XP requires 7,000 XP. Therefore, if you’re playing E8, you get an additional feat every 7,000 XP.)

BUILDING ENCOUNTERS: When calculating Average Party Level (APL), treat every 5 epic feats as a +1 adjustment to a character’s level to a maximum of 20 feats. After that point, treat every 10 epic feats as a +1 adjustment to a character’s level.

In general, you still shouldn’t use opponents with CRs higher than Level X + 4. You should either use a larger number of lower CR creatures or you can advance monsters by giving them epic feats (using the same guideline as for PCs to determine their adjusted CR).

EPIC FEATS: In general, any feat can be selected as an epic feat (assuming prerequisites are met). The following feats can also be selected–

Ability Training: You spend time honing your abilities. Pick one ability score. You qualify for the Ability Advancement feat for that ability. (You can gain this feat multiple times, but its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat it applies to a different ability.)

Ability Advancement: Your training pays off. Pick one ability score for which you have the Ability Training epic feat. You gain a permanent +2 bonus to that ability. (You can gain this feat multiple times, but its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat it applies to a different ability.)

Expanded Spell Knowledge: You learn new spell(s) whose level equals half your caster level (round down, and treat a new 0th-level spell as 1/2). (Thus, a sixth level Sorcerer could learn one 3rd level spell, one 1st and one 2nd level spell, three 1st level spells, or six 0th-level spells.)

Expanded Caster Stamina: You gain 1 or more new spell slots, with spell levels totaling to half of your caster level. Treat 0th level spells as 1/2. (Thus, a sixth level Wizard could gain one 3rd level slot, one 1st and one 2nd level slot, three 1st level slots, or six 0th-level slots.) This feat cannot provide spell slots higher than you can already cast.

EPIC SPELL FEATS: Certain spells have effects which are necessary to avoid “no-win scenarios” (like raise dead or stone to flesh) may have a level which is too high to cast in a particular E(X) campaign. The following epic feats duplicate the effects of these spells. However, the DM should feel free to eliminate them if they feel that the particular spell doesn’t fit the power level or atmosphere they’re trying to achieve. (If you do eliminate some of these, consider including artifact-level powers that can be sought out from remote oracles, completing holy quests, or the like as part of the campaign.)

Atonement: You can use atonement, as the spell.

Break Enchantment: You can use break enchantment, as the spell with a 250 gp material component.

Dispel Magic: You can use dispel magic, as the spell with a 100 gp material component.

Gentle Repose: You can use gentle repose, as the spell with a 100 gp material component.

Raise Dead: You can use raise dead, as the spell (paying the material component cost). (Losing a level, in the context of epic levels, means losing a feat and the associated XP. You may want to add resurrection and true resurrection as part of a feat chain.)

Regenerate: You can use regenerate, as per the spell with a 1,000 gp material component and a casting time of 1 hour.

Remove Blindness/Deafness: You can use remove blindness/deafness, as the spell with a 100 gp material component and a casting time of 1 hour.

Remove Disease: You can use remove disease, as the spell with a 100 gp material component and a casting time of 1 hour.

Restoration: You can use restoration, as the spell (paying the material component), with a casting time of 1 hour. (Note: You might include lesser restoration and greater restoration and turn this into a feat chain.)

Stone to Flesh: You can use stone to flesh, as the spell with a 1,000 gp material component, with a casting time of 1 hour.

HEALER OF THE SACRED HEAT

Prerequisite: Heal 5 ranks

Benefit: The character gains access to the Healing Arts of the Sacred Heat. As long as they have access to an open flame, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Heal checks and they can also use any of the following abilities.

Burning Out the Poison: By using flame and heat applied to specific locations on the body, a Healer of the Sacred Heat can attempt to burn a poison out of a patient’s body. (Some ingested poisons will also require the patient to swallow specially prepared coals.) This treatments takes 1 round and deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage to the patient, but if the healer succeeds on a Heal check with a DC equal to that of the original poison + 5 the patient is completely cured. (They suffer no additional effects from the poison and any temporary effects are ended. However, the treatment does not reverse instantaneous effects such as hit point damage, temporary ability damage, and the like.)

Cooling the Disease: By using strategically placed flames or heat sources around a patient’s body, a Healer of the Sacred Heat can create a biorhythmic vortex which will draw heat out of the body. As the heat departs the body, it draws non-magical diseases with it. The treatment takes 10 minuets and deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage to the patient due to the sudden chilling of their body, but if the healer succeeds on a Heal check with a DC equal to that of the original disease +5 the patient will automatically succeed on their next saving throw against the disease.

Cauterizing the Wound: With 10 minutes of work and a successful Heal check (DC 15), a Healer of the Sacred Heat can convert lethal damage to nonlethal damage equal to their margin of success. A patient receiving this treatment also suffers 1d6 points of additional nonlethal damage due to the strain placed on their body by the technique.

D20 DRUGS

The basic function of a drug is similar to a poison: They have a type (contact, ingested, inhaled, injury), a Fortitude saving throw DC to resist their effect, an initial effect, and a secondary effect. However, drugs also have the following statistics:

Buzz: The length of time the buzz from the drug lasts. The initial and secondary effects of the drug end when the buzz comes to an end. (For example, a PCP might inflict a Wisdom penalty as its initial effect and grant temporary hit points as its secondary effect. After the PCP’s buzz of 2d6 hours comes to an end, both the buzz and the temporary hit points go away.)

Addiction Threshold: The number of doses that must inflict the secondary effect of the drug before the user risks addiction. Once the user reaches the addiction threshold, they must make an addiction save. If a user goes one day without using the drug, reduce the current tally of doses by 1 to a minimum of 0.

Addiction DC: The DC of the Fortitude save required to resist addiction. On a failed save, the user becomes addicted to the drug (see below).

Recovery Threshold: If a user makes a number of successful withdrawal saves equal to the drug’s recovery threshold, their addiction is broken. They no longer suffer the effects of addition, but a recovering addict suffers a -4 penalty to future addiction saves against the same drug.

Compulsion DC: If a character addicted to a drug has the opportunity to take the drug, they must make a Will save against the drug’s compulsion DC. On a failed save, they must take the drug. If a character is currently suffering withdrawal, they take a -10 penalty on this saving throw.

ADDICTION

If a character becomes addicted to a drug, they must stay buzzed on the drug. When the buzz comes to an end, withdrawal begins. Withdrawal acts just like a poison with initial effects, secondary effects, and a saving throw. Once per day, the victim must make a new saving throw against the withdrawal.

SAMPLE DRUGS

ABYSS DUST: Abyss dust is alchemically distilled from snakeweed (see below), although few associate the innocuous effects of snakeweed with this powerful narcotic. Abyss dust looks like ashes, with a rich black and gray color. It is administered through inhalation or smoking. Some hardcore users like to mix their abyss dust with snakeweed, claiming the snakeweed “takes the edge off” of some of the more extreme hallucinations.

Price: 1 gp
Effects: Inhaled DC 13, buzz 3d4 hours, initial effect Hallucinations (-4 on all action checks), secondary effect -1d4 Wisdom
Addiction: Addiction DC 13, threshold 3 doses
Withdrawal: Withdrawal DC 13, initial effect Fatigued, secondary effect 2 Strength and 1d4 Wisdom, Compulsion DC 10

BARBARIAN’S BLOOD: A recreational drug also known as “the red burn” and “veinglory”. Users of the drug are marked by a deep reddening of the skin and a significant protrusion of the veins. They experience a psychotropic dissociation in which physical pleasure is heightened and pain is experienced as pleasure.

Price: 2 gp
Effects: Ingested DC 13, buzz 1 hour, initial effect -2 penalty to Wisdom, secondary effect 2d4 temporary hit points
Addiction: Addiction DC 8, threshold 1 dose
Withdrawal: Withdrawal DC 15, initial effect 2 Strength, secondary effect 2 Strength and 2 Constitution, Compulsion DC 15

SHADEBANE: Shadebane comes in the form of a pale, silver-grey powder. Water is added to this powder and it is then smeared on the skin. The user experiences hallucinations which give the impression of gifting them with visions from beyond the grave. Regardless of the truth or fiction of these visions, users of shadebane are intensely unpleasant for undead to approach. Undead within 5 feet of a shadebane user must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 12) or become sickened (even if they would normally be immune to the sickened effect). Long-term users of the drug, however, become obsessive with death. They often begin collecting memento mori and are drawn to graveyards and others places of death. With prolonged use, these morbid obsessions can lead to suicidal, homicidal, or necromantic inclinations.

Price: 15 gp
Effects: Contact DC 13, buzz 1 hour, initial effect Hallucinations (-1 penalty to all action checks), secondary effect sicken undead (see text)
Addiction: Addiction DC 12, threshold 4 doses
Withdrawal: Withdrawal DC 12, initial effect 1 Wisdom, secondary effect 1 Constitution, Compulsion DC 12

SNAKEWEED: The sunburst flower is found growing in many ancient ruins throughout the Serpent Islands. The trances produced by smoking the dried leaves and flowers of the plant became a popular, casual intoxication among the pirates of Freeport and spread to ports throughout the Southern Sea. When dried, the stuff is simply called snakeweed by most, and while it can be psychologically addictive it is relatively harmless by itself. When smoked, snakeweed produces a feeling of serene calm, a deadening of pain, and slight euphoria. Heavy doses produce an incapacitating euphoric stupor, and sometimes inspire dreams of shadowy, serpentine forms and vast cities beneath the waves. In Freeport, it is commonly used by the poorer citizens and sailors as an escape from the drudgeries of everyday life.

Price: 2 sp
Effects: Inhaled DC 11, buzz 1d3 hours, initial effect +1 to Will saves, secondary effect -1 Wisdom
Addiction: Addiction DC 5, threshold 12 doses,
Withdrawal: Withdrawal DC 5, initial effect insomnia, secondary effect -1 penalty to action checks; recovery threshold 5, Compulsion DC 5

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

If you get less than eight hours of sleep in a night, you must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 20 – the number of hours you slept) or become fatigued.

If you get less than four hours of sleep in a night, you are automatically fatigued and must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 20 – the number of hours you slept) or become exhausted.

Elves only require four hours of meditation in a night. If they get less than four hours of meditation, they must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 20 – twice the number of hours they meditated) or become fatigued. If they get less than two hours of meditation, they are automatically fatigued and must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 20 – twice the number of hours they meditated) or become exhausted.

If a character’s rest is interrupted by movement, combat, spellcasting, skill use, conversation, or any other fairly demanding physical or mental task, subtract 1 hour for each period of interruption from the amount of rest that they received.

If a character rapidly shifts to a different time zone (or the equivalent thereof) due to teleportation, dimensional travel, flying carpet, or jumbo jet, they must make a Fortitude saving throw for sleep deprivation even if they get 8 hours of sleep. In addition, they suffer a -1 penalty to their saving throw per time zone they’ve shifted. Once a character succeeds at two consecutive sleep deprivation saves, their circadian rhythm has acclimated to the new time zone and they are no longer affected by the jet lag.

Characters using magical or pharmacological aids — like a sleep spell — to force a rest period that’s properly synched with the local time zone gain a +5 bonus to a sleep deprivation saving throw caused by jet lag.

CIRCADIAN EFFECTOR
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Cleric 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: 1 creature
Duration: 1 minute per caster level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

When cast on a character suffering from jet lag, circadian effector immediately removes the effects of jet lag. (It has no effect on other forms of fatigue or exhaustion.) The spell can also be used to induce the effects of jet lag on a character not currently suffering from it.

If cast on a sleeping character, circadian effector has the immediate effect of cancelling their jet lag. If used in this fashion, the effect is instantaneous (which means that it does not wear off and cannot be dispelled, although a character can be subjected to fresh jet lag if they move to yet another time zone).

NEW SPELLS

FLAME OF THE PHOENIX
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/level)
Effect: Medium size phoenix of flame
Duration: 1 round (see text)
Saving Throw: Reflex half or negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

A bright flame in the shape of a winged phoenix appears before you. With a screeching caw you can command it to attack any creature within range. The flame phoenix will fly in a straight line to that target. If it passes through the space of any other creature in its flight, that creature must make a Reflex saving throw or suffer 1d4 points of fire damage per every two caster levels (maximum 5d4).

Once the flame phoenix reaches its target, it stops moving for the round. In a burst of flaming feathers, the flame phoenix deals 1d6/level points of fire damage to the target (Reflex save for half damage, maximum of 10d6). If the target creature moves, the flame phoenix will follow it up to the limit of the spell’s range.

At the end of your next turn, the flame phoenix flies back to you in a straight line. If it passes through the space of any other creature in its flight, that creature must make a Reflex saving throw or suffer 1d4 points of fire damage per every two caster levels (maximum 5d4).

FORCE MISSILE
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to 5 creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Force missile is similar to magic missile, but each missile inflicts 1d6+1 points of force damage. In addition, a target struck by a force missile must make a Fortitude save or be forced back 5 feet per 3 caster levels. (So a creature struck by a 6th-level caster would be forced back 10 feet.) Forced movement is in a straight line directly away from the caster.

SLEEP, GREATER
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: Standard Action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Several living creatures within a 15-foot-radius burst
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As sleep, except that you roll 4d6 to see how many Hit Dice of creatures are affected.

ALTERNATE MAGIC ITEM CREATION

SCRIBE SCROLL
You can create scrolls, from which you or another spellcaster can cast the scribed scroll. A scroll is a one use device for storing spells usable by spellcasters. This typically takes the form of written parchment, but this is not necessarily the case.

Prerequisite: Spellcaster Level 1st+

Benefit: You can create a scroll of any spell that you know. Scribing a scroll takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. The base price of a scroll is its spell level multiplied by its caster level multiplied by 25 gp. To scribe a scroll, you must spend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this base price.

Any scroll that stores a spell with a costly material component or an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost to the creator. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must expend the material component or pay the XP when scribing the scroll.

 

BREW POTION
You can create potions which carry spells within themselves. Potions are a one use device for storing spells usable by anybody. However, a potion must affect only the person using it (although the affect may allow the user to effect others, such as a potion of fire-breathing). Potions almost always take the form of a liquid which is activated by drinking (although some potions are known as elixirs, and magic oils are activated by rubbing them on the body).

Prerequisite: Spellcaster Level 3rd+

Benefit: You can create a potion of any spell of 3rd level or lower that you know and that targets a creature or creatures. Brewing a potion takes 1 day. When you create the potion, you set the caster level. The caster level must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. The base price of a potion is its spell level multiplied by its caster level multiplied by 50 gp. To brew a potion, you must spend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this base price.

When you create a potion you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell.

Any potion that stores a spell with a costly material component or an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost to the creator. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must expend the material component or pay the XP when creating the potion.

 

ENCHANT WAND
You can create wands, which cast spells. A wand stores a single spell with 50 charges (with each charge allowing the user to use the wand’s spell one time). Wands usually take the form of a thin baton.

Prerequisites: Spellcaster Level 5th+

Benefits: You can create a wand of any spell of 4th level or lower that you know. (You must possess the Enchantment feat to create wands with 4th level spells.) Crafting a wand takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. The base price of a wand is its caster level multiplied by the spell level multiplied by 750 gp. To craft a wand, you must spend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this base price.

A newly created wand has 50 charges.

Any wand that stores a spell with a costly material component or an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost to the creator. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must expend fifty copies of the material component or pay fifty times the XP cost.

 

ENCHANT MAGIC ARMS AND ARMOR
You can create magical weapons, armor, and shields – enchanting them with magical bonuses or special abilities.

Prerequisite: Spellcaster Level 5th+

Benefit: You can create any magic weapon, armor, or shield whose prerequisites you meet. (You must possess the Enchantment or Major Enchantment feats to create an item with prerequisite spells of 4th level or above.) Enchancing a weapon, suit or armor, or shield takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in the price of its magical features. To enhance a weapon, suit or armor, or shield, you must spend 1/25 of its features’ total price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this total price. (See the core rulebooks for descriptions of magic weapons, armor, and shields, the prerequisites associated with each one, and prices of their features.)

You can also mend a broken magic weapon, suit or armor, or shield if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the XP, half the raw materials, and half the time it would take to enchant that item in the first place.

The weapon, armor, or shield to be enhanced must be a masterwork item that you must provide. (Its cost is not included in the above cost.)

 

ENCHANT MAGICAL ITEMS
You can create miscellaneous magic items – including rods, staffs, rings, crystal balls, and others

Prerequisite: Spellcaster Level 5th+

Benefit: You can create any miscellaneous magic item whose prerequisites you meet. (You must possess the Enchantment or Major Enchantment feats to create an item with prerequisite spells of 4th level or above.) Enchanting a miscellaneous magic item takes 1 day for 1,000 gp in its price. To enchant a miscellaneous magic item, the spellcaster must spend 1/25 of it the item’s price in XP and use up raw materials costing half of this price.

You can also mend a broken miscellaneous magic item if it is one that you could create. Doing so costs half the XP, half the raw materials, and half the time that it would take to enchant that item in the first place.

Some wondrous items incur extra costs in material components or XP as noted in their descriptions. These costs are in addition to those derived from the item’s base price. You must pay such a cost to create an item or mend a broken one.

 

ENCHANTMENT
You are capable of enchanting items requiring more powerful spells.

Benefit: You can create magic items requiring prerequisite spells of 4th-6th level.

Normal: A spellcaster without the Enchantment feat can only create magic items with prerequisite spells of 1st-3rd level.

 

MAJOR ENCHANTMENT
You are capable of enchanting items requiring the most powerful spells.

Benefit: You can create magic items requiring prerequisite spells of 7th level or higher.

TEMPLE STREET

THE LIVING GOD (CR 14) – CE Gargantuan Magical Beast (Earth)
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., Listen +14, Spot +14; Init +0; Languages Common, Abyssal, Terran[special]
DEFENSES –  AC 19 (+13 natural, -4 size), touch 6, flat-footed 19; hp 280 (16d10+192); DR 15/adamantine; Resist cold 20, fire 20; SR 24
ACTIONSSpd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (average); Melee 2 claws +25 (2d6+12) and bite +23 (2d8+12) and gore +23 (2d8+12); Ranged +12; Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.; Base Atk +16; Grapple +40; Atk Options smite good; Combat Feats Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack
SQ darkvision 60 ft., freeze
STR 35, DEX 10, CON 34, INT 18, WIS 11, CHA 7
FORT +24, REF +12, WILL +7;
FEATS: Cleave, Great Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw, bite, gore)
SKILLS: Hide +8, Listen +14, Perform +4, Spellcraft +4, Spot +14

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, Aghrasmak can make a normal attack to deal additional damage equal to his HD total (+16) against a good foe.

Freeze (Ex): Arghrasmak can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice that he is really alive.

New Magic Item: Ring of Command

The wearer of this ring may, at any time, designate a creature within sight. The creature must make a Will save (DC 18) or fall under the control of the ring’s wearer (as per a dominate person spell). This control lasts until either the ring’s wearer chooses to release the creature, the ring is removed by the wearer, the ring is destroyed, or the ring and creature come to exist on separate planes.

The wearer of the ring may control no more than eight subjects at any given time with the ring.

Caster Level: 16th
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, dominate person
Market Price: 256,000 gp

New Magic Item: Ring of Forgetfulness

All enemies within 20 feet of the wearer of this ring are affected as per the spell mind fog. Affected creatures must make a Will save (DC 20) or suffer a –10 penalty to all Wisdom checks and Will saves. Affected creatures suffer the penalty as long as they remain within 20 feet of the ring and for 2d6 rounds thereafter.

Caster Level: 10th
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, mind fog
Market Price: 100,000 gp

TEMPLE GARGOYLES

GARGOYLE (CR 4) – CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Earth)
DETECTION – darkvision 60 ft., Listen +4, Spot +4; Init +2
DEFENSESAC 16 (+2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14; hp 37 (4d8+19); DR 10/magic
ACTIONSSpd 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average); Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4+2) and bite +4 (1d6+1) and gore +4 (1d6+1); Ranged +6; Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Base Atk +4; Grapple +6
SQ darkvision 60 ft., freeze
STR 15, DEX 14, CON 18, INT 6, WIS 11, CHA 7
FORT +5, REF +6, WILL +4
FEATS: Multiattack, Toughness
SKILLS: Hide +7*, Listen +4, Spot +4

Freeze (Ex): Observer must succeed on Spot check (DC 20) to notice gargoyle is not a statue.

*Skills: +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks. +8 racial bonus on Hide checks when gargoyle concealed as statue.

New Magic Item: Ring of Greater Mind Shielding

The wearer of a ring of greater mind shielding is perpetually protected as if they had been the subject of a mind blank spell – rendering them immune from all devices and spells that detect, influence, or read emotions or thoughts. It also protects against all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells or effects. The ring even foils limited wish, miracle, and wish when they are used in such a way as to affect the wearer’s mind or gain information about him.

Caster Level: 16th
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, mind blank
Market Price: 256,000

New Magic Item: Pyre of the Dead

The pyre of the dead is, in fact, a powerful item of unholy magic – capable of transforming bodies that are fed into it into unholy skeletons (see below). For every three bodies which are cast into it, the pyre creates one unholy skeleton: Feeding upon the souls and substance of two of the bodies to fuel the unholy enchantments placed upon the third.

Control of the unholy skeletons created by the pyre rests with whatever creature is currently attuned to the pyre. (Obviously the pyre in the Temple of the Gargoyle is attuned to Ahgrasmak.) Up to 128 unholy skeletons can be controlled in this manner at any one time, and this number does not affect the normal control limits of the creature (if any). The pyre will continue creating unholy skeletons beyond this 128 limit, but unless the creature has some other way to control the skeletons, these additional skeletons will be uncontrolled.

Caster Level: 16th Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animate dead, control undead (x4), unholy aura Market Price: 740,000 gp

UNHOLY SKELETONS (CR 2) – NE Large Undead
DETECTION – Listen +0, Spot +0; Init +5
DEFENSESAC 17 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural, +4 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 12; hp 24 (2d12); DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune cold, undead immunities (ability damage/drain, critical hits, death effects, disease, energy drain, fatigue, mind-affecting, nonlethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning, any effect requiring Fort save); Resist spell 20 (vs. good spells and spells cast by good creatures)
ACTIONSSpd 40 ft.; Melee 2 claws +2 (1d6+2); Ranged +2; Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.; Base Atk +1; Grapple +5
SQ turn resistance +4, spell resistance 20 (vs. good spells and spells cast by good creatures)
STR 14, DEX 12, CON -, INT -, WIS 10, CHA 11
FORT +4, REF +5, WILL +8
FEATS: Improved Initiative
SKILLS: –

OCULAR TYRANT

OCULAR TYRANT (CR 12+1*): 152 hp (16d8+80), AC 23, ranged touch +21 (eyestalks), Save +15, Ability DC 21, Size Large

Str 10, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 14

All-Around Vision immune to flanking

Darkvision 60 ft.

Fly 20 ft. (perfect)

Antimagic Eye (Su): The ocular tyrant’s main eye emits a continual 160-ft. cone in which magic items, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities (including the tyrant’s eyestalks and psychic tendrils) have no effect. Spells or effects brought within the area are suppressed, but not dispelled. Summoned creatures and incorporeal undead wink out of existence within the area, but reappear in the same spot when the tyrant’s gaze moves away. (Time spent within the area counts against the suppressed spell’s or summoned creature’s duration.) The ocular tyrant can redirect the gaze of its main eye as an immediate action.

Eyestalks (Sp): As a full action, the ocular tyrant can fire any number or combination of its eyestalks and psychic tendrils. The tyrant’s eyestalks require successful ranged touch attacks (unless otherwise noted below). The maximum range is 160 ft. The effective caster level is 11th.

Disintegrating Ray: A thin, green ray which inflicts 2d6 points of Constitution damage (or 5d6 hit points on a successful Fortitude save). If this damage kills the target, it is entirely disintegrated. When used against an object, the ray simply distintegrates up to one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter. The ray even affects objects constructed entirely of force energy.

Flesh to Stone: A dull gray ray which inflicts 2d6 points of Dexterity damage (Fortitude save negates). If this damage reduces the target’s Dexterity to 0, the target, along with all its carried gear, is turned into a mindless, inert statue.

Inflict Moderate Wounds: A black ray coruscated with silver, inflicting 2d8+11 points of damage.

Force Missiles: The eye emits five missiles of force energy, which can be directed independently at multiple targets. Each missile unerringly strikes its target and inflicts 1d6+1 points of force damage.  In addition, a target struck by one or more force missiles must make a Fortitude save or be forced back 15 ft. directly away from the ocular tyrant. (This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)

Slow: An orange-red ray which drastically slows the target (Will save negates). The victim moves at half speed, can only take a single standard action each turn, and suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves.

Psychic Tendrils (Sp): The ocular tyrant can fire any number or combination of its eyestalks and psychic tendrils as a full action. Each psychic eyestalk affects a single target (unless otherwise noted below). The maximum range is 160 ft. The effective caster level is 11th.

Charm Monster: The target considers the ocular tyrant to be its trusted friend and ally. The charm effect lasts for 11 days. (Will save negates; +5 bonus on the saving throw if the ocular tyrant is currently attacking the target or its allies.)

Confusion: The target becomes confused for 11 rounds (Will save negates).

Fear: The target must make a Will save or become panicked for 11 rounds. On a successful save, they are shaken for 1 round.

Greater Sleep: This psychic tendril causes 4d6 HD of creatures to fall unconscious for 11 minutes (Will negates). It can affect multiple creatures within range, with those closest to the ocular tyrant succumbing to the effect first. Wounding a sleeping creature awakens them, but normal noise does not. Allies can use a standard action to slap a victim awake.

Telekinesis: Using this tendril, the ocular tyrant can apply a sustained force (moving objects weighing 275 pounds or less up to 20 feet per round; creatures can negate the effect on an object it possesses with a Will save), perform a combat maneuver (bull rush, disarm, grapple, or trip without provoking attacks of opportunity, using a +14 bonus for any required action checks), or make a violent thrust. During a violent thrust, the tyrant can hurl up to 11 objects or creatures (all within 10 feet of each other and weighing no more than a total of 275 pounds) towards any target within 10 feet of the objects. The tyrant makes an attack roll for each object, dealing 1 point of damage per 25 pounds (for less dangerous objects) or 1d6 points of damage per 25 pounds (for hard, dense objects). Hurled creatures and creatures holding hurled objects get a Will save to negate the effect.

* CR adjustment due to multiple attacks each round.

KITCHEN SINK

RUBYGAZER: A rubygazer takes the form of a tube that can fit snugly into one hand. Each end of the tube is fitted with a lens crafted from ruby crystal. If one places the tube against a wall no more than 10 feet in width, they can look through the tube as if their eye were placed upon the opposite side of the wall. The properties of the rubygazer distort both depth perception and, for reasons of complicated arcane geometry, a sense of proper scale. This imposes a -5 penalty to Perception checks while using the rubygazer and prevents the use of magically or supernaturally enhanced senses, although the view is still generally clear enough to teleport safely.

Moderate divination; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, clairvoyance; Price 7,500 gp

GAZELENS: A gazelens can be fitted to a pair of spectacles or designed to be set directly into the user’s eye. In either case, the gazelens can be used in concert with a rubygazer that is within 600 feet, allowing the wearer of the gazelens to look through the rubygazer as if it were in their possession. A gazelens is essentially useless (although very pretty) without a gazer to use it with.

Moderate divination; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, clairvoyance; Price 7,500 gp

FLASHSTONES: A flashstone can be thrown as a ranged attack with a range increment of 20 feet. (Since you don’t need to hit a specific target, you can simply aim at a particular 5-foot square.) When the flashstone strikes a hard surface (or is struck hard) it triggers the spell effect stored within it.

Creation: Flashstones are created by alchemically infusing them with brewed potions. As such they require the Brew Potion feat. Unlike a potion, there is no limit to the level of spell which can be infused into a flashstone, but only spells which affect an area can be usefully triggered. Flashstones have a base price of the spell level x caster level x 50 gp.

CANTRIP STICKS: The name “cantrip stick” is something of a misnomer because these items are not limited to containing merely cantrips. A cantrip stick is essentially a cheap, single-use wand (except that they use a command word activation and can be used even by non-spellcasters). Their cheap, easy construction makes cantrip sticks somewhat unreliable, however, and there is a 1 in 20 chance when they’re used that they will simply fail to trigger. (If this happens, there is an additional 1 in 20 chance that the cantrip stick will suffer a backlash: The cantrip stick explodes causing 1d6 points of damage per spell level to the character holding it (Reflex save, DC 15 + spell level, for half damage) and expending the stick’s charge to no effect.)

Cantrip sticks are often used by armies. In the military, it is customary to snap a cantrip stick in half once it has been expelled (because otherwise someone else might assume that there was still a charge in it).

Creation: A cantrip stick requires the Craft Wand feat and can contain any spell of 4th level or lower. Cantrip sticks have a base price of the spell level x caster level x 25 gp.

LEYRIPPER: These spiral, fluted, hollow tubes – often carved from ebony – are designed to latch onto the ley signatures in magical items and disrupt them (literally ripping them out of the item). As an attack action, leyrippers can be targeted at any potion, wand, staff, or other item which has charges within 120 feet. On a successful ranged touch attack, the targeted item (or its wielder) must succeed on a Will save (DC 18) or lose 1d6 charges. In addition, these charges are unstable and cause a micro-explosion inflicting 1d6 points of damage per charge lost to the item’s wielder. And item cannot lose more charges than it currently has. Potions are considered to have a single charge.

Strong abjuration; CL 12th; Craft Wondrous Item, greater dispel magic; Price 72,000 gp

LIGHTROPE: A lightrope is a six-inch length of cord which, when twirled slowly in the hand, illuminates. The amount of illumination provided by the lightrope can be very carefully controlled by the speed of the twirling. During combat, the amount of effort required to twirl the lightrope at varying speeds is represented by the type of action used to twirl it (see table.

As a full action, the lightrope can create an intense burst of light which will slowly fade over the course of five rounds (as shown on the table).

Faint Evocation [light]; CL 6th; Craft Wondrous Item, daylight; Price 8,000 gp

ActionBrightShadowy
Free (Burst 5th Round)n/a5 ft.
Free (Burst 4th Round)15 ft.30 ft.
Move (Burst 3rd Round)30 ft.60 ft.
Standard (Burst 2nd Round)60 ft.120 ft.
Full (Burst)120 ft.240 ft.

LIGHTROPE, BLACKLIGHT: A blacklight lightrope operates in a fashion similar to a lightrope (requiring a free action to twirl each round), but instead of casting illumination it creates an emanation of blacklight in a 20 ft. radius. The area is filled with total darkness which is impenetrable to normal vision and darkvision, but which the person twirling the blacklight lightrope can see through normally.

Faint Evocation [darkness]; CL 6th, Craft Wondrous Item, blacklight; Price 36,000 gp

WEB ROPE: Crafted from the thick strands of giant spider web and alchemically stabilized for durability and long-lasting use, web rope is tacky to the touch and possesses an uncanny grip. It grants a +4 circumstance bonus to Use Rope checks and a +2 circumstance bonus to Climb checks. It can also be used as a grappling hook (with the sticky end of the rope attaching itself securely to exposed surfaces). This requires greater skill (DC 15, +2 feet per 10 feet of distance thrown), but has the benefit of weighing less and creating less noise in its use.

Cost: 50 gp (50 ft.); Weight: 2 lbs. (50 ft.)

FORM-FITTING BOOTS: Footwear modified to become form-fitting magically adjusts its size and fit to the wearer’s foot. (This is a physical process which can be felt by the wearer, often with the first boot adjusting itself even as they don the second.) This is mostly a matter of comfort and styling, but such footwear does make things a little easier on the feet, reducing the damage from forced marches by 1 point (minimum 1).

Cost: This minor effect can be placed on any footwear for 25 gp.

TELEPORTATION KEYSTONES: A teleportation keystone allows its carrier to teleport into the area affected by a teleport block spell. (If multiple characters are teleporting at the same time, only one of them needs to carry a teleportation keystone in order for the entire group to successfully penetrate the block.)

Each keystone is linked to a specific casting of the teleport block spell and has no effect on other teleport block spells. Before the teleport block spell is cast, the keystone (or keystones) that are going to be associated with it must be prepared. This requires ten minutes of work per keystone and a Spellcraft check (DC 15, preparer can Take 10). When the teleport block spell is cast, the caster can make a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + 2 per additional keystone) to associate a teleportation keystone to the teleport block. If the check fails, the teleportation keystone doesn’t function.

A single teleportation keystone can be associated with multiple teleport block spells. It only needs to be prepared once, but a separate Spellcraft check must be during each casting of teleport block.

If a teleport block is made permanent, the teleportation keystones associated with it can be simultaneously made permanent by expending an additional 50 XP per keystone.

The physical form of a keystone can be almost anything (although small, smooth, oval stones marked with runes are common).

TELEPORT BLOCK
Abjuration
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: 0 ft.
Area: One 10-ft. cube/level
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You create an area in which no teleportation spell will work, either coming in or going out.

Material Component: 10 gp worth of gold dust.

NEW COMBAT MANEUVERS

ACTION OF OPPORTUNITY

Instead of attacks of opportunity, characters may take actions of opportunity. An attack of opportunity can be taken as an action of opportunity, but actions of opportunity can also be used for other purposes. Feats and abilities which normally grant additional attacks of opportunity instead grant additional actions of opportunity. If a character has used all of their actions of opportunity in a round, they may still attempt an action of opportunity by using their immediate action (if it is still available to them).

AID ANOTHER [Standard]

If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, you can choose to grant a +2 circumstance bonus to hit, a +2 circumstance bonus to AC, or provide flanking if you are not doing so already (regardless of your relative position).

Any character with a base attack bonus of +5 or higher may be able to offer additional assistance with a successful Aid Another check. For every 10 points that their attack roll exceeds DC 10, they grant an additional +1 circumstance bonus.

AIM [Attack]

When making a full attack, you can choose to sacrifice all of the attacks you could normally make and take careful aim at a specific target. On your next attack against that target, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus for each attack you sacrificed. You cannot take any other action or move more than a 5 foot step before making your attack without losing the circumstance bonus. Since you are focused on aiming, you are considered flat-footed until you make your attack.

Quick Aim: If you can make more than one attack as part of a full attack maneuver, you can choose to sacrifice one of your attacks in order to gain a +2 circumstance bonus to a single attack taken on the same turn. You can sacrifice multiple attacks to gain multiple circumstance bonuses, and these circumstance bonuses stack with each other.

Example: If you can normally make four attacks when using the full attack maneuver, you can sacrifice your third and fourth attacks to gain a +4 circumstance bonus to your first attack. You could also sacrifice those attacks and gain a +2 circumstance bonus to each of your first two attacks.

BACK-TO-BACK [Free]

On your turn you can choose to fight back-to-back with an ally as a free action. The ally must be within 5 feet, and must choose to fight back-to-back with you. While fighting back-to-back, you and your ally work to protect each other – shoring up each other’s defense and, literally, watching each other’s back. You and your ally make attacks at a –2 penalty while fighting back-to-back, but so long as you are fighting back-to-back you cannot be flanked.

Note: You can fight back-to-back with multiple allies. However, in order to fight back-to-back with multiple allies, all your allies not only need to be within 5 feet of you, but within 5 feet of each other. (This clarification is only significant for odd-numbered groups wishing to fight back-to-back.)

BIND WEAPON / SHIELD [Attack]

As a melee attack you can attempt to bind an opponent’s weapon or shield. Attempting to bind a weapon or shield provokes an attack of opportunity from your target.

After the attack of opportunity has been resolved, you and your target make an opposed melee attack roll. The wielder of a two-handed weapon gets a +4 bonus on this roll, and the wielder of a light weapon takes a -4 penalty. If you and your opponent are of different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category.

If you beat your opponent’s roll, you have successfully performed a bind on your opponent’s shield or weapon. Weapons and shields involved in a bind, whether yours or your opponents, cannot be used: Bound shields provide no armor bonus while bound and bound weapons cannot be used to make attacks.

The instigator of a bind may end it as a free action. The target of a bind can attempt to break the bind as an attack action by succeeding at an opposed attack roll.

Special: Binding a weapon or shield is considered a variation of the sunder action. Characters with the Improved Sunder feat do not provoke attacks of opportunity when attempting to bind a weapon or shield.

CALLED SHOT [Free]

When using the attack action or the full attack action, before making attack rolls for the round, you may choose to accept a penalty on all attacks from the round in order to gain a bonus to the damage roll of your first attack. For every -2 penalty you accept you gain a +1 bonus to damage. The total penalty cannot exceed your base attack bonus. The bonus to your damage roll applies only to your first attack (even if it misses or otherwise causes no damage), but the penalty to attacks lasts until your next turn.

Design Note: This effectively makes Power Attack a feat which improves a basic maneuver.

DISREGARD FLANKER [Free]

You can disregard attacks from an opponent flanking you. When you do, that opponent doesn’t get the +2 flanking bonus when attacking you and that opponent does not provide a flanking bonus to any of its allies. Ignoring a flanker, however, provokes an attack of opportunity from that flanker, and you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against that flanker. You do, however, continue to threaten that flanker. If the flanker is out of attacks of opportunity, you can ignore the flanker (and deny the flanking bonus) with impunity.

You must make the decision to disregard a flanker as soon as the foe moves into a flanking position. You can change your decision as a free action on your turn. (You still have to disregard a flanker you can’t see.)

DRIVE BACK [Attack]

As a melee attack, you can attempt to drive back your opponent. In doing so, you are attacking in a way that should force your opponent to back away from you. When you perform the drive back maneuver, your opponent can either choose to move 5-feet directly away from you or remain where they are. If they choose to move, they suffer no adverse effects. However, you can choose to follow them (also moving 5 feet) if you have the necessary movement remaining this turn. If they choose not to move, you resolve your attack against them with a +2 circumstance bonus.

The movement taken as part of the drive back does not count against your opponent’s movement for the round. Your movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity from your opponent, nor does their movement provoke an attack of opportunity from you. However, this movement may provoke attacks of opportunity from other combatants.

ENGAGE [Attack]

As a melee attack you can choose to engage one opponent within reach. If an engaged opponent attempts to move away from you or if they attack anyone else before your next turn, you may take an attack against them at the same Base Attack Bonus as the attack you used to engage them (this attack is in addition to any attacks of opportunity you would normally be able to take and does not count against the limit on the number of attacks of opportunity you can take each round). You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to this attack.

If your opponent attempts to make an attack of opportunity against a different character while you’re engaging them, you take your attack normally. If the attack is successful, however, your opponent must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + damage dealt). If the Concentration check fails, your opponent loses the ability to make that attack of opportunity (although they may still take an attack of opportunity later if one is provoked).

Note: Even if you have more than one attack per round, you cannot engage a single opponent more than once (although you can engage multiple opponents at once).

FIGHT DEFENSIVELY [Free]

When using the attack action or the full attack action in melee, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to accept a penalty on all attacks from the round in order to gain a bonus to your AC. For every -2 penalty you accept, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. (For example, by accepting a -6 penalty, you would gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC.) The total penalty cannot exceed your base attack bonus, although characters with low base attack bonuses (less than +4) can still accept a -4 penalty to their attack rolls for a +2 dodge bonus to their AC. The penalty to attacks and bonus to AC apply until your next turn.

Total Defense: When using the attack action or the full attack action in melee, you can sacrifice all of your attacks and dedicate yourself to a total defense. You gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC for each melee attack that you would normally make. (For example, if you could normally make three attacks using the full attack action, then you could gain a +6 dodge bonus to AC for using total defense as a full action.) This bonus is in addition to the normal bonus you would receive for fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise at your maximum penalty.

INTERVENE [Action of Opportunity]

If you are within 5 feet of an ally who is targeted by a direct melee or ranged attack you are aware of (but not an area effect), you can use an action of opportunity to attempt to take the attack in your ally’s stead. If the attack hits you, you take damage normally. If it misses, it also misses your ally. You must declare your intention to place yourself in harm’s way before the attack roll is made.

OUT-OF-TURN-DODGE [Immediate]

Any time a character is about to be attacked, they can give up their next turn to gain a +4 dodge bonus to their AC as an immediate action. A character must be able to apply their Dexterity bonus to AC against the attack (so a character can’t use an out-of-turn dodge while flat-footed, for example) and the out-of-turn dodge is declared before the attack roll is made. The character’s initiative does not change, they simply do not take an action on their next turn. The character gains this dodge bonus until the next time their initiative comes up after their “skipped” turn.

PROTECT [Immediate/Action of Opportunity]

If someone within your threatened area is about to make an attack of opportunity against a target other than yourself, you can use an action of opportunity as an immediate action to prevent them from doing so. You and the combatant attempting the attack of opportunity each make an opposed melee attack roll.

If you succeed, you use your attack of opportunity to preoccupy them and prevent them from taking the attack of opportunity. (This does not count against the total number of attacks of opportunity they may take in a round, however, and they may still take an attack of opportunity later if one is provoked).

If you fail the opposed melee attack roll, they can resolve their attack of opportunity normally. This counts as an attack of opportunity for you.

QUICK DODGE [Immediate/Action of Opportunity]

At any time when you are about to be attacked, you can use an action of opportunity to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC as an immediate action. The dodge bonus is only effective against a single attack. If you can take multiple actions of opportunity in a round (through the use of the Combat Reflexes feat, for example) you can still only gain a single bonus against one attack, although you can use additional attacks of opportunity to quick dodge additional attacks.

SPRINT [Move]

You can sprint at twice your normal speed in a straight line as a move action. You lose any Dexterity bonus to AC while sprinting unless you have the Run feat. You cannot sprint if your maximum run speed has been reduced to three times your normal speed (due to wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load, for example). Sprinting twice in the same round is the same as running.

RITUAL CASTING

Weaving a spell is the art of drawing upon the tapestry of magic that permeates all the things. The use of metamagic subtly alters the normal flow of spells, bringing more power to the dweomer at the cost of a higher spell slot. Augmented ritual casting of spells energizes spells at the time that they are cast, as opposed to the time they are prepared; thus the spellcaster does not need to sacrifice any spell levels to cast a spell augmented with metamagic. The ritual provides the extra power.

A spellcaster can ritually cast spells augmented with only the metamagic feats that he knows, but he can include each feat that he knows at the expense of extending the casting time, sacrificing more expensive components, and taking greater risk that the ritual will fail. Each extra metamagic feat that is applied to a spell through augmented ritual casting that would normally increase the level of spell instead makes the spell take longer to cast and cost more in material components. The total of these extra levels is the added level modifier. The added level modifier is used to determine the specific requirements of an augmented ritual casting.

AUGMENTED RITUAL LIMITS

The level of the spell being cast plus the added level modifier of all feats augmenting the spell cannot exceed the highest level spell the caster is capable of normally casting.

Example: A 12th level wizard cannot cast 7th level spells. The most powerful ritual a 12th level wizard could perform to augment the knock spell (a 2nd level spell) would be one with an added level modifier of +4 (2 + 4 = 6, the highest spell level the wizard can cast).

AUGMENTED RITUAL CASTING TIME

To determine the casting time of an augmented ritual casting, first determine the spell’s base ritual casting time according to the spell’s normal casting time (see table). The ritual casting time is equal to this base time multiplied by the total added level modifier of the augmentations:

(base ritual time) x (added level modifier)

Any casting time which exceeds an house requires a Ritual Casting check against a DC of 10 + the spell level. (Use the spell’s original level, not the augmented level, for this DC.) A failure on this Ritual Casting check results in the magical energies warping and recoiling back upon the caster, resulting in (level of the spell + added level modifier) hp of damage. The augmented ritual is still successfully cast in the event of a failed Ritual Casting check.

Normal Casting TimeBase Ritual Casting Time
Free action1 full round
1 action5 full rounds
Full round5 minutes
Other10 x normal casting time

AUGMENTED RITUAL MATERIAL COMPONENTS

Augmented ritual castings require extra material components beyond those normally required for casting the spell. These additional components represent the rare materials that must be expended to draw upon even greater power for the spell effect. For divine casters, these components are typically comprised of holy incense, small sacrifices, or similar trappings offered to the gods. For arcane casters, these components may represent herbs, minerals, or any other form of ritual trappings.

Regardless of what these ingredients are, the general cost of these materials is a number of gold pieces equal to:

25 x (added level modifier)

SPECIFIC FEATS

Heighten Spell: The Heighten Spell feat can be used, with the difference in the actual spell level and the new spell level being used to calculate the added level modifier.

Quicken Spell: The Quicken Spell feat cannot be added to an augmented ritual casting. However, if the feat is used normally and the quickened spell is then augmented the ritual casting time can be greatly reduced (per the chart above).

Silent Spell: The Silent Spell feat cannot be added to an augmented ritual casting. If a spell prepared with the effects of the Silent Spell feat is used to perform an augmented ritual casting, the feat’s benefits are negated.

Spell Focus: This feat may be used in augmented ritual castings to provide a bonus beyond the normal +2 benefit. For every extra +1 bonus (above the normal +2 bonus provided by this feat) with which the caster desires to augment his casting, one level is added to the total added level modifier of the augmented ritual casting.

Spell Penetration: This feat may be used in augmented ritual castings to provide a bonus beyond the normal +2 benefit. For every extra +1 bonus (above the normal +2 bonus provided by this feat) with which the caster desires to augment his casting, one level is added to the total added level modifier of the augmented ritual casting.

Still Spell: As with Silent Spell, the Still Spell feat cannot be added to an augmented ritual casting. If a spell prepared with the effects of the Still Spell feat is used to perform an augmented ritual casting, the feat’s benefits are negated.

Go to Part 1

Under the direction of a single spellcaster, a group of individuals can work together to generate greater spell effects. Similar to the use of augmented ritual casting, the primary caster uses ritual casting to enhance the basic prepared spell (or a free spell slot for a bard or sorcerer). Although groups with like magic (divine or arcane) work best together, anyone can assist with the performance of the ritual (although the lack of precision by non-spellcasters adds to the chance of failure).

Combined ritual casting works differently than augmented ritual casting: The caster and participants do not need to have an understanding of metamagic feats. Instead, the leader of the combined ritual casts the spell to be modified, and the auxiliary members of the ritual contribute their will, desire, and life energies to supplement the overall power of the spell.

This supplementary power is used as bonus levels that are split between the different aspects of the spell. Each aspect of a spell that varies with caster level (range, number of targets, area, duration, damage dice, etc.) is treated as a separate category that can be increased with bonus levels generated by the combined ritual casting. The supplementary bonus levels provided by the ritual casting cannot violate the restrictions or limits of the spell. For example, a combined ritual casting of fireball cannot exceed the spell’s 10-die maximum for damage.

The leader (who casts the actual spell) uses their caster level as the starting level in each category of the casting. The total bonus levels, as shown on the table, are then divided up and added into each category as the primary caster chooses. The caster’s level plus the extra bonus levels now determine the effects for each of the spell’s separate categories.

ParticipantBonus Levels
Same caster class+1 per 3 levels
Same caster magic type+1 per 4 levels
Other caster magic type+1 per 5 levels
Non-casters+1 per 10 levels
Able to cast same spell+1

Add all partial levels and round down to determine the total bonus levels added to the spell. Add an additional +1 bonus level per participant that has the ability to cast the spell in question, reflecting the added spell knowledge and caster level ability. (Crossover between arcane and divine versions of the same spells are permissible for this bonus.)

COMBINED RITUAL CASTING TIME

The casting time of a combined ritual casting is the base time of the ritual casting (as shown on the table below) multiplied by the number of participants and the spell level:

(base ritual time) x (# of participants) x (spell level)

The number of participants does not include the leader of the combined ritual, only the people who are helping to power the spell.

Any casting time of an hour or longer requires the leader to make a Ritual Casting check at a DC of 10 + the spell level. The DC of this check is increased by one for every non-spellcaster participating in the ritual. If this check is failed, the energies involved with the combined ritual casting create a backlash that affects all of the participants, resulting in (ritual bonus levels x spell level) hp of damage. A successful Will throw (DC 15 + spell level) reduces this damage by half. The combined ritual is still cast in the event of a failed Ritual Casting check, but only half of the supplementary bonus levels can be harnessed prior to the spell discharge.

Combined Casting TimeBase Ritual Casting Time
Free action1 minute
1 action3 minutes
Full round10 minutes
Other10 x normal casting time

COMBINED RITUAL MATERIAL COMPONENTS

Combined ritual casting also requires expensive material components. These additional components are similar to those used in augmented ritual casting and represent the same types of ingredients. The cost of the material components is a number of gold pieces equal to:

10 gp x (# of participants) x (spell level)

TRUE RITUALS

True rituals are very complicated spells that are the stuff of legend. They are far beyond the power of any single spellcaster and can only be cast in ritual form. They cannot by further augmented by any feats or other abilities. True rituals combine all aspects of magic and have no schools of magic associated with them.

True rituals are cast as normal spells with the exceptions detailed below.

TRUE RITUAL COMPONENTS

All true rituals have verbal, somatic, material, and experience cost components. Each member of the ritual must pay the experience cost. If the ritual is using proxy ritual members to cast the spell (see below), the experience cost of the replace caster(s) is divided equally among the normal casters who are participating in the true ritual. If the experience cost lowers one of the caster’s levels, the lost level must come from the caster’s primary spellcaster class.

CASTERS REQUIRED

Each true ritual has a minimum number of required casters. Each caster must have the spell prepared in the usual fashion at the time of casting. True rituals are prepared in lieu of one of the caster’s spells of equivalent level.

With multiple casters, the power of the ritual is increased. Use the level of the highest caster in the group and add the number of other casters (not proxies) participating in the true ritual to determine the effective caster level. The ritual’s effects are based upon this effective caster level.

PROXIES

Some true rituals allow a proxy in place of one or more of the required casters. The proxy section of a true ritual details who can replace a required caster during the ritual. Proxies cannot replace every caster: There must be at least one spellcaster to lead the ritual.

SAVING THROW

True rituals have more power behind them, which in turn makes them more difficult to resist. Any saving throw against a true ritual has a DC of 15 + the level of the spell + the relevant ability modifier of the highest-level caster participating in the ritual.

COUNTERING RITUAL MAGIC

Dispelling or countering augmented and combined ritual castings of a spell is similar to countering a normal casting of the spell. Of course, the longer casting time offers a larger window of opportunity to disrupt the spell. Throughout the casting, observers get a Spellcraft check (DC 18 + the spell’s level). The DC is slightly higher due to the changes in the prolonged casting, but the longer casting time allows for a retry of the check each round. Using dispel magic to counter an augmented or combined ritual casting is much easier due to the delicate and extended manipulation of the magical energies involved. The dispel check goes against a DC of 6 + the spell’s caster level if the dispel check is made during the casting of the ritual spell.

As with countering metamagic feats, any additional effects or added levels are not taken into account when counterspelling a ritual casting. A regular cone of cold spell counters a ritually enhanced cone of cold.

True rituals cannot be countered with knowledge of the true ritual in question: The preparations are too long and complicated to enact even throughout the hours of casting time required. True rituals can easily be disrupted, however, through combat, distraction, or other means. Unlike augmented or combined ritual castings, any dispel magic checks to counterspell a true ritual go against a DC of 15 + the caster level of the true ritual’s highest-level caster.

RESEARCHING ORIGINAL TRUE RITUALS

Any spellcaster who can cast a true ritual can attempt to create a new, original true ritual. Creating a true ritual, however, is much more demanding than creating a normal spell.

Like the research of a regular spell, the creation of a true ritual requires access to a well-stocked library for a wizard and meditation, prayer, and sacrifices in a major temple or blessed location for clerics and druids. A wizard’s library must be comprised of books, treatises, and manuscripts totaling at least 50,000 gp in value. Magical items and spellbooks do not count toward this total for the personal library’s value.

The research must be conducted by at least three spellcasters of the same type  (arcane or divine) who collaborate on the ritual’s research. During the research, each of the spellcasters must pay 1,000 gp per week with a minimum of one week per effective level of the true ritual. This money goes into the same fees, experimentation, and components that regular spell research consumes. At the end of the research period, each of the researchers makes a Spellcraft check against a DC of 20 + the spell level. If all the researchers succeed, the new true ritual has been successfully created (assuming the spell is viable). If any of the researchers fail, however, they must all go through the research process again if they wish to keep attempting to learn the true ritual.

The criteria for a viable true ritual are entirely dependent upon the requirements of the DM. Use the guidelines for new spell creations found in the core rulebooks. Compare any new true ritual concept with those presented in this chapter.

The following elements are required for all true rituals:

  • A minimum of three casters is required to perform a true ritual. More may be required depending on the ritual.
  • The ritual must have an experience point cost to cast. Higher experience point costs can balance the power level of some true rituals.
  • The number of casters required to cast a true ritual is also the number of casters that are required to research the ritual. Requiring a higher number of creators can also serve to balance the ritual’s power level, though not as much as an experience point cost (and not if the PCs acquire the ritual through means other than research).

BLOOD TERRORS

BLOOD TERRORS (CR 6): 60 hp (8d8+24), AC 19, claws +11/+11 (2d6+4), Save +9, Ability DC 16.
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +9, Climb +11

Blood Spray (Ex): Works like a grease spell. Persists for 1 minute. Triggered as immediate action if injured. Does not affect other creatures of the Beast.

Blood Blight (Su): 1/day, exude a 20 ft.-radius mist of blood that acts like unholy blight (3d8 points of damage; sickened for 1d4 rounds). Will save halves damage and negates sickened. (Sickened is -2 to all action checks.)

Immune poison
Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
Telepathy 100 ft.

KAOSTECH

Mind-Transference Device: f either creature is unwilling, it gets a Will save (DC 20) to resist the transference. Even if both creatures are willing, they must both make a Will save (DC 20) to avoid suffering 1d6 points of damage to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma during transference. (Thus, unwilling creatures make two saves.)

Transference is only one way, so if the target body still contains a functioning mind, there are suddenly two minds within the same body. They must make opposed Charisma checks each hour to determine who controls the body. More often, a mind is transferred into a mindless body.

A mind carries with it its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, skills, feats, spells, knowledge, or spell-like abilities. It can access natural abilities, extraordinary abilities, and supernatural abilities. The body retains its original Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity scores.

Taint: Anyone undergoing a mind-transference must make any immediate taint check. A room in which a mind-transference device has been used becomes a faintly tainted place.

Lever activation; Craft DC 50; Price 100,000 gp; Weight 14,000 lbs.

Life Sensor: The user of this device can set the sensor to detect a given type of creature. He must specify the creature type (humanoids, dragons, giants, etc.) before activating the sensor; this takes 10 rounds. Once he has chosen, he cannot change the creature type without resetting the device. The sensor cannot detect a specific creature — the use can select “humanoids”, but not “Aragorn the Ranger.” Once activated, the sensor gives a short whine whenever a creature of the specified type comes within 80 feet. The whine occurs only once, but it occurs again for each new creature that enters its range. There is no saving throw to resist the keen sensing power of this device. (headclamp activation, Craft DC 32, Price 5,000 gp, weight 5 lbs.)

Demonflesh: This substance usually comes in a sealed pot. It can be applied to a creature or object, granting either +2 natural armor (for creatures) or +5 hardness (for objects). The coating gives the object or creature a demonic, horrible appearance. The coating lasts for one hour + 6d10 minutes. A creature suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information checks while coated with demonflesh. (use activation, Craft DC 40, Price 600 gp, weight 1 lb.)

Stunstones: This small stone-and-metal device is meant to be hurled at a foe. Doing so successfully inflicts 1d4 points of damage. Unless the foe succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 14), it also stuns him for 1d2 rounds with a jolt of released energy. Stunned characters drop everything held, can’t take actions, suffer a -2 penalty to AC, and lose their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). Each stunstone can be used only once.

Taint: Stun stones are faintly tainted, but only provoke a taint check upon use.

Use activation; Craft DC 25; Price 350 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Ghost Arrows: This arrow carries a ghost imbedded within it. The ghost can help control the arrow’s path in flight, adding a +5 circumstance bonus to the attack roll. Further, the ghost arrow can move around cover, negating cover bonuses to AC. It can even send the arrow around corners, if the archer knows the target’s exact location. The ghost has both darkvision and tremorsense, so darkness and invisibility provide a target with no protection.

Use activation; Craft DC 44; Price 1,000 gp; Weight –

Insane Arrows: A variation on the ghost arrow, this type of ammunition not only houses a self-aware ghost, but a horribly homicidal one. This arrow offers no bonus to attack rolls, but it can go around corners and cover like a ghost arrow, and possesses both darkvision and tremsorsense. If an insane arrow misses its target, it immediately flies at and attacks the nearest target (whether it be friend, foe, or the archer who shot it), unless there are no other targets within 100 feet. If it misses that target, it attacks the next nearest target (but not it’s original target). And so on. This process continues until it hits a target or runs out of targets within 100 feet of its last attempted target. An arrow cannot attack the same target more than once, even in nonconsecutive attacks. The archer can even loose the arrow with no target in mind, if he thinks there might be a foe hiding around a corner or behind an embankment. In such a case, the arrow simply attempts to hit the nearest target after it reaches the intended mark.

Use activation; Craft DC 44; Price 500 gp; Weight –

ADAMANTINE SKELETON

“Adamantine Skeleton” is an acquired template that can be added to any skeleton.

CREATING AN ADAMANTINE SKELETON

An adamantine skeleton can be created through the use of an animate dead spell, just like a regular skeleton. In addition to the normal components of the animate dead spell, however, the creation of an adamantine skeleton requires adamantine as a material component. The amount of adamantine depends on the size of the creature being transformed.

Creature SizeAdamantine Cost
Tiny or smaller250 gp
Small500 gp
Medium1,000 gp
Large2,000 gp
Huge4,000 gp
Gargantuan8,000 gp
Colossal16,000 gp

Attacks: The ultrahard metal of the adamantine skeleton’s claws give them the natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20. They also gain a +1 enhancement bonus on their attack rolls.

Special Qualities: Adamantine skeletons gain the following special qualities:

Damage Reduction (Ex): An adamantine skeleton has damage reduction 5/–.

Challenge Rating: Increased by +1.

These rules are adapted from a published D20 sourcebook. My primary design goal here was to both streamline the system and increase its versatility by introducing the concept of faint taint (which allows the GM to use taint more frequently due to its lower stakes). I used unified these rules with those for kaostech (which I’ll be presenting separately), and both of these are used in the Laboratory of the Beast Scenario.

TAINT

BECOMING TAINTED

If a character remains exposed to a tainted place or object for more than 10 rounds, they must make a Fortitude check (DC 15) or immediately suffer 1 point of taint. In addition, if a character uses or wields a tainted object, they must make a Fortitude check (DC 15) or immediately suffer 1d3 points of taint.

For every 24 hours spent in a tainted place, or spent carrying a tainted object, a character must make a Fortitude saving throw. The base DC is 15 + 1 for every consecutive 24 hours of exposure. Multiple, simultaneous exposures (such as carrying a tainted weapon in a tainted place) increases the DC by +2 per additional source of exposure every 24 hours. If the character fails this saving throw, their taint increases by 1.

FAINT TAINT

Some objects and places are only faintly tainted. Characters exposed to such objects and places still risk becoming tainted themselves, but the risk is not as great.

A character who is exposed to a faintly tainted place or carries a faintly tainted object for more than 1 day must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or immediately suffer 1 point of taint. In addition, the first time a character uses or wields a faintly tainted object, they must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or immediately suffer 1 point of taint.

For every week spent in a faintly tainted place or carrying a faintly tinted object, a character must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or suffer 1 point of taint. Unlike fully tainted objects and places, multiple or simultaneous exposure to faintly tainted objects or places do not increase the DCs of these checks.

TAINTED PLACES

When a character casts an evil spell in a tainted area, the caster is considered at +1 caster level for spell effects that depend on level. When a character casts a good spell in a tainted area, the caster is considered at -1 caster level for spell effects that depend on level. (This has no effect on spells known, spells per day, or highest level of spell available.)

Faintly tainted places have no effect on the casting of such spells.

DETECTING TAINT

The use of a detect evil spell can detect taint. It reveals itself as an oozing, purple pulsation within the blackish aura which normally detects the presence of evil. The strength of the aura depends on the amount of taint present:

  • 1 taint point = Faint aura
  • 2-4 taint points = Moderate aura
  • 5-10 taint points = Strong aura
  • 11+ taint points = Overwhelming aura

EFFECTS OF TAINT

A character’s taint score applies as a penalty to his Constitution and Wisdom scores. Thus, a character with a 16 Constitution and a 14 Wisdom who acquires a taint score of 4 has an effective Constitution of 12 and an effective Wisdom of 10. These penalties reflect the taint’s impact on the character’s physical and mental health. Characters who embrace taint (see below) and make use of it can ignore some of these penalties. These penalties are not treated as ability damage, ability drain, or any other penalty to an ability score that can be removed by magic.

The effects of the tainted character’s Constitution and Wisdom penalties can be experienced in many ways, depending on the level of taint. A character who has lost 25% of their Constitution to taint is mildly tainted. A character who has lost 50% of their Constitution is moderately tainted. A character who has lost 75% of their Constitution is severely tainted.

MILD TAINT EFFECTS:

  • Occasional nausea or vomiting
  • Pain in joints
  • Hair goes white
  • Mild paranoia
  • Disorientation
  • Increased aggressiveness
  • Mild hallucinations
  • Phlegmy, wracking cough
  • Eyelid swells, obscuring vision
  • Pale, grayish dead complexion
  • Sunken eyes, cracked lips
  • Skip seeps greasy, yellowish “sweat”
  • Skin thickens, turns leathery

MODERATE TAINT EFFECTS:

  • Bones begin to warp, thicken
  • Black, lichen-like skin growth
  • Reddened, burn-like sores
  • Eye clouds or blood vessels break
  • Lips shrink back from gums
  • Gums swell, bleed, rot
  • Bleeding from orifices
  • Hair falls out
  • Uncontrollable seizures
  • Eruption of painful sores
  • Sores ooze blood, pus, ooze
  • Sores ooze spiders, insects, maggots
  • Hear the voices of evil spirits
  • Severe paranoia
  • Fits of disturbing laughter
  • Disregard of hygiene

SEVERE TAINT EFFECTS:

  • Flesh of nose rots away
  • Mutated, deformed extremities
  • Spine twists, back hunches
  • Severe warping of skeleton
  • Skull enlarges and deforms
  • Great, swollen growths on the body
  • Lungs eaten away from the inside
  • Eye falls out, leaving gaping socket
  • Skin peels off in papery sloughs
  • Fingers or toes begin to web and fuse
  • Irresistable murderous rages
  • Reduced to primitive beahvior
  • Eats inedible or still-living things

IGNORING TAINT

Only undead and creatures with the evil subtype are unaffected by taint.

DEATH FROM TAINT

If a character’s Constitution score reaches 0 from the effects of taint, they die. 1d6 hours later, they rise as a hideous, evil creature under the control of the DM.

CLEANING TAINT

Taint can be removed in a number of ways, particularly through the use of spells.

  • Remove curse and remove disease each reduce a taint score by 1 point, although they cannot reduce a taint score below 1.
  • Heal reduces a character’s taint score by 1 point per three caster levels, but it cannot reduce a taint score below 1.
  • Restoration reduces a character’s taint score by 1 point per four caster levels, but cannot reduce a taints score below 1.
  • Greater restoration reduces taint by a number of points equal to the caster level of the cleric casting the greater restoration, it can also reduce a taint score to 0.
  • Miracle or wish spells cannot remove taint except by duplicating the effects of other spells described here.

CLEANSING PLACES AND OBJECTS: Clerics may use hallow to remove the taint from an area, but it takes time. The spell must remain intact for a year and a day to remove the taint from an area. If, during that time, an opposing character casts unhallow on some or all of the area, the effort is lost and must be begun again.

Unintelligent items left in a hallowed area for a year and a day lose their taint. Items that have an intelligence score are cleansed as if they were characters.

TAINT-ABSORBING ITEMS: Some items can naturally absorb taint, either cleansing those affected by it (rare) or protecting those who carry them from taint (more common).

TAINTED FEATS

Tainted feats require that a character have at least 1 point of taint (as specified in the feat’s prerequisites).

CORRUPTED BODY [TAINT]

Prerequisites: 1 taint point

Benefit: You do not suffer any penalty to your Wisdom score as a result of the taint. However, you suffer twice the normal number of mutations.

Special: If you are ever completely cleansed of the taint, you may immediately choose another feat to replace Corrupted Body. A character with both the Corrupted Body and Twisted Mind feats suffers no penalties, mutations, or insanities from the taint.

MASTERY OF THE TAINT [TAINT]

Prerequisites: 5 taint points

Benefit: You have learned to use the taint within you to channel powerful magical energies. You cannot cast spells of the good and lawful types, but you cast chaos and evil spells at a +1 caster level. In a tainted area this bonus is doubled to a +2 caster level.

Special: This feat can be selected as one of the wizard’s bonus feats.

MASTERY OF THE TAINT, GREATER [TAINT]

Prerequisites: Mastery of the Taint, 10 taint points

Benefit: Your mastery of the taint has grown, allowing you to cast chaos and evil spells at +2 caster level and all other spells at +1 caster level. In a tainted area these bonuses are increased by one (+3 caster level for chaos and evil spells, +2 caster level for all other spells).

Special: This feat can be selected as one of the wizard’s bonus feats.

TAINTED EMBRACE [TAINT]

Prerequisites: 5 taint points

Benefit: You gain protection from good and protection from law as supernatural abilities.

TAINTED STRENGTH [TAINT]

Prerequisites: 4 taint points

Benefit: Your muscles and sinews have been infused with the taint, lending them unnatural strength even as your body rots from within. You gain a +2 bonus to Strength.

Special: Because your tainted strength requires the taint to corrupt your body, you cannot benefit from the Twisted Mind feat if you possess this feat.

TAINTED STRENGTH, GREATER [TAINT]

Prerequisites: Tainted Strength, 6 taint points

Benefit: You gain an additional +2 bonus to Strength (for a total bonus of +4).

TWISTED MIND [TAINT]

Prerequisites: 1 taint point

Benefit: You do not suffer any penalty to your Constitution score as a result of the taint. However, you suffer twice the normal number of insanities.

Special: If you are ever completely cleansed of the taint, you may immediately choose another feat to replace Twisted Mind.

A character with both the Corrupted Body and Twisted Mind feats suffers no penalties, mutations, or insanities from the taint.

ENCUMBRANCE BY STONE

Encumbrance, measured in stones carried, determines the load a character is currently carrying. Loads are either light, medium, or heavy and a character with Strength 10 follows an encumbrance rule of 10-5-3:  At 3 stones they are carrying a medium load, at 5 stones they are carrying a heavy load, and their maximum load is 10 stones.

Characters with lower to higher Strength scores adjust this rule by 2-1-½ per point of Strength. Partial stones can be rounded up. The minimum possible rule, regardless of Strength score, is 2-1-½. (For example, a character with Strength 8 would have an encumbrance rule of 6-3-2. A character with Strength 18 would have an encumbrance rule of 26-13-7.) These adjustments are summarized for convenience on the table at the end of this post.

Lifting and Pulling: The character can lift and carry the amount indicated on the table above their head. They can lift twice this amount and stagger around with it (moving only 5 feet per round as a full action and losing their Dexterity bonus to AC). They can generally drag or pull five times this amount along the ground (favorable conditions can double this; bad circumstances can reduce the amount to one-half or less at the DM’s discretion).

Tremendous Strength: For scores higher than 29, find the Strength score between 20 and 29 with the same final digit and multiply the listed lift score by 4 for every ten points the creature’s strength is above that score. (For example, a creature with Strength 38 would be able to lift 1,200 x 4 = 4,800 lbs.)

Adjusting for Size: The encumbrance rule for a creature is doubled for each size category above Medium and reduced by ½ for each size category below Medium (to a minimum of 1-½-¼). The encumbrance of armor, however, is also adjusted by the same factor (to a minimum of a half stone).

Quadrupeds: Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads, equal to 150% of a biped.

WEIGHT BY STONE

To determine the number of stones carried by a character, simply consult the table below.

ItemWeight in Stones
Heavy Armor5 stones
Medium Armor3 stones
Light Armor1 stone
Shield1 stone
Weapon1 stone
Weapon, lightMisc. Equipment
AmmunitionMisc. Equipment
Miscellaneous Equipment1 stone per 5 bundles
Stowed Weapons1 bundle
Heavy Items1 or more stones
Light Clothing / Worn Items0 stones
500 coins or gems1 stone

Miscellaneous Equipment: Up to twenty items of the same type (scrolls, arrows, potions, rope) can be bundled together for the purposes of encumbrance. Items of different types aren’t bundled when determining encumbrance.

Stowed Weapons: Stowed weapons have been compactly stored in a way which makes them more difficult to draw (but easier to carry). Stowed weapons must be retrieved before they can be used, but they only count as 1 stone per 5 weapons.

Heavy Items: Anything weighing more than roughly 10 pounds can’t be effectively bundled. Estimate a weight in stones (about 10-20 pounds to the stone). When in doubt, call it a stone.

Clothing / Worn Items: Worn items don’t count for encumbrance, unless the individual items would qualify as heavy items.

CONTAINERS

Weapons are assumed to be in sheaths, armor is worn, and you might have a wineskin or two strapped to your belt. But since there’s a limit to how much you can hold in your hands, everything else you’re carrying needs a place to live. As a rule of thumb, containers can carry:

ContainerCapacity
Belt, Pouch1/2 stone
Sack, Small1 stone
Sack, Large2 stones
Backpack3 stones
Backpack, Large5 stones

Empty containers count as miscellaneous equipment. Containers being used to carry items don’t count towards encumbrance.

Larger sacks (often referred to as “loot sacks”) are also possible, but these cannot generally be stored on the body. They must be carried in both hands.

CREATURE WEIGHT BY SIZE

Your own weight does not count against your encumbrance, but these figures are important for mounts. (They’ll also come in handy if you need to carry a corpse or prisoner.)

Creature SizeWeight in Stones
Diminutve or smallerMisc. Equipment
Tiny1 stone
Small2 stones
Medium12 stones
Large100 stones
Huge800 stones
Gargantuan6,400 stones
Colossal50,000 stones

These figures are meant to serve as a useful rule of thumb, being roughly accurate for creatures similar in build and type to humans (i.e. fleshy humanoids). There will, however, be significant variance within each size category. Even typical animals of Huge size, for example, can easily range anywhere from 400 stones to 3,000 stones. Creatures of unusual material can obviously shatter these assumptions entirely (ranging from light-as-air ether cloud fairies to impossibly dense neutronium golems).

ENCUMBRANCE RULES

Strength
Light Load
Medium Load
Heavy Load
Lift
1
1/2
1
2
10 lb.
2
1/2
1
2
20 lb.
3
1/2
1
2
30 lb.
4
1/2
1
2
40 lb.
5
1
1
2
50 lb.
6
1
1
2
60 lb.
7
2
2
4
70 lb.
8
2
3
6
80 lb.
9
3
4
8
90 lb.
10
3
5
10
100 lb.
11
4
6
12
115 lb.
12
4
7
14
130 lb.
13
5
8
16
150 lb.
14
5
9
18
175 lb.
15
6
10
20
200 lb.
16
6
11
22
230 lb.
17
7
12
24
260 lb.
18
7
13
26
300 lb.
19
8
14
28
350 lb.
20
8
15
30
400 lb.
21
9
16
32
460 lb.
22
9
17
34
520 lb.
23
10
18
36
600 lb.
24
10
19
38
700 lb.
25
11
20
40
800 lb.
26
11
21
42
920 lb.
27
12
22
44
1,040 lb.
28
12
23
46
1,200 lb.
29
13
24
48
1,400 lb.

ELETRO-ALCHEMICAL DISTILLATION OF ARCANO-CEREBRALITE POTIONS

“The arcanists’ mind – both physical and ephemeral – is laced with the highly potent potential of the vast energies they harness and hook through their personal cerebral cortexes. Like all energies of life, these are not instantly dispelled upon death, but instead dissipate lingeringly over time. If the brain can be harvested in due course and before this final dissipation occurs, the occult energies can be harvested.”

PRESERVATION: Part of this text describes how an arcanist’s brain can be surgically removed without disturbing the nascent arcane energies of their currently prepared spells (requiring a DC 18 Wisdom (Medicine) check) and then preserved through the use of an alchemical bath (25 gp in material costs, DC 12 + highest spell level to be preserved Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check).

PULPING: The rest of the text describes how the brain of a freshly dead arcanist (within 24 hours) or a preserved arcanist’s brain can be pulped using a three-dimensional mortar and pestle in order to create potions from the spells they had previously prepared.

This process is complex, requiring an Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check at DC 15 + spell level for each spell withdrawn from the brain. The alchemical supplies cost as much as it would normally cost to brew a Rare potion, but without the need to expend spell slots or meet other prerequisites. The process also only requires one day of effort.

There is no limit to the highest level of spell that can be turned into a potion using this method.

DETERMINING SPELLS: In order to determine exactly which spells were prepared by the arcanist, an alchemist can use a detect thoughts spell and make a separate Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check (DC 10 + spell level) for each spell. On a failure, there’s a 25% chance that the spell energies have been disrupted and lost. On a success, the alchemist identifies the spell (which will then allow them to know exactly what the pulped potion they prepare will do).

POTION EFFECT: Brain pulp potions are distinct from other potions due to their eponymous pulpy texture. Drinking a brain pulp potion will either immediately allow the drinker to benefit from the spell’s effect or allow them to immediately use the spell effect as if they had cast it.

EXPERIMENTAL POTION WORKBOOK

Assassin’s Touch (Rare): This oil bestows upon the user the ability to poison all nonmagical creatures they touch with their bare skin. The specific poison inflicted by the assassin’s touch is dependent on the poison used when brewing it. The effect on the drinker normally lasts 1 hour, but each dose applied carries with it a 10% chance that the effect becomes permanent instead.

Draught of the Nightingale (Uncommon): This potion grants the imbiber the ability to sing the magically beguiling melody of the harpy as an action. Every humanoid and giant within 300 feet of the drinker must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the song ends. The singer must take a bonus action on subsequent turns to continue singing. The singer can stop singing at any time. The song ends if the singer is incapacitated.

While charmed by the singer, the target is incapacitated. If the charmed target is more than 5 feet away from the singer, the target must move on its turn towards the singer by the most direct route, trying to get within 5 feet. It doesn’t avoid opportunity attacks, but before moving into damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it takes damage from a source other than the singer, the target can repeat the saving throw. A charmed target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the effect ends on the target ends and the target is immune to the singer’s song for the next 24 hours.

The potion lasts for 1 hour. With dose, the imbiber must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw (+2 DC per additional dose). Failure results in the drinker’s gradual but irreversible transformation into a depraved, harpy-like abomination over 1d6+3 days. (Only a wish spell or similarly powerful magic can reverse this curse.)

Eyes of the Medusa (Very Rare): Upon quaffing this poison, the imbiber’s eyes glow red for 1 hour and they gain a petrifying gaze as per a medusa.

Though a powerful elixir, the instability of the eyes of the medusa require the drinker to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw (+2 DC per additional dose). On a failure, the imbiber is turned to stone (and will do so upon all subsequent attempts to take the potion).

Granite Hide (Uncommon): This grainy, chalk-tasting, orange liquid turns the imbiber’s skin into a pliable yet hard-as-granite substance. (Treat as a stoneskin spell.) The potion lasts 1 hour. After the potion wears off, the drinker suffers from a calcification of their joints, causing them to suffers disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saving throws. This condition can be removed by a long rest or any effect which would remove a level of exhaustion.

Potion of Absolute Invisibility (Uncommon): The drinker of this potion benefits from a greater invisibility spell for 1 hour. However, they must also succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or suffer the effects of a confusion spell. A new saving throw may be attempted every 10 minutes while under the effects of the potion.

PRIME CORPSE

PRIME CORPSE
4th level necromancy (Cleric, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 feet
Target: Up to four corpses or piles of bones within range
Components: V, S, M (one 100 gp black onyx stone for each corpse)
Duration: Instantaneous

Prime corpse allows you prepare a number of corpses or skeletons for animation using the animate dead spell (or similar method), making them easier for their animator to control. If and when these corpses become undead, each only counts as half an undead for the purposes of their creator commanding or controlling them. (Other characters seeking to command or control them do so normally.) This does not affect the number of undead created by the animate dead spell; only the number controlled.

For example, a normal casting of animate dead can allow the caster to control up to four zombies or skeletons that were previously created. If these undead had been targeted by prime corpse before their creation, their original creator would be able to control up to eight of them for each casting of animate dead (instead of the normal four).

The caster of prime corpse need not be the same caster as the one who animates the undead. Undead who are already animate are not affected by this spell; it must be cast on corpses prior to animation.

At Higher Levels: If cast with a 6th level spell slot or higher, this spell has a similar effect on the targets of a create undead spell, although it requires 400 gp black onyx stone for each corpse.

BONEFORGING

These detailed notes, written in silver ink on black vellum scrolls, constitute the exploration of an alchemical process referred to as azh-thalar, a dark elven word which can be translated as “boneforging.” And, indeed, the text refers to the work as deriving from the “lore of the dark elves” and, elsewhere, “the teachings of Su-Thanaz.” Several excerpts of the original body of work are directly included, without translation, in the text itself.

Once translated in full, however, the text describes a process by which bone is taken from a dead or undead creature and then molded using alchemical processes into a new form. The items so created can be almost limitless in their variety, and part of the alchemical process specifically tempers the bone to be as hard as steel (allowing effective weapons, armor, and the like to be fashioned).

Particularly intriguing, however, are the advanced methods of undead boneforging, in which the powers of the undead creature can be infused into the bone itself after the shaping is completed.

Boneforging requires alchemist’s supplies and a successful Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check, the difficulty of which is dependent on the size of the item desired, as shown on the table below.

SizeAlchemy DCCost
Tiny or smaller1125 gp
Small or Medium1350 gp
Large16100 gp
Huge19200 gp
Gargantuan or larger24400 gp

Obviously the alchemist must also have the requisite supply of bone. Complex or artistic items may require additional crafting checks at the DM’s discretion.

Boneforging is generally only appropriate for solid, static items (e.g., a chair, knife, bowl), but boneforged components could be combined with other material. Supple material (e.g., a rope) can be forged from cartilage, but this is a more delicate process and the Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check to make the item is made at disadvantage.

An alchemist creating a boneforged magic item from an undead creature can attempt to replace one spell required by the item creation with the raw necromantic power of the undead from which the item is being crafted. (Note that these items are not made from the remains of the dead; they are forged from undead still possessed of unlife.)

This process can generally be used to replace a spell with a level equal to 1/3rd of the undead creature’s challenge rating. (So a CR 9 undead could be used to replace a 3rd level spell.) A skeleton or zombie, however, can only be used to replace a spell with a level equal to 1/6th their HD. (The simplistic energy which animates such mindless undead is not particularly useful for the complex matricies of the advanced boneforging.)

Advanced boneforging requires an Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check (DC 15 + the spell level being replaced). If the check fails, the spell is not replaced and must be provided normally or the item creation process will fail.

Boneforging does not reduce the cost of creating the magic item. (The cost of the alchemical supplies normally required by boneforging is included in this cost, however.)

INTERWOVEN GLYPHS

Interweaving glyphs of warding requires an Intelligence (Arcana) check (DC 10 + the total level of the interwoven glyphs). Interwoven glyphs of warding are:

  • Simultaneously triggered.
  • More difficult to find and disable, increasing the DC of the checks to do so by +2 per additional glyph.
  • More difficult to identify, requiring an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 10 + the total level of the interwoven glyphs of warding.

Each glyph of warding must be cast in sequence and without interruption. If the sequence is interrupted or the Spellcraft check fails, the glyph of warding spells are all lost to no effect.

The total level of glyphs is based on the level of the casting of glyphs of warding for explosive runes, or the level of the stored spell for spell glyphs.

KNAVESCOUR

KNAVESCOUR
4th-level Abjuration [Warlock, Wizard]

Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 10 days

A particularly useful foil for thieves, knavescour allows you to designate 8 objects which you touch at the time of casting, anmd again once per day to maintain the spell.

If anyone intentionally touches any of these objects without your spoken permission, this spell causes it to spray corrosive energy at that creature, dealing 8d6 acid damage (Dexterity saving throw for half).

After this discharge, the object becomes safe for anyone to handle, and the other objects retain diminished protection. The second object touched without your permission deals one less die of damage than the first, the third deals two less dice, and so on.

At Higher Levels: You can designate an additional 4 objects for each spell slot level above 4th.

MISC SPELLS

Assess Creature
Divination
Level: Brd 1, Clr 0, Drd 0, Rng 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: S
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/two levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a wave of your hand, you determine the Hit Dice of one creature. This spell is foiled by any type of magical disguise, polymorph or shapechange.

Acidic Curse
Evocation [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/two levels)
Target: One creature with eyes
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You cause a victim’s eyes to fill with acid, inflicting 1d6 points of acid damage and blinding the target for 1d4 rounds. Creatures who suffer no damage from the acid (due to a successful saving throw, an immunity, or a spell granting resistance) are not blind.

Material Component: A bit of ragweed.

 

Archives

Recent Posts


Recent Comments

Copyright © The Alexandrian. All rights reserved.