*RotRL Spoilers* Need help with cursed item.


Advice


Need some help with a cursed item. Again, this will contain some RotRL spoilers, so read no further if you don’t want to see them. I recognize cursed items are a tricky thing to add to the game, so I’m trying to make it a blessing and a burden.

Background:
The party just finished with the skull dam in the third book. They made a deal with the pit fiend there to power floodgates of the dam. I should include here that the party is much more neutral than good, and there are absolutely no lawful good characters in the party. Specifically, in return for its freedom, the pit fiend was required to power the dam immediately to alleviate the current problem (which he did by summoning two level 1 devils). Additionally, the pit fiend swore to ensure the dam was powered for the next 100 years without using innocents or good outsiders as fuel (evil outsiders, evil humanoids, etc. are fine to use as fuel). He must also see to it that the damage made to the dam by the ogres is repaired. There were some caveats. The pit fiend is to return to its home plane as soon as it is capable and remain there for 100 years and a day, with the exception of returning strictly to the confines of the dam as needed to see to its repair and powering. It can take no action against the party member for 100 years and a day. It can take no action against the party members’ family or descendants for 500 years. All pretty standard stuff, although I did note they forbade actions, not words. So I could have him send others to harass the party, and still might do that.

Then the party got greedy <evil grin>

After the party heard how the pit fiend was imprisoned, they included in the deal that the wanted to be able to summon him 1 time if and when they face Karzoug. The pit fiend included the verbiage, “and I will only answer your summon if I feel I have been made whole.” The party obviously thought he was referencing his level draining, but part of being made whole is to remove the slight he feels at being perceived so weak by these mortals. The pit fiend is in the details. Then the subject turned to how they would summon him. The party asked for his true name, which he flatly refused. The party then said, and I quote, “Okay, we’ll leave the method of summoning you up to you”. The pit fiend did add the verbiage, “If you summon me, and it is not when you are fighting Karzoug, the entire deal is void.” They agreed. Finally, the greedy, greedy, GREEDY wizard asked for “a favor”, but never defined the favor.

The Item:
So here is my thought, I want to give him a cursed ioun stone as both the means to summon him and as the "favor” to the wizard. I was thinking a variant of the lavender and green ellipsoid stone that traditionally can absorb up to 50 spell levels up to 8th level. However, the cursed item would not have a limit on number of spell levels it could absorb and could absorb any spell level (even 9th or above). The catch is simple, there is a % chance every time it absorbs a spell that it is crushed (destroyed) and will attempt to summon the pit fiend. The % chance varies based on level of spell absorbed. Specifically, the chance is 10 minus the level of spell absorbed (ex. 1 in 9 or ~11% chance for a level 1 spell , 1 in 2 or 50% chance for a level 8 spell, or 100% chance for a level 9 spell). This gives the wizard an “instantly get out of any spell I throw at you” card, but with a Russian roulette catch. Using the item is a willful action, so using it outside of the battle with Karzoug could void the deal if the random roll comes up with the item attempting to summon the pit fiend.

Additionally, I want the item to have a property where it emanates an antimagic sphere whenever it is within 100 feet of an evil outsider as a means of protecting its owner from the harmful spell like abilities such creatures are known to possess. The item will obviously be immune to its own effect, and will cripple the wizard at close range. I made it 100 feet so that potentially the wizard could get outside 100 feet and function normally. The point of this “protection” is to have a significant enough negative effect to entice him to seek to remove the cursed item. The party knows Karzoug summoned two pit fiends at once to initially power the dam, so they should recognize having this item when they go up against him would be a severe liability, Especially since Karzoug will be well aware of all this by the time that battle comes.

If an additional positive quality is needed, I thought of giving the item a +2 inherent bonus to Intelligence. Entice him a bit more to use the item.

That moves us to the removal of the item. The item is clearly artifact level so requires a special means of total destruction. My thought is to have the item immune to all spells of 8th level or lower (so no simple removal with remove curse). The item can be permanently removed in one of two ways. If a mage’s disjunction spell is cast on it, followed by a wish spell, it can be removed, and at which point it immediately returns to the pit fiend (this does not nullify the deal). Alternatively, if the owner bathes in the waters of the Runeforge’s runewell after it has been drained of all of its creative energies, a simple remove curse item will destroy the item completely (this also does not nullify the deal). Learning of these two means of removing the item will take time and research.

The DC to identify the item is DC 35 (15+CL of crafter). The DC to determine it is cursed is therefore DC 45. I’m thinking he ‘might’ make the first. There is no possible way he makes the second (even on a 20). So I’m thinking of telling him the traditional properties of a lavender and green ellipsoid ioun stone that if crushed will attempt summon the pit fiend.

So thoughts? Too harsh? Too soft? Does it need the +2 inherent to Int? Suggestions about the item or what else I should do? Do you feel the wizard would need to willfully don the item or was that already freely given when the deal was struck?

Thank guys!

Scarab Sages

I think it's kind of Harsh, especially for a Demon who would definitely hate Karzoug more than the he hates the PCs (and definitely more than the PCs hate Karzoug). He basically imprisoned and tortured him for millennia and is responsible for bringing him so low that he had to make such a bargain. So he would probably be glad to use the PCs as an instrument of revenge on Karzoug, before taking revenge on the PCs.

Additionally the Antimagic field might actually make it a great boon for them. "Oh you're fighting evil outsiders with nasty spell-like abilities, here fighter take this."


this is slightly off topic but I have a question:

Are the PC's supposed to know who Karzuog is before he speaks to them through Mokmurian in book 4 (Fortress of the stone giants)? I Know there are plenty of visual references to him but I don't remember there being a way to find out his name.

Grand Lodge

Errant_Epoch wrote:


this is slightly off topic but I have a question:

Are the PC's supposed to know who Karzuog is before he speaks to them through Mokmurian in book 4 (Fortress of the stone giants)? I Know there are plenty of visual references to him but I don't remember there being a way to find out his name.

I believe that there is a Knowledge (History) roll or some such, with what is initially a fairly high DC that could identify him as early as Book 1.

Spoiler:
Room E6 in the Thistletop dungeon: "The carvings on the walls can be identified as depicting Ru8nelord Karzoug with a DC 30 Knowledge (history) check."

Room E8 has a broken Projected Image of him, as well, but no stated DC for figuring out of whom the image is.


There are several references to Karzoug along the way. The background of the wizard in the party is that he is an elf obsessed with Thassilonian culture. He took the background trait (or was it a feat?) offered in the player's guide so he speaks the language, has a bonus spell like ability per day, etc. I've also been giving him a +2 on all knowledge checks involving Thassilonian culture due to his character's background. So at level 1, he was already rocking a +11 knowledge history check for Thassilonian related things. By the time they made it to the bottom of Thissletop, he was at a +15 or higher I think. I gave him a roll (same DC) on both the wall carvings and the permanent image and he made one of them. Interesting side note, the fighter has become obsessed with Alaznist after finding her statue; He's completely changed his fighting style so that he can use the ranseur recovered there.

As far as the item, it's a cursed item and cannot be removed. So simply handing it to the fighter is not an option. Now they could all just group up around the wizard, and I had thought of that. I've been weighing rewarding their tactical sense by allowing them to do it or by making the antimagic field self-only instead of a 10ft aura. Again, ties in to too harsh or too soft.

Also, the description states, "but if they do release him, he may or may not return at some later point, healed and revitalized, seeking to murder the PCs in order to ensure those who saw him in such a humiliated state do no spread tales!". Combined with fact that the wizard is EXTREMELY arrogant and continued to be so in the face of a weakened pit fiend, I'm pretty sure that the revenge is a matter of when, not if.

So B.A. Robards, your post leaves me still unsure. At first your state that it seems too harsh and then state the antimagic might be a great boon. I'm not sure which direction to go.


Lacdannan wrote:

There are several references to Karzoug along the way. The background of the wizard in the party is that he is an elf obsessed with Thassilonian culture. He took the background trait (or was it a feat?) offered in the player's guide so he speaks the language, has a bonus spell like ability per day, etc. I've also been giving him a +2 on all knowledge checks involving Thassilonian culture due to his character's background. So at level 1, he was already rocking a +11 knowledge history check for Thassilonian related things. By the time they made it to the bottom of Thissletop, he was at a +15 or higher I think. I gave him a roll (same DC) on both the wall carvings and the permanent image and he made one of them. Interesting side note, the fighter has become obsessed with Alaznist after finding her statue; He's completely changed his fighting style so that he can use the ranseur recovered there.

As far as the item, it's a cursed item and cannot be removed. So simply handing it to the fighter is not an option. Now they could all just group up around the wizard, and I had thought of that. I've been weighing rewarding their tactical sense by allowing them to do it or by making the antimagic field self-only instead of a 10ft aura. Again, ties in to too harsh or too soft.

Also, the description states, "but if they do release him, he may or may not return at some later point, healed and revitalized, seeking to murder the PCs in order to ensure those who saw him in such a humiliated state do no spread tales!". Combined with fact that the wizard is EXTREMELY arrogant and continued to be so in the face of a weakened pit fiend, I'm pretty sure that the revenge is a matter of when, not if.

So B.A. Robards, your post leaves me still unsure. At first your state that it seems too harsh and then state the antimagic might be a great boon. I'm not sure which direction to go.

My take - I like it - remember an ioun stone doesn't auto aborb spells it requires a standard to ready it. I think the anti-magic field is a bad idea - for all kinds of reasons as that spell can screw up alot if it activates at the wrong time - screw up as in either make your encounter trivial or result in a tpk.

You start by wanting to make a cursed item to punish the wizard - but instead are working off the idea that the item 'protects against evil outsiders' - which honestly wouldn't be a curse effect. In addition if it's always on in the presence of evil outsiders - the pit fiend is going to have a heck of a time getting it to him as it would block his ability to get it out of Hell.

My thoughts... the curse is twofold... in the presence of *any* outsider it causes an aura of truth in a 100 yard radius - any creature that wishes to lie must make a will save DC 35 or be forced to tell the truth. Also when in the presence of outsiders anyone affected by the aura is bound by a geas if they make a promise/pact/or commitment of their own free will (DC 35 again).

That's an artifact that is meant to protect against outsiders and deal with them, that has a serious hook on it for the user. And I could see the pit fiend searching the caches of Hell for something like that to lock the wizard into his own words. Pit Fiends (being *made* of lawful evil) aren't afraid of telling the truth and are bound by the rules of hell to honor a bargan anyway - so for him it has no downside - after all telling the truth doesn't mean telling everything you know, or leaving out the details that matter, devils are great at that.

As to bonuses... as an artifact I'd give it scaling bonuses - +2 up to +6 (it's an artifact) to intelligence - so say at levels 4,8,12,16,20 it goes up by +1.

Or... give it a +2 profane bonus to int - even better - as it's been corrupted by the powers of Hell over the eons.

Destruction: I'd add - willingly telling a lie or breaking a pact made while under the effects of this item cause it to vanish and reappear in Hell - the person who does so causes any deal/pact/condition to be null and void and frees any being from obligations or promises made to that person in return - it also puts a mark on the user (removable by a wish or miracle) that is invisible but bright as a daylight spell to outsiders proclaiming the user is a pact breaker and not to be trusted - written in Infernal.

As an artifact I'd add one more power. The user of this item gets a +4 to any charisma check when using summon planar ally to call any type of devil - however any time they do so their alignment shifts one step towards lawful evil.


I see your point about the antimagic field. While a minor artifact, I don't want too many boons on it. I'm wanting the party to ultimately seek to neutralize the item. I think the spell protection is sufficient as the favor portion as it is a "free get out any spell I throw at you card", if the wizard is willing to roll the dice (pun intended). I'm now considering the following:
_______________________________________________

Pit Fiend’s Favor – Cursed
Lavender and Green Ellipsoid (Ioun Stone) variant
Aura strong abjuration and conjuration; CL 20th (Spellcraft DC 35 to identify; DC 45 to identify as cursed)
Slot —; Price —; Weight —
DESCRIPTION (DC 35 Spellcraft check)
This item will only function for Asmoneus the Amazing.
This stone absorbs spells of any level (even 9th level or higher) with no limit on the amount of spell levels it can absorb. The owner chooses whether or not to activate this ability (free action). Each time the stone absorbs a spell, there is a chance of the stone being crushed and forever destroyed. The chance is equal to ten minus the spell level of the spell absorbed (See table below). This counts as willfully crushing the stone as described below.
At any time the owner of this stone may willfully crush the stone (free action as long as one hand is free, unless crushed by spell as above). This destroys the stone and attempts to summon the pit fiend with whom the stone is tied.

Spell lvl Odds % Chance
1) 1 in 9; 11.11%
2) 1 in 8; 12.50%
3) 1 in 7; 14.29%
4) 1 in 6; 16.67%
5) 1 in 5; 20.00%
6) 1 in 4; 25.00%
7) 1 in 3; 33.33%
8) 1 in 2; 50.00%
9+) 1 in 1; 100.00%

CURSED EFFECTS (DC 45 Spellcraft)
-Aura includes a previously undetectable enchantment-
It is a cursed artifact that cannot be removed. It is immune to all spells of lower than 9th level and cannot be removed with Remove Curse or similar spells. There are specific and as of yet unknown conditions by which this item may be permanently removed or destroyed without activating the summoning ability.
Further, the stone permits the pit fiend to telepathically communicate with the stone’s owner. The pit fiend, not the owner, determines when this telepathic ability is active.
Finally, when within line of sight of an evil outsider, the stone’s owner must make will save versus Overwhelming Presence (as the spell). The DC is equal to 10 + ½ the evil outsider’s HD + the evil outsider’s Cha modifier. When the stone's owner saves against this effect, they are immune to the effect for that specific evil outsider for 24 hours.
_______________________________________________

The point is for the stone to be crippling and humiliating when confronted with an evil outsider, as the pit fiend was when first confronted by the PCs. I like the variable DC, so that minor demons and devils aren't likely to succeed, but they might. The pit fiend himself would present a DC 28 will save. He also will get a save every round to shake the effect, though a lingering effect remains.

Other spells I considered, but wasn't sold on included trap the soul and temporal stasis. I'm open to other ideas.

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