| Waldo |
The Smoking Eye template is a cool idea, but in practice it's not so fantastic. +1 to saves and attacks, nice... but then you have one eye replaced by a flame (which has /got/ to affect people's reactions to you), and then there's the "lie in state" effect. Better be quick with that Raise Dead, cleric!
It's not that it's bad -- it isn't -- it's just that it's not very... dramatic.
So I came up with a variant. The idea here was to tempt the PC to stay and (try to) rule Occipitus. So the variant is identical to the official template, except that it gives a bunch of powerful abilities to you... /if/ you stay in Occipitus and, especially, the Skull. IOW, take up Adimarchus' crown in full and not just in name.
Waldo
| Waldo |
Sign of the Smoking Eye (variant template)
At all times, you gain the following attributes:
-- +1 to all saving throws. Occipitus is subtly watching out for you.
-- +1 to all attack rolls.
-- +1 caster level for all spells and spell-like abilities.
-- Evil spells affect you as if you were evil, not good. Thus, an Unholy Blight won't hurt you.
-- Lie in State: If you die, after 1 minute your body disappears and reappears dead but intact in the Skull's eye socket in Occipitus.
-- Appearance: Your right eye is replaced with a magical flame that gives no heat and does not burn the surrounding flesh. When your eye is open, it gives illumination as a candle. Your vision is unaffected -- you can see through the eye normally. The eye also gives off wisps of bitter smoke, which will make you easier to track by scent.
When you are in Occipitus:
-- Call Plasms: once per hour, you can call 1d3 plasms (see below). You can control them as a move-equivalent action. Note that if you are not in the Skull, it will take 10 rounds for the plasms to descend from the sky.
-- Terror of the Smoking Eye: You have +8 to Bluff or Intimidate any chaotic or evil inhabitant of Occipitus. The creature must see that you bear the Sign.
-- Planar Awareness: You are instantly aware of major events on the plane. Major events would include (for example) a balor Planeshifting onto the plane, a party of high level adventurers destroying the Cathedral of Feathers, or someone casting a Wish or Miracle spell.
-- Spell resistance equal to 10 + 1/2 your level + your Cha modifier.
-- Damage resistance 5/Good.
-- You may be able to command the surviving servants of Adimarchus (such as the Mummy Lord proctors), if you can find them.
When you are in the Skull:
-- Vision of the Smoking Eye: you can see and hear anywhere in Occipitus, like Clairvoyance/Clairaudience with unlimited range and duration. You can move your vision to anyplace in the plane. If you designate a location (i.e., the Cathedral of Feathers) you see and hear everything and everyone there, no saving throw. If you designate a creature, ("I want to see the fallen angel Saureya"), then the creature gets a Will save, DC 10 + 1/2 your level + your Cha modifier.
-- Voice of the Smoking Eye: you can communicate telepathically with any creature on Occipitus that you are aware of. The creature may choose whether to respond.
-- Call of the Smoking Eye: you can call any inhabitant of Occipitus to you. "Inhabitant" is defined as any creature on the plane that has spent at least a week on the plane. Unwilling creatures get a Will save. You do not control the creature, and called creatures may not have a friendly attitude.
-- Planar Step: From the Skull, you can Teleport without error to anywhere in Occipitus, or Planeshift to anywhere in the multiverse. These abilities are one-way, and do not help you return to the Skull.
-- Immortality: While in the Skull, you do not age.
-- Morphic potential: You have the potential to change the landscape and nature of Occipitus. This power will increase if you are more powerful (higher level).
-- Once per year, you can cast a Wish. There is no xp cost; Occipitus itself grants you this power.
Plasms: plasms are mindless creatures of flame and evil. Treat them as Large (20' x 10') constructs. They have a fly speed of 30' (perfect), always moving on initiative 0. They don't attack, but simply move into squares like a swarm. Plasms inflict 8d6 of flame damage and 8d6 of evil damage every round. They can be destroyed by doing either 30 points of cold damage or 30 points of Holy damage. If left uncontrolled, a plasm will move towards any living thing within 120 feet. If there is no living thing within range, the plasm will rise back into Occipitus' sky.