Brinewall Vault Treasures


Jade Regent


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Hello, I'm a first time DM running Jade Regent and I'm having a little trouble coming up with treasures for the Brinewall vault that fit my group. My group consist of a healing witch, Summoner, Rogue rake, Ranger and a Gunslinger. I've been racking my mind for some unique ideas but I'm still pretty new to this.

So far I've only got ornate Special Ceremonial Armor +3 (for the witch who's lacking in AC badly) and a vague idea for some item that would allow the Summoners Eidolon and him to share cloak of resistance bonuses (which I have no idea how to do outside of another item slot). I've got nothing for the Rogue and the ranger just bought new armor (which was my original idea) and he's doing pretty well in the damage out put area. As for the Gunslinger I've already worked out for him to build a revolver over the course of the adventure.

I could really use some ideas as I'm pretty much banging my head against the books here.

The Exchange

Jiro Florite wrote:
So far I've only got ornate Special Ceremonial Armor +3 (for the witch who's lacking in AC badly)

Perhaps it has no armour bonus itself, but is covered in runes that create a mage armour effect 1/day. Also, the witch's familiar can learn mage armour as a permanent spell known by studying the runes, and benefits from the armour's effect through share spells.

Jiro Florite wrote:
a vague idea for some item that would allow the Summoners Eidolon and him to share cloak of resistance bonuses (which I have no idea how to do outside of another item slot).

A clasp that bears the same symbol as the one on the forehead of the summoner and the eidolon (assuming you're using that bit of the class's fluff). Effectively means that the summoner only has to upgrade one item instead of two to keep saving throws up. Have it take up the amulet slot, since it might be a bit too good otherwise.

Jiro Florite wrote:
I've got nothing for the Rogue and the ranger just bought new armor (which was my original idea) and he's doing pretty well in the damage out put area.

For the ranger, I suggest Boots of Friendly Terrain. Make the terrain match whatever the ranger already chose, so that it doubles his bonus and makes him seem extra cool. Alternatively, just make them Cold, which guarantees that they'll be very useful later on.

As for the rogue, I think the Catching Cape is pretty swashbuckling, but needs to be more useful. So for him, perhaps a +1 cloak of resistance that also does that catching cape thing 1/day, returning to his shoulders after deflecting an attack and never losing its power permanently. This assumes that he does not have a cloak already, of course.


Certainly good ideas, though the Witch already has Mage Armor as a spell (turns out she's been underselling how many spell slots she has a day, which has been corrected) as well as that not really working with how the Witch class learns spells (what with the consuming of scrolls). I also think the boots and the cape are interesting but a bit under power (or should I say under wealth). But I do love the idea of the amulet/clasp, it puts what I was thinking of in an very elegant package.

Also, I don't have anything for the Gunslinger, the mention of him building a revolver over the course of the game was meant to convey that I can't just give him a gun as that's going to be taken care of.

Edit: I could be reading the AP incorrectly, but are the items 9,000gp each or am I wrong and they should simply total to 9,000gp?

The Exchange

Jiro Florite wrote:
Edit: I could be reading the AP incorrectly, but are the items 9,000gp each or am I wrong and they should simply total to 9,000gp?

By the book they should total 9,000 gp. I think they might as well be a bit over that; there's a +1 returning starknife somewhere that you can remove to add about 8000 to the total, if you think it's too much treasure.

Jiro Florite wrote:
Certainly good ideas, though the Witch already has Mage Armor as a spell (turns out she's been underselling how many spell slots she has a day, which has been corrected).

Switching it to Shield retains the basic idea. Otherwise I would consider something tied to her familiar, whatever it is.

Jiro Florite wrote:
I also think the boots and the cape are interesting but a bit under power (or should I say under wealth).

Up the bonuses perhaps? Like make the boots match the terrain of the ranger, AND grant bonuses in Cold terrain. And the cape doesn't just grant 20% concealment against ranged attacks, it works on melee attacks too.

Jiro Florite wrote:
Also, I don't have anything for the Gunslinger, the mention of him building a revolver over the course of the game was meant to convey that I can't just give him a gun as that's going to be taken care of.

Oh. What about magic ammo? Perhaps a collection of various types: metal Dragon's Breath, Entangling Shot and Salt Shot cartridges, enchanted to work even though a revolver can't normally fire scatter ammo, tracer bullets, sleep bullets and screaming bullets (like the arrows and bolts in the core rulebook), and maybe even a few others.

Grand Lodge

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Jiro Florite wrote:


I could really use some ideas as I'm pretty much banging my head against the books here.

It took me a long time to wrap my brain around this one. At first, I was going to give out some more "normal" magic item type things, but then I remembered the bits about the items being unique and "for them". So I came up with the Amatasu Library.

My party consists of a monk, a ninja, a gunslinger, a fighter, and a sorcerer. Each is pretty customized for them, with one designed to be useful to 2 of them.

The Amatasu Library is a collection of books, written over the course of centuries, by the Amatasu Family. The books are all bound in red leather, and written in deep black ink in Tien script. Some books are more beautifully crafted than others, containing detailed, colored illustrations and illuminations, while a few are simple and functional. Further, the books are of a magical nature and though they may be read by anyone, the wisdom they contain may only be truly understood and appreciated by a member of the Amatasu Family or one of its Scions.

The Fourteen Forms by Amatasu Takeo Hideyoshi:

The Fourteen Forms is a surprisingly insightful work on the art of swordplay written by Amatasu Takeo Hideyoshi, a legendary Swordsman, Sensei, and Daimyo. Takeo’s treatise explain the art of using a katana to it’s very fullest and, more importantly, how to incorporate the lessons taught by other fighting styles into its use.

After spending 1 month reading and practicing the lessons in the Fourteen Forms, a reader who possesses both the Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats may apply any feat & class ability bonuses from one melee weapon to the use of a Katana.


The Tale of the Dragon by Amatasu Ryuu Haruki:

The Tale of the Dragon was written by Amatasu Ryuu Haruki, one of the most feared and venerated sorcerers in Minkai’s history. Unfortunately this is only the first volume of a 4 volume autobiography that recounts how Ryuu defended the people of Minkai against their oppressors, helped to establish the Amatasu line, and explored the depths of his family’s heritage for greater personal power. The book recounts Ryuu’s many early adventures, but the most interesting part, to you, is how he learned to concentrate his sorcerous powers through the use of tattooing.

Learning Amatasu Ryuu’s secrets requires a week of reading and the Draconic Bloodline. Once you have completed the work, you learn:

1. Ryuu’s secret of constructing a special tattooing needle, a process that requires 500gp in materials and 1 day worth of labor.
2. Ryuu’s first secret tattooing ink, a brew that requires 750gp in materials, an Alchemist lab, and 1 day worth of labor.
3. Ryuu’s first pattern, a set of arcane sigils that encompass each of the hands up to the elbow.

Once the tattoos have been inscribed into your flesh, a process that requires 2 days of uninterrupted work, you gain the ability to, 3 times per day, convert a spell that deals any type of elemental damage (Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire) into the damage type of specific Bloodline. Doing so does NOT increase the spell’s level, require a higher level spell slot, or increase its casting time.

When you use this ability, the tattoos glow with a fiery, amber radiance.


Observations by Amatasu Cheiko:

Observations is a single volume composed in a delicate hand that imparts a feeling of tranquility upon the reader. The work is an in-depth treatise on the flow of chi throughout the human body, how one can use their own to heal another with a simple touch.

Learning the lessons contained in Observations requires 1 week of reading and practice, and there after allows someone with a Ki Pool to heal others with a touch. A healing touch is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity and requires the healer to expend 2 Ki points to heal 1d6 of damage per 2 levels of the healer. The target of the healing must be living and willing, and it cannot be the healer himself. Further, the target cannot be healed more than once per day by the same person.

The Lessons of Shenji the Clever by Amatasu Shenji:

The Lessons of Shenji the Clever is a 3 volume work by Amatasu Shenji. The autobiographical preface of the works explains that Amatasu Shenji was a both a world traveler and inventor of great renown in Minkai. As a young man, he traveled the world over, eventually arriving in a land of twisted magic, which you recognize as the Mana Wastes of Alkenstar, where men defended themselves with fire and steel. Shenji spent some years with them, learning their ways, before returning home. Once home, he used a portion of his family’s vast fortune to improve upon what he had learned and his designs are recorded here, in his Lessons.

Learning the Lessons of Shenji requires the Gunsmithing feat and a week of reading. Upon completion, you gain the knowledge necessary to construct Advanced Firearms if you have a Masterwork Gunsmithing Kit.


Writ of the Blackened Hand by Amatasu Tsuyoshi:

Writ of the Blackhand is a single, unadorned book written in a tight script and is an incredibly in-depth exploration of poisons. The work goes on at length about various types of poisons, but the most interesting, and pertinent information, is on how to concentrate them.

After reading the Writ, you learn to concentrate poisons to increase their potency if you have the Poison Use class feature. The process requires an alchemical lab, 2 doses of the same poison, 1 hour worth of uninterrupted work, and a Craft Alchemy check with a DC of the check is equal to the Fort DC of the poison being concentrated.

If the check is successful, then the 2 doses of poison become 1 but the Fort DC of the poison is increased by 2 and the duration of the poison is increased by 50%.


The Way of the Falling Leaf, Vol. 1 by Sensei Amatasu Toshiko:

This first volume of the Way of the Falling Leaf gives an introduction to the fighting style Sensei Amatasu Toshiko centuries ago. His first lessons are upon trips and throws and teach the reader how to counter such movements and to improve one’s own techniques.

After spending 1 week reading and practicing the lessons in the book, a reader, who has the Improved Trip and Ki Throw feats, first learns to defend himself against trips and throws, gaining a +5 to CMB against such Combat Maneuvers. Further, the book’s techniques instruct the reader to not be knocked prone when he fails a trip by 10 or more, and now is only knocked prone on a critical failure.


Harek Ivarson wrote:


It took me a long time to wrap my brain around this one. At first, I was going to give out some more "normal" magic item type things, but then I remembered the bits about the items being unique and "for them". So I came up with the Amatasu Library.

That's beautiful work, Harek. It's the kind of thing that a good party appreciates, and what I really expect from a good developer to include in a published module.

Grand Lodge

Fox1212 wrote:


That's beautiful work, Harek. It's the kind of thing that a good party appreciates, and what I really expect from a good developer to include in a published module.

Wow, thank ya!

At the least, posting it got me to notice some typos in it. Good thing too since they hit Brinewall tonight!


The book thing is perfect! I've wondered how to tailor the items for things like the synthesist summoner in our game. Thank you for the idea, I'll go ahead and steal it now.


LeadPal wrote:
Jiro Florite wrote:
Edit: I could be reading the AP incorrectly, but are the items 9,000gp each or am I wrong and they should simply total to 9,000gp?
By the book they should total 9,000 gp. I think they might as well be a bit over that; there's a +1 returning starknife somewhere that you can remove to add about 8000 to the total, if you think it's too much treasure.

Ah, that would explain why I thought those items were so under powered, I though they were supposed to be worth 9000 each! I'll definitely take your advice and remove the starknife so I can get some wiggle room to make each item unique for the characters (after all, their supposed to be).

I was considering silken ceremonial armor for the witch but in some way that it would stack with Mage Armor. Initially I was considering the idea of there being runes on it which could teach the familiar an improved version of Mage Armor that stacks it's bonus with light armor, but that got messy really quick when you consider other casters in the group. I'm currently looking into giving it a custom enchantment called Entwine which would allow it's bonus to AC stack with Mage Armor/Shield of Faith, but at the cost of requiring specialty work to further enchant the armor (doubling the cost and meaning not just anyone could enchant it). Though that would require a DM feat to ignore the necessary initial +1 enchantment (indeed replacing it entirely, making the next enchantment cost 8,000). I like this idea, but I'm strapped on the gold to balance it out and I don't want to give one person something worth a good 2k more then everything else.

Also, Harek Ivarson, I'm going to straight up steal your idea for the gunslinger as it perfectly fits how I was going to let him build his own advanced firearms over the course of the adventure and this would not only kick start that but speed it up handily.


Anyone have any ideas about an item that would be a good fit for an Inquisitor? Other than straight melee items (armour, weapons, etc) I'm having trouble coming up with anything.

Grand Lodge

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PhineasGage wrote:
Anyone have any ideas about an item that would be a good fit for an Inquisitor? Other than straight melee items (armour, weapons, etc) I'm having trouble coming up with anything.

1. If the Inquisitor is a Good Alignment & you don't have anyone else in the party who can/would use Sushien, then a book/scroll that teaches them how to use a Katana.

2. I'm a HUGE fan of the "career weapon" where you get 1 item and you stick with it throughout the character's life, like the old Legacy items.

So, for example, a set of scrolls that teaches the inquisitor how to craft an amazing bow over time, or whatever weapon you want.

For Example: Amatasu Kenji's 10 Rituals of the Ascendant Master

Description: Inside a platinum scroll tube, gloriously inlaid platinum with the finest etchings, are a set of 10 scrolls created from sheets of gold.

Powers: The scrolls represent a series of rituals that allows a craftsman to, over time, craft a weapon of epic stature.

1st Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 3 - Enchants the bow with a +1
2nd Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 4 - Fiery
3rd Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 6 - Seeking
4th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 8 - +2
5th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 10 - Unlimited Arrows
6th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 11 - Conductive
7th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 12 - +3
8th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 13 - Keen (normally not a ranged thing, but hey! It's uber bow!)
9th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 14 - +4
10th Scroll - Req Craft (bowmaking) Rank 15 - +5 & Special Conductive allowing it arrows to carry touch spells

Once the process is begun with the first scroll, the additional scrolls MUST be used on the same weapon. Further, each scroll is consumed in the creation process.

The enchantment process takes 500gp and 1 day per skill rank.


Harek Ivarson wrote:

...

For Example: Amatasu Kenji's 10 Rituals of the Ascendant Master...

Ooooooooh. I have a Zen Archer in my group. I may do this for him instead of the bowstring idea I had. Thanks for sharing that brainstorm.


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My slave that I am making run this AP saw the book idea above and decided to make me make items that are balanced and powerful as well. After some iterations, they finally just became books. She wanted specifically items that become stronger as the game progresses, but also items that make the characters more robust in their skills... and so this is what I've ended up with.

Title Yabuki no Akuma no Satsugai no Sentō Keitai

Spoiler:

Translation The Demon-Killing Fighting Style of Yabuki
This manual contains over five-hundred pages of delicately translated Tien writing into Taldan script. Almost every single page consists of a diagram of a human being engaged in hand-to-hand combat with another creature. As the book is read, these diagrams turn from unarmed men facing bare fisted men into unarmed men facing animals, armed soldiers, demons, hobgoblins, ghosts, and even dragons. In the narrative, a man named Yabuki is taken to prison while drunken and disorderly and unashamedly insults a powerful sensei of a long-standing dojo. When defeated, he finds his own defeat so spectacular and amazing that he pledges his life to unarmed combat, and soon, his natural skill aids him in surpassing the level of normal men. He spent many years in Hongal, a border country on the edge of the Dragon Empires, hunting mighty and powerful arctic beasts and slaying them with his bare hands until one day he returned from the borderlands having written this manual. This book contains all of Yabuki's own teachings on how a man with no weapons can overcome even the mightiest of beasts, or demons.
Boon When the first hundred pages are read and the user is at least 3rd level, the user gains the ability to break DR/magic with their unarmed strikes. When the second hundred pages are read and the user is at least 6th level, the user gains the Hammer the Gap feat as a bonus feat without needing to meet the pre-requisites. When the third hundred pages are read and the user is at least 9th level, the user gains a +2 bonus to the DC of their stunning fist on any creature they have critically struck in the last round. When the final pages are read and the user is at least 12th level, the user gains the ability to grant their unarmed strikes the outsider (oni) bane special weapon ability for rounds equal to their level as a free action.

Title Amatatsu no Rekishi

Spoiler:

Translation (The History of the Amatatsu)
Protection This book is written in Tien. For anyone who cannot read Tien, the book’s calligraphy activates an illusory script (DC 17; on failure, the suggestion for the reader is “close the book and politely leave”).
-Description---------------------------------------------------
The wrapping of this book feels rough, like tree bark, and creaks when it is opened. It gives off the strong scent of pine, and the inside of the book is written in beautiful, scrawling calligraphy that span on for several pages, written in the symbolic and strange language of Tien. The book’s contents seem to be the Amatatsu family’s royal lineage, devoting almost five-hundred pages to the history and legendry of the clan. However, upon inspection of dates and times, it seems as if this book is over a thousand years old—preserved as a relic, and unwritten in for the most recent centuries. This book functions as a very large spellbook, with 340 pages remaining.
Opposition Schools Metal
-Spells---------------------------------------------------
7th— spell turning, statue, greater arcane sight
5th— overland flight, wall of stone, mage’s private sanctum
2nd— whispering wind, see invisibility, darkvision, eagle’s splendor, share memory**
1st— charm person, endure elements, mage armor, polypurpose panacea**, youthful appearance** comprehend languages, adjuring step***
0— light, all cantrips but mending
-Preparation Ritual---------------------------------------------------
Repetition of History (Su): After preparing spells in the History of the Amatatsu, the caster gains this boon. Once per day, the user gains the ability to roll two dice and take the higher for any skill or ability check as the the spirits of Amatatsu clan subconsciously counsel them on mistakes that they had made in their past lives. The user also gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Knowledge (nobility) and Knowledge (history) when regarding Minkai and the Dragon Empires, as the spells held within are steeped in mnemonic exercises regarding the history of the country.
** see Ultimate Magic
*** see Ultimate Combat

Title Li Jin no Yotta Yūki no Sho

Spoiler:

Translation Li Jin's Tome of Drunken Bravery
This tome is wrapped in leather and reeks of alcohol. The cover depicts a very large brass man with a rapier smiling and pouring a strange, raccoon-like creature in conical rice hat a cup of sake from an exquisite porcelain jug. The interior details the worship and practices of the Tien God of Wine and Bravery. A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals that the god is Cayden Cailean-- any clerics of the Lucky Drunk recognize the symbology immediately and do not need to make this check. The tome is filled with details of the lives of eight Tien individuals known as the "Drunken Immortals," and many of the tenets of the Caydenite faith, recipes of exotic wine and alcohol, and allegorical stories of bravery are presented with them as the central characters. The large bellied man present on the cover, Li Jin, is the fable’s protagonist. He journeys to each of the Drunken Immortals to learn the secrets of perfect brewery; He wrestles a tiger sent by the jealous Park Yen, seduces the gold-digging Ho Fao Lan, spends a year planting crops for the lazy Yip Po and finally travels to Minkai where he defeats the cunning Yoshimune in a duel without ever drawing his weapon. Eventually, the Gods take notice and he ascends to the garden of Heaven to drink with them for eternity… yet finds their wine boring, so he returns to the earth to seek further knowledge.
Boon If a character possesses the requisite ranks in Profession (brewer), they may use the recipes in this book to create special kinds of ale. At three ranks, they may create bitter spiced ale that if imbibed grants a Cleric of Cayden Cailean a +2 bonus to the DC of their Channel Energy for two hours. At seven ranks, they may create a potent rice wine that if imbibed grants a Cleric of Cayden Cailean the Ale / Wine channel variant (Ultimate Magic, pg 28) for their next three channeled energies or until two hours have passed. At ten ranks, they gain Brew Potion as a bonus feat as well as the ability to brew the potion with alcohol as its base content. At thirteen ranks, they may create extremely powerful fiery-tasting liquor that grants immunity to the stunned, nauseated and sickened conditions for two hours after drinking. Each brew takes one hour to create from scratch and can only be created if the caravan has at least one cargo unit of provisions remaining. The brewing process itself is considered spiritual to the faith of the Lucky Drunk and may be substituted for daily prayers and venerations necessary to regain Cleric spells. Effectively, these brews function as potions with unique effects. No one but the brewer may benefit from the supernatural effects of these ales. If any non-Cleric of Cayden Cailean drinks these wines, they must make a DC (10 + 1/2 Cleric level + Wisdom modifier) Fortitude saving throw or be nauseated for 1d6 rounds.

Title Fumetsu no Mezame

Spoiler:

Translation Awakening the Immortal
This journal chronicles the ownership of the sword Suishen by a samurai named Amatatsu Shinjirou. Over many years, Shinjirou had conversations with Suishen that he kept an articulate record of, and the journal is full of his own philosophical wonderings on the state of existence as an item. Shinjirou finally realized that, as an item, Suishen had been crafted perfectly, but that the soul of the sword should still remain sharp to enhance the cut of the blade. Shinjirou went about obtaining this perfection by bringing Suishen to many different places held in the sword’s memories, slowly getting to know the soul within the blade inbetween battles, and finally accepting Suishen as an ally instead of a weapon to be wielded. It is widely known that, due to Shinjirou's tireless pursuit of total synchronicity with his legendary blade, Suishen was considered "perfectly forged" by the Amatatsu elders upon Shinjirou's death.
Boon This book contains many of Shinjirou's own theories on awakening magical items, and a recommendation on breathing techniques to increase connectivity between weapon and wielder. At 3rd level, a wielder of an intelligent magical item may read this book to gain a greater understanding of how to awaken the latent powers within their companion. When entering an area that is attuned to the memories of their item, the wielder will receive a strange, cold feeling that signals them to bring the item to this location in the future to meditate on the memories it evokes in their magical item. Meditating on the memories of their item requires two hours of undisturbed rest in the location and is similar to preparing spells. Once an item has absorbed six memories, the item's soul has become perfectly forged and may not unlock further abilities.

*Kazavon is the name of my magus's blackblade. Yes, it is that Kazavon.

Memory of Massacre
Kazavon remembers the thousands of killings he committed across hundreds of battlefields, and the feeling of his hands and forearms running thick with blood. More than that, however, are his vibrant memories of the legends of himself that he sought out to appease his growing egotism. Kazavon gains the bardic knowledge ability as if he were a bard of the Magus's hit dice. In addition, Kazavon now gains two skill ranks to allocate into Knowledge skills per point of intelligence instead of one.

Memory of the Juggernaut
Kazavon remembers the strength at which he held bay the orcs of Belkzen, and the power he held while even in human form. Nothing could stand against him—everything fell to his mighty blade, and it was made all the more exciting when he gave himself a personal handicap by refusing to leave his human form. The wielder of Kazavon gains the trait Big Game Hunter as a bonus trait without needing to meet the prerequisites.

Memory of the Storm
Kazavon remembers the surge of power that flowed through him whenever he used his breath weapon, and the intense rush of energy that accompanied infusing his flesh with living lightning. The user gains the blue dragon breath weapon. The DC for this ability is 10 + ½ the user’s hit dice + their Con modifier. This ability does damage as if the user were a blue dragon with a CR equal to the user’s hit dice (at 9th level, the breath weapon does 6d8; at 14th level, the breath weapon does 14d8). At 14th level, the line reach of this ability increases to 80 ft. This breath is always electricity damage. This ability is usable once per day at 7th level and twice per day at 12th level.

Memory of Eternity
Kazavon remembers the long eternity he spent dead at the hands of Mandraivus, and the even longer eternity he spent waiting for someone to resurrect him, split at the far corners of the earth. The aeons he spent waiting to taste life again mirror the aeons *plot important character* spent waiting to be set free from the *plot important place*. Kazavon gains one arcane pool point as the realization of his vast age catches up with him.

Title Inu no Michi

Spoiler:

Translation The Way of the Dog
This text chronicles the journeys of a man named Ikkitousen no Inuzama, a famous Tien philosopher. Inuzama was born into a wealthy branch of the Amatatsu family. After an unlucky illness killed his third cousin, Inuzama was to become the head of the main house until he witnessed a samurai preparing to kill a beautiful girl for daring to look upon his face. Against the laws of the ruling class of Minkai, Inuzama saved her life at the cost of his own honor. Stuck at a strange place in society where his family's honor barely shielded his worthlessness and his status had become less than a slave yet his noble title was worth just less than the Emperor of Minkai's, Inuzama bared many hardships and cruelties at the hands of the ruling class-- most famously, he was fed at the tableside scraps like a dog. Fed up with his mistreatment, and with the help of the peasant girl he saved, Inuzama faked his own death during a tsunami. He took the name Ikkitousen no Inuzama-- literally, "The dog who is greater than a thousand dogs"-- and began to wander. For the next hundred years, Inuzama wandered the Dragon Empires as a peasant and beggar along with his faithful female companion, and later, wife. Due to his status as a man without status and her status as a dishonored peasant, they were considered to be 'untouchable' by many members of society, and faced constant abuse. Their life at the bottom of society did not cause Inuzama grief, but instead provoked him into writing thousands upon thousands of reflections of his life and experiences, about the nature of the spirit, society, monarchy, ruler ship, self-worth, the worth of nobility, the power of the human soul, and the importance of human empathy. When these writings were given away (because they could not be sold), they became popular with the lower class; they soon reached the nobility, and were very popular. Soon, he visited the homes of many noblemen to give them advice on their lives-- and often instead used the opportunity to mix verbal abuse with his teachings, disparaging the lavish and extravagant lives of the nobility in comparison to the poverty-stricken lives of the working class. Inuzama disappeared at the age of 131 when travelling into the legendary Forest of Spirits. Many believe that he did not disappear, but only ascended to become a protective spirit known as a kami.
Boon This journal contains many different ramblings of the famous philosopher that form the most complete and accurately translated version of his titular personal philosophy, which allow the reader many benefits. At 3rd level, the reader may digest the first part of this story ("The Dog Sleeps in the Castle") and gain a rank in Knowledge (nobility) as well as Knowledge (nobility) as a class skill. At 6th level, the reader may digest the tale of Inuzama's rescue of the commoner girl ("The Dog Bares His Teeth") and gain one permanent ranger trick (Advanced Player’s Guide, page 128), usable once per day. At 9th level, the reader may digest the story of his long period of dishonor ("The Dog's Muzzle Clasps Tightly") and his faking of his own death ("The Dog Escapes its Kennel") and gain another permanent ranger trick, usable once per day. At 12th level, the reader may digest the story of his long wandering ("The Way of the Dog") and gain a permanent +10 foot bonus to movement speed. Ranger tricks earned in this manner non-retroactively gain another use per day at 9th, 12th, and 15th level.

I'm interested in feedback based on the quality of the abilities, especially in comparison to one another.

I'm also interested in feedback of the names. I used google translate and my high school Japanese class knowledge to pull them together and I do not doubt they are wrong.


Oh WOW !!! Bloody awesome!!!!

No other comment need apply.

-- david
Papa.DRB

ps. I am definitely stealing the base idea, and will be making something like this up for my guys when we get around to playing this AP. Got to finish Kingmaker first.

Ice Titan wrote:

My slave that I am making run this AP saw the book idea above and decided to make me make items that are balanced and powerful as well. After some iterations, they finally just became books. She wanted specifically items that become stronger as the game progresses, but also items that make the characters more robust in their skills... and so this is what I've ended up with.

Title Yabuki no Akuma no Satsugai no Sentō Keitai
** spoiler omitted **...

etc.....

Scarab Sages

The books ideas are absolutly awesome! Many thanks, For sure I will used the idea. I really like the "carrer weapon" proposed.
Excellent Harek!


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I edited some of the custom tomes that i saw here to better go with my group and added two new ones.

The Tale of Burning Cloud Devil:

One of the most feared and venerated sorcerers in Minkai’s history. This autobiography recounts how he defended the people of Minkai against their oppressors, helped to establish the Amatasu line, and explored the depths of his family’s heritage for greater personal power. The book recounts his many early adventures, but the most interesting part, to you, is how he learned to concentrate his sorcerous powers through the use of tattooing. Pages are missing from the book, particulary from the later half of his tale. Leading up to this, there is a sense he craved too much power. Other Amatasu books briefly mention that Burning Cloud Devil was suspected of having delaings with oni and secretly aligned with them. Learning his secrets requires a week of reading. Once you have completed the work, you learn: Burning Cloud Devil's secret of constructing a special tattooing needle, a process that requires 500gp in materials and 1 day worth of labor. Burnign Cloud Devil's secret tattooing ink, a brew that requires 750gp in materials, an Alchemist lab, and 1 day worth of labor. Once the tattoos have been inscribed into your flesh, a process that requires 2 days of uninterrupted work, you gain the ability listed at the required level. When you use the ability, the tattoos glow with a radiance.

Burning Cloud Devil's first pattern, an arcane rune.
Upon 3rd level, you become hasted, as per the spell haste, with a duration for 6 rounds. Usable once per day.

Burning Cloud Devil's second pattern, a set of arcane sigils.
Upon 6th level,Ascension: The tattoo seems partially translucent and insubstantial. When the user spends a swift action to concentrate he gains fly, as per the spell fly for ten minutes. Usable once per day.

Burning Cloud Devil's third pattern, a grand masterpeice that encompass a wide area, preferrably the chest and back.
Upon 9th level, Pouncing Beasts: These bestial/monstrous pictographs on his chest and back seem poised to leap off the skin. You can use summon monster type 1thru 4, as per the spell, up to 4th level as a standard action, provided the creature summoned enters play adjacent to you and lasts for one minute. You permanietly select one creature per level table and those are inked on you chest and back, being the only ones you can draw out. You can only bring one monster out at a time. Each one, usable once per day.

Burning Cloud Devil's fourth pattern, a tian dragon stencil that illustrates covering the entire arm.
Upon 12th level, Memory of Breath: A surge of power that flows through your arm. The user gains dragon breath of an imperial dragon. You activate this tattoo as a standard action. This does the listed damage and the DC for this ability is 10 + ½ the user’s level + their Con modifier. This ability is usable twice per day. Upon inscribing your skin, you permeantly select which imperial dragon type and can only use the associated breath weapon for that dragon.
Imperial Sky Dragon 8d8 Electricity 50-foot cone
Imperial Sovereign Dragon 8d6 Sonic 40-foot cone
Imperial Sea Dragon 8d6 Bludgeoning 50-foot cone
Imperial Forest Dragon 8d6 Piercing 50-foot cone
Imperial Underwolrd Dragon 8d6 Fire 60-foot line

A Thousand Broken Swords by Amatasu Hideoyri:

A surprisingly insightful work on the art of swordplay written by Amatasu Hideoyri, a legendary Swordsman, Sensei, and Daimyo. Takeo’s treatise explain the art of using a katana to it’s very fullest and, more importantly, how to incorporate the lessons taught by other fighting styles into its use. Many depictions of training exercises for katanas and wakizashis. Overall effect: character has the basic knowledge to become a samurai on his next level (Ameiko being the samurai's lord). If the character does not want to become a samurai, the training exercices will give free proficiency with the katana and wakizashi.

One fateful day he found shame for the first time in his life when he was powerless to save his son from a powerful warlord. The legendary swordman became lost within himself over his failures. For years he drowned his sorrows in saki and lost the honor of his school and long abandoned household.
Late in his life, it was rumored he found council with a insightful Kami. It is unclear whether he gave up the drink but he perfected a new technique that required breaking a thousand swords to do so. It is rumored he took the adoptive sword style back to the warlord. Nothing else is mentioned if he won or lost his last stand.

The following describes this new technique of the former sensei.
Wise man is able to cut nothing with his katana is the main lessons in this book that tells to the sword-user how to cut things that aren't normally cut with steel sword. Reader gains following benefits after reading this book:

At 3th level he gains the ability to ignore DR/bludgeoning with sword.

At 6th level you can perform non-lethal attacks with your sword without the normal -4 penalty.

At 9th level you gain the Greater Sunder feat without having to meet any of the prerequistes.

At 12th level you are granted Nemesis, you can focus upon a held weapon as a swift action, rendering it anathema to the studied creature. The weapon gains the bane property against the creature for 1 minute. Nemesis is usable once per day.

WindDance of the Elusive Petal, by Sensei Byakuya:

The WindDance of the Elusive Petal showcases the fighting style of Sensei Byakuya. Originally a fishing peasant, his family line employed the fighting fan, since bladed weaponry was costly and likely to be stolen in his small fishing community. Money was easier to come by during long periods of drought with the ritualistic story and dancing entertainment that the fan styles provided. Word spread of a tien princess who was captured and ransomed to a neighboring lord. Local legends failed and fell alike to retreive her. Byakuya was enamored by this tien woman and dressed as a geisha to infiltrate the ninja stronghold. His lessons below hint as to the techniques he employed in rescuing the noble woman. It is beleived he traveled the world over after receiving renown and ceremonious titles. This evidence is further backed up with varsian drawings in this book that show he adopted the varsian weapon known as the bladed scarf into his techniques.

These traditional dances pulse with the power of their ancestors. These dancers incorporate their fighting fans—embroidered with the history of the bearer’s clan—into their dances, weaving deadly whirling steps with the power of their ancestors. You gain weapon proficeincy with the fighting fan and the bladed scarf.
At 3rd level, Weapon Focus (fighting fan & bladed scarf) as bonus feats.
At 6th Level, Elasticity: As a free action, the kimono dancer can grant her dancing weapon with reach until the end of her turn.
At 9th level, Spirit Fingers: Whenever the kimono dancer scores a hit with her dancing weapon, she can as a swift action, immediately attempt a steal combat maneuver (Advanced Player’s Guide 322).
At 12th level, Fluttering Step: Whenever the kimono dancer scores a critical hit with her dancing weapon, she may teleport to any point within 30 feet. The kimono dancer’s turn ends after being teleported.

Tome of Drunken Bravery:

This tome is wrapped in leather and reeks of alcohol. The cover depicts a very large brass man with a rapier smiling and pouring a strange, raccoon-like creature in a conical rice hat a cup of sake from an exquisite porcelain jug while he tries to fight off a mug wielding dwarf. The interior details the worship and practices of the Tien God of Wine and Bravery. A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals that the god is Cayden Cailean-- any clerics of the Lucky Drunk recognize the symbology immediately and do not need to make this check. The tome is filled with details of the lives of eight Tien individuals known as the "Drunken Immortals," and many of the tenets of the Caydenite faith, recipes of exotic wine and alcohol, and allegorical stories of bravery are presented with them as the central characters. The large bellied man present on the cover, Li Jin, is the fable’s protagonist. He journeys to each of the Drunken Immortals to learn the secrets of perfect brewery; He wrestles a tiger sent by the jealous Park Yen, seduces the gold-digging Ho Fao Lan, spends a year planting crops for the lazy Yip Po and finally travels to Minkai where he defeats the cunning Yoshimune in a duel without ever drawing his weapon. Eventually, the Gods take notice and he ascends to the garden of Heaven to drink with them for eternity… yet finds their wine boring, so he returns to the earth to seek further knowledge.

You gain the Exotic WeaponProficieny with Fighting Mug as a free feat. Cost 25gp Dmg 1d6 Crit x2 Rng 10ft. Wgt 5lbs. Type B
The Fighting Mug is a sturdy, often steel, large mug with a weighted bottom. To the untrained eye, the mug seems to be nothing more then a rather large, often scratched and dented, mug. To the trained mug fighter, it is a magnificent multifunction vessel, which not only holds a large quantity of beer and ale, but can function as a superb clubbing weapon.

Boon
If a character possesses the requisite ranks in Profession (brewer), they may use the recipes in this book to create special kinds of ale. They gain Brew Potion as a bonus feat as well as the ability to brew the potion with alcohol as its base content.

Drunken Recurrance
At 3 ranks, they may create bitter spiced ale, doing so gains the drinker an incredibly stubborn determination. If he is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw (though this does not prevent him from using other means to break the effect, such as a rogue’s slippery mind ability).

Drunken Immunity
At 6 ranks, they brewer may create a potent rice wine that grants immunity to the stunned, nauseated and sickened conditions for 2 hours after drinking.

Drunken Charge
At 9 ranks, you create an earthy smoked malt beverage that grants the effects of Controlled Charge, no longer taking a -2 penalty to AC when charging. This lasts for 1 hour.

Drunken Courage
At 12 ranks, you may create an extremely powerful fiery-tasting liquor that cures all sickness and nausea, receives the benefits of both neutralize poison and remove disease. The nectar-like beverage gives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and Will saves and a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against poison and fear effects for 12 hours.

Each brew takes one day to create from scratch and can only be created if the caravan has at least one cargo unit of provisions remaining. The brewing process itself is considered spiritual to the faith of the Lucky Drunk. These brews function like potions but with unique effects. Trying to drink multiple types of these brews at one time or before one listed effect wears off, they must make a DC (15 + the Profession brewer ranks) Fortitude saving throw or be nauseated for 2d6 rounds.

The Way of the Foo Dog:

This text chronicles the journeys of a man named Ikkitousen no Inuzama, a famous Tien philosopher. Inuzama was born into a wealthy branch of the Amatatsu family. After an unlucky illness killed his third cousin, Inuzama was to become the head of the main house until he witnessed a samurai preparing to kill a beautiful girl for daring to look upon his face. Against the laws of the ruling class of Minkai, Inuzama saved her life at the cost of his own honor. Stuck at a strange place in society where his family's honor barely shielded his worthlessness and his status had become less than a slave yet his noble title was worth just less than the Emperor of Minkai's, Inuzama bared many hardships and cruelties at the hands of the ruling class-- most famously, he was fed at the tableside scraps like a dog. Fed up with his mistreatment, and with the help of the peasant girl he saved, Inuzama faked his own death during a tsunami. He took the name Ikkitousen no Inuzama-- literally, "The dog who is greater than a thousand dogs"-- and began to wander. For the next hundred years, Inuzama wandered the Dragon Empires as a peasant and beggar along with his faithful female companion, and later, wife. Due to his status as a man without status and her status as a dishonored peasant, they were considered to be 'untouchable' by many members of society, and faced constant abuse. Their life at the bottom of society did not cause Inuzama grief, but instead provoked him into writing thousands upon thousands of reflections of his life and experiences, about the nature of the spirit, society, monarchy, ruler ship, self-worth, the worth of nobility, the power of the human soul, and the importance of human empathy. When these writings were given away (because they could not be sold), they became popular with the lower class; they soon reached the nobility, and were very popular. Soon, he visited the homes of many noblemen to give them advice on their lives-- and often instead used the opportunity to mix verbal abuse with his teachings, disparaging the lavish and extravagant lives of the nobility in comparison to the poverty-stricken lives of the working class. Inuzama disappeared at the age of 131 when travelling into the legendary Forest of Spirits. Many believe that he did not disappear, but only ascended to become a protective spirit known as a kami.
Boon This journal contains many different ramblings of the famous philosopher that form the most complete and accurately translated version of his titular personal philosophy, which allow the reader many benefits.

At 3rd level, the reader may digest the first part of this story. ("The Dog Sleeps in the Castle")
Canine Senses (Ex): As an immediate action, you gain a +10 insight bonus on Perception checks for 1 round. Usable once per day.

At 6th level, the reader may digest the tale of Inuzama's rescue of the commoner girl ("The Dog Bares His Teeth")
Vengenful Bite (Ex): As an immediate action when an enemy adjacent to him hits an ally with a melee or ranged attack. You can make a single melee attack at his highest base attack bonus against the creature who attacked his ally. Usable twice per day.

At 9th level, the reader may digest the story of his long period of dishonor ("The Dog's Muzzle Clasps Tightly")
Howling Counsel (Ex): As a swift action, you can grant all allies within 30 feet that are within line of sight and can hear him a +2 bonus on skill checks with a single skill of his choice. You must have at least one rank in the chosen skill. This bonus lasts for 1 round. Usable once per day.
The faking of his own death ("The Dog Escapes its Kennel")
Leaping Strides (Ex): You can move up to twice your speed as a move action. Usable twice per day.

At 12th level, the reader may digest the story of his long wandering ("The Way of the Dog")
Dog’s Gait (Ex): You can move 5 feet as a swift action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and does not count as a 5-foot step.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Most of my items are rather mundane, but they are things my players can use, or have voiced an interest in at one time or another. I have, however, come up with two that fit the rather unique needs of my hard-hitting party.

The Journal of Four Winds Walking by Takezaki Suenaga:
The musings on all matters martial by a former vassal turned champion of the Amatatsu family. Suenaga lead a small force of Minkai samurai against a much larger army of marauding hobgoblin cavalry and was victorious. Reading the Journal grants a character a single Martial Weapon, Exotic Weapon, or Armor Proficiency feat. The journal can only impart this bonus to a character once.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Amatatsu Toemon:
Toemon was the greatest scholar to have ever ruled over Minkai. Reading the Encyclopedia renders one Knowledge skill a class skill for the reader. The Encyclopedia can only impart this bonus to a character once.

The second item is not that great, and is much less flexible than granting a Skill Focus feat. However, my group's party has some rather gaping holes with regards to Knowledge skills. They are pretty invested in the Knowledge skills they have...the point is to help fill in some of those holes and create a little incentive to spend some skill points on things like Knowledge (local).


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

So I've got the treasures worked up for the dwarven Drunken Master and the Samurai (Ameiko's younger brother). But I'm a bit stuck on what to do for the remaining half of the party.

For the Oracle of the Heavens, I at least have an idea of the form the treasure should take, if not its effects. He's a scholar and philosopher with interesting ideas about the nature of gravity and the stars--there is a gravity of the flesh that pulls you down, and a gravity of the soul which pulls you up, such that the stars are an accumulation of spirits. The journal of a Desnan containing copious star charts seems apt, or some mystical orrery. Tying in some connection to Tsukiyomi might also be pretty nifty.

The remaining party member is a halfling Summoner, riding his serpentine Eidolon 'Triumph' into battle. Total glory hound--in no small part to make up for his insecurities and bullied past. Perhaps borrowing some abilities from the Order of the Cockatrice might be appropriate.

I'm looking to keep the 'ability at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th' mechanics that Ice Titan and Xenomorph were working with. Suggestions?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Revan wrote:

So I've got the treasures worked up for the dwarven Drunken Master and the Samurai (Ameiko's younger brother). But I'm a bit stuck on what to do for the remaining half of the party.

For the Oracle of the Heavens, I at least have an idea of the form the treasure should take, if not its effects. He's a scholar and philosopher with interesting ideas about the nature of gravity and the stars--there is a gravity of the flesh that pulls you down, and a gravity of the soul which pulls you up, such that the stars are an accumulation of spirits. The journal of a Desnan containing copious star charts seems apt, or some mystical orrery. Tying in some connection to Tsukiyomi might also be pretty nifty.

The remaining party member is a halfling Summoner, riding his serpentine Eidolon 'Triumph' into battle. Total glory hound--in no small part to make up for his insecurities and bullied past. Perhaps borrowing some abilities from the Order of the Cockatrice might be appropriate.

I'm looking to keep the 'ability at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th' mechanics that Ice Titan and Xenomorph were working with. Suggestions?

For reference, here's what I've come up with for the Drunken Master and the Samurai:

The Drinking Jug of Li Jin:
-The Drinking Jug of Li Jin—This Tengu Drinking Jug depicts a number figures—two human men, one bronze skinned, the other Tian, a tengu, a tanuki, a kitsune, and a humanoid monkey wielding a quarterstaff. The appropriate knowledge check identifies them as the Drunken Immortals, figures of legend in Tian Xia. The story, illustrated on the jug, tells of an Avistani sellsword (Cayden Cailean from before his ascension) who adventured in the Dragon Empires, and of the companions he gathered there—the brewer Li Jin, who devised alcohols of mystical potency; the kitsune seductress Ho Fao Lan; the cunning tengu thief Yoshimune; and the lazy but good-hearted tanuki Yip Po. Together, these companions crusaded throughout Tian Xia, defeating the dread Naga sorcerer Orochi by getting him drunk, and even undertaking challenges from Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, for access to his personal stash of liquors. When the Drunken Immortals parted, Li Jin became the founder of the Zui Quan monastery, devising an alcohol fueled fighting style based upon all he had learned from his companions. In addition to the normal powers of a Tengu Drinking Jug, The Drinking Jug of Li Jin enhances the liquor-soaked powers of a Drunken Master, attuning more and more to its owner as they grow in the path of the Drunken Fist.
• At 3rd level, as long as the Drunken Master has at least one point of Drunken Ki in his pool, his drunken determination protects him from enchantments. If he is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw (though this does not prevent him from using other means to break the effect, if he has them, such as a rogue’s slippery mind ability).
• At 6th level, so long as the Drunken Master has at least one point of Drunken Ki remaining, he reduces any fear effect he is subjected to by one step (if he would be frightened, he is only shaken; if he would be shaken, he is unaffected), and is also immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions.
• At 9th level, the Drunken Master may spend 1 point of Drunken Ki to make a Staggering Charge—he makes a charge attack, but need not move in a straight line, may use Acrobatics to avoid attacks of opportunity, and does not take a -2 penalty to AC; however, he must move no further than his base speed.
• At 12th level, when The Drinking Jug of Li Jin transmutes its contents into alcohol, the resulting liquor is drawn from Sun Wukong’s personal stores. The Drunken Master gains 2 drunken ki points every time he drinks from it.
In addition, if the owner of The Drinking Jug of Li Jin has ranks in Profession (Brewer) he can use it to mix alcohol-based potions, as if he had the Master Craftsman and Brew Potion feats. The Drinking Jug of Li Jin cannot be used to transmute its contents into tea.

Amatatsu no Rekishi:
This thousand year old tome is an exhaustive chronicle of the Amatatsus, one of the Imperial Families of Minkai; indeed, it appears to contain infinite pages for that purpose, even periodically updating itself. An Amatatsu scion who opens the book finds that it naturally opens to relevant or desired passages, granting them a +10 bonus on Knowledge (history) and (nobility) checks related to Minkai and the Amatatsus. An Amatatsu samurai who regularly studies this book gains an extra daily use of resolve as he attunes himself to the great deeds of his ancestors. One of the tales it opens to naturally for Hamaro is that of Amatatsu Kenshin, one of the greatest swordsmen in the history of Minkai. Raised in the service of the devil-worshiping Empress Amatatsu Maemi, Kenshin became known as one of her most feared enforcers, but ultimately turned on the Empress, living the life of a wandering ronin to atone for his deeds. By studying the history of Amatatsu Kenshin, Hamaro can learn special combat stances. It is a swift action to enter a combat stance; Hamaro may do so at will, and remain in the stance for the duration of an encounter, but he can only be in one stance at a time.
• At 3rd level, the tale of Kenshin’s service as the Empress’ enforcer allows Hamaro to emulate the bloodlust that earned Kenshin the moniker of ‘Manslayer.’ The Hitokiri stance grants Hamaro a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls each time he confirms a critical hit; since this is an untyped bonus, it stacks with each critical hit confirmed; however, if he goes more than 1 minute (10 rounds) without confirming a critical hit, all accumulated bonuses are lost.
• At 6th level, the tome tells the tale of Kenshin’s rebellion against Empress Maemi; when she ordered her soldiers to massacre an uncooperative village, he stood against his former comrades alone, guarding a pass the villagers were evacuating through, making his katana an impassable wall of steel that none could pass unscathed. Hamaro gains the Thicket of Blades stance; while in this stance, opponents he threatens provoke attacks of opportunity whenever they move, even movement such as 5-foot steps, Spring Attacks, or the Withdraw action which would not normally provoke. Attempting to tumble through those squares with Acrobatics is still possible, but the DC is treated as if the tumbler were attempting to move through Hamaro’s square.
• Kenshin was hunted by the Empress’ assassins for the remainder of her reign, and after many battles with ninjas and other foes who struck unseen, he learned to attune himself to minute changes in the environment to detect the invisible. At 9th level, the study of these principles allows Kenshin to enter the Hearing the Air stance; while in this stance, he gains blindsense in a 30 ft. radius, and a +5 insight bonus to Perception checks.
• Ultimately, Kenshin returned to the Imperial Palace, confronting Empress Maemi and her diabolical minions before the Jade Throne itself. He suffered grievous wounds in the battle, but his determination to end her evil drove him on. Even having slain her, he refused to settle down, spending the remainder of his life crusading against tyrants, oni, and monsters. At 12th level, Hamaro may emulate his ancestor’s righteous determination. While in the Yojimbo stance, Hamaro heals 4 hit points for each successful melee attack he makes against an evil target.

Liberty's Edge

Goblin Ninja:
Master Li’s Pan of Glorious Frying

Crafted of fine cast iron and featuring a heavy leather thong, this item appears to have seen much use and looks like a normal frying pan. When wielded by someone with the profession (cook) skill the frying pan becomes an item of which legends are told…

Once per day, Master Li’s Pan of Glorious Frying can turn whatever food is cooked in it into a healthy meal that restores hit points OR cures status effects as a lesser restoration spell. The pan can enchant up to ten portions of food, which must be used within one hour of having been cooked.

At 1st through 7th level the pan heals 1d8+level hit points, 2d8+level healed from 8th-15th, and 3d8+level healed from 16th-20th.

Also, Master Li’s Pan can be wielded in combat as a light weapon and functions identical to a +1 Mace. On a successful critical hit the target takes an additional 1d6 fire damage as the pans bottom turns fiery red.

Scribe's Kit:
Scribe’s Kit

Hailing from the gnomish catalogs of the Levenger’s store (inquire for store nearest you), this beautiful writing set comes with 4 bottles of ink; black, red, blue, yellow, and twenty sheets of fine paper. Also included is a small blotting pad, 2 harpy quill pens, as well as a vial of fine sand.

When used by someone with the ability to channel arcane spells, this set of beautiful crafted quills can inspire and grants the user to know immediately the properties of any one magic item as selected by the wielder of the pen. Within mere moments all the abilities of the item are transcribed onto the fine paper provided as the users hand is inspired. This item can only be used once per day, and it is unknown what component exactly empowers the revealing nature of the set.

This beautiful scribes kit comes in a handcrafted and well-oiled teak wood box for carrying and for an additional fee can be fitted with a small brass plate with the owners initials for only a small extra fee.

-Vaz

Dark Archive

One of my players is a conjurer/rogue working towards arcane trickster. I was thinking of his item being some writings that would allow him early access to the prestige class, or something that would make his progression into it less painful. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Sovereign Court

Ben Gum wrote:
One of my players is a conjurer/rogue working towards arcane trickster. I was thinking of his item being some writings that would allow him early access to the prestige class, or something that would make his progression into it less painful. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Find out what the player likes about the class / what the player most looks forward to using the class, and buff that a bit. Are they concentrating on spellcasting? Make the lost casting levels less painful with some equivalent of 3.5's practiced spellcaster. Are they planning to use rays with sneak attack damage? Grant them feats that boost their rays, such as weapon focus (ray). Do they want to use ranged ledgermain? Grant them more uses per day, or lessen the penalties for doing it from a distance.

Find out what they're most excited about, and see if you can grant limited early entry or mitigate some of the painful penalties.

Good luck!

Shadow Lodge

I am going to give each player a single mythic tier, sorta. I am setting them up, and not giving them much choice. I do understand that this is a significant bump in power, but they could kinda use it as they are sort of newbish at times. They are interested in playing this characters past the end of the AP so if we do I will allow them to get more tiers at that point, but not until then.

Mythic Upgrades:

ARCHMAGE

Mythic Power (Su): Mythic characters can draw upon a wellspring of power to allow them to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. You must choose one ability score as the one most associated with your mythic potential. Once made, this choice can’t be changed. You can draw upon your mythic power a number of times per day equal to your mythic tier plus your mythic ability score’s bonus. In addition to abilities gained from your mythic path and overall mythic tier, you can expend one daily use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the results. Using this ability is an immediate action that is taken after the original roll is made and the results are revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll.

Hard to Kill (Ex): Whenever you are below 0 hit points, you automatically stabilize without needing to make a Constitution check. Bleed damage still causes you to lose hit points when below 0 hit points. In addition, you do not die until your total number of negative hit points is equal to or greater than twice your Constitution score.

Arcane Surge (Su): You can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one arcane spell. This spell must be one that you prepared for the day (even if it has already been cast) or be from your list of spells known (if you cast spells spontaneously). If the spell requires a saving throw, any nonmythic targets making such a saving throw must roll twice and take the worse result. In addition, when using this ability you can roll twice and take the better result on any check made to overcome spell resistance, adding your archmage tier to the result. You can’t apply any metamagic feats to this spell.

Bonus Hit Points: Whenever you gain an archmage tier, you gain 3 bonus hit points. These hit points stack with themselves, and do not affect your overall Hit Dice or other statistics.

Bonus Metamagic Feat (Su): You can select one metamagic feat as a bonus feat, at mythic tier 1. The bonus metamagic feat may increase the level of the spell by no more than one level.

Metamastery (Su): You can expend one use of mythic power as a swift action to pick any one metamagic feat that you know that increases the level of the spell by no more than one level. For the next 10 rounds, you can apply this metamagic feat to any arcane spell you cast without increasing the overall spell level or casting time. You can also use this ability on a spell cast from a scroll, staff, or wand. You can’t have more than one use of this ability active at a time. If you use this ability again, any previous use immediately ends.
Mythic Paragon (Mythic)
Your mythic power is greater than even you understand.
Prerequisite: 1st mythic tier.
Benefit: Your mythic tier is considered two higher for the purposes of determining the strength and potency of mythic abilities, feats, or spells. This does not grant you early access to mythic abilities or greater versions of mythic spells, nor does it grant you additional uses of mythic power or adjust the dice rolled for mythic power use.

CHAMPION
Mythic Power (Su): Mythic characters can draw upon a wellspring of power to allow them to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. You must choose one ability score as the one most associated with your mythic potential. Once made, this choice can’t be changed. You can draw upon your mythic power a number of times per day equal to your mythic tier plus your mythic ability score’s bonus. In addition to abilities gained from your mythic path and overall mythic tier, you can expend one daily use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the results. Using this ability is an immediate action that is taken after the original roll is made and the results are revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll.

Hard to Kill (Ex): Whenever you are below 0 hit points, you automatically stabilize without needing to make a Constitution check. Bleed damage still causes you to lose hit points when below 0 hit points. In addition, you do not die until your total number of negative hit points is equal to or greater than twice your Constitution score.

Bonus Hit Points: Whenever you gain a champion tier, you gain 5 bonus hit points. These hit points stack with themselves, and do not affect your overall Hit Dice or other statistics.

Sudden Attack (Ex): You can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee attack at your highest attack bonus as a swift action (in addition to any other attacks you might make this round). When making a sudden attack, you roll twice and take the better result, adding your champion tier as an insight bonus on the attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.

Critical Master (Ex): Whenever you roll a critical threat against a nonmythic creature, you automatically confirm the critical hit and deal the maximum amount of damage against that creature.
Dodge (Mythic)
Your uncanny ref lexes protect you from attacks, and when focused on dodging you become almost impossible to strike.
Prerequisite: Dodge, 1st mythic tier.
Benefit: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. In addition, as an immediate action you may expend one use of mythic power to grant yourself an additional +10 dodge bonus to AC against one attack.

GUARDIAN

Mythic Power (Su): Mythic characters can draw upon a wellspring of power to allow them to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. You must choose one ability score as the one most associated with your mythic potential. Once made, this choice can’t be changed. You can draw upon your mythic power a number of times per day equal to your mythic tier plus your mythic ability score’s bonus. In addition to abilities gained from your mythic path and overall mythic tier, you can expend one daily use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the results. Using this ability is an immediate action that is taken after the original roll is made and the results are revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll.

Hard to Kill (Ex): Whenever you are below 0 hit points, you automatically stabilize without needing to make a Constitution check. Bleed damage still causes you to lose hit points when below 0 hit points. In addition, you do not die until your total number of negative hit points is equal to or greater than twice your Constitution score.

Bonus Hit Points: Whenever you gain a guardian tier, you gain 5 bonus hit points. These hit points stack with themselves, and do not affect your overall Hit Dice or other statistics.

Sudden Block (Su): You can expend one use of mythic power as an immediate action whenever a melee attack is declared against you to force the creature making the attack to roll twice and take the worse result. You also add your guardian tier as an insight bonus to your AC against this attack. Once the attack is resolved, you may make one melee attack against the creature that made the attack. The damage from this attack is treated as epic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Cage Enemy (Ex): You can prevent an enemy from escaping your reach. Any creature attempting to move out of you melee reach provokes attacks of opportunity, even when making a 5-foot step. If the attack of opportunity hits and deals damage, the creature does not move out of your reach and its action is wasted. Creatures taking the full withdraw action do not provoke an attack of opportunity from you due to this ability (although they still might for other reasons, depending on their movement). In addition, if you charge a creature and hit with the charge attack, that creature cannot move from its space until the beginning of your next turn, although spells that move the creature still function.
Cleave (Mythic)
You can easily strike any two foes within reach.
Prerequisite: Cleave, 1st mythic tier.
Benefit: Whenever you use Cleave or Great Cleave, one of your attacks can be made at any foe that is within your reach. That foe does not have to be adjacent to any other foe you hit with an attack this round. If you expend one use of mythic power when you use Cleave or Great Cleave, you can continue to make attacks against any foes within your reach, regardless of their position, as long as you continue to hit each foe. You can’t use this ability to attack a foe more than once per round.

HIEROPHANT

Mythic Power (Su): Mythic characters can draw upon a wellspring of power to allow them to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. You must choose one ability score as the one most associated with your mythic potential. Once made, this choice can’t be changed. You can draw upon your mythic power a number of times per day equal to your mythic tier plus your mythic ability score’s bonus. In addition to abilities gained from your mythic path and overall mythic tier, you can expend one daily use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the results. Using this ability is an immediate action that is taken after the original roll is made and the results are revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll. The bonus gained by using this ability increases by one die size at 4th tier and every 3 tiers thereafter to a maximum bonus of 1d12.

Hard to Kill (Ex): Whenever you are below 0 hit points, you automatically stabilize without needing to make a Constitution check. Bleed damage still causes you to lose hit points when below 0 hit points. In addition, you do not die until your total number of negative hit points is equal to or greater than twice your Constitution score.

Bonus Hit Points: Whenever you gain a hierophant tier, you gain 4 bonus hit points. These hit points stack with themselves, and do not affect your overall Hit Dice or other statistics.

Inspired Spell (Su): You can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one divine spell. This spell must be on one of your divine spell lists and must be of a level that you can cast using that divine spellcasting class. You don’t need to have the spell prepared or on your list of spells known. When casting a spell in this way, treat your caster level as two levels higher for the purpose of any effect dependent on level. You can apply any metamagic feats you know to this spell, but its total adjusted level can’t be greater than the highest-level divine spell you can cast using that spell’s spellcasting class.

Faith’s Reach (Su): Whenever you cast a divine spell with a range of touch, you can instead cast the spell with a range of 30 feet. If the spell requires a melee touch attack, it instead requires a ranged touch attack.

Mythic Paragon (Mythic)
Your mythic power is greater than even you understand.
Prerequisite: 1st mythic tier.
Benefit: Your mythic tier is considered two higher for the purposes of determining the strength and potency of mythic abilities, feats, or spells. This does not grant you early access to mythic abilities or greater versions of mythic spells, nor does it grant you additional uses of mythic power or adjust the dice rolled for mythic power use.

TRICKSTER

Mythic Power (Su): Mythic characters can draw upon a wellspring of power to allow them to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. You must choose one ability score as the one most associated with your mythic potential. Once made, this choice can’t be changed. You can draw upon your mythic power a number of times per day equal to your mythic tier plus your mythic ability score’s bonus. In addition to abilities gained from your mythic path and overall mythic tier, you can expend one daily use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the results. Using this ability is an immediate action that is taken after the original roll is made and the results are revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll. The bonus gained by using this ability increases by one die size at 4th tier and every 3 tiers thereafter to a maximum bonus of 1d12.

Hard to Kill (Ex): Whenever you are below 0 hit points, you automatically stabilize without needing to make a Constitution check. Bleed damage still causes you to lose hit points when below 0 hit points. In addition, you do not die until your total number of negative hit points is equal to or greater than twice your Constitution score.

Bonus Hit Points: Whenever you gain a trickster tier, you gain 4 bonus hit points. These hit points stack with themselves, and do not affect your overall Hit Dice or other statistics.
Trickster Strike (Ex): If a trickster can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The trickster's attack deals extra damage (called "precision damage") anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the trickster flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st tier, and increases by 1d6 every two mythic tiers thereafter. Should the trickster score a critical hit with a trickster strike, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as trickster strikes only if the target is within 30 feet.
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a trickster can make a trickster strike that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a trickster strike, not even with the usual –4 penalty.
The trickster must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A trickster cannot trickster strike while striking a creature with concealment.
Surprise Strike (Ex): You can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee or ranged attack at a target within 30 feet as a swift action (in addition to any other attacks you might make this round). When you make a surprise strike, the target is considered f lat-footed regardless of any class features or abilities it might have, and you add your trickster tier as an insight bonus on the attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.

Fickle Attack (Ex): Whenever you roll damage for a melee or ranged attack with a weapon or alchemical item, you can reroll any damage die with a result of 1.
Point-Blank Shot (Mythic)
At close range your accuracy is unmatched and you and your bow are master of your immediate surroundings.
Prerequisite: Point-Blank Shot
Benefit: The bonus on attack and damage rolls granted by Point-Blank shot increases to +2. You may expend one use of mythic power as a swift action to ignore any cover or concealment possessed by the target of one ranged attack made using Point-Blank Shot. This does not apply to total cover or concealment.


Thought I'd my chip in my creation for a three-tiered skill book treasure, for a Savant (Kobold Quarterly #18):

August Lessons from Watchful Ancestors by Amatatsu Onoko
This wood-bound didactic features several hundred pages of delicate, feminine calligraphy from the scholar-empress Onoko, who regularly communed with the shades of the holy dead. Rather than a grimoire for binding such spirits, she instead reveals the wisdom gained from her sessions, including extensive mnemonic tales and how to derive inner strength from their lessons.
Basic: The Supernatural Knack Feat.
Advanced(8th): Photographic Reflexes: Once per day, as an immediate action, you may make an observation and treat it as if it was in your notebook for the next hour, using it in a trade as per normal. If not added to your notebook in the next hour, the insight fades.
Master(12th): Hastened Trade: You may embody a trade as a standard action, or a spend a usage of Greater Trade to embody a trade as a free action.


Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Hooray, my group just got to the end of book 1!
Reading all the other posts about people's vault creations (in this thread and the other one) was a huge help in inspiring my own. So to give back a little, here's what they found. The paragraph descriptions were neatly written on paper with each item in the chest. Very convenient that destiny planned ahead enough to leave neatly cataloged items!

In order, here's what they got for the cleric, rogue, alchemist, wizard, and paladin:

Ren's Shield:
This circular steel shield is masterfully crafted, with a Tien water dragon etching on the front painted dark blue. The reverse side has a cleverly constructed wand holder, which can hold a single wand which is always readied for use by the shield hand. It currently contains an almost exhausted wand. A note of caution: if the shield is broken in combat, any attached wand could be broken as well.

Light steel shield +1 with wand attachment
Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (2d8+10), 4 charges


Craftsman's Glasses:
Two delicate-looking lenses are held in a thin gold frame with an incredibly detailed fox-and-tails motif. Looking through them provides a greatly magnified view of any close objects, which is a boon when performing delicate tasks. Counting carefully, the frame shows nine tails, making the design evocative of the Tien goddess Daikitsu. Given that, this set was probably created for a craftsman needing to create such meticulous detail work such as the glasses themselves represent.

Goggles of Minute Seeing (+5 competence bonus to Disable Device)


Mishiro's Teakettle:
This gallon-sized lidded cooking pot has three stout legs and a bamboo design on the outside with the insignia of its creator, Mishiro. Pressing on different segments of the bamboo will cause the inside to heat up to various temperatures while the outside remains only warm. While Mishiro used this pot exclusively as part of his quest for the perfect cup of tea, it would work equally well for brewing all sorts of potions.

Cauldron of Brewing: +5 competence bonus to Craft(Alchemy)
With this cauldron, you can create potions and alchemical items at the normal daily rate during travel downtime.


Hachimaki of Chieko Dojo:
The Chieko Dojo was an ancient Tien school which sought to train a class of warrior-magi. The circumstances around its sudden disappearance are a matter of some speculation, but a few artifacts still remain. This red cloth hachimaki would be worn around the head of young students as an aid to their lessons. Embroidered in black Tien letters are the phrases "Strength of Body" and "Strength of Mind". It has a minor protective enchantment, as well as three small pockets where Pearls of Power may be stored and activated hands-free. One pocket is currently occupied.

Natural Armor +1
Pearl of Power, Level 1


Junko's Lesser Blessing:
Junko was a great warrior-priest of Shizuru with a penchant for crafting equipment. While leading a campaign against a large and well armed cult of Oni-worshippers, Junko created a number of items usable by his holy legion. This wand, for example, was an affordable alternative to permanently enchanted weaponry. It includes a set of leather straps stamped with the sun-and-sword of Shizuru, which can be used to affix the wand to any scabbard. When so attached, it can be activated while the weapon is sheathed by gripping the wand and weapon hilt together with the word "yoake". Most such expendable items would have been depleted long ago; this one has survived in part because it is only usable by righteous warriors with a particularly strong connection to the divine.

Wand of Bless Weapon (5 minutes), 32 charges
When strapped to a scabbard, can be activated on a sheathed weapon with a standard action.

Sovereign Court

I took the book idea and changed it up a bit.

Each of them have a book. At any one time, they can "learn" 1 chapter worth of abilities. All they have to go on when choosing which ability to gain is the name of the chapter.

Weak Points and Strong:

Inspiration rom Sun Tzu. For the elven fire elemental wizard:
  • Introduction: Skill Focus (Craft [Alchemy])
  • Defense and Offense: Expend one use of the flame jet supernatural ability to surround yourself with a 5 ft. aura of flame for a number of rounds equal to ½ CL.
  • Find the Weak Point: Expend two uses of a supernatural ability that deals damage to add the sickened condition to creatures that fail their save for 1d6 rounds.
  • Widen the Chink in the Armor: Expend three uses of a supernatural ability that deals damage to add the nauseated condition to creatures that fail their save for 1d4 rounds. (Prerequisite: Defense and Offense)
  • From Narrow to Broad Focus: Consume 1 alchemical item as a material component to change type of elemental damage dealt by supernatural abilities. Viable items include acid flask, alchemical fire, bottled lightning and liquid ice.

Bamboo Withstands the Typhoon:

For the urban barbarian, focused on tanking:
  • Introduction: Skill Focus (Profession [Soldier])
  • Avoiding the Woodsman’s Axe: Feat: Defensive Weapon Training (Heavy Blade)
  • The Bamboo Snaps Back: Feat: Flanking Foil
  • The Breeze Cannot be Cut: Feat: Dodge
  • Wind Races Across the Battlefield: Feat: Mobility (Prerequisite: The Breeze Cannot be Cut)

On the Great Strength of Family:

For the elven bard:
  • Introduction: Skill Focus (Linguistics)
  • Joyous Song Uplifts the Heart: Feat: Spellsong
  • The Light Weight of the Shared Burden: Masterpiece: Triple Time
  • A Strong Arm to Lean On: Archetype Ability: Enhanced Healing
  • The Wisdom of Man and Spirit: Languages: Learn Minkaian and Senzar

Grass for His Pillow:

For the white haired witch, a worshiper of Desna and very interested in having Spivey as her improved familiar:
  • Introduction: Feat: Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
  • The Enemy Against Himself: The witch can now use the Steal maneuver with their hair as a standard action.
  • A Learned Friend is as a Great Master: Archetype Ability: Spontaneous Healing (UM, pg .85)
  • A Strong Brother, Better than a Stout Arm: Feat: Improved Familiar
  • A Loyal Clan is Greater than Ten Million Ryo: Feat: Leadership (Prerequisite: A Strong Brother, Better than a Stout Arm)

The Moonlit People:

For the elven archer, playing off elven heritage and the mithril elves in Tian Xia:
  • Introduction: Feat: Skill Focus (Perception)
  • Moonlight Pierces the Mists: Feat: Elven Accuracy
  • The Silver Darkness: Feat: Eagle Eyes
  • White Flash: Fighter Archetype (Archer): Trick Shot (lvl 3 ability)
  • The Mithril Hammer: Fighter Archetype (Archer): Trick Shot (lvl 11 ability) (Prerequisite: White Flash)

Way of the Warrior:

For our fighter, who has indicated an interest in levels of samurai in order to use the wakazashi they've found:
  • Introduction: Feat: Skill Focus (Profession [Soldier])
  • Act Without Hesitation: Samurai Class Ability: Resolve (1/day)
  • Fifty or More Cannot Kill One Resolved to Die: Samurai Class Ability: Resolve (3/day) (Prerquisite: Act Without Hesitation)
  • At One’s Side: Feat: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Wakizashi)
  • For Striking: Feat: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Katana)

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I like that idea a lot, Jess, but I'm not sure I understand: can they eventually learn every chapter? In a single book? In every book? If they can only learn one chapter, then how do they meet the stated prerequisite (e.g., for Wind Races Across the Battlefield)?

How do they know which book is "intended" for which character?

Sovereign Court

I gave a list of the title of the book and the Chapter names on a 3x5 card to each player for the book that "speaks" to them.

Upon becoming scions, they each got the introduction and their first chosen chapter's powers.

Upon each level up, I'll give them another.

They should get their last power from these books upon reaching 7th level.


I have a couple ideas / concepts:

A book for melee combatants: After reading the tome the player selects a favored weapon, and may spend 1 hour each morning of meditation with said weapon to gain immunity to fear when the weapon is drawn. The immunity to fear only lasts for 24 hours, but may be renewed each morning with 1 hour of meditation.

A book for ranged combatants: After reading the tome the player selects a favored ranged weapon, and three times per day may add their wisdom modifier into their attack rolls when using the favored weapon.


I am planning on granting every PC a magic weapon that will scale with them as they progress through the campaign. The weapons will be a +1 weapon for anyone but the specific bonded PC. They will gain enhancement bonuses and a couple other magic properties. Also, each weapon will gain a special ability after fighting Munasukaru that grants the PC some sort of custom boon vs oni that is tied to a class feature.

Now, I realize after Munasukaru there aren't many more "boss" oni but there are going to be plenty of oni in the last 2 books they will be fighting.


Does anyone have suggestions on a handy scaling treasure for a life shaman or life oracle?

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Lamplight of the Shining Goddess (+1 Thawing Scimitar)

Bow that Can Pierce The Otherworld (+1 Planar Composite Longbow) (+4 Str)

Shozoku of Infinite Twine (Robe of Infinite Twine)

Yin-Yang of Symbiotic Companionship

Spoiler:

1/day may combine both halves of the Yin Yang to become one being. During this time gain the benefits of Beast Shape II, except you are in a hybrid form of humanoid and animal similar to a lycanthrope. If used in conjunction with Wild Shape then it lasts as long as the Wild Shape does. This only works if one half is worn as a collar by a creature of the animal type, and the other by a creature of the humanoid type.

Traveller's Tome (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/spellbooks)

The Butterfly Flies Through All Worlds (+1 Ghost Touch Butterfly Sword)

O-Yoroi of the Kirin Protector (+1 Champion O-Yoroi)

Amatatsu Doto’s Instructional Manual of Reiki Healing

Spoiler:
This book shows a reader how to open up their ki centers and utilize them for healing. A character who reads this book, and meditates upon its lessons for an hour a day for a full week gains 1 ki point which grants them a +2 bonus on Heal checks so long as they retain that ki point. A character may elect to spend the Ki point to gain a +4 bonus to Heal checks and ignore the penalty for not having a healing kit.

Scarab Sages

While the treasure should be tailored for the party, I used it as an oppurtunity to to help them out in areas where they were lacking so they would have an easier time in part two.

Most noteworthy items were sleeves of many garments and a hat of disguise that saw a LOT of use in part two.


Thanks, Dudemeister! I particularly like the reiki manual.

Woran wrote:

While the treasure should be tailored for the party, I used it as an oppurtunity to to help them out in areas where they were lacking so they would have an easier time in part two.

Most noteworthy items were sleeves of many garments and a hat of disguise that saw a LOT of use in part two.

Good point! We've only just started, so I'll have a few sessions to see how the PCs shape up.


As a DM, personally tailored treasure is never something I want to do. It always feels hackneyed, and no player I know would do anything other than groan at finding the exact exotic weapon or perfectly-crafted magical item to cover their exact needs, hidden away in a vault that has nothing to do with them.

So when I write treasure, it's all about telling the story. Creating interesting pieces of loot that fit the narrative of the person who crafted and put them in the vault, and then handing them to the players to figure out how to incorporate those items into their adventure.

The minute a player finds a treasure crafted specifically for them, it tells them that the DM is there to pick things off their wishlist, and I don't think that ever ends well.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I have an Oni Paladin of Sarenrae in my party, the Lamplight of the Shining Goddess was an item I placed in the treasure vault for three reasons:

1) He's a paladin of Sarenrae
2) With weapon focus (scimitar)
3) Many of the challenges he'd face soon would involve ice and snow.

He really liked the item, and still uses it. He doesn't expect this kind of thing to happen all the time. It was a reward for winning a tough and enjoyable adventure.


Askren wrote:

As a DM, personally tailored treasure is never something I want to do. It always feels hackneyed, and no player I know would do anything other than groan at finding the exact exotic weapon or perfectly-crafted magical item to cover their exact needs, hidden away in a vault that has nothing to do with them.

So when I write treasure, it's all about telling the story. Creating interesting pieces of loot that fit the narrative of the person who crafted and put them in the vault, and then handing them to the players to figure out how to incorporate those items into their adventure.

The minute a player finds a treasure crafted specifically for them, it tells them that the DM is there to pick things off their wishlist, and I don't think that ever ends well.

My players love finding these things occasionally -- like Dudemeister, I'm not doing this all the time. But yes, where I can think of one, I've tried to come up with an explanation for why the treasure was designed and placed there in the first place, separate from how it fits the intended PC.

That said, this particular module does also call out 'Maybe they were destined to find it!' as a justification.


It's been a few years, so I doubt any of the original authors are still following, but I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this thread was to my group in particular and share the Amatatsu Library that I developed for my players.

From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to use Jade Regent as a testing grounds for Automatic Bonus Progression, which meant that I needed to seek out some alternative options for the major Brinewall vault treasure.

I was extremely inspired by Harek Ivarson (as many here were), as well as Ice Titan (especially Li Jin's Tome of Drunken Bravery, but more on that later) and Xenomorph 27.

Using many of your tomes as inspiration, I added my own unique twists and turns, before settling on the following. Throughout the process, I had one primary goal in mind: balance the Amatatsu Library against Automatic Bonus Progression. I eventually hit on the idea that the tomes would require significant investment in exchange for their gifts. I also wanted the tomes to breathe more life into the campaign setting (as I feel many other contributors' tomes did). I also decided that I wanted each of the tomes to be usable by any of the Amatatsu scions, provided they were willing to invest the necessary resources into using them.

Awakening the Immortal:
Originally created by Ice Titan, Awakening the Immortal was my first eureka moment as a clean way to both introduce Automatic Bonus Progression as well as patch in some common fixes from the forums while also being a really kickass treasure in its own right.

Awakening the Immortal

This journal chronicles the ownership of the sword Suishen by a samurai named Amatatsu Shinjirou. Over many years, Shinjirou had conversations with Suishen that she kept an articulate record of, and the journal is full of her own philosophical wonderings on the state of existence as an item. Shinjirou finally realized that, as an item, Suishen had been crafted perfectly, but that the soul of the sword should still remain sharp to enhance the cut of the blade. Shinjirou went about obtaining this perfection by bringing Suishen to many different places held in the sword’s memories, slowly getting to know the soul within the blade in between battles, and finally accepting Suishen as an ally instead of a weapon to be wielded. It is widely known that, due to Shinjirou’s tireless pursuit of total synchronicity with her legendary blade, Suishen was considered “perfectly forged” by the Amatatsu elders upon Shinjirou’s death.

Reading Awakening the Immortal imparts the knowledge of how to bring out latent abilities of even the most mundane of items.

First Awakening
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, character level 3rd
Benefit: This tome grants access to Automatic Bonus Progression.

Second Awakening
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, character level 6th
Benefit: You are treated as being one level higher for the purpose of Automatic Bonus Progression.

Third Awakening
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, character level 9th
Benefit: Your primary attunement bonus applies to all attuned weapons.

Fourth Awakening
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, character level 12th
Benefit: Your primary attunement bonus applies to all attuned armor.

Fifth Awakening
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, character level 15th
Benefit: You are treated as being one level higher for the purpose of Automatic Bonus Progression.

Li Jin's Tome of Drunken Bravery:
I mentioned previously how this tome was especially exciting for me to include - as it turns out, the entire reason that our group began playing Jade Regent in the first place is because we had the idea of a "drunken party", where each of the characters would utilize various drunken options to form a band of "merry men and women" - a drunken master monk, a drunken rager barbarian, an order of the flagon cavalier, a cleric of Cayden, a Blade & Tankard swashbuckler, a Brewkeeper alchemist - you get the idea. The problem we ran into was figuring out what AP this ridiculous party would be in - and then we realized that Jade Regent was an adventure path about escorting a tavern owner across the world to become an Empress, and the rest seemed obvious. With an already drunken theme to our group, Li Jin's Tome was the perfect addition to our Amatatsu Library.

Li Jin's Tome of Drunken Bravery

This tome is wrapped in leather and reeks of alcohol. The cover depicts a number figures — a human of Tian ethnicity, a samsaran, a tengu, a tanuki, a kitsune, a catfolk, an elf, and what appears to be a towering vanaran.

The appropriate knowledge check identifies them as the Drunken Immortals, figures of legend in Tian Xia. The story tells of the mystical brewer Li Jin (an ancient ancestor of the Amatatsu line) who adventured in the Dragon Empires, and of the companions he gathered there — the disciplined Aksh Kahar, a samsaran monk of Iro-Shu; the kitsune seductress, Ho Fao Lan; the cunning tengu thief, Yoshimune; the lazy but good-hearted tanuki, Yip Po; the clever catfolk storyteller, Tai Xung; and the mysterious elven warrior, Ōsuto Horurion.

Together, these companions crusaded throughout Tian Xia, defeating the dread Naga sorcerer Orochi by getting him drunk, and even undertaking challenges from Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, for access to his personal stash of liquors. When the Drunken Immortals parted, Li Jin became the founder of the Zui Quan monastery, devising an alcohol-fueled fighting style based upon all he had learned from his companions.

Mastering Li Jin’s secret brewing techniques requires skill in the art of brewing.

These brews are especially potent due to their mystical properties, and are unsafe to consume in great quantity: imbibing a second of Li Jin’s special brews while another’s effects are still active causes the drinker to immediately proceed to drunken stupor-level inebriation. If the drinker already is in a drunken stupor (or if the drink would have normally caused the drinker to enter a drunken stupor), then the beverage instead causes a drunken blackout.

Brewing one of Li Jin’s recipes is similar to brewing a potion, except that it requires a profession check instead of a spellcraft check. Once the brew has been crafted, it requires an additional week to ferment.

First Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 3 ranks
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting a delicious honey-based ale with remarkable restorative properties, dedicated to the soothing songs of Tai Xung.

Tai Xung’s Honeyed Tongue
Effect: Drinking a Honeyed Tongue grants fast healing 3 for a number of rounds equal to the brewer’s ranks in profession (brewer).
Crafting Cost 10 gp/rank

Second Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 5 ranks
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting a potent araq that enhances mental slyness, in honor of Aksh Kahar.

Aksh Kahar’s Harsh Araq
Effect: Drinking a Harsh Araq grants the drinker an incredibly slippery mind. Once in the next hour, if the drinker is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and he fails his saving throw, he can attempt to make the save again 1 round later at the same DC.
Crafting Cost 150 gp

Third Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 7 ranks
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting a lambic that fills the drinker with optimism and good cheer, with the unfortunate side-effect of making them more susceptible to charm and suggestion. (Ho Fao Lan called this her “Helpful Lambic”, much to the chagrin of Li Jin.)

Ho Fao Lan’s Hopeful Lambic
Effect: Drinking a Hopeful Lambic affects the drinker as the good hope spell with a caster level equal to the brewer’s ranks in Profession (brewer). However, while the Hopeful Lambic is in effect, the drinker also automatically fails the next saving throw it makes against a compulsion effect.
Crafting Cost 50 gp/rank

Fourth Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 9 ranks
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting a midori that not only disorients the drinker, but also has the baffling ability to disorient any who gaze upon them.

Yoshimune’s Vanishing Midori
Effect: Drinking a Vanishing Midori causes the senses of onlookers to slip away from the imbiber, duplicating the effects of greater invisibility with a caster level equal to the brewer’s ranks in Profession (Brewer).
Crafting Cost 100 gp/rank

Fifth Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 11 ranks
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting a poitín that the tanuki Yip Po passed on to Li Jin as an act of ultimate trust and friendship so that Li Jin would never fear being tricked by another of Yip Po’s kin. (So, naturally, Li Jin put the recipe in this book so that anyone with enough skill could duplicate it.)

Yip Po’s Potent Poitín
Effect: Drinking a Potent Poitín allows the drinker to see through all manner of illusions and disguises to see things as they truly are, as the spell true seeing with a caster level equal to the brewer’s ranks in Profession (Brewer).
Crafting Cost 200 gp/rank

Sixth Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 13 ranks
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting a habushu “that bites itself” and seemingly paradoxically neutralizes poison, dedicated to the defeat of Orochi.

Ōsuto’s Orochi Ouroboros Habushu
Effect: Drinking an Orochi Ouroboros Habushu affects the drinker as an antitoxin, as well as if they were the subject of a greater neutralize poison with a caster level equal to the brewer’s ranks in profession (brewer).
If consumed by a poisonous creature, the habu sake neutralizes the poison abilities of the creature unless it succeeds at a DC 19 Will saving throw. It takes a penalty on this save based on its level of inebriation prior to drinking the sake; if it was tipsy, it takes a -2 penalty; if it was buzzed, it takes a -4 penalty; if it was drunk, it takes a -6 penalty; if it was in a drunken stupor, it takes a -8 penalty; and if it was in a blackout, it automatically fails its save.
Crafting Cost 1750 gp

Seventh Recipe
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, profession (brewer) 15 ranks, must travel to the Zui Quan Monastery to learn the final ingredient of Sun Wukong's Sun Wine
Benefit: You learn the secret of crafting one of Sun Wukong’s own wines.

Sun Wukong’s Sun Wine
Effect: This divinely inspired wine causes the imbiber to be cured of all ailments, as the spell heal.
Crafting Cost 5000 gp

The Tale of the Dragon:
The Tale of the Dragon was written by Amatasu Ryuu Haruki, one of the most feared and venerated sorcerers in Minkai’s history. Unfortunately this is only the first volume of a 4 volume autobiography that recounts how Ryuu defended the people of Minkai against their oppressors, helped to establish the Amatasu line, and explored the depths of her family’s heritage for greater personal power. The book recounts Ryuu’s many early adventures, but the most interesting part is how she learned to concentrate her sorcerous powers through the use of tattooing.

First Technique
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Artistry/Craft/Profession (Tattoo/Tattooist) 3 ranks
Benefit: You gain Inscribe Magical Tattoo as a bonus feat.

Second Technique
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Artistry/Craft/Profession (Tattoo/Tattooist) 6 ranks
Benefit: You have mastered the skill required to inscribe Ryuu’s Tattoo of Adaptation.

Tattoo of Adaptation
Aura faint adaptation; CL 5th; Slot none (fingers); Price 12,000 gp
A tattoo of adaptation resembles a dragon circling two of the bearer’s fingers (taking up both of the bearer’s available ring tattoo locations).
Once per day, as an immediate action, the bearer of a tattoo of adaptation can gain resistance 10 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic as resist energy for one hour after being dealt damage of that type (this resistance applies against the triggering attack.)
Construction Requirements
Cost 6,000 gp; Feats Inscribe Magical Tattoo; Spells resist energy

Third Technique
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Artistry/Craft/Profession (Tattoo/Tattooist) 9 ranks
Benefit: You have mastered the skill required to inscribe Ryuu’s Tattoo of Ascension.

Tattoo of Ascension
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Slot none (feet, hands, wrists, shoulders); Price 24,000 gp
A tattoo of ascension seems partially translucent and insubstantial, and flows from the wearer’s shoulders, down their arms and wrists, and ending at the hands (taking up all the mentioned available magic tattoo locations). A matching set are inscribed on the bearer’s feat and legs. The tattoo is vaguely reminiscent of dragon’s wings.
Once per day, as a swift action, the bearer of a tattoo of ascension can fly as the spell for five minutes.
A tattoo of ascension only functions if the bearer also has a tattoo of adaptation.
Construction Requirements
Cost 12,000 gp; Feats Inscribe Magical Tattoo; Spells fly

Fourth Technique
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Artistry/Craft/Profession (Tattoo/Tattooist) 12 ranks
Benefit: You have mastered the skill required to inscribe Ryuu’s Tattoo of Diamond Scales.

Tattoo of Diamond Scales
Aura strong abjuration; CL 11th; Slot none (belt, body, chest); Price 40,000 gp
A tattoo of diamond scales is a grand masterpiece that encompasses the bearer’s belt, body, and chest (taking up all the mentioned available magic tattoo locations). This tattoo shimmers faintly in the light, and seems to softly shift as the wearer moves.
Once per day, as an immediate action, the bearer of a tattoo of diamond scales can gain spell resistance 23 for ten minutes.
A tattoo of diamond scales only functions if the bearer also has a tattoo of adaptation and a tattoo of ascension.
Construction Requirements
Cost 20,000 gp; Feats Inscribe Magical Tattoo; Spells spell resistance

Fifth Technique
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Artistry/Craft/Profession (Tattoo/Tattooist) 15 ranks, must recover the remaining three volumes of Ryuu's autobiography
Benefit: You have mastered the skill required to inscribe Ryuu’s final and most powerful tattoo: the Tattoo of Dragonform.

Tattoo of Dragonform
Aura strong transmutation; CL 15th; Slot none (head, neck); Price 90,000 gp
A tattoo of dragonform is an exquisitely beautiful and delicate tattoo that rises up the bearer’s neck and ends just below the wearer’s eyes. The tattoo glows softly – as do now all of the other tattoos created by Ryuu’s technique.
Once per day as a standard action, the bearer of a tattoo of dragonform can become a dragon, as form of the dragon III, for fifteen minutes.
A tattoo of dragonform only functions if the bearer also has a tattoo of adaptation, a tattoo of ascension, and a tattoo of diamond scales.
Construction Requirements
Cost 45,000 gp; Feats Inscribe Magical Tattoo; Spells form of the dragon III

The Fourteen Forms:
I powered down Suishen quite a bit from its initial form and reworked many of its upgrades. Part of this rework included locking some of the more enticing Suishen upgrades behind study of the Fourteen Forms rather than simply killing oni.

The Fourteen Forms

The Fourteen Forms is a surprisingly insightful work on the art of swordplay written by Amatasu Takeo, a legendary swordsman, sensei, and daimyo. Takeo’s treatise explains the art of using a katana to its very fullest and, more importantly, how to incorporate the lessons taught by other fighting styles into its use.

It also recounts the story of a great tragedy that struck Takeo’s life when his son was slain by a powerful warlord – a ronin and former student of Takeo’s, who used his former daimyo’s own techniques to exact his vengeance.

The legendary swordsman became lost within himself over his shame and grief, and for years, he drowned his sorrows in sake. Over time, his teachings and methods became equated with his own dishonorable behavior, and his school and household were abandoned.

Late in his life, it is said he found counsel with an insightful kami. It is unclear whether he gave up the drink, but he developed a new technique that required breaking a thousand swords to perfect. He then took this new sword style back to face the warlord.

The result of their final confrontation, however, is absent.

Simply beginning to master the Fourteen Forms requires incredible mental focus and discipline, and is impossible to learn without also immersing oneself in bushido — the way of the warrior.

First Form
Prerequisite: Amatatsu scion, Knowledge (Nobility) 3 ranks, Iron Will
Benefit: Studying the Fourteen Forms grants proficiency with the katana, and allows you to treat the katana as belonging to any and all weapon groups.

Second Form
Prerequisite: Amatatsu scion, Knowledge (Nobility) 6 ranks, First Form, Lightning Reflexes
Benefit: Your continued study of the Fourteen Forms has made the katana an extension of your arm. In your hands, a katana has the blocking, brace, disarm, distracting, and trip special weapon properties. In addition, you can both draw and sheathe a katana as a free action.

Third Form
Prerequisite: Amatatsu scion, Knowledge (Nobility) 9 ranks, Second Form, Great Fortitude
Benefit: Your understanding of Takeo’s life has surpassed simple knowledge of the Fourteen Forms. You have grown to learn the man behind the techniques detailed within the book, and have come to truly understand his suffering and share the burden of his shame and dishonor.
You ignore penalties on attack rolls when wielding a katana, such as those imposed by wielding a broken katana, attacking while prone, or the penalties imposed by being shaken, sickened, or even while suffering from negative levels.

Fourth Form
Prerequisite: Amatatsu scion, Knowledge (Nobility) 12 ranks, Third Form, must break one thousand swords
Benefit: You have mastered the Thousand Broken Swords technique. In your hands, a katana has the sunder special weapon property, and you ignore the hardness of weapons with a katana.

Fifth Form
Prerequisite: Amatatsu scion, Knowledge (Nobility) 15 ranks, Fourth Form, must discover the fate of Amatasu Takeo
Benefit: You have uncovered the ultimate fate of Amatatsu Takeo; that after defeating the warlord, he committed seppuku – thus regaining his honor – and in so doing, transferred his life essence into his katana, thus becoming Suishen.
In your hands, Suishen is treated as if it had the vorpal weapon quality.

Writ of the Blackened Hand:
This tome details Amatatsu Kenshii, one of the greatest warriors in the history of Minkai. Raised in the service of the devil-worshiping Empress Amatatsu Maemi, Kenshii became known as one of her most feared enforcers, but she ultimately turned on the Empress.

Though ruthless in her application of the Empress’s rage, Kenshii was a woman of honor. Her victims were the ruthless brigands and unlawful rebels that threatened the order of the Empire of Minkai.

However, when the Empress ordered her soldiers to massacre an entire village that housed a handful of rebels, Kenshii stood against her former comrades alone, guarding a pass as the villagers fled, making her katana an impassable wall of steel that none could pass unscathed.

Kenshii was hunted by the Empress’s assassins for the remainder of Maemi’s reign, and after hundreds of battles and assassination attempts, Kenshii’s reputation only grew more fearsome. Eventually, the Empress began sending inhuman assassins, including golems and undead. According to legend, Kenshii had become so ferocious that she was even able to strike fear into the mindless.

Ultimately, Kenshii returned to the Imperial Palace, confronting Empress Maemi and her diabolical minions before the Jade Throne itself. She suffered grievous wounds in the battle, but her determination to end Maemi’s evil drove her on. In the end, the two slew each other. According to legend, the last thing Maemi felt before she perished was fear.

With this sacrifice, Kenshii finally atoned for her past misdeeds and regained her honor.

The Writ of the Blackened Hand is a tale of twisted upbringing and fearsome reputation, conscience and betrayal, and finally vengeance and redemption. But in all stages, one constant remains: Kenshii’s ferocious and ever-growing reputation.

First Test
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Intimidate 3 ranks
Benefit: You do not take a penalty on Intimidate checks against creatures larger than you.

Second Test
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Intimidate 6 ranks
Benefit: You can use the demoralize action on your allies when they are the subject of a fear effect to instead grant them temporary immunity to fear for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds they would be shaken by your demoralization check.

[/i]Third Test
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Intimidate 9 ranks
Benefit: Once per day, you can make an intimidate check as a full-round action to emit an aura of menace as a spell-like ability, as the spell archon’s aura, with a DC equal to the result of your intimidate check. If you have the Dazzling Display feat, you can activate the effects of that feat as part of this full-round action.

[i]Fourth Test
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Intimidate 12 ranks
Benefit: You can use the intimidate skill against mindless creatures such as constructs, undead, and vermin, albeit at a -5 penalty.

Fifth Test
Prerequisites: Amatatsu scion, Intimidate 15 ranks
Benefit: Creatures with immunity to fear are not immune to the effects of your intimidate skill, though such checks have a -10 penalty.

The Way of the Dog:
This text chronicles the journeys of a man named Ikkitousen no Inuzama, a famous Tien philosopher. Inuzama was born into a wealthy branch of the Amatatsu family. After an unlucky illness killed his third cousin, Inuzama was to become the head of the main house until he witnessed a samurai preparing to kill a beautiful girl for daring to look upon his face. Against the laws of the ruling class of Minkai, Inuzama saved her life at the cost of his own honor. Stuck at a strange place in society where his family’s honor barely shielded his worthlessness and his status had become less than a slave yet his noble title was worth just less than the Emperor of Minkai’s, Inuzama bared many hardships and cruelties at the hands of the ruling class— most famously, he was fed at the tableside scraps like a dog.

Fed up with his mistreatment, and with the help of the peasant girl he saved, Inuzama faked his own death during a tsunami. He took the name Ikkitousen no Inuzama— literally, “The dog who is greater than a thousand dogs”— and began to wander.

For the next hundred years, Inuzama wandered the Dragon Empires as a peasant and beggar along with his faithful female companion, and later, wife. Due to his status as a man without status and her status as a dishonored peasant, they were considered to be ‘untouchable’ by many members of society, and faced constant abuse. Their life at the bottom of society did not cause Inuzama grief, but instead provoked him into writing thousands upon thousands of reflections of his life and experiences, about the nature of the spirit, society, monarchy, ruler ship, self-worth, the worth of nobility, the power of the human soul, and the importance of human empathy. When these writings were given away (because they could not be sold), they became popular with the lower class; they soon reached the nobility, and were very popular. Soon, he visited the homes of many noblemen to give them advice on their lives— and often instead used the opportunity to mix verbal abuse with his teachings, disparaging the lavish and extravagant lives of the nobility in comparison to the poverty-stricken lives of the working class.

Inuzama disappeared at the age of 131 when travelling into the legendary Forest of Spirits. Many believe that he did not disappear, but only ascended to become a protective spirit known as a kami.

To follow the Way of the Dog is to learn lessons of humility and reconciliation with oneself.

First Path
Prerequisites: Amatatsu Scion, Survival 3 ranks, must have suffered a disgrace, humiliation, or committed a dishonorable act
Benefit: You gain the trait Broken, not Beaten (this does not count against your limit of Combat traits.) If you already possess the Diehard feat or the Broken, Not Beaten trait, the First Path resonates with you more deeply, and you instead gain the benefits of the Lingering Spirit alchemist discovery.

Second Path
Prerequisites: Amatatsu Scion, Survival 6 ranks, First Path
Benefit As Inuzama continued on his journey of suffering and self-reflection, he learned the need to leave his past behind and apply himself wholly to his new life. Retraining without an instructor costs no gold.

Third Path
Prerequisites: Amatatsu Scion, Survival 9 ranks, Second Path
Benefit Inuzama became adept at changing with the tides of his new life. Retraining without an instructor takes no additional time.

Fourth Path
Prerequisites: Amatatsu Scion, Survival 12 ranks, Third Path
Benefit As Inuzama life and journey progressed, he learned to leave behind the parts of his past that had once haunted him and embrace his new inner peace. You can use retraining to retrain traits and drawbacks. Retraining a trait or drawback takes 5 days. Retraining a trait allows you to select a different trait from the same category to replace it. Retraining a drawback removes the drawback.

Fifth Path
Prerequisites Amatatsu Scion, Survival 15 ranks, Fourth Path, must retrain with Ikkitousen no Inuzama as your instructor
Benefit Training with Inuzama takes 5 days and grants the Ultimate Versatility mythic power (treat your effective mythic tier as 1 for the purpose of this ability).


I apologize for the thread necromancy, but this thread seems prone to it.

I'm hoping for a bit of feedback on my Brinewall treasures. Since my campaign has taken forever to actually get started, I’ve had a lot of time to work on them, and I (may) have gone a bit overboard. I apologize in advance for the length of my post.

The party will find four journals, each accompanied by another item linked to the writer of the journal. Each journal was written by someone associated with the Amatatsu family centuries or even millennia ago. They provide a number of benefits to an appropriate character who studies them at the right time:

  • 1. At 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels, they provide a permanent bonus of some sort. The four bonuses are knowledge of a language, two feats, and a special ability. For the feats, I’ve tried to make sure one of them is a “feat tax” type feat and the other is a feat that the character wouldn’t normally have access to. I’ve tried to keep the special abilities useful but relatively minor.
  • 2. They provide instructions for upgrading their associated items three times (at 8th, 10th, and 12th levels), without the need for crafting feats. The cost to upgrade the items is normal (half the difference in price), but each also specifies certain talismanic components that, if included, halve the cost of the upgrade. By GM fiat, these components must be collected personally by the crafter to be effective.

The non-journal items are intended to represent the treasurers the AP calls for, and I’m removing the +1 returning starknife to allow for a higher value. Additionally, each of the non-journal items provides a social benefit and a social drawback at a certain point in the AP. I have not attempted to value the journals, and am just accepting that they’re worth more than the party should actually be getting. I have a feeling that may result in me needing to increase the challenge of the encounters they face, but I can deal with that. I’m more concerned that the value and power of the items each character receives is loosely comparable.

The Journal of Amatatsu Sanoha (for a human paladin of Sarenrae):

This well-used, thick, leather-bound book’s cover is marked only with Shizuru’s holy symbol. It is hand-written in Minkaian and includes various rough sketches. It is the personal journal of a samurai who lived over a thousand years ago. Any paladin, even without knowledge of the Minkaian language, will find himself able to understand its text.

The earliest entries describe Sanoha’s training in the samurai arts, including many notes and skteches discussing weapon techniques. Upon completion of his training, Sanoha faithfully served his uncle, a powerful daimyo and head of the Amatatsu family, in the twilight of the Teikoku Shogunate. He traveled widely in his uncle’s service and witnessed first-hand the Shogun’s atrocities. After witnessing a particularly heinous act, Sanoha prayed to Shizuru for the Shogun to be stopped. She responded rather more directly than anticipated and offered to aid him should he choose to take up that cause himself. He accepted her charge, after being allowed to leave his uncle’s service, and began to serve her as a paladin. Among his quests as a paladin, Sanoha accompanied a scholar to an oni stronghold in the Forest of Spirits in search of lost knowledge. After fighting their way inside, he managed to hold the entrance to the library for hours, while the scholar did her research. Shortly after this quest, Sanoha joined up with Setsuna Kuga’s revolution seeking to overthrow the Shogun. In Uddo, he met and swiftly fell in love with a geisha by the name of Ayaki, whom he married just before the climactic battle. The journal abruptly ends before the battle.

Abilities granted:

  • 4th level: Exotic Weapon Proficiency in the katana and wakizashi
  • 6th level: Minkaian language
  • 8th level: when using the smite evil ability, double the damage bonus on the first attack against outsiders with the oni subtype instead of against evil-aligned dragons
  • 10th level: Pin Down

Associated item: tatami-do of Shizuru’s blessing

This +1 champion tatami-do has distinctive enameling of small holy symbols of various good deities (mostly Tien ones: Shizuru, Tsukiyo, Qi Zhong, Shelyn, Desna, and Kofusachi but also here and there Avistani ones like Erastil, Torag, Sarenrae, Cayden Cailean) scattered over the armor. (See description of righteous armor ability.) When found, this tatami-do has large holy symbol of Shizuru in center of chest-piece, but when put on by good character, changes to holy symbol of that character’s deity.

Amatatsu Onoko (in the Imperial Shrine) recognizes this armor and grants the party a +2 bonus to its diplomacy check. Teikoku Sokai also recognizes this armor and becomes enraged when he sees it, focusing his attacks on its wearer, gaining a +1 to attacks, but taking a -1 to AC.

Upgrades to the tatami-do of Shizuru’s blessing:

  • 1. Enhancement bonus +2 – requires 8 ranks in craft (armor), cost halved with a piece of a creature of living stone or metal
  • 2. Enhancement bonus +3 & continuous longstrider – requires 10 ranks in craft (armor), cost halved with a scale from a creature with heavy natural armor and the sandal of a hostile monk
  • 3. Righteous and advancing abilities – requires 12 ranks in craft (armor), cost halved with a feather or scale from a celestial’s wing, the blood of a giant, a piece of a construct, and the blessing of a grateful kami

Value: 5,150 gp (as found), 10,150 gp (upgraded to +2), 20,150 gp (upgraded to +3 longstriding), 56,150 gp (upgraded to +3 advancing longstriding righteous)

Questions:
I’m not entirely sold on the name of the armor. Anyone have a better suggestion?

The Journal of Onana Roiat (for a halfling druid):

This small book is bound in wood with a carved wolf’s paw on the cover. Hand-written in Druidic, it also includes small, skillful sketches. It is the journal of a halfling druid who lived over 3000 years ago.

The journal begins with Onana returning to Kalsgard for supplies after having explored among the Varki. In the Stormspear Mountains, she encounters a caravan of strange looking humans who speak no language she’s familiar with. Starving and lost, she feeds them and manages to guide them to the pass south into the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Amid much bowing, which she takes for thanks, she leads them to Kalsgard. Along the way, they begin puzzling out each other’s language. Once they're communicating better, the leader of the caravan introduces himself as Amatatsu Aganhei, a trader from the distant land of Minkai, looking to establish a new trade route with these exotic lands they find themselves in. Onana and Aganhei quickly became friends, and Onana largely stayed with the caravan, even when it finally arrived in Kalsgard. There, the caravan spent the winter trading, repairing, restocking, and resting. In the spring, Aganhei invited Onana to join the caravan for its trip back to Minkai. Full of wanderlust, she agreed. She quickly proved her worth, often summoning animals to help defend the caravan. After a long trek across the tundra, they arrive at an Erutaki village on the edge of the High Ice by the name of Unaimo. Under siege by a pair of Ijiraat (evil shapeshifters that can take the forms of ravens, wolves, bears, and humans), they're starving because the monsters are preying on the village's hunters, but the hunters’ spears hardly hurt them. Onana shifts into a massive tiger and tracks down the beasts, and with the help of the caravan guards and village hunters takes them down. In thanks, the villagers give her a beautiful, magical fur vest. After making the long trek across the Crown of the World and through the Wall of Heaven, they finally make it to Tian Xia. In thanks for all her help, Aganhei commissions a gorgeous dragonhide tatami-do for Onana.

Abilities granted:

  • 4th level: Tien language
  • 6th level: Spell Focus (conjuration)
  • 8th level: uncanny dodge
  • 10th level: Heavy Armor Proficiency

Associated item: vest of the ijiraat
This vest is made from sealskin/seal fur in a distinctive but traditional Erutaki style. It has three buttons on the front, each representing a different animal: a raven, a bear, and a wolf. The vest of the ijiraat grants a constant endure elements effect to the wearer. Additionally, when this item is worn by a character with the wild shape ability, the character can use that ability one additional time each day.

The residents of Iqaliat recognize this vest as an ancient gift from their people, granting the party a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks in Iqaliat. Vegundsavaag also recognizes it as a symbol of the hated Erutaki and becomes enraged when she sees it, focusing her attacks on its wearer, gaining a +1 to attacks, but taking a -1 to AC.

Upgrades to the vest of the ijiraat:

  • 1. Allow wearer to speak while wild shaped – requires 8 ranks in profession (herbalist), cost halved with a hair/feather/scale/etc. of an awakened animal
  • 2. Add a polymorphic pouch – requires 10 ranks in profession (herbalist), cost halved with a hair/feather/scale/etc. of a shapechanger
  • 3. +3 enhancement bonus to attack and damage with natural weapons – requires 12 ranks in profession (herbalist), cost halved with a claw or talon from each of three different hostile creatures larger than a large man, and the blessing of a grateful kami

Value: 5,250 gp (as found), 7,250 gp (upgraded to allow speaking while wild shaped), 14,750 gp (upgraded to add polymorphic pouch), 50,750 gp (upgraded to add bonus with natural weapons)

Questions:

  • 1. I’m not sure if it’s important that, for favor reasons, I changed this from the body slot to the chest slot. Does anyone think this makes a big difference?
  • 2. The druid in the party was the only one who didn’t pick a craft skill as a background skill. I’m thinking of treating profession (herbalist) sort of like craft (alchemy) and flavoring the upgrades as him creating special inks/dyes and applying them to the vest. Does anyone have a better idea?
  • 3. I’m really hesitant to have the 10th level ability granted by the journal be Heavy Armor Proficiency, but I haven’t been able to come up with a fitting feat that isn’t otherwise accessible to the character. Any suggestions? He's designed around wild-shaped melee.

The Journal of Jininsiel Talathlon (for an elf ranger):

This book is bound in darkleaf cloth with a bow embroidered on the cover. It is hand-written in neat, but cramped, Elven and contains precise but spare diagrams. It is the journal of an elven ranger who lived a thousand years ago.

The beginning of this journal describes Talathlon’s youth and training. A young, distant cousin of the leader of Jinin, he chose to become one of the defenders of the land and dedicated himself to the study of archery. During one of Talathlon’s first shifts on patrol, a stranger by the name of Amatatsu Shokuro arrives, along with a small entourage. Among that entourage was a beautiful young samurai named Amatatsu Kasuri, with whom Talathlon instantly became smitten. Over the weeks and months the strangers remained in Ayajinbo, the elves of Jinin became equally smitten with the code of honor described and lived by the visiting samurai. Eventually, they became so impressed with the samurai’s way of life that they decided to adapt the code to their own use and remake Jinin into a shogunate. In the meantime, Talathlon spent as much time with Kasuri as he could. He discovered that their infatuation was mutual, and by the time the shogunate was established, they had fallen deeply in love. Shortly thereafter, Shokuro and his party were preparing to depart and return to Minkai. Talathlon, not wanting to be separated from Kasuri, begged leave to join them and represent Jinin as an ambassador to the Minkaian emperor’s court. His cousin granted leave, and Talathlon departed with Shokuro and his companions. During the long trip to Minkai, Talathlon and Kasuri were inseparable, he with the excuse of sharing archery tricks, and she with teaching him the language. After their arrival in Minkai, Talathlon quickly settled in. He and Kasuri quickly married. Several years later, he sent to his cousin for materials to enchant a bow he had crafted for her. Unfortunately, before he could complete the process, Kasuri was killed in a skirmish with oni. Heartbroken, Talathlon requested that he be replaced as ambassador. After his replacement arrives, he makes plans to return to Jinin, but the journal ends before he actually leaves.

Abilities granted:

  • 4th level: Point-Blank Shot (or Deadly Aim if he already has PBS)
  • 6th level: Honor in All Things as a samurai of the ranger’s level, if he abides by the Order of the Warrior’s edicts
  • 8th level: Disrupting Shot
  • 10th level: Minkaian language

Associated item: Kasuri’s vengeance
This Minkaian-style (asymmetric) +1 adaptive darkwood composite longbow is carved in a clearly elven style, but the motifs are not those common among Avistani elves. Stained nearly black, it is inlaid with mithral in the shape of a many-limbed leafless tree that almost seems to glow.

Noburo (in the Forest of Spirits) recognizes bow as being from Jinin (i.e. good guardians of nature) and grants the party a +2 bonus to its diplomacy check. Buto Futotsu, the Swine Shogun, also recognizes it as a symbol of hated Jinin and becomes enraged when he sees it, focusing his attacks on the wielder, gaining a +1 to attacks, but taking a -1 to AC.

Upgrades to Kasuri’s vengeance:

  • 1. Enhancement bonus +2 – requires 8 ranks in craft (bows), cost halved with a dragon’s fang
  • 2. Seeking and impervious abilities – requires 10 ranks in craft (bows), cost halved with a hair/feather/scale/etc. from a hostile creature with the scent ability and a hair/feather/scale/etc. from a hostile creature that can regenerate
  • 3. Enhancement bonus +3 and oni bane ability – requires 12 ranks in craft (bows), cost halved with a tusk, fang, or horn from each of two different hostile creatures larger than a large man, the blood of an oni, and the blessing of a grateful kami

Value: 3,430 gp (as found), 9,430 gp (upgraded to +2), 22,430 gp (upgraded to +2 impervious seeking), 54,430 gp (upgraded to +3 impervious oni bane seeking)

Questions:

  • 1. I’m not entirely sold on the name of the bow. Does anyone have a better suggestion?
  • 2. I’m not thrilled with the social benefit & drawback I came up with. Can anyone suggest anything better?
  • 3. I’m not really happy with the talismanic components for the first and third upgrades. Does anyone have a better suggestion? The first component needs to be something that can be found after leaving Brinewall and before getting to the Storm Tower. The third needs to be something that can be found by the end of Munasukaru’s Penance.

The Journal of Ayaki (for an elf bard):

This book is bound in pink silk with a samisen painted on the cover. It is hand-written in careful, elegant Senzar. It is the journal of a kitsune geisha who lived over a thousand years ago. Any bard of good alignment, even without knowledge of the Senzar language will find herself able to understand its text.

The earliest part of this journal recounts Ayaki’s early childhood as an orphan on the streets of Uddo. Raised by local thieves, they quickly noticed how things just seemed to go better when she was around, and she quickly became their good luck charm. She adamantly maintained, though, that she was going marry a handsome samurai and be the wisest, most beautiful woman in the imperial court. “It’s my destiny!” she would insist. After her mentor let his vulpine form be seen and was killed, Ayaki ended up in an orphanage, where she hid in her human form. There, she found herself fascinated by the geisha at the neighboring teahouse, and they eventually accepted her as a maiko (apprentice geisha). She was a gifted dancer and singer, but as she grew into a beautiful woman, she became known for her silver tongue, easily picking up the languages of the many foreigners visiting the capital. One day, a favorite client, Higashiyama Kousei, heir to the Higashiyama daimyo, was imprisoned for daring to suggest marriage to a member of a disfavored family, while his intended was exiled from Uddo. The sheer cruelty of the Shogun’s actions convinced Ayaki to secretly join with Kousei and the war against the Shogun. By day she used her access as a popular and influential geisha both to obtain information and to plant seeds of dissent in the Shogun’s court. By night, she began using her long-neglected street skills to sabotage the Shogun’s forces wherever she could, and passed along the information she obtained. She soon met another ally, Amatatsu Sanoha, and they swiftly fell in love. On the eve of the climactic Battle of Eight Bridges, Ayaki and Sanoha married, not wanting to tempt fate by waiting until their victory. Their decision was prescient, as the fallout of the battle was far more terrible than they could have imagined. While the revolution had succeeded in eliminating the Shogun, and Kousei was crowned emperor, Ayaki’s losses, on a personal level, were staggering. Sanoha, though he struck the blow that killed the Shogun, took a mortal blow himself. Ayaki went from bride to widow in less than a week. Uddo, the city she’d grown up in and never left, had been razed. Emperor Kousei, not one to forget a friend and ally, offered Ayaki a place in his new court at Kasai as an honored advisor. She accepted his offer, fulfilling the destiny she’d claimed as a child, but her position didn’t last long, as she succumbed to a plague the following year.

Abilities granted:

Associated item: kanzashi of inspired greatness
This pair of golden hairsticks is topped with large rose quartz carved into elaborate peony flowers. Whenever its wearer begins an inspire courage bardic performance, it automatically casts a modified moment of greatness: instead of doubling any morale bonus, it doubles any bonus from inspire courage. Its wearer can also cast saving finale on command and allegro once per day.

Higashiyama Shigure recognizes this kanzashi as belonging to a key supporter of his ancestor, the first emperor of Mikai, in the fight to overthrow Teikoku Sokai, and grants the party a +2 bonus on diplomacy checks while questioning him. Sikutsu Sennaka recognizes it as a symbol of the “traitorous” geisha and becomes enraged when he sees it, focusing his attacks on its wearer, gaining a +1 to attacks, but taking a -1 to AC.

Upgrades to the kanzashi of inspired greatness:

  • 1. +3 competence bonus to charisma-based checks – requires 8 ranks in craft (jewelry), cost halved with a hair/feather/scale/etc. of a creature that fascinates, enchants, or charms enemies
  • 2. Add a ring of spell knowledge III – requires 10 ranks in craft (jewelry), cost halved with a page from a wizard’s spellbook or a hair/feather/scale/etc. from a witch’s familiar
  • 3. Add a 3rd level runestone of power – requires 12 ranks in craft (jewelry), cost halved with a hair/feather/scale/etc. from each of three different hostile arcane spellcasters, and the blessing of a grateful kami

Value: 4,676 gp (as found), 11,426 gp (upgraded with bonus to charisma-based checks), 31,676 gp (upgraded to add ring of spell knowledge), 58,676 gp (upgraded to add runestone of power)

Questions:

  • Are my value calculations reasonable here?
  • Moment of greatness: use activated – 1 x 1 x 2,000 gp less 30% for bard use only = 1,400 gp
  • Saving finale: command word – 1 x 1 x 1,800 gp less 30% for bard use only = 1,260 gp
  • Allegro: command word – 2 x 4 x 1,800 gp less 30% for bard use only, divided by 5 for single-charge = 2,016 gp
  • Total: 1,400 gp + 1,260 gp + 2,016 gp = 4,676 gp

Thanks for reading this far and for any feedback. Thanks also to the previous posters who inspired some of these ideas.

-Joe

Lantern Lodge

So, I'm co-opting this "Amatatsu Library" idea, and considering it a bit of foreshadowing for future development.

I have five PCs- -I'm going to have each of them "gravitate" towards a book written by someone from each of the five families to sort of add the "Five Families v. Five Storms" background.

Part of the problem with the campaign is that there's a ton of cool loot that our party won't be proficient with, so the idea for the books I had were as follows:

-'Studying' any of the books alongside Ameiko and/or Koya grant Tien as a bonus language.
-Reading a book lets a PC use an eastern weapon as though it was a "normal" equivalent, tailored to the PC. (Some of these make more sense than others...glaive=naginata, earthbreaker=tetsubo, longbow=daikyuu, but the other two PCs are a summoner who technically has a quarterstaff and a brawler who forgoes weaponry altogether).
-Each book would have another ability outside of the language and proficiency that would be PC-specific.

So, here's what I'm starting from. More ideas/better names/critiques would be appreciated. The party will be 5th level after Brinewall.

Loyalty, by Amatatsu Maemi (for a LN Unchained Summonner):

This treatise about service and obedience is allegorically focused on planar binding and filled with gory detail.

-Studying this book grants the reader Tien as a bonus language.
-Studying this book allows the reader to treat a Katana as a Longsowrd for feat and ability purposes.
-At 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th level, choose an ice, mud, magma, or lightning elementals. You can now summon them with summon monster spells or SLAs. At 12(? negotiable)th level, add Aether Elementals to this list as well.
-Erinyes Devils may be summoned with SM5 instead of SM6, but the PC will know that summoning them in this way will have unknown consequences later. (When the party meets Amatatsu Maemi in book six, she will have recon as if she witnessed the party fighting in any encounter with Erinyes present).

The Pale Flower, by Shojinawa Hokuto (for a NG cleric of Shelyn taking the Bladed Brush feats):

This tragedy play and accompanied musical score tells of a samurai who is assigned by his daimyo to a battalion alongside his father's murderer. The samurai plots revenge throughout the war, but cannot act in a way that would weaken his lord's forces. The samurai loses his life in the following battle, and dies with honor intact.

-Studying this book grants the reader Tien as a bonus language.
-Studying this book allows the reader to treat a Naginata as a Glaive for feat and ability purposes.
-At 5th level, gain Clarifying Channel as a bonus feat.

The Arrow Flies True, by Higashiyama Hasegawa, (for an archery-style ranger):

This collection of haiku and other poetry is illustrated with fine watercolor art. One story details a monk, despite being blind, drove off a rampaging bear with a flurry of arrows, saving her monastery and nearby town.

-Studying this book grants the reader Tien as a bonus language.
-Studying this book allows the reader to treat a Daikyuu as a Longbow for feat and ability purposes.
-Treat all wind as one step less severe for the purposes of firing a bow.
-At 5th level, gain Boon Companion as a bonus feat. (I expect this PC to take an animal companion at 4th level...)

The Fall of Lung Wa, by Sugimatu Ichiro (for a Brawler, using some style feats):

This historical account is written from the point of view of a leader of the successor states after the Lung Wa empire collapsed into what are know collectively called the Dragon Empires, including several detailed reports about combat operations of the newly formed nations.

-Studying this book grants the reader Tien as a bonus language.
-Studying this book allows the reader to treat a Nine-Ring Broadsword as a member of the close weapon group for feat and ability purposes. (I plan on making the Nine-Fold Spirit Sword into another "family" weapon, but if there is a better option somewhere else I'm open to ideas).
-At 5th level, you may assume a combat style as part of the same action to "learn" it via Martial Flexibility. If you have a style feat permanently, you may start combat in that style (as per part of Combat Style Master).

Monkey Goblin, by Teikoku Ishii (for a 2-handed fighter who loves to break things):

This leather-bound tome details the story of a disgraced ronin samurai who, having been commanded to leave a port town defenseless against pirates, defiantly threw himself off the cliff overlooking the port and crashed into the maruader's ship with enough force as to sink it outright.

-Studying this book grants the reader Tien as a bonus language.
-Studying this book allows the reader to treat a Tetsubo as an Earthbreaker for feat and ability purposes. (I plan to make the Tetsubo of the Titans found in book 5 another "family" weapon).
At 5th Level, gain Improved Sunder as a bonus feat. Treat objects as though there hardness is reduced by your strength modifier.

Thoughts? Advice? (The group will not likely even get to Brinewall until next week, so there's time for feedback).

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