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Hello, All,
I posted this on the Advice Board a while ago, but didn't receive any feedback. Maybe I'll have more luck on the correct board :)
I'm running a campaign where powerful artifacts have been cropping up all over the place. Magical orders, the military, thieves guilds, and others are scrambling to get their hands on as many as possible, either to keep them out of the wrong hands; to use them; or simply to counter another faction who has also been collecting, so the status quo remains the same. It has turned into a sort of Artifacts Cold War. I've been having a lot of fun writing up rules for original artifacts (non of which have been collected by the PC's yet), and would like some second opinions, feedback, or even suggestions for more!
The Book of All -
Aura: Strong Divination/Transmutation CL: 20th Slot: None Weight: 50lbs
This enormous tome requires two hands to hold properly, or else a very sturdy table, if not resting on the ground. Its cover is a deep purple, and seems to be made of congealed sand, layers of which constantly slither over each other whenever the book is handled. Though trails of sand periodically crumble to the ground, the book never diminishes in size, nor does the sand covering it thin. Despite its constantly shifting cover, forever present and unwavering on the front cover is yellow text: “I will scrutinize the souls of Man. No deed will be ignored. No sin will go unnoticed. No soul will escape judgment.”
The Book of All was crafted by Pharasma to assist her in her duty of judging souls as they pass through the River Styx. Attempting to read it, without knowing how, is impossible, as each page (which are infinite in number) appears blank. The actual contents of this book contains every iota of information about every mortal soul there ever was, or ever will be. The pages appear blank because without knowing a person on the most personally intimate level, the reader’s brain simply cannot make sense of so much information.
To activate the Book of All, the user must flip a page and make a DC 30 Wisdom check with a specific person in mind. This person must have a mortal soul, and the user must know the person on some social level. The user gets a +5 bonus to this check if he knows the target very well, or a +10 if the target is the user. Success means the page (which never runs out of room for text) suddenly fills itself with information. To begin reading this text, the user must then make a DC 30 Will save (DC 35 if the target is the user). Failure means the user can’t handle or accept the wealth or truth of information on the page, and takes [1d4 + Target’s HD] Wisdom damage, must make an additional Will save equal to the original minus 5 or become permanently insane (cured with miracle, wish, or limited wish), and the page is again unreadable by the user (another Wisdom check is required to reactivate the book). Success means the user has full access to the page’s contents.
Once the user can freely read a page in the Book of All, he can forever re-read that specific page without a future Wisdom check or Will save, and any social-based skill checks pertaining to the target made by the user receive a +10 competence bonus. In addition, he can edit the page to any extent he wishes. Any changes to a page’s contents become just as true as the information originally present. This means the user can change literally any aspect of the target’s being (the target’s soul cannot be made immortal), such as personality traits, past life, race, class, ability scores, etc. The changes must be manually written into the page. Removing the page from the book erases any trace of the target from the universe (memory, post-lineage, etc.). An unwilling soul receives a DC 25 Will save to negate any changes, and makes his page un-editable for 24 hours. If the target’s page is later altered by a different user, any users who previously had access to that page’s contents no longer benefit from their social skill bonus, and must make a new Wisdom check and Will save to re-read the newly edited page.
The Book of All cannot be destroyed. Even writing “and then he destroyed the Book of All” only results in the text jumbling itself into a heap of unintelligible letters, the meaning of which slipping from the reader’s thoughts even as he reads them. The Book of All can only be temporarily removed from the universe. The user must consult his own page, tear it from the book, and fold it into his pocket, while still holding the book. The user has only seconds to do this before his torn page rips his existence asunder. If successful, the Book of All will be removed from existence for 1d10 x 10 years. Doing this does not cause the user to vanish from history, but to be shunted to the Astral Plane. No method employed by the former user or outside forces can remove him, except Wish or Miracle, in which case, the former user is considered to have SR [20 + his HD], which he cannot lower.
Long ago, a great calamity struck the Material Plane when a mortal man used an impossibly powerful artifact known as the Tesseract to battle the gods themselves. Pharasma (N goddess of death, birth and fate) was one of the few Deities who chose to not take part in the struggle. The Grey Lady was not left unaffected, however, as countless mortal souls, ripe for judgment, were extinguished from the land of the living in the terrible war.
To assist her in the daunting fluctuation of souls to be judged, Pharasma crafted the Book of All from the sand in her iconic hour glass. It was a grievous oversight of the Grey Lady that the contents of the book’s pages were infallible, as she later discovered with alarm that a soul’s characteristics could be altered simply by writing so within its pages. After the surplus of souls had been judged, Pharasma, no longer needing the book’s assistance, hid it away, as destroying it would end the life of every living soul, indeed, every soul that ever was, erasing any and all mortal history.
News of this very useful artifact eventually spread to other deities. Asmodeus (LE god of contracts and slavery) sought out Norgorber (NE god of thievery and assassination) to assist him in obtaining the Book of All. Unfortunately for the clever, calculating deities, word of their plot reached the ears of Pharasma, who, with the assistance of Torag (LG god of protection and the forge) and Iomedae (LG goddess of valor, justice and honor), thwarted the evil gods. During the struggle, however, Norgorber managed to move the Book of All from its hiding place among the Outer Planes to the Material Plane in hopes of recovering it later. In the thousands of years since, the Book of All has made several notable appearances. The most recent of which was in the hands of Sir Brint when he used the book to remove the now forgotten king from history, in his quest to restore balance to the world. He then tore his own page from the book and stored it in his pocket, banishing himself and the book from the Material Plane.
Able to alter time and space with the flick of a pen is, unsurprisingly, a power few could resist. Often unforeseeable consequences are thrust upon the user and his world. The Book of All knows this, and often uses its own rules of function to thwart additional meddling:
Escape Through Time: Altering the flow of time rivals the power of Gods. If the user alters enough past events, or events extremely far past, The Book of All may be able to seize its opportunity, and re-conspire events to prevent the current user from ever laying hands on the Artifact. The past remains changed.
Spatial Déjà Vu: Although the user has full, unadulterated knowledge of the target’s page, and retains that knowledge as he edits the page, significant enough changes may be too radical to fully grasp as they’re happening, resulting in the target’s page to appear blank again, as the target’s being changed too extremely, too quickly for the reader to continue to understand the page’s contents, and must make his Wisdom check and Will save again to return to the edited page.
Eraser Blade -
Aura: Strong Transmutation CL: 20th Slot: None Weight: -
The Eraser Blade is a large +5 Keen Greatsword. Though the adamantine blade should appear a cold grey, it is an impossible pitch of black, as light simply cannot find it. The ornately carved handle is colors of grey and white, and depicts the crackling flames of the forge. The Eraser Blade ignores every type of damage reduction, item hardness, and AC from armor, shields and natural armor. It is immune to spells and spell-like abilities, and carries a weight unfit for mortal men.
Only while under the effects of Ant Haul can a creature attempt to lift the Eraser Blade with a DC 26 (assuming large sized) strength check (28 for medium, 30 for small, 24 for huge, etc). If a creature is holding the Eraser Blade, he can choose to drop it as a free action at any point during his turn. The sudden and radical change in mass causes the creature to become staggered for 2d6 rounds. If the wielder wishes to continue to hold the sword, he must make a strength check equal to the check made to lift it based on his size. Failure means the sword’s supernatural weight pulls itself and the wielder to the earth. The wielder drops the sword after taking 1d6 strength and 1d6 constitution damage, and is partially embedded into the ground, gaining the entangled effect, anchored to the square(s) on which it stood when it failed its strength check. The creature can free itself with a DC 20 strength check or DC 25 escape artist check. Succeeding his strength check to continue to hold the sword means the wielder can wield the sword for one round. Should Ant Haul be dispelled from the wielder, act immediately as though he had failed his strength check to continue to hold the sword (no save).
During a round in which a creature wields the Eraser Blade, he can choose to put the sword down as a move action, avoiding the staggered condition. The wielder can instead make a melee attack roll (3d6 weapon damage) or sunder attempt as a standard action. A creature susceptible to bleed takes 2d6 bleed damage when struck. Damaging a creature with armor or a shield has a 25% chance to automatically deal half damage dealt to its armor or shield (70%/30% armor/shield). Damage dealt by the Eraser Blade (not including bleed damage) to a creature or item is irremovable (except with a miracle, wish, or limited wish spell), as any matter struck with the Eraser Blade is destroyed outright.
Landing a critical hit with the Eraser Blade causes such complete destruction that space is rent apart in the wake of its cataclysmic swing. The target must make a DC [damage dealt] Fortitude save or die. If it makes the save, it takes critical damage as normal, but even the 2d6 bleed damage cannot be healed (or staunched) without a miracle, wish, or limited wish spell. In addition, all creatures (including the wielder) in a 50’ radius take 5d6 force damage as all light and sound is sucked through the tear in space, which also creates supernatural silence and darkness for 1 minute.
Striking a creature also targets the highest level spell currently effecting it (beneficial or not). If damage dealt to the target (not including bleed damage) is at least [10 + double spell’s level], the spell is dispelled. If multiple spells of the highest level are currently affecting the target, roll randomly to see which spell is dispelled. The wielder can also target an ongoing spell effect (such as Wall of Fire, or a summoned creature) as a standard action. The sword must “make contact” with the ongoing effect. If successful, roll damage normally, even if the effect can’t possibly take HP damage. If damage dealt is at least [10 + double spell’s level], the ongoing effect is dispelled (the Wall of Fire is dispelled, or the summoned creature is banished). Sundering a magic item, giving it the broken condition suppresses the magic item’s effects like normal, but the magic item must then make a DC [damage dealt] Will save or be completely destroyed. Only a miracle, wish, or limited wish can repair a magic item damaged in this way. Even other artifacts must make this save if sundered by the Eraser Blade, or have their effects suppressed for 1d4 minutes. The wielder can dispel a magical effect affecting himself as a standard action using the same rules and rolls as against a targeted creature (the wielder does not take damage).
The only way to destroy the Eraser Blade is to forge a second similar weapon, and strike the two together. The resulting destruction could very well form a small black hole. The only being capable of making a similar weapon is the Eraser Blade’s crafter, Torag, in his legendary forge.
Torag (LG god of protection and the forge) crafted the Eraser Blade for his champion and herald, Gabrielle. The Solar Angel is indeed a force to be feared when wielding his partner: Eraser Blade. Their recorded deeds include silencing the legendary Tarrasque; diving into the Abyssal Plane and fighting Orcus (CR 35 Demon Prince of the Undead), stalling the Demon Lord from bolstering his undead army, which ultimately led to Dwarven victory in the War of Decay; and most recently: ripping law itself from the Material Plane – which has obviously been reversed since.
Gabrielle’s Eraser Blade bares a supernatural weight not easily overcome by mortal men. This force is not just physically straining, but also mentally and spiritually:
Annual Fatigue: A mortal wielder of the Eraser Blade takes such physical stress, that after one day of use, the wielder ages by a full year. This aging cannot be undone by distancing himself from the sword, though other magical means can undo the aging.
Double-Edged Will: The physical willpower required to wield the Eraser Blade leaves its mortal user’s mental willpower weakened. While wielding the Eraser Blade, you incur a -4 penalty to all Will saves.
Spell Funnel: Being in close proximity to the Eraser Blade puts high levels of stress on a mortal creature’s spirit. Casting a spell while wielding it requires a DC [15 + double spell’s level] concentration check. Casting a spell while adjacent to it requires a DC [10 + double spell’s level] concentration check.
Norgorber’s Glass Eye –
Aura: Strong Divination CL: 20th Slot: Head Weight: 10 lbs
This perfectly spherical artifact is about the size of a small cannonball. It is black all around, except for its iris, which is white, and surrounding the sparkling sapphire pupil. Though its name suggests a frail and delicate composition, Norgorber’s Glass Eye is actually not made of glass at all. It is actually made of pure force, similar to Wall of Force, and therefore has hardness 30 and 400 HP. It can only heal lost HP (1d20) after resting for 8 hours, though it otherwise doesn’t need sleep, nourishment, etc.
Norgorber’s Glass Eye is an intelligent item, and therefore follows many of the rules of such:
-Alignment: NE
-Int: 14
-Wis: 20
-Cha: 18
-Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven
-Senses: 120’ (True Seeing, Read Magic, Detect Evil/Chaos/Good/Law, Detect Disease, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Detect Secret Doors, Detect Undead)
-Communication: Empathy, Telepathy
-Item Power: Cast Invisibility (Permanent) 3/Day
Cast Locate Object 3/Day
-Special purpose: Find/collect powerful Magical Items
-Dedicated Power: Cast any Divination Spell of 7th level or lower 3/Day
-Base Magic Item Cost: Over 200,001g
-Ego Score: 36
Norgorber’s Glass Eye goes beyond the usefulness of a mere intelligent item. As long as The Eye allows it, the wielder gains the following benefits: Once per day, choose any two of The Eye’s Senses and gain those senses for 24 hours. During combat, once per round, as an immediate action, choose any two squares opposite the wielder to not provide a flank bonus against the wielder. The wielder gains a competence bonus to all skill checks equal to The Eye’s corresponding ability modifier. While wielding The Eye, it floats a foot above the wielder’s head, and is therefore usually untargetable by a melee attack from a creature one or more size categories smaller than the wielder.
Upon reaching 0HP, Norgorber’s Glass Eye shatters into hundreds of fragments, losing all its spells, abilities, and means of communication. Every 8 hours, however, it heals 1d20 HP, and some of the fragments cling back together. Attacking reattached fragments can bring The Eye back to 0HP, though even if ground into dust, it will not drop below 0HP. After it has healed back to 50HP or higher in this way, The Eye is again whole and fully functional. Distancing the broken fragments by any distance or obstacles fails to slow its regeneration, and often enough, the fragment initially in the location or possession most beneficial to The Eye is typically the fragment to do the healing.
Only by reducing The Eye to 0HP, and then casting Wish or Miracle will truly destroy it. Wish or Miracle must be cast before 8 hours has passed after reducing it to 0HP.
Like its namesake, little is known for sure about Norgorber’s Glass Eye. Many people believe that Norgorber simply willed the eye into existence. Others insist that he ripped the eye from the head of a Dragon Turtle and gave it sentience from there.
The most accepted theory is that Norgorber made the eye for one of his most devoted disciples (whose name is unknown), who was tasked with hunting down and retrieving other artifacts. This eye has acted as the bridge to Norgorber that only the most privileged followers have had the chance to experience. Though the conscience within The Eye is not Norgorber himself, it is widely accepted that he modeled The Eye’s personality, ambitions and cunning after himself. Unfortunately for his followers, this has resulted in quite a few slain followers, for who could hope to live up to such a master’s expectations while under his watch every minute of every day?
The Eye of Norgorber is clever and patient, but often impatient when it comes to the unlucky wielder which The Eye depends on to do its bidding. Though The Eye lacks any direct means to kill, it often resorts to overpowering its wielder’s will in order to place the wilder in a position compromising for him, yet beneficial for The Eye, usually in the presence of the wielder’s soon-to-be killer, who then doubles as The Eye’s next vessel. As bloody a trail as this behavior is presumed to make, it is unusually difficult to track any hard evidence of The Eye’s lineage.
Though Norgorber’s Glass Eye relies on a physical body, it is hardly helpless, and is capable of taking matters into its own “hands” when it has to:
Ambitious Veil: Though most of Norgorber’s Glass Eye’s powers are tailored for perception, it is also very skilled at deception. The Eye can, at will, change its alignment aura, or even hide it altogether. As it is such a powerful consciousness, its personal aura completely overshadows the aura of all but the most potent wills. This means that the wielder reads as any alignment The Eye wishes. For better or for worse.
Forceful Rebuffet: Made of pure force, Norgorber’s Glass Eye does not break apart without consequence. If The Eye ever takes more than 10 points of damage at once, it emits a pulse of force in a 20’ radius, dealing 1d10 points of force damage for every 10 damage it took at once. In addition, when damage done to it drops its HP to 350, 300, 250, etc, all creatures within 20’ must make a Will save DC 36 or refuse to attack it for 24 hours. This is a fear affect.
Bracers of Delayed Invincibility -
Aura: Strong Abjuration CL: 20th Slot: Wrists Weight: 4 lbs
These bracers fit on the wrists of a medium humanoid creature. They seem to be made of steel, but are made of an alien metal that has never been successfully identified. When left alone, they bare no remarkable patterns or symbols, and behave as a standard pair of Bracers of Armor +2.
Only when sudden conditions threaten to alter the status of the wearer do these bracers show their true colors. The Bracers of Delayed Invincibility react to certain effects/conditions in a way meant to negate the triggering action from reoccurring. While these bracers were created with invincibility in mind, there were unfortunately some unforeseen negative consequences applied to these rules.
Regardless of any additional properties the bracers adopt, they will also always provide +2 armor AC. Any additional properties persist for 1d4+1 rounds. If similar conditions are met while the bracers are activated, reroll the countdown. If the new countdown is less than the current rounds remaining, instead add one round to the original countdown. Different triggers/effects stack with new ones. The following triggers/effects are:
Weapon Attack Roll: If the wearer is the target of a weapon attack roll (manufactured or natural), and the attack hits, or misses by five or less, the bracers glow a cold grey, and a symbol resembling a tower appears on them. Beginning on his next turn, the wearer gains +10 deflection AC and DR 20/- for 1d4+1 rounds. If the weapon used for the attack roll included any automatic energy damage in its damage roll, also apply the benefit from the Energy Damage entry.
Ranged Touch Attack: If the wearer is the target of a ranged touch attack (attack rolls made with weapons like nets have no effect), and the attack hits, or misses by five or less, the bracers glow a pale orange, and a symbol resembling a twinkling shield appears on them. Beginning on his next turn, the wearer gains +10 deflection AC and SR 30 for 1d4+1 rounds. If the ranged touch attack included any automatic energy damage in its damage roll, also apply the benefit from the Energy Damage entry. SR gained in this way cannot be subdued.
Energy Damage: If the wearer takes any energy damage, the bracers glow a deep shaded color commonly associated with the specific energy (fire red, ice blue, acid green, electricity yellow, sonic white), and a symbol also resembling the specific energy type appears on them. Beginning on his next turn, the wearer gains resist 30 for the specific energy type for 1d4+1 rounds. If the wearer is currently under this effect for a specific energy type while he takes damage from a new type, apply both energy types for this effect. If any pre-existing resistance prevents the wearer from losing HP from an energy damage effect, this effect still triggers.
Force Damage: If the wearer takes force damage, he immediately emits a 20’ burst of force, dealing force damage to all targets within the burst equal to the force damage taken by the target. The bracers glow a deep purple, and a symbol resembling an open palm appears on them. Beginning on his next turn, the wearer gains +12 deflection AC for 1d4+1 rounds.
Direct Target Spell: If the wearer is the target of a direct target spell, the bracers glow a pale turquoise, and a symbol resembling an arcane rune (a DC 18 Knowledge Arcana check translates the rune to mean “magic”) appears on them. Beginning on his next turn, the wearer gains SR 30, and a +2 bonus on any saving throws related to the spell for 1d4+1 rounds. If any existing SR, or successful saving throws prevent some or all of the spell from functioning, this effect still triggers. SR gained in this way cannot be subdued.
Magical Healing: If the wearer is subjected to magical HP healing (either from a cure spell or channel energy), the bracers glow a faded black, and a symbol resembling a medical cross appears on them. Beginning on his next turn, the wearer takes bleed damage equal to twice the spell level if the magical healing came from a cure spell, or twice the amount of channel dice used if from channel energy. This bleed effect persists for 1d4+1 rounds. If the wearer is subjected to an inflict spell or negative channel, the bracers glow the same color and reveal the same symbol, but the wearer instead gains regeneration equal to the same quantities and durations as the cure/channel positive counterparts. If this effect was triggered from a cure/inflict spell, also apply the effects reflected in the Direct Target Spell section. If this effect was triggered from channel +/- energy, the wearer also gains a +2 bonus on will saves for the effect’s duration. If the wearer takes damage from positive energy, or heals damage from negative energy, apply the opposite effects from such sources.
Brilliant Combustion Ball of Infinite Energy Output –
Aura: Weak-Strong Evocation CL: 20th Slot: None Weight: 3 lbs
When not holding any energy, this apple-sized ball is a very unspectacular clear grey. However, once it takes energy damage (fire, frost, electricity, acid, or sonic), a tiny bead of light illuminates the center of the ball, matching the color of the energy type. For every 10 damage of the same energy type the ball takes, the bead of light becomes slightly larger and brighter. The ball “takes damage” if directly targeted or in the radius of an AoE. If the ball is in a creature’s possession while the creature is directly targeted and struck by an energy type, there’s a 15% chance that the ball “takes damage” equal to the holder. If the holder takes reduced damage from an energy AoE, the ball “takes damage” equal to the holder. If the holder has Evasion or improved Evasion, and takes no damage from an energy AoE, there’s a 35% chance that the ball still “takes damage”. If during any of these scenario’s, the holder takes reduced or no energy damage due to energy resistance/immunity, the ball still takes damage as if the holder didn’t have resistances/immunities.
There is no limit to the amount of energy the ball can hold, only that it must be one single type. For every 10 damage of the same energy type the ball has taken (even if it’s only 1 damage at a time), the ball charges an additional d10 of that energy type. To release this energy, the holder need only take a standard action to concentrate on doing so (does not provoke). No less than 100% of its energy can be released in this way (Reflex DC [10 + ½ d10’s discharged] halves the damage). The user is not immune to the ball’s damage (unless he already has energy resistance/immunity from other sources matching the energy type specifically discharged).
When the ball discharges energy, it does so in a 20’ radius sphere centered on the ball. Upon reaching a 5d10 charge, and for every 5d10 beyond, the radius expands an additional 5’, to a maximum radius of 500’. If a solid wall, or similar barrier stands in the way of the AoE, all sections of the wall within the radius of the discharge are destroyed if enough damage is done to do so. If this happens, all creatures behind the wall, but still within the radius take damage normally. If the wall does not break, the blast goes around the wall if its radius allows it. If the wall does not break, but there is an opening , the blast forms a cone beginning at the opening and expands beyond the wall in the most logical direction. Any creatures within the cone take damage normally.
If the ball takes even 1 point of damage from an energy type different from the energy type being stored, 10% of its stored d10’s is discharged in a line (range appropriate to the radius rules applied only to the amount of d10’s being discharged), minimum 1d10. Use random direction rules (roll 1d8, 1=straight up, and rotate clockwise) to determine which direction the line travels. Any creatures in this line (including the holder) take damage equal to the number of d10’s discharged plus the energy damage which caused this effect. The “line” also arcs either upwards or downwards (50% chance for either). Any creatures in the path of the line in the direction of the arc are also hit. The total damage taken is only the type being discharged. The ball loses the discharged d10’s from its charge. If a solid wall or similar barrier blocks the path of the line, the section of wall in the line’s path can be broken if enough damage is done to it. Any additional damage remaining after the wall is broken through is still dealt to anything in the line’s path beyond the wall.
The Brilliant Combustion Ball of Infinite Energy Output has Hardness 5, with 10HP. While it holds a charge, its HP increases by 1 for every d10 it holds. The only way to destroy the ball is to deal non-energy damage to it, exceeding its hardness and HP. This must be done all at once. The ball does not lose HP from damage that doesn’t outright destroy it. If the ball is ever destroyed, any charged energy is discharged, using the same rules for radius. However, the damage dealt from this effect is maximized (as the metamagic feat).
Besides the constant possibility of blowing yourself up, carrying around unlimited energy has some additional side effects. Apply the appropriate effect to the holder anytime he carries the ball while it has 50d10 of energy or more charged:
Infinite influx: Anytime the ball holds a charge of 50d10 or more, it emits a constant aura of energy damage matching the type of its charge. Creatures within 10’ of the ball take 1d10 damage per round of the charged energy type. Anything touching the ball takes 2d6 energy damage per round. If the ball is being held, the creature holding it instead emits the aura. The creature takes damage every round for touching the ball, but also damages anything touching it for 2d6 energy damage. Allies are not exempt from this effect.
Secondary Influx: While Infinite influx is active, the following secondary effects occur within the 10’ radius: Acid dissolves/unravels fabrics, frost freezes freezable liquids, fire ignites paper, wood and flammable liquids, electricity’s damage and aura radius is doubled within water, and sonic creates a silence effect (as the spell, except instead of no sound at all, only a high-pitched, white noise can be heard). Magical substances and materials are immune to this effect. It is up the GM’s discretion how long certain effects take to occur, and to what caliber materials are ruined, etc.
The Book of the Dead (Addleman Edit) –
Aura: Strong Necromancy CL: 20th Slot: None Weight: 6 lbs
The cover of this book is made of human faces. The noses have been removed, and the skin stretched taught, heated and sewn together with other faces, it is difficult to identify the victims as surely human, yet it is unmistakable that the two inch-thick cover used to belong to several living creatures. The cover reads “Book of the Dead” in Infernal.
The inside of the front cover has writing in it in Common: “Editor’s Note: Quite unimpressive, really, considering what I was expecting. Still, this book did lay a solid foundation for what I had in mind, and I’ve taken the liberty of expanding, expediting, and improving in several places. I’ve also reformatted much of the original content. Honestly, I thought Devils were supposed to be organized. –Addleman”
Reading from the Book of the Dead is an evil act, and anyone who does so willingly will force their alignment to change to Evil for 24 hours. Once someone starts to read from it, they are met with such strong levels of compulsion that a DC 24 Will save is required to stop reading. A new save is only allowed after four hours following a failed save. Reading the book from cover-to-cover requires thirty days of study. Doing so requires such pure levels of sin that the reader is forever marked as evil.
After reading the book cover-to-cover, the reader gains a +5 bonus on all charisma-based skills and checks when interacting with the dead or undead. While holding the book, the reader casts all spells with the Death descriptor as if he were two levels higher, and he can make use of the following Spell-like Abilities (all of which also gain the +2 caster level bonus):
Constant – Death Ward, Deathwatch, Detect Undead, Unhallow (Self)
At will – Command Undead, Halt Undead, Sculpt Corpse, Speak with Dead
3/Day – Animate Dead, Circle of Death, Undeath to Death
1/Day – Control Undead, Create Undead
1/Week – Create Greater Undead, Soul Bind
Addleman Ichor
Reagents: One pint of user’s blood, Create Greater Undead, Book of the Dead (Addleman Edit)
To create Addleman Ichor, the user must meditate from and read from the Book of the Dead for a full week – without stopping. At the end of the week, the user casts Create Greater Undead on his pint of blood, completing the ritual. The pint of blood has become one ounce of Addleman Ichor.
The ounce can be split into up to four portions. Ingesting any Addleman Ichor causes a living creature to contract Addleman Fever (Disease: Fortitude DC 30 negates – no additional saves (subtract 2 from the DC for each additional portion)). Addleman Fever is permanent, but can be cured with a Remove Disease spell. The only affects of Addleman Fever is the fatigued condition. Any creature immune to, or with the ability to ignore fatigue still has Addleman Fever, but is not fatigued.
When the creator draws his blood (usually a standard action), any creatures within 150’ effected by Addleman Fever instantly die (no save). This is a death affect. Thirty seconds later, all creatures killed in this way become Ichor Zombies. Casting Remove Disease on a dead creature with Addleman Fever can still remove the effect, though after a creature becomes an Ichor Zombie, it cannot be saved. A creature killed in this way can only be resurrected if their zombified body is first killed, a Wish/Miracle spell is used to remove their undead affliction, and then with a resurrection spell.
Ichor Zombie
An Ichor Zombie has equal HD as it did in life, though it now uses d8’s regardless of its original hit die. An Ichor Zombie is undead and gains Undead Traits, and loses its Intelligence Score. An Ichor Zombie gains a +4 racial bonus to Charisma. Charisma now adds to HP as Constitution did. In addition, an Ichor Zombie gains the benefits of a permanent Undead Anatomy III spell, except it retains its natural form. All Ichor Zombie’s movement speeds are reduced by 10’ (to a minimum of 5’), and they lose all weapon proficiencies. Ichor Zombies’ actions cannot be controlled. Ichor Zombies are immune to critical hits, precision damage, and called shot affects.
An Ichor Zombie’s bite attack now carries Ichor Fever, which behaves exactly as Addleman Fever, except it’s contracted by injury instead of ingesting, and the target dies after five rounds, and becomes an Ichor Zombie after an additional five rounds. The Fort DC is now 28. Creatures within the area of a Hallow spell cannot contract Ichor Fever.
Head Shot – Ichor Zombies have DR 15/-. This DR is present everywhere on an Ichor Zombie except the head. Any called shots to an Ichor Zombie’s head are automatic critical threats, and precision damage applies. However, an Ichor Zombie is still immune to any additional called shot effects. This is the only exception to the Ichor Zombie’s otherwise immunity to critical hits and precision damage.
The information within the Book of the Dead is not erased easily. The only way to destroy the book is to first scrub the pages clean with the tears of a Good aligned outsider, while consciously reading its contents. As reading the book cover-to-cover requires thirty days, Will saves to take breaks, procs the Living Fuel effect (see below), and leaves the reader permanently evil, so too does this process for the book’s cleanser. Once every page has been scrubbed clean, the book’s contents will begin to re-write themselves after 24 hours. To prevent this, the blank book must be burned in a pyre with a Lawful Outsider; the book’s ashes mixing with the outsider’s.
The Book of the Dead’s original author is an Infernal Duke by the name of Lorcan. In his task of cataloguing undeath, and what it truly was to be so, he eventually published his findings as The Book of the Dead. What began as a mere scholarly assignment spawned the greatest trove of knowledge any necromancer could hope for.
More curious than ambitious, Lorcan simply kept The Book of the Dead on a shelf in his vast library for thousands of years before Mephistopheles found it. Mephistopheles took the book and gave it to his most trusted lieutenant, with orders to use its power against the Demons of the Abyss.
Mephistopheles had either greatly underestimated the Demons, or overestimated the competence of his lieutenant, who was slain shortly after the assault had begun, by a Demon Lord named Orcus. Orcus found the Book of the Dead on the lieutenant’s body and took it for himself.
For millennia, Orcus coveted the book; using it, reading it, re-reading it, until through his practices, he had come to understand the undead better than the book’s own author had. Orcus became known as the Demon Prince of the Undead.
Eager to use his powers, Orcus sent his legions of undead to the material plane, beginning what came to be known as the War of Decay. Only after direct intervention from Gabrielle, the champion of Torag, did Orcus finally cease his unwavering onslaught. Though he no longer needed it to fuel his powers, Orcus was enraged to discover that during his struggle with Gabrielle, the Book of the Dead had been lost.
No one can say for certain how the book found its way to the material plane. Perhaps after being used to turn so many mortals undead, the book traveled there of its own volition, where it felt most comfortable. However it came to be, the book remained hidden for ages. Only whispers of its existence reached mortal ears, and only those clever and ambitious enough could make sense of these whispers.
It was a human necromancer by the name of Addleman who finally found it. Addleman, who had already come to understand the art of necromancy on a more scientific level even than Orcus; Addleman, who had dedicated his life in pursuit of power; Addleman who was powerful enough to not only edit the book, but improve it in a way that magic alone would never have done.
After finishing his edited version, Addleman sold The Book of the Dead (Addleman Edit) to Drulaema the Fever Princess, one of the ruling Daemons; the Horseman of Pestilence. In exchange, Addleman was given his own sub-domain within hers, becoming a powerful Leukodaemon. The book remains on Addleman’s possession, but is Drulaema’s property.
Living Fuel: The Book of the Dead craves life. Like how a living creature inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide, the book sucks life forces into itself and excretes undeath. Holding the Book of the Dead for one day causes a living, mortal creature to become one year younger. If that creature is immune to magical aging affects, the creature instead becomes one week younger every day.
This effect has an additional chance to proc every time the user uses one of the book’s spell-like abilities. Every time an at-will SPL is used, there is a 5% chance to proc, 10% chance for a 3/Day SPL, 25% chance for a 1/Day SPL, and 50% chance for a 1/Week SPL. Also, an additional proc occurs during each day the user is preparing Addleman Ichor, with a final 50% chance to proc if the Create Greater Undead spell is used from the book.
Senile Youth: Every time Living Fuel magically reduces the user below the minimum age for their race via the Starting Ages Chart, DC 24 Will save or roll a random insanity. Lasts until over minimum age.
@BloodyManticore: That's pretty neat, actually. I never though of making an artifact that incorporated a natural attack.