Items that disappear or become useless.


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


Hey guys.
A wizards bonded item is useless for anyone but him. Is there an ability or spell that duplicates that effect?
I'm trying to give my villains access to items I don't want the players to get.


What exactly are you trying to give your villain that can't be a potion or a scrolled that they used pre-combat?

Silver Crusade

It won't make it disappear, but you can give items a 30% discount in price, and make it only useable by a certain alignment /race/whatever. Alternatively, pay double to get it as a tattoo


Val'bryn2 wrote:
It won't make it disappear, but you can give items a 30% discount in price, and make it only useable by a certain alignment /race/whatever. Alternatively, pay double to get it as a tattoo

I'm assuming the wealth of the item isn't the problem. The item is powerful enough that it will warp play for the PCs, and they won't want to sell it.


Eldritch Heritage->Arcane Bloodline for an actual arcane bond.

Scrolls/Potions for spell effects.

Minor/Major Creation for items.

Magic Tattoo for wondrous items.

Silver Crusade

[/QUOTE SorrySleeping]
I'm assuming the wealth of the item isn't the problem. The item is powerful enough that it will warp play for the PCs, and they won't want to sell it.

You missed my point, by giving the item that reduction in cost, you also limit the PC's ability to use it. If it only works for Evil characters or goblins, that also limits the character's ability to use it. Sure, they have it, buy it grants them no benefit beyond a masterwork sword, or a mundane pair of boots.

Alternatively, the item was granted by the minion's boss, and has a contingent teleport, set to go off if the blade gets 30 feet from the minion. Dependent on level, I recommend it teleport to a destination that isn't associated with the boss.


To build on Val'bryn2's idea, though slightly more complicated, the item need not be entirely useable only by a certain race etc.. Perhaps only certain abilities, enough to bring it inline with the desired power, are 'gated' behind the useable by only gobling princes, evil ogre knights or what ever limiter is decided upon. Leaving the PC's with a magical item but one more appropriate to the campaign's current power level. Written in to give the item more flavor but still rewarding the PCs for their victory could make it feel less of a deliberate act to prevent it from being used by the PCs.


It may be an intelligent but evil item that serves the Villain because they have the same goals or the Villain is actually under the items influence/control. The item in question may be the true Villain, a cursed intelligent item or enchanted to Magic Jar the spirit of a powerful Villain back into it's self when the host dies, waiting for it's next victim/host. PC's may decide not to use it if it detects as Evil, but if they are reckless and decide to use it regardless, it may slowly attempt to take over the possessor and turn them on the rest of the party. Just a note, Even Useable by Evil might not be enough with enough Use Magical Device skill available.
*edit* Laillia from "Record of Lodoss War" anime was under the influence of a Tiara possessed by the spirit of the powerful witch Karla, She was a villain of sorts, but one of the heroes personal quest was to rescue her from it's control...

Silver Crusade

A good suggestion, basically working a lot like the Holy Avenger.


You're the GM. Make something up.


You could always make the item require the performance some sort of evil act (like a sacrifice) in order to "charge" the item with magical energy. After the ritual is performed the item can be used freely for a week or so and then it loses power and has to be "recharged".

Maybe this is the one of the main reasons the villain has come into conflict with the party. Does the party want to perpetuate what the villain was doing just so they can use his cool magic hat of awesomeness?


Just give your critter the ability to use the effect maybe as an SLA, (Su) or (Ex) ability - no need to worry about items at all.

Just remember to adjust CR if it makes a significant difference to it's effectiveness.


-Markus- wrote:

Hey guys.

A wizards bonded item is useless for anyone but him. Is there an ability or spell that duplicates that effect?
I'm trying to give my villains access to items I don't want the players to get.

Thanks guys, found the solution in a wand of dust ward.

Silver Crusade

Works as well as anything, though rules are being bent on it.


Dust ward can be detected and dispelled, and it has great limitations on the caster level of the target item. It sounds like you want something that works on very powerful items and without a way for PCs to work around it. That's a good reason to use the restrictions rules--or, better yet, make something up.


Easiest way (or laziest way?) is to have the item break and lose enchantment when the BG dies. Intelligent items are also a really good control method, since you can't charm an item. Nothing short of a wish is going to convince an item that doesn't match the party's goals to work for them.

More extreme answers are making it an artifact. Now wishes can be ignored as well. Make sure it has a good roleplaying reason not to work for the PCs. You could even have it disappear while it shouts that it will return with an even more powerful user to defeat them.

Or you could have it be a limited use item, and the BG used the last charge. Really cheesy, but why not?

Also to make it up to the players, make sure the BG has some appropriate treasure for all the frustration they are about to go through.


The One Ring...

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