So me and a friend were throwing ideas back and forth and came up with a number items that share an origin point. You will notice that these items (potentially lesser Artifacts) are in the very early draft stage, so any advise or suggestions is greatly appreciated. I want to make them feel unique with a strong history.
General Background Lore
The Brinelord was an ancient sea serpent that made its lair in a deep oceanic trench near a tear to the Plane of Shadow off the coast Osirian. It terrorized sea side communities and ocean travelers for years growing more and more muted by the extra planer energies coming from the tear. One day, a group of adventures took up the bounty to seek out and kill the beast. After a long and dangerous journey to its underwater lair, they faced the monstrosity and slayed it. From its corps and the surrounding mutated terrain they crafted powerful items that they used for the rest of their adventuring careers. The tear leading to the Plane of Shadow went undiscovered all the way to the modern day, though no known monsters have yet to reach the Brinelord's power.
Brinelord's Bane: this Xiphos (use Gladius stats) was made from Elysian Bronze to kill the Brinelord. During the battle the blade was broken even as it struck the killing blow, after words the blade was taken and re-forged using minerals from the Brinelord's lair leading to the blade having black veins snaking though the Elysian Bronze.
This functions as a +5 Aberration and Aquatic Bane, Seaborne weapon. Any successful hit with the Brinelord's Bane causes the target to be effected with the fallowing poison
Brinelord's Blood (I do not have stats for this yet)
Staff of the Deep: this black staff at first appears like spiraling tentacles made of black stone. Closer inspection reveals it is actually made of black coral. This staff was made out of the pitch black coral taken from the Brinelord's lair by Setnau-chaem-uset.
When near an ocean or a area with strong ties to the Plane of Shadow (within 14 miles) The Staff of the Deep regains charges at an increased rate of 3 per day instead of 1 per day.
Summon Monster ( charge) (aquatic)
Control Water ( charge)
Create Water (0 charge)
Shadow Walk ( charge)
Shadow Weapon ( charge)
Plain Shift (2 charges), (To Setnau-chaem-uset's demi-plane only)
When the Staff of the Deep was created it was tied to a demi-plane of Setnau-chaem-uset's design. The demi-plane has the fallowing traits
Structure: an ancient Osirion library
Gravity: normal
Time: normal
Size: one and a half square miles.
Seasonal: Standard Osirion seasons
Bountiful: Fruits, Vegetables, Kelp,
Setnau-chaem-uset's demi-plane takes the form of a tranquil island off the coast of ever distant Osirion. Sitting within sight of the shore is a large stone library and arcane research work area.
Spear of the Serpent: made of bones pulled from the Brinelord's body
This spear is primarily made of bones and leather with a large fang for its head.
This functions as a +5 Seaborn, Returning, Wounding,
Arndell's Razor Fins: twin hand axes that have sea rope hooked to the ends of their handles that connected to a belt.
These function as two +5 Seaborn, Anarchic, Invigorating
There are more items, but these are the only ones I got so far with any mechanics to speak of.
A few ideas:
Brinelord's Bane- so it's basically a sword with double bane and poison. I'd drop the poison (it's the *bane* of the Brinelord, so it counters him, it doesn't channel his powers). Maybe it offers poison immunity, helps the wielder when grappled by giant monsters, grants movement boosts or some kind of free maneuver?
What could the Brinelord do, exactly?
Staff of the Deep- looks solid. Maybe a little bland. It sounds like it should help the wielder exist underwater, resist the cold/pressure of the deep, etc. Maybe give them an aura that mundane sea life won't attack them or something?
Also, any staff that looks like black tentacles should either (a) allow you to cast Black Tentacles, (b) allow you to attack with it like a mass of tentacles or (c) both.
Spear of the Serpent- the spear's point is one of the brinelord's fangs? *Here's* where you put the poison.
Why not make it a harpoon, except actually good? A longspear that you can throw and entangles your foe like a net. It's "rope" could be magical and super-tough, etc. Maybe it's bleed is 1d6?
Razor Fins- okay. Should definitely give you a big swim speed (they're fins, right?). Maybe let you...basically do a Swimby Attack? Or turn into a shark. Or a shark that has a Swimby Attack? Or gives you the Vortex special ability?
Like everything else I only have an unfinished draft, but this is what I have stated out for the original Brinelord thus far. Side not, I appreciate any corrections.
The Brinelord
Sea Serpent CR 27
XP A lot
NE Colossal magical beast (aquatic), Giant Templet, Advanced, shadow-traced creature (Advanced Bestiary by Green Ronin),
Init +6; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; All Round Vision; Perception +8
Defense
AC 25, touch 8, flat-footed 23 (+4 Dex, +17 natural, –4 size)
hp 275 (25d8+75)
Fort +16, Ref +15, Will +11
Defensive Abilities elusive; Immune cold, fire; Distributed Mind (Su); Sacrificial Transposition (Su), channel resistance
+4,
Offense
Speed 40 ft., swim 80 ft.
Melee bite +23 (4d8+22/19–20 plus grab), tail slap +18 (3d6+6
plus grab)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks capsize, constrict (3d6+18), swallow whole
(4d8+18 bludgeoning damage, AC 18, hp 18)
Statistics
Str 42, Dex 16, Con 0, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +21; CMB +39 (+44 grapple); CMD 43 (can't be
tripped)
Feats Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical
(bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will,
Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack,
Skill Focus (Stealth), Stealthy
Skills Perception +8, Stealth +13,
Swim +20
Ecology
Environment any ocean
Organization solitary
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Capsize (Ex)
Elusive (Su)
Leeching Absorption (Su)
Shadow Traces (Su)
Gaze Attack (Su)
1d2 Con damage to all creatures that can see the Brinelord during this attack. Creatures brought to 0 Contsitution by this gaze attack turn a to salt statue permanently, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 25 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Wow, okay. CR27. So that poison should be amazing.
Maybe the sword can make the wielder immune to gaze attacks or Con damage or something?
Brinelords poison.
A mixture of dragon bile and shadow essence.
Type: injury.
Fort DC: 20.
Onset: injury
Frequency: 1 a round for 6 rounds.
Effect: 1D4 strength drain
Cure: 2 saves
Price: Bidding starts at 2,000
It's so acidic it can be used to rejoin metal or stone objects at the risk of contaminating the object.
Webbing of the Elusive Brinelord
Transmutation
These scaly webbed flippers can be worn on the hands or feet and transform into webbed fingers or webbed flippers. The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus on Swim checks. If they use a full-round action to swim, they do so without leaving any trace of their passing (identical in effect to a pass without trace). While doing so, they also receive a +10 bonus to Stealth checks. Both flippers must be worn to function and both must be in the same item slot: hands or feet.
This is much lower level in power than the other items. The bonuses can be increased or additional effects added. Just wanted to go for a thematic starter point.
Briny Bag of Serpent's Teeth
Conjuration
This small leather pouch has a rubbery, scaly look to it, having been made from the Brine Lord's flesh. When initially created or found, it contains 1d4 hand-length sea serpent fangs. If one of these is planted or pressed into sand, earth, or other soil like a seed, then soaked with at least a waterskin's worth of salt water (or if planted into the ocean or sea floor), a Large-size sea serpent will spring forth. This takes one full minute after being watered and if the tooth is removed from its location before this time it crumbles away with no effect. This also happens to unplanted teeth that are removed from the bag and not planted and watered within 10 minutes. Replacing them into the bag before this time prevents them from crumbling away.
The created serpent is not considered summoned. It is not under any control but only has a natural lifespan of [1 x Caster level of this item when determined] minutes, after which it crumbles completely away, which also happens if it falls below 0 hit points. During this time, it will attack creatures and other targets around it relatively indiscriminately and is able to tolerate being out of water long enough that breathing isn't an issue for it.
If the planter of the tooth is present when the sea serpent appears, they may attempt an opposed Charisma check against the sea serpent (typically Cha 11). On a success, the sea serpent will generally avoid directly attacking them, but this is only a circumstantial avoidance and doesn't protect against incidental damage from area effects, capsizing boats, or the user's allies.
Only one sea serpent can be in existence from this item at a time. If two or more teeth are planted and watered in the same location and time, the created serpent receives a +1 bonus to attack, damage, saves, and skill and ability checks (including the Charisma roll against the user when it appears). If all four are planted together, the serpent is Huge size.
Each week, missing serpent's teeth are replaced magically in the bag, to a maximum of four.
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