CHAPTER 4
POWERS, MANTLES AND ITEMS
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shroud of oblivion only by making a successful Use Psionic Device check to emulate a class feature. Effect: When activated, a shroud of oblivion gives you the benefit of stygian veil (page 102). Aura/Manifester Level: Faint psychometabolism. ML 5th. Construction: Craft Universal Item, stygian veil, 11,850 gp, 948 XP, 12 days. Weight: 1/2 lb. Price: 23,700 gp.
PSIONIC LOCATIONS AS TREASURE
Chapter 7 of Dungeon Master's Guide II presents the idea of magical locations that confer special abilities. Naturally, some locations are likewise imbued with psionic power available for the taking. The locations described in this section provide unique psionic abilities to the first who can claim them, as long as those individuals meet certain requirements. Creatures gain these abilities for free and don't need to expend a feat slot. Most of the locations confer abilities that are usable only for a specific period or number of uses. Psionic locations never occur as part of a random treasure. The DM must deliberately place them within the campaign and decide whether or not they are within reach. It is possible for a character being created at a level higher than 1st to include abilities conferred by a psionic location as part of his overall wealth, but this is always subject to DM approval. Just as the DM controls access to psionic items by determining what is for sale in any given city or shop, the DM has final say over where, when, and how these psionic locations occur within a campaign. In general, psionic locations can be suppressed by dispel psionics (EPH 94) as if they were psionic items containing a power manifested by a 10th-level manifester with an object Will save bonus of +15. Psionic locations are usually metaphysically tied to an area, so destroying buildings, walls, or other physical structures in and around a psionic location will not eliminate the site's ability to confer its power. Limitations: No character can gain the benefit of a conferred power of a given psionic location more than once. Once the ability fades or is used up, returning to the psionic location doesn't allow the character to regain that ability. Each of the psionic locations described below indicates the amount of time it takes to regenerate its power to confer an ability after it has already conferred the ability on a creature or character. This period varies from, one day to one year, unless the recipient of the ability is killed. If that occurs, the psionic location is instantly renewed, and it can confer its ability again immediately. If a location can confer its ability on more than one target, all who currently enjoy the ability must die to renew the location. Some conferred abilities fade away before their location can renew its power to confer. Even if the recipient of an ability can no longer make use of that ability, slaying that creature is enough to renew the location immediately. Each psionic location contains the following kinds of information. Lore: Information that characters can learn about the location, including relevant Knowledge check DCs or bardic knowledge DCs.
Description (Typical): A physical description of a typical psionic location of the appropriate kind. Prerequisite: Requirements (if any) that must be met before the location's special abilities can be conferred. An actual visit to the location is also necessary. Location Activation and Effect: The rules for gaining the special ability granted by the location. Special Ability Activation and Effect: The rules for using the special ability granted by the location. Aura: The type of psionic aura around the location. Ability Value: The value in gold pieces of the conferred ability. Although these abilities can never be bought or sold, this number allows the DM to track the ability's value as part of a character's overall wealth. By adding this value to an estimation of the value of the character's equipment, the DM can monitor the characters wealth compared to Table 5 1: Character Wealth by Level (DMG 135). Crystal Node The earth gives up its secrets guardedly, or not at all. Some believe that the veins of oil running through the miles of strata below are manifestations of the earth's blood. If so, the veins of pure mineral are the worlds nerves. In rare instances, pure crystal veins intersect within a cavernous grotto. These nodes are lit with the slow trickle of psionic power swirling through the earth itself in unknowable telluric currents. Such grottos are called crystal nodes. Lore: A crystal node is a psionic location imbued with excess psionic energy. (DC 15 Knowledge [psionics]) A crystal node can grant some of its exceptional power to a skilled psionic character who manages to brave the dark tunnels leading to its location. (DC 20 Knowledge [psionics]) A psionic character who masters the power of a crystal node swells the bounds of his own mind. For a long time afterward, the character has daily access to more power points than is normally possible for a character of his level. (DC 25 Knowledge [psionics]) Description (Typical): A wide cavern is lit by dimly glowing mineral veins. Crystal stalagmites and stalactites punch up through the floor and hang down from the ceiling with angular perfection. A particularly large crystal pulses slowly at the center of the chamber. A faint sound resonates through the air, so deep in pitch that only a bit of the much larger sound is audible to most creatures. Prerequisite: To access the power contained within a crystal node, a creature must have 1 or more power points. Location Activation and Effect: A crystal node confers its power upon a creature that stands before the largest crystal in the center of the cavern and expends its psionic focus while touching the crystal. Each crystal node can affect up to five creatures, dimming more with, each conferral, before its psionic charge is depleted for one year. After a year's period of renewal, it is once again able to confer its ability. Special Ability Activation and Effect (Ex): A character who meets the prerequisites and activates the effect gains the conferred ability: an enlarged power point reserve. The recipient is treated as if his power point reserve were 5 points higher than normal. The extra power points return with his regular power points each day alter rest for all intents and purposes, the character simply has more power points per
