Psionic Locations as Treasure

POWERS, MANTLES AND ITEMS

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.

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 51: 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

Crystal Node

day. The conferred enlarged power point reserve lasts for one year before it fades.

Aura: Strong psychometabolism.

Ability Value: 4,500 gp per affected creature.

Emergent Caldera

A geologic upwelling of red-hot magma, coupled with an accidental intersection of a large vein of pure crystal, sometimes spontaneously generates an emergent caldera.

These psionic locations are thick with heat and geologically generated psionic energy. Given that regular volcano calderas are rare, emergent calderas are all the more difficult to discover.

Lore: An emergent caldera is a psionic location imbued with psionic pyromantic potential. (DC 15 Knowledge [psionics])

The psionic essence of fire contained in locations known as emergent calderas can augment fire-based psionic powers. (DC 20 Knowledge [psionics])

Manifesters of sufficient skill who journey to such a location can pull some of this essence into themselves, enhancing their own fire powers. (DC 25 Knowledge [psionics])

Description (Typical): A wide, smoking basin rests deep within the heart of a mountain, perhaps originally uncovered by an abandoned mine. Jagged shards of reddish crystal protrude here and there from the basin of the caldera, glowing all the redder for the internal heat they contain. A haze hangs in the air, obscuring the center of the caldera as it smolders with a violent orange light.

Prerequisite: To access the power contained within an emergent caldera, a character must be a manifester of 5th level or higher, with knowledge of one or more psychokinesis energy powers.

Location Activation and Effect: When a manifester who meets the prerequisites climbs into the caldera and plunges into the haze at the center of the volcano (braving mere fire, or perhaps facing creatures or other guardians of the area jealous of its conferred abilities), he can elect to expend 1 power point as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. In response, the visible crystals all around discharge what appears to be fiery lightning, and each bolt unerringly strikes the character. The bolts deal no damage; instead, the manifester gains the special ability of the emergent caldera.

Each emergent caldera can affect only one manifester before its magic is suppressed for one year's time. After a year of renewal, the location is once again able to confer its ability.

Special Ability Activation and Effect (Su):

When a manifester who has drawn the power of the emergent caldera into himself manifests a power with the fire descriptor, he is treated as if his manifester level were one higher than normal, furthermore, the power manifested gains an additional visual display the manifester seems to catch fire and wear a flaming nimbus that quickly fades.

The conferred ability lasts for one year before it fades.

Aura: Strong psychokinesis.

Ability Value: 3,000 gp.

Psigate

A psigate is a unique location imbued with the psionic impetus of travel. Created by ancient psionic architects, psigates grant psionic creatures that pass through them the ability to travel to a stared destination. A psigate is most often found in ruins or among an ancient circle of stones on a high mountaintop.

Psigates often lie undisturbed for ages before being discovered, and during this time, strange creatures sometimes pass through the area.

Lore: A psigate is a psionic location imbued with the power of travel. (DC 15 Knowledge [psionics])

Intelligent creatures that enter the area containing a psigate gain an effective but fleeting ability to communicate with a creature in another location. This ability can be used once. (DC 18 Knowledge [psionics])

Psionic creatures that expend power points can energize a psigate and use it to step through to a new location. This ability can be used once. (DC 21 Knowledge [psionics])

Description (Typical): A welter of ancient corridors in a buried ruin gives way to a clear, round space bordered by a circle of weathered obelisks. Some stand, some lean, and some have fallen over completely. In the past, arches connected

POWERS, MANTLES AND ITEMS

Psigate

every standing stone in a great circle, but time has toppled all but one arch. Three clear crystals are set in the span of the remaining arch.

Prerequisite: To be affected by the lesser ability of a psigate, a character must have an Intelligence score of 8 or higher and must step into the center of the arch. To be affected by the greater ability of a psigate, a character must be psionic.

Location Activation and Effect (Lesser): A character who wishes to gain a psigate's lesser ability must step into the center of the arch and succeed on a DC 11 Psicraft check. Once the lesser ability has been conferred, a psigate takes a full week to regenerate its power to confer any ability.

Location Activation and Effect (Greater): A character who wishes to gain a psigate's greater ability must step into the center of the arch and expend 9 power points. Doing this causes the crystals in the vicinity to glow. Once the greater ability has been conferred, a psigate takes a week to regenerate its power to confer the ability again.

Special Ability Activation and Effect (Lesser) (Ps): A creature that meets the prerequisites and activates the lesser effect gains the ability to manifest correspond (EPH 88) once during the next day with a manifester level equal to his Hit Dice. The correspond power granted by the gate is a psi-like ability usable only once. The ability must be used within 24 hours, or it is lost harmlessly.

Special Ability Activation and Effect (Greater)

(Ps): A creature that meets the prerequisites and activates the greater effect gains the ability to manifest psionic plane shift (EPH 124) with a manifester level equal to the creature's Hit Dice. The manifester and any other targeted creatures must walk through the arch to use the power. The psionic plane shift power granted by the arch is a psi-like ability usable only once. The ability must be used within 24 hours of walking through the arch, or it is lost harmlessly.

Aura: Moderate telepathy and psychoportation.

Ability Value: 2,500 gp.