Magic Items

Illus. by M. Cotie

Furthermore, evil-aligned creatures can see in this darkness as if it were simply a dimly lighted area.

Arcane Material Component: A black stick, 6 inches long, with humanoid blood smeared upon it.

M AGIC I T EMS

Naturally, aberrations carefully guard the secrets of creating grafts and other unique items.

Amulet of Inviolate Form: This mystic amulet is set with seven red garnets. Whenever the wearer is subjected to a spell or effect that would signifi cantly change her bodily form or composition, she can expend one charge to negate the transformation. She must decide whether to use the charge before she attempts a saving throw. Effects that the amulet protects against include polymorph, petrifi cation, gaseous form, and transformative attacks such as the touch of an aboleth’s tentacle or a chaos beast. The amulet has 7 charges, one for each garnet; the garnets turn dull black as charges are expended. Moderate abjuration; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, break enchantment; Price 11,000 gp.

Chuulface Mask: This chitinous mask merges with its wearer’s fl esh when worn, but can be removed easily as a full-round action. As long as the mask is worn, the wearer’s lower face becomes transformed into a mass of long red tentacles within a chitinous mandible. His upper face is a smooth shell with tiny beady eyes. The user can still speak (albeit in a sloshing, gurgling voice), but any spell with a verbal component has a 10% spell failure chance. As long as it is worn, the wearer can breathe water and has darkvision out to 60 feet. If the user manages to establish a grapple on a creature, he can make a touch attack with the tentacles of the mask once per round as a free action. A creature struck by these tentacles must make a DC 19 Fortitude saving throw or be paralyzed for 6 rounds. Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, darkvision, hold monster, water breathing; Price 65,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

The Codex Anathema: This infamous book was written by the wizard Iphegor of the Ebon Mirror. It has been copied on rare occasions since. It records terrible knowledge of distant times, alien worlds, and various aberrations. If anyone reads this book (a minimum of 48 hours over at least six days), she gains an inherent bonus of +2 to her Intelligence score, but loses 2 points from her Wisdom score. In addition, she gains 5 ranks of Knowledge (dungeoneering), 2 ranks of Knowledge (arcana), and 2 ranks of Knowledge (the planes). Once the book is read, the magic disappears from its pages and it becomes a normal book—still fi lled with disturbing and frightful images, but no longer capable of granting its reader any bonuses or penalties. Strong divination; CL 17th; Craft Wondrous Item, foresight, vision, creator must have read another Codex Anathema (magical or discharged); Price 37,500 gp; Weight 5 lb. Dust of Negation: This fi ne purple powder comes in a folded paper packet. When cast into the air, the dust creates a cloud of faint violet sparkles in a 10 -foot spread from the point of origin. This cloud functions as an antimagic fi eld, negating all magic effects within the area. The cloud persists for 2 minutes (or 2 rounds in windy conditions). Moderate abjuration; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, antimagic fi eld; Price 3,300 gp. Ring of Lightning Flashes: Made from interwoven bands of copper and electrum, a ring of lightning fl ashes offers a unique defense against monsters that grapple, engulf, swallow, or otherwise get entirely too close to the wearer. As a purely mental standard action, the wearer can cause the ring to emit a powerful blast of lightning that deals 5d6 points of electricity damage (Refl ex DC 13 half ) to all other creatures within 5 feet. Any creature that is currently in physical contact with the ring’s wearer (grappling, engulfi ng, and so forth) receives no saving throw against the blast. The ring’s wearer can invoke the lightning fl ash even when grappled, swallowed, engulfed, or para-

Jozan wields lyzed. A ring of lightning fl ashes is usable a rod of freedom three times per day. Faint evocation; CL 5th; Forge Ring, lightning bolt; Price 11,250 gp. Rod of Freedom: A potent weapon against monsters that charm or enslave other creatures, a rod of freedom is the equivalent of a +3 silver heavy mace. It has three special powers. First, the user can choose to deal nonlethal damage with no penalty on her attack rolls. (She must decide before she makes the attack roll if she will deal lethal or nonlethal damage.) Second, any time she uses the rod to strike a creature that is under a charm or compulsion effect, she makes a special caster level check (1d20+9) to dispel the effect (DC 11 + caster level of the effect). A rod of freedom can be used fi ve times per day. Third, as long as the rod of freedom is in her hand, the user gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm or compulsion effects. Moderate evocation; CL 9th; Craft Rod, break enchantment; Price 53,000 gp; Weight 6 lb.