Alternative Progression for Caput Mortuum

Table 3–8: Caput Mortuum

————— Personal Costs ————— Wielder Attack Hit Point Spell Slot Level Penalty Loss Loss Abilities

5th — — — +1 vicious scythe 6th — 2 1st — 7th — 2 — Soul servant 8th –1 — 2nd — 9th — 2 — +2 vicious scythe 10th — — 3rd — 11th — — — +3 vicious scythe 12th — — 4th — 13th — 2 — +4 vicious scythe 14th — — 5th — 15th — 2 — +5 vicious scythe 16th — — 6th — 17th — — — +5 unholy vicious scythe 18th — — 7th — 19th — 2 — +5 unholy vicious wounding scythe 20th — — 8th —

death deity’s worshipers with a total Encounter Level of at least 16. You need not kill all the cultists yourself, but you must participate in the battle. Cost: 39,000 gp.

Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Caput Mortuum). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Evil clerics are the most likely to find Caput Mortuum useful. Blackguards can easily meet the requirements to wield the weapon, but they won’t gain legacy abilities past 13th level without taking levels in another spellcasting class. Because blackguards only ever cast 4th level spells, they will not be able to fulfill the personal cost of sacrificing a 5th-level or higher spell slot.

Caput Mortuum Wielder Requirements

Ability to cast death knell as a divine spell Any nongood alignment Ability to rebuke undead

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

The following is a legacy item ability of Caput Mortuum.

Soul Servant (Su): Beginning at 7th level, the souls of those you have slain with Caput Mortuum linger, acting as the unseen servant spell. They dissipate if they take 6 or more points of damage, or if they move more than 35 feet from you. In such an event, the servants re-form 1 round later in an adjacent square to you. Caster level 5th.

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs ALTERNATIVE PROGRESSION FOR CAPUT MORTUUM Caput Mortuum has a very straightforward legacy progression, becoming an increasingly dangerous weapon as its wielder advances in level. However, it does not gain other special abilities beyond soul servant. Players and DMs might wish to customize this item with unique legacy abilities. One possible alternative progression is described below. This progression slows the weapon’s damaging ability slightly and grants it additional deathdealing powers. The progression is the same until the wielder reaches 11th level, at which time the weapon’s new abilities are revealed in the following sequence. (Personal costs remain the same as on Table 3–8.)

Slaughtering Swing (Sp): At 11th level, three times per day, you can deliver a death knell effect as the spell when you strike a successful blow with Caput Mortuum. You must declare you are using the ability before making the attack roll; a miss wastes the effect. The save DC is 13, or 12 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 11th. +3 Vicious Scythe: At 13th level, you wield Caput Mortuum as a +3 vicious scythe. +4 Vicious Scythe: At 15th level, you wield Caput Mortuum as a +4 vicious scythe. Blade of Destruction (Sp): At 17th level, once per day when you issue the command word “bloodwind” and gesture with Caput Mortuum, you can kill one living creature, as the finger of death spell. The save DC is 20, or 17 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 17th. +5 Unholy Vicious Scythe: At 19th level, you wield Caput Mortuum as a +5 unholy vicious scythe. pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs

ADVENTURE SEED (EL 6)

While exploring an underground catacomb, the PCs discover that one of the tombs has been converted into a shrine to Nerull (or another death god appropriate to the campaign). Worshiping at this shrine is a 5th-level cleric of Nerull who wields Caput Mortuum. This cleric has fi ve human warrior skeletons attending him. Shrine to Nerull

Altar This altar to Nerull is decorated with profane symbols and caked with the blood of sacrifi cial victims. The altar is the center of a desecrate spell, which bolsters the skeletons under Ertak’s control. Protecting the altar is Ertak’s primary objective.

Ertak, Priest of Nerull CR 6

Male human cleric 5 NE Medium humanoid Init +3; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3 Languages Common AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 hp 31 (5 HD) Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +7 Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) Melee Caput Mortuum +5 (2d4+2 plus 2d6 plus deals 1d6 to wielder) or Ranged mwk light crossbow +3 (1d8/19–20) Base Atk +3; Grp +4 Special Actions death touch 1/day (5d6), rebuke undead 5/day (+4, 2d6+7, 5th), spontaneous casting (inflict spells) Combat Gear scroll of animate dead, scroll of magic stone, augury, undetectable alignment, scroll of protection from law, aid, speak with animals, scroll of darkness, bless, scroll of calm emotions, fox’s cunning, thunderstone, 2 vials of unholy water Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 5th): 3rd—cure serious wounds, dispel magic, magic circle against goodD (CL 6th) 2nd—align weapon (CL 6th for evil), bull’s strength, death knell (+4 melee touch, DC 15, CL 6th), desecrateD (CL 6th) 1st—bane (DC 14), cause fear (DC 14), cure light wounds, deathwatch (CL 6th), protection from goodD (CL 6th) 0—detect magic, detect poison, light, read magic, resistance

D: Domain spell. Domains: Death, Evil. Abilities Str 13, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 14 Feats Combat Casting, Improved InitiativeB, Least

Legacy (Caput Mortuum)B, Scribe Scroll Skills Concentration +9 (+13 casting on the defensive),

Knowledge (religion) +8, Spellcraft +8 Possessions combat gear plus full plate, Caput

Mortuum, masterwork light crossbow with 6 bolts, unholy symbol, 15 onyx chips (25 gp each), 10 lb. silver dust, 43 pp

Human Warrior Skeletons (5): hp 6 each (see page 226 of the Monster Manual). Burial Niches Within these stone niches are skeletons. If given a chance to prepare for or recover from an attack, Ertak uses his scroll of animate dead to mobilize these skeletons and turn them on the PCs. Also within each niche is a piece of jewelry worth 200 gp. Most of these baubles are still worn by the skeletons. Urns These ceramic urns are fi lled with cremated remains. Each urn has a hardness of 2 and 5 hit points. Shattering an urn stirs up a 10-foot-radius cloud of ash that persists for 2 rounds and grants those within it concealment (20% miss chance). Characters within the cloud must make a DC 10 Fortitude save to keep from being sickened.