Mindsplinter

Illus. by M. Phillippi

Mindsplinter is a steel morningstar, the spiked head of which is fashioned to resemble the face of demon screaming upward.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 morningstar; Cost 2,308 gp. Mindsplinter grants you a +1 resistance bonus on saves against sonic attacks. Omen: When you wield the weapon in battle, it emits a high-pitched sound that is inaudible to humanoids but disturbing to animals that have acute hearing. HISTORY

Melaki was born to troglodytes that had high expectations for each of their hatchlings. He and his siblings would not grow up simply to defend their people—they would become their tribe’s mightiest members. One of them would rise to be chief. To prove their strength both to their parents and to the tribe, Melaki, his brothers, and his sisters were sent to the surface at the age of culling, with no means of protection other than their claws and teeth. They were not to return unless they did so with weapons forged of steel, taken from the corpses of the softskins. When Melaki fi nally returned, he did so with Mind splinter. (DC 15) On the surface, any playfulness that existed between Melaki and his siblings as hatchlings was gone. They were now fi erce rivals out to pursue any opportunity for tribal advancement. Melaki was no exception. He shadowed his eldest brother, the strongest and fi rst to hatch, watching as he clawed his way through a camp of sleeping humans. After half of them were dead, the remaining two roused themselves to fi ght. Still unbalanced and surprised, the humans perished quickly, but not before one stabbed the attacking troglodyte with a spear. At that instant, Melaki struck, picking up one of the dropped weapons and murdering his brother while the elder was still catching his breath. Melaki collected all the metal armor and weapons, keeping the morningstar he had picked up for himself. He dragged everything home to a triumphant welcome. His was the best single-handed gathering of steel in generations of troglodytes. (DC 20; Nothing Personal) Melaki had his pick of mates, so he chose the strongest and most attractive female among his people. The tribe agreed. The two were suited to each other. Melaki was being groomed by the priests of Laogzed to become the next chieftain, but his rite of passage required yet another ritual. Before Melaki could ascend to the role of tribal leader, the existing chieftain, his father, had to fl ee or be defeated in combat. The young would-be chieftain did not intend to let his father decide which course to take. He attacked. Cruelly, Melaki played with his sire for the better part of an hour, fi nally allowing Mindsplinter to do what it did best. (DC 25; Unseat the Highest) Melaki felt his troglodytes had grown complacent under ground, so he frequently pushed them into combat even when resources were low. The acquisitions of steel were great and casualties commensurately high, but this problem of attrition was easily solved in Melaki’s mind—the females would simply have to lay more eggs. When food became scarce, the oldest priest suggested that it might be wise for the tribe to conserve their strength. Melaki crushed the cleric’s skull for offering such unsolicited and craven council. The old troglodyte had friends, though, and these young warriors immediately attacked Melaki. All were slain.

Table 3–31: Mindsplinter

————— Personal Costs ————— Wielder Attack Reflex Save Hit Point Level Penalty Penalty Loss Abilities

5th — — — Bleak future 6th –1 — — Virtue denied 1/day 7th — –1 2 — 8th — — 2 +2 morningstar 9th — –2 — Kiss of death 2/day 10th — — 2 Futile struggle 11th — — — +3 morningstar 12th –2 — — — 13th — — — — 14th — — 2 Battle shriek 1/day 15th — –3 — — 16th — — 2 +4 thundering morningstar 17th — — — Fierce battle shriek 1/day 18th –3 — — — 19th — — — — 20th — –4 — Ruinous howl 1/day

Even united, the group was no match for Melaki and

Mindsplinter. Melaki then ordered the raids to stop so the tribe could conserve their strength. The priest had died for nothing. The remaining troglodytes were angry, but they bided their time. One day, scouts returned from a mission with news of a poorly defended adamantine mine. Melaki led the raid. Always greedy for rare metals, he charged headlong into the entranceway and quickly found himself alone. Before he realized what was happening, his treacherous lieutenants pulled out the rigged support beams and collapsed the cave on their chieftain, burying him with his morningstar. (DC 30;

Serve No Other) LEGACY RITUALS

Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of Mindsplinter.

Nothing Personal: You have to steal an item worth 1,000 gp from a close friend, relative, or compatriot. Cost: 4,500 gp (which includes the value of the stolen item). Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Mindsplinter). Unseat the Highest: You are required to remove a relative, friend, or comrade from a position of power by attacking that person with Mindsplinter. Although killing is not required, it is the usual outcome. Cost: 13,000 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Mindsplinter). Serve No Other: You must reject all forms of challenge to your authority, never accepting or seeking the council of others. Each time you fail to act in a manner required by this pledge, you lose the two highest-level abilities of Mindsplinter for one day. Cost: 40,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Mindsplinter).

WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

The wielders of Mindsplinter are usually evil clerics or blackguards, although barbarians, fighters, rangers, or rogues are equally capable of meeting the weapon’s prerequisites.

Mindsplinter Wielder Requirements

Base attack bonus +2 Speak Language (Draconic) Any nongood alignment

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of Mindsplinter. Bleak Future (Su): At 5th level and higher, when you successfully strike an opponent with Mindsplinter, that opponent becomes shaken, as with the doom spell, for 1 round. The effects of successive strikes in the same round are not cumulative. The save DC is 11, or 11 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 5th. Virtue Denied (Su): Starting at 6th level, once per day as an immediate action, you can ward yourself against mental control or possession, as per the secondary effect of the protection from good spell. Caster level 5th. Kiss of Death (Sp): At 9th level and higher, two times per day on command, you can use death knell as the spell. The save DC is 13, or 12 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. If the spell is successful, the DC of Mindsplinter’s legacy abilities increases by 2 for the duration of the death knell effect. Caster level 5th. Futile Struggle (Su): Beginning at 10th level, when you successfully damage an opponent with

Mindsplinter, that enemy is affected as if by the cause fear spell. The save DC is 11, or 11 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 5th. Battle Shriek (Sp): At 14th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use shout as the spell.

Mindsplinter emits the piercing shriek from its demonic head. The save DC is 16, or 14 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 11th. Fierce Battle Shriek (Sp): Starting at 17th level, the battle shriek ability of Mindsplinter improves, allowing you to instead use greater shout as the spell. The save

DC is 22, or 18 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 15th. Ruinous Howl (Su): At 20th level and higher, once per day, you can cause the mind of a creature struck by Mindsplinter to fill with a terrible scream.

The effect is that of a wail of the banshee spell, except only the struck target is affected. Further, you must declare you are using this feature before making the attack roll—the use is wasted for the day if you miss.

The save DC is 23, or 19 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 20th. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 8)

A duergar named Xurg has made an abandoned mine his home. In the process of retrofitting the shafts and chambers with the help of animated skeletons, Xurg unearthed the remains of a troglodyte near the entrance.

Still clutched in the corpse’s bony hands was a magic morningstar. The duergar cleric had heard underworld tales of a troglodyte chieftain who wielded such a bludgeon, and he therefore studied the morningstar further.

He subsequently awakened Mindsplinter and now carries the morningstar as his personal weapon. Xurg brooks no intrusion on his private abode, killing any and all who trespass. The troglodyte skeleton always attends the duergar cleric. Six other skeletons guard Xurg’s altar, a fixture he casts desecrate upon if he gets a chance.

Xurg CR 6

Male duergar cleric 5 LE Medium humanoid (dwarf) Init –1; Senses darkvision 120 ft., Listen +4, Spot +4 Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven,

Undercommon AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 18; +4 AC against giants hp 36 (5 HD) Immune paralysis, phantasms, poison Resist +2 on saves against spells and spell-like effects, +1 on saves against sonic attacks, stability (+4 against bull rush and trip) Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +7 Weakness light sensitivity Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) Melee Mindsplinter +5 (1d8+2) or Ranged mwk light crossbow +3 (1d8/19–20) Base Atk +3; Grp +4 Special Actions bleak future, death touch 1/day (5d6), rebuke earth creatures 3/day (+0, 2d6+5, 5th), rebuke undead 7/day (+2, 2d6+6, 5th), spontaneous casting (inflict spells), turn air creatures 3/day (+0, 2d5+5, 5th) Combat Gear 2 potions of cure moderate wounds, 3 vials of unholy water Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 5th): 3rd—animate deadD (CL 6th), bestow curse (+4 melee touch; DC 16), dispel magic 2nd—bull’s strength (DC 15), desecrateD (CL 6th), hold person (DC 15), spiritual weapon 1st—cause fearD (DC 14), command (DC 14), sanctuary (DC 14), shield of faith 0—detect magic, guidance, read magic, resistance, virtue D: Domain spell. Domains: Death , Evil. Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th, self only): 1/day—enlarge person, invisibility Abilities Str 13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10 Feats Extra Turning, Least Legacy (Mindsplinter)B ,

Weapon Focus (morningstar) Skills Concentration +6, Craft (stonemasonry) +4,

Knowledge (religion) +5, Listen +4, Move Silently +0, Profession (miner) +6, Speak Language (Draconic), Spot +4 Possessions combat gear plus masterwork breastplate, +2 heavy steel shield, Mindsplinter, masterwork light crossbow with 20 bolts, masterwork dagger, silver unholy symbol, 5 lb. silver dust, 4 black onyxes (25 gp each) Bleak Future (Su) Opponents struck by Mindsplinter must make a DC 11 Will save or be subject to the doom spell for 1 round. Light Sensitivity Dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Melaki’s Skeleton CR 1

NE Medium undead Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +0, Spot +0 AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 hp 13 (2 HD); DR 5/bludgeoning Immune undead immunities Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+3) and bite –1 (1d4+1) Base Atk +1; Grp +4 Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1 Feats Improved Initiative

Human Warrior Skeletons (6): hp 6 each (see page 226 of the Monster Manual).

Dark Temple

Skeletons

The human warrior skeletons remain in these alcoves until directed into combat by Xurg.

Troglodyte Skeleton

The animated remains of Melaki, this skeleton serves

Xurg as a personal bodyguard and never leaves the cleric’s side.

Altar

Xurg spends most of his time in prayer and meditation here while Melaki’s skeleton watches over him. Mindsplinter in Eberron

The troglodyte tribe that birthed Melaki, and that he came to dominate, can still exist in the monstrous nation of Droaam. This hag-ruled region has little central authority beyond the required tribute, and individual warlords are the de facto government among its monstrous and primitive peoples. In such an environment, Mindsplinter might be the glue that held together a troglodyte subnation within Droaam. Now that the morningstar has been lost, the tyranny of Melaki has ended—but so has the cohesion of the troglodytes, making them prey for aggressive neighboring groups such as rogue harpy fl ights or the expanding empire of Tzaryan Rrac’s ogres. The trogs now wish to reclaim the legacy weapon, but its whereabouts are unknown; the collapsed mine shaft was excavated and looted. Instead of Xurg and his skeletal retinue, a new owner wields

Mindsplinter. Another possibility is that Mindsplinter’s legacy of betrayal has brought it to the Mournland. Xurg found the morningstar in an abandoned mine, but instead of staying there, the duergar priest decided to cast his lot with the Blood of Vol and the Order of the Emerald Claw. He established a hidden temple within Karrnath as part of Vol’s bargain with Kaius I. The morningstar went into battle during the Last War, and when Cyre vanished on the Day of Mourning, the legacy weapon did as well.

Now various scavenger companies are searching for Mindsplinter, chief among them Ikar’s Salvage.

Ikar the Black expects a generous reward from his masters in the Emerald Claw should he recover the storied morningstar. Mindsplinter in Faerûn

Among the warring factions of Toril’s Underdark, troglodytes often serve as mercenaries and shock troops. Though they are useful in this role, no one likes or trusts the disgusting reptilians. The feeling is mutual—troglodytes serve only as long as they are well fed, and they might turn on their employers at any moment. Within this setting, Mindsplinter can be the focus of a struggle to prevent the troglodytes from becoming a more organized and powerful force. Alternatively, Xurg might be a renegade runescribe of Laduguer who left the halls of his native Drik Hargunen to establish a realm more to his taste. (For more about the duergar city of Drik Hargunen, the Runescribed Halls, see Underdark, page 143.) Having excavated Melaki’s resting place and acquiring Mindsplinter, Xurg believes himself able to work toward that goal. The runescribes of the city are aware of the renegade and wish to put an end to his plans, but their weak standing army and reclusive ways make military action infeasible. The city might hire adventurers to do the dirty work of rooting out the threat.