Planeshifter’s Knife

Illus. by D. Crabapple

Planeshifter’s Knife is a dagger with a spiral hilt and a broad, serrated blade that tapers to a sharp point.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 dagger;

Cost 2,302 gp. Omen: Whenever you set the dagger down, it immediately rights itself to balance on the tip of the blade, always at a 90-degree angle to any surface it touches, regardless of gravity.

It begins spinning whenever an extraplanar creature is within 5 feet. HISTORY

A young wizard named Arochius Kade, who consistently angered the Enclave of Mages, created Planeshifter’s Knife. Arochius was frequently absent from the Enclave’s parliaments and accused of being reclusive. He resented the Enclave of Mages, knowing full well that they existed only to keep track of and control powerful spellcasters. The benefits of membership, however, were undeniable—access to one of the world’s largest thaumaturgic libraries guarded by vigilant shadow mastiffs. It was accountability that chafed Arochius. The Enclave knew exactly what their members were researching and guided them accordingly. For the youthful mage to break free of their influence, he would have to craft an object with potential surpassing his own power. (DC 15) The Enclave of Mages controlled an information network that stretched across the continents. They introduced themselves to Arochius when his powers first increased beyond normal ken, having observed the mage through scrying devices. An offer of membership was extended, but the recruitment tactics more resembled those of a press gang. The message was clear—the Enclave did not tolerate independents. Arochius wasn’t able to resist the Enclave at the time, but their library eventually revealed knowledge that might help him escape them. Once Planeshifter’s Knife was complete, he showed the dagger to the Enclave. The members studied the weapon and agreed it was simply a tool for detecting extraplanar creatures. At the time, that was exactly right. (DC 20; The First Ingredient) Arochius told the Enclave his reluctance to attend their gatherings was due to suspicion. He wanted to make sure that none of the council members were extraplanar creatures, in light of their extensive use of shadow mastiffs as guardians. Planeshifter’s Knife dispelled such concerns. Arochius was lauded for his prudence. As he grew in power, Arochius unlocked the dagger’s hidden potential—just as he had planned. Planeshifter’s Knife gave him the ability to move from one plane of existence to another, but only after plunging the dagger into an extraplanar creature. He didn’t hesitate to use the weapon’s abilities. Arochius gathered some of the most valuable tomes from the Enclave’s library, attacked one of the shadow mastiffs, and fled to another reality. Unfortunately, he arrived only seconds before an Enclave recovery team. Having magically tagged each one of their books, the Enclave had no difficulty tracking Arochius and little trouble dispatching the upstart where he stood. His dagger has remained in storage ever since. (DC 25; Over the Threshold) LEGACY RITUALS

Two rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of Planeshifter’s Knife. The First Ingredient: You must acquire a vial of blood from an extraplanar creature using any means at your disposal. Cost: 3,200 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Planeshifter’s Knife). Over the Threshold: You have to single-handedly defeat a creature with the extraplanar subtype and a CR equal to or greater than your level (maximum CR 16). Cost: 13,500 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Planeshifter’s Knife).

By spilling the blood of an outsider, Planeshifter’s Knife can cut a path between worlds

Table 3–33: Planeshifter’s Knife

——————— Personal Costs ——————— Wielder Save Skill Check Caster Level Spell Slot Level Penalty Penalty Penalty Loss Abilities

5th — — — — Sense alien at will 6th –1 — — 1st Planesight 5/day 7th — — –1 — — 8th — –1 — 2nd — 9th — — — — Reality slice 10th — — — 3rd Unseen foe 1/day 11th — — — — — 12th — — — 4th Dancing 13th — — –2 — Planar cunning 14th — — — 5th — 15th — –2 — — — 16th — — — 6th Induce shift

WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Most wielders of Planeshifter’s Knife are clerics, sorcerers, or wizards, though bards and druids might also have an interest in extraplanar travel.

Planeshifter’s Knife Wielder Requirements

Ability to cast 2nd-level spells Knowledge (the planes) 2 ranks Speak Language (one of Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, or Terran)

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of Planeshifter’s Knife. Sense Alien (Su): At 5th level and higher, you can detect any creature with the extraplanar subtype within 60 feet at will, as if detecting an evil outsider with detect evil. Caster level 5th.

Planesight (Sp): Starting at 6th level, five times per day on command, you can use see invisibility as the spell. The duration of each use is only 10 minutes. Caster level 5th.

Reality Slice (Su): At 9th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use Planeshifter’s Knife to cut a window in the fabric of reality that opens into an extradimensional space, as per the rope trick spell. Unlike rope trick, no rope dangles from the slash, but the opening is always visible to you. You can personally usher in other creatures. The aperture can be in any orientation, and those within the extradimensional space can do anything normally allowed by rope trick that does not require the associated rope. Caster level 10th. Unseen Foe (Sp): Starting at 10th level, once per day on command, you can become imperceptible to extraplanar creatures for 50 minutes. This ability functions like hide from undead, except that it affects creatures with the extraplanar subtype instead of undead. Caster level 5th.

Dancing (Su): Once you reach 12th level, Planeshifter’s Knife can be loosed to attack on its own two times per day. Treat this as if the weapon had the dancing magic weapon ability (page 224 of the

Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Planar Cunning (Su): At 13th level and higher, you are never considered flat-footed against the attacks of extraplanar creatures, so long as you hold Planeshifter’s Knife.

Induce Shift (Su): Beginning at 16th level, whenever you use Planeshifter’s Knife to hit an extraplanar creature (other than you), you can instantaneously move to another plane of your choice, as per the plane shift spell. Caster level 13th. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 5)

Hidden beneath the ruins of an old temple is a library untouched for almost a century—the same library Arochius Kade once burgled. If a means can be found to open the passageway that leads below, the PCs can discover a wealth of knowledge, along with Planeshifter’s Knife, in a secluded chamber. Opening the tunnel, however, awakens a shadow mastiff from a magically induced stasis. Should the Enclave of Mages return to find their cache of scrolls plundered, they seek out the parties responsible.

Shadow Mastiff: hp 30 (see page 222 of the Monster Manual).

Sanctuary of the Sun

This temple is an open structure with a hemispherical roof supported on square brackets. The grounds of the ancient temple are overgrown with trees and brush, casting deep shadows over the building. A sun pattern is worked in stone on the uppermost fl oor. This is actually the opening device for a hidden stairway. Someone wishing to enter must stand on the pattern while it is entirely covered by sunlight. The overgrowth surrounding this temple prevents this, but the same effect can be achieved with a daylight spell. When the stairs are activated, they drop away into a recess that leads down into the library. The stairs withdraw again after 10 minutes unless a pattern in the bottom step is pressed, resetting them for another 10 minutes. Library This chamber is airtight and has preserved its contents perfectly. Shelves line the walls, all covered with valuable tomes and scrolls. One of the codices has been hollowed out to serve as a secret container for Planeshifter’s Knife. Although the weapon is cunningly hidden, the book’s shape is slightly deformed by this operation and can be noticed with a DC 27 Spot check. Otherwise only a careful search of the library can locate it. The Search DC is 20, and taking 20 automatically reveals the hollow book. Shadow Mastiff The creature wakes from stasis as soon as the stairs are activated. It lurks in a shadowed area and waits for an opportune moment to attack. Its usual tactic is to wait until all party members have entered or until one of the PCs is about to discover its location, then it lets loose with a chilling howl to panic the interlopers. Those who do not fl ee are its fi rst targets. The Enclave of Mages has magically attuned the creature to Planeshifter’s Knife. It is of only dim intelligence, but it is an outsider and has a simple understanding of the weapon’s danger. If one of the party members discovers the blade and removes it from the book, that character becomes the overriding target of the shadow mastiff’s attack.