Scales of Balance

Illus. by D. Martin

This 6-foot-tall, polished quarterstaff is made half from white ash and half from darkwood so black it resembles a clouded sky on a moonless night. At the center of the staff, the two woods fuse together in a blend of neutral gray. The staff is unadorned, but simply holding it is enough to reveal its unusual properties.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: Masterwork quarter staff; Cost 920 gp. You gain a +1 bonus on saves against death effects, energy drain, and any effect that would induce fatigue or exhaustion. Omen: When Scales of Balance is left unattended, plants seem to grow and blossom with greater facility in the vicinity of the ash end, while vegetation is more prone to shriveling and withering near the darkwood end. HISTORY

Little can be gleaned about this staff’s purpose or history from its appearance. What can be deduced is that it clearly symbolizes positive and negative energies, life and death, in equal balance with one another. A sect of austere warrior monks, the Brotherhood of the Balanced Way, is known for its rejection of deity worship and a planar cosmology, seeing all so-called gods and planes as illusions resulting from the imperfect discernment of the cosmic precepts of positive and negative. The order faded into obscurity some fi ve decades ago, after a violent and protracted struggle with a monastic group devoted to the worship of Wee Jas. This other organization apparently took exception to their deity being referred to as a “fl awed perception.” Only a few of the Balanced Way monks survived the covert war of assassinations and back-alley duels, and those who did scattered to the winds, hoping to stay hidden and avoid retaliation from the followers of Wee Jas. (DC 15) One of the last disciples taken in by the Brother hood of the Balanced Way, before the confl ict with Wee Jas’s worshipers, was a boy named Hemsi. A street urchin caught stealing by one of the monks, Hemsi was remanded to the care of the monastery by the local magistrate, rather than being placed in the pillories. Much to the surprise of the other monks, not to mention Hemsi himself, the lad readily took to the Brotherhood’s

odd, ascetic philosophy. Within weeks of beginning his training, he would often stay up through the night, debating philosophy with the order’s founders. Hemsi concluded that to truly understand the unity of positive and negative forces, one must experience each to the fullest extreme possible. He became the fi rst monk of the Balanced Way to walk the Threefold Path—the Road of Creation, the Road of Annihilation, and the True Road. The young monk began his spiritual journey on the Road of Creation, dedicating himself heart and soul to writing beautiful poetry, healing the sick, and indulging in the positive aspects of existence. (DC 18; Road of Creation) Once he felt that he could gain no further enlightenment from the Road of Creation, Hemsi changed tack and embarked upon the perilous Road of Annihilation. Where once he had created beautiful art, now he put libraries and museums to the torch. Where once he had healed, now he harmed. He did these things not out of malice or evil, but because he truly believed directly experiencing these forces was the only way in which one could come to illumination. It was around this time that the troubles with Wee Jas’s faithful began, though it is unknown if that feud began because of Hemsi’s acts or not. It is known that Hemsi challenged many of the monks of Wee Jas to battle and defeated them handily, which certainly exacerbated the situation. Wee Jas’s followers struck back by slaughtering the less capable monks of the Balanced Way indiscriminately, and soon fewer than a dozen of Hemsi’s comrades were left alive. When the grandmaster of the monks of Wee Jas challenged Hemsi to a duel, the young monk knew that, one way or another, his quest for enlightenment would soon be over. (DC 25; Road of Annihilation) The grandmaster of the death goddess’s cult arrived at the gates of the Monastery of the Balanced Way before dawn. He carried a simple staff of blackened darkwood, a gift, he claimed, from Wee Jas herself, imbued with powerful death magic. Hemsi met the challenger, carrying a staff of plain, unadorned white ash. The two monks bowed to one another, and the battle was joined. Their fi ght was long and fi erce, and neither monk possessed a clear The staff known as Scales of Balance dispenses advantage. The rhythmic clacking life and death in equal measure of their staffs fi lled the morning air,

Table 3–36: Scales of Balance

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

5th — — 4 +1/+1 quarterstaff 6th — — — Eye of mortality 7th — — — Lifetouch 3/day 8th — –1 — — 9th –1 — 2 — 10th — — — +2/+2 quarterstaff 11th — — — Death’s swift wing 2/day 12th — — 2 — 13th –2 — — — 14th — — — +3/+3 quarterstaff 15th — — 2 — 16th — –2 — Lifedrain 2/day 17th — — — Unity of balance 18th — –3 2 Bodily integrity 1/day 19th — — 2 — 20th — — 2 Ending point 1/day

and the rest of the monks looked on in breathless anticipation. Finally, Hemsi’s opponent saw an opening and thrust his staff, the tip crackling with negative energy, at Hemsi’s ribcage. Hemsi parried the blow, his own staff shining with white light. As the weapons touched, the power surging through them drew them together, fusing them into one. Hemsi was enlightened. Taking up the united staff, he easily defeated the grandmaster.

Then, with a bow and a mysterious smile, he tossed the weapon to one of his fellow monks and vanished.

The rest of the Balanced Way practitioners fled the city, fearing the retribution of their rivals. With them went the Scales of Balance. Neither Hemsi nor the staff has been seen since. (DC 31; True Road) LEGACY RITUALS

Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Scales of Balance.

Road of Creation: You have to spend at least one week immersing yourself in all aspects of positive existence—creation, spontaneity, physical exertion, healing, and so on. The DM is free to extend the time requirement of this ritual. Cost: 3,600 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Scales of Balance).

Road of Annihilation: For one week, you must be a force of destruction and entropy, thoroughly throwing yourself into the negative. The goal is to understand the destructive aspects of nature and existence, not debased wallowing in wanton slaughter and ruin. Cost: 12,500 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Scales of Balance).

True Road: The most difficult road is the True Road, which lies between the two extremes of positive and negative. Walking the True Road requires an understanding of the cosmic balance of life and death, order and chaos. It should include a journey to both the

Positive and Negative Energy Planes, interactions with natives of each, and at least a week of meditation and abstemious inward focus. Cost: 40,500 gp. Feat Granted:

Greater Legacy (Scales of Balance). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Monks and clerics are the most likely to have the spiritual tendencies necessary to wield the Scales of Balance, but any character with a philosophical bent could make use of the staff.

Scales of Balance Wielder Requirements

Balance 3 ranks Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of Scales of Balance.

Eye of Mortality (Su): At 6th level and higher, three times per day as a standard action, you can point Scales of Balance at another creature to determine that creature’s nature. This works like the detect undead spell, except that it affects only a single creature and reveals that creature’s aura strength on the same round you activate this feature. Further, this ability reveals whether the creature is a mortal living creature (anything besides a construct, elemental, outsider, or undead), an immortal living creature (elemental or outsider), or an undead creature. A construct presents no aura when subject to this effect, and such a creature is thereby revealed as a construct. Caster level 5th.

Lifetouch (Sp): Beginning at 7th level, three times per day, you can use cure light wounds as the spell by touching the staff to the creature to be healed (including yourself) and speaking the command word

“lifetouch.” Caster level 5th.

Death’s Swift Wing (Sp): At 11th level and higher, two times per day as a swift action, you can use death knell, as the spell, by touching the darkwood end of

Scales of Balance to an opponent. This ability can be used in conjunction with a blow from the darkwood end of the staff that reduces the target to negative hit points, so that the death knell effect is delivered immediately. The save DC is 13, or 12 + your Charisma modifi er, whichever is higher. Caster level 10th.

Lifedrain (Sp): Starting at 16th level, two times per day by uttering the command word “lifedrain,” you can use enervation as the spell. The ray erupts from the darkwood end of Scales of Balance. The save

DC is 16, or 14 + your Charisma modifi er, whichever is higher. Caster level 13th.

Unity of Balance (Su): At 17th level, you become immune to energy drain and death effects. You also gain immunity to the effects of the positive- and negative-dominant planar traits (see page 149 of the

Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Bodily Integrity (Sp): Beginning at 18th level, once per day on command, you can use heal on yourself only, as the spell. Caster level 15th.

Ending Point (Sp): At 20th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use fi nger of death as the spell. You must point the darkwood end of Scales of

Balance at the effect’s target. The save DC is 20, or 17 + your Charisma modifi er, whichever is higher. Caster level 17th. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 5)

The PCs are visiting an acquaintance in a sick house for people who cannot afford clerics to heal their highly contagious illnesses. While there, they see a young man in simple robes moving among the sick, administering to them. After a moment’s observation, it becomes obvious that for every two persons he treats, one dies while the other shows marked improvement. The pattern of death is too constant and specifi c to be anything other than deliberate murder. If the PCs question the monk, he tells them he is attempting to gain enlightenment through contemplation of the balance between positive and negative forces. The monk further informs the characters they shall experience the truth fi rst hand. He then attacks.

Remsa CR 5

Male human monk 5 LN Medium humanoid Init +3; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 Language Common AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13; Dodge hp 27 (5 HD) Immune normal disease Resist evasion; +1 on saves against death effects, energy drain, fatigue, and exhaustion Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +6 (+8 against enchantments) Speed 40 ft. (8 squares) Melee Scales of Balance +7 (1d6+2) or Melee Scales of Balance +6/+6 (1d6+2) with flurry of blows or Melee unarmed strike +6 (1d8+1) or Melee unarmed strike +5/+5 (1d8+1) with flurry of blows Base Atk +3; Grp +4 Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Stunning Fist, ki strike (magic) Special Actions Deflect Arrows Abilities Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 SQ slow fall 20 ft. Feats Combat ReflexesB, Deflect Arrows, Dodge,

Improved Unarmed StrikeB, Least Legacy (Scales of

Balance)B, Stunning FistB, Weapon Finesse Skills Balance +11, Climb +8, Heal +4, Jump +10,

Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5,

Tumble +11 Possessions Scales of Balance