Wargird’s Armor

Illus. by D. Crabapple

Wargird’s Armor is a breastplate designed for a military officer. Its entire surface is etched with beautifully symmetric patterns and runes.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 breastplate; Cost 1,350 gp. You can sleep while wearing Wargird’s Armor without being fatigued the next day. You also gain a +2 bonus on Constitution checks made to avoid taking nonlethal damage from a forced march. Omen: Minor damage (not including hit point damage) sustained by Wargird’s Armor as a result of a battle automatically repairs itself, ensuring the armor always looks unblemished. HISTORY

Feralion Ordel made the breastplate that became Wargird’s Armor. The armor was never meant as anything more than a functional breastplate for the type of field lieutenant who issued commands from horseback, well away from the fighting. Feralion was a military smith accustomed to churning out arms and armor, making new when he had to, repairing what he could, and replacing what he couldn’t. He had no time to take pride in his work. During a long campaign, Feralion was ordered to forge a new breastplate. The smith went to work as he had many times before, but never had the final product turned out so completely devoid of flaws. Feralion couldn’t stop marveling at his own craftsmanship, growing unable to part with the breastplate. He hid it instead. (DC 15) The breastplate had been ordered for a newly commissioned lieutenant, a replacement for another officer fallen to a single arrow. The damage to the dead lieutenant’s breastplate was minimal, but the replacement lieutenant was of noble blood, and he expected a fresh outfit. Feralion hid the flawless armor, working hard to repair the dead lieutenant’s breastplate, adjusting the fit to the replacement officer. When the self-satisfied lieutenant unceremoniously donned the seemingly new breastplate, Feralion felt justified in his deception. If the whelp couldn’t tell the difference between

new armor and old, he deserved the hand-me-down. Feralion then toiled endlessly on his prized breastplate, lovingly adorning it with symmetric patterns and runes. (DC 20; Spark of the Anvil) One day, the regiment Feralion served came up against barbarians of the frozen highlands. The enemy showed up in unexpected force, dwarfing the regiment’s numbers. Outraged at the civilized kingdoms for invading their ancestral lands, the berserkers brutally plowed through the regiment’s defenses, forcing the officers to retreat almost immediately. Feralion had to defend himself, but having anticipated as much, he had already donned Wargird’s Armor. With an ordinary sledgehammer in hand, Feralion stood against the ravening horde quite prepared to die. But the longer he continued fighting, the more the smith realized he could not be struck—his armor simply wouldn’t allow it. Feralion broke through the berserker lines, giving the officers enough time to rally their remaining soldiers and drive the enemy back. Although the barbarians held their ground against the counterattack, Feralion had turned sure defeat into a stalemate. He was promoted to lieutenant on the field. What Feralion didn’t realize was the spirit of a berserker youth he killed that day had bonded with the breastplate. (DC 25; Misplaced Youth) Feralion and Wargird’s Armor became legendary. He was a leader who fought at the front of the ranks, leading charges in many successful battles. His iconic status, however, made him a target. Assassins and mercenaries alike were hired by the enemy to target Feralion in the field. The few times Wargird’s Armor will not allow an attack did strike Feralion’s armor, he its wearer to be defeated flew into such a violent fury that his opponent was usually dispatched shortly thereafter. Attempts were even made to steal Wargird’s Armor, but something always kept Feralion alert, foiling all such plots. Only the stalemate when first he had donned his flawless breastplate haunted the smith-turned-soldier. Feralion then sought permission to lead several regiments against the barbarians of the northern highlands, and he was given leave to attack as he saw fit. The battle should have gone well—the enemy was outnumbered—but the barbarians used

Table 3–49: Wargird’s Armor

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

5th — — — Easy movement 6th –1 — — +2 breastplate 7th — –1 2 Warrior’s surge 1/day 8th — — 2 — 9th — –2 — +3 breastplate 10th — — 2 Fast movement 11th — — — +3 breastplate of light fortification 12th –2 — — Awakened spirit 13th — — — +4 breastplate of light fortification 14th — — 2 — 15th — –3 — +4 breastplate of medium fortification 16th — — 2 Haste 5/day 17th — — — +5 breastplate of medium fortification 18th –3 — — Resistance to cold 20 19th — — — +5 breastplate of heavy fortification 20th — –4 — Stoneskin 1/day

nature against the intruders. As Feralion and his army marched through the frigid passes, barbarian drums echoed through the region and shook thundering walls of snow down upon the attackers. Avalanches completely buried everyone, preserving their bodies in crypts of shattered ice and frozen powder. Wargird’s

Armor has presumably been buried there ever since. (DC 30; The Journey Home) LEGACY RITUALS

Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of Wargird’s Armor.

Spark of the Anvil: You have to construct a breastplate without assistance and at your own expense (not included in the ritual cost). The breastplate must be given to a deserving warrior to whom you have no relationship. Cost: 1,500 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Wargird’s Armor). Misplaced Youth: You are required to choose a side in a war you think is just, volunteer as a soldier, accept no pay, and actively participate in at least one battle. Cost: 13,000 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Wargird’s Armor). The Journey Home: You must seek out the barbarians of the frozen highlands and learn the identity of the young berserker who bonded with Wargird’s

Armor. Cost: 40,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Wargird’s Armor). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Most wearers of Wargird’s Armor are fighters or paladins, although any character proficient with medium armor might be interested in the item.

Wargird’s Armor Wielder Requirements

Base attack bonus +4 Craft (armorsmithing) 4 ranks Armor Proficiency (Medium)

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of Wargird’s Armor.

Easy Movement (Su): Beginning at 5th level, Wargird’s Armor is treated as light armor for any purpose related to your movement.

Warrior’s Surge (Su): At 7th level and higher, once per day when a melee attack would reduce you to 0 or fewer hit points, you immediately gain a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution for 5 rounds. This ability activates without an action on your part—you have no control over this feature.

Fast Movement (Su): At 10th level, you gain a 5-foot enhancement bonus to your base land speed.

Awakened Spirit: Once you attain 12th level, the spirit of the young berserker warrior, who bonded to Wargird’s Armor so long ago, awakens. As an intelligent item, the breastplate has Intelligence 10, Wisdom 16, and Charisma 16. It can hear, see, and has darkvision out to 60 feet. Wargird’s Armor speaks (but cannot read) Common and is neutral good. The breastplate has an Ego score of 10 + its enhancement bonus, increasing to 14 + its enhancement bonus if any greater abilities are unlocked. In the event a personality conflict occurs, Wargird’s Armor pushes you into any opportunity for melee combat.

Haste (Sp): Starting at 16th level, five times per day as a swift action, you can use haste as the spell. Each use lasts 1 round. Caster level 10th.

Resistance to Cold (Su): At 18th level, you gain resistance to cold 20.

Stoneskin (Sp): At 20th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use stoneskin as the spell.

Caster level 15th. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 5)

While trekking through a frigid highland pass, a randomly determined character trips over a strangely glistening stone unless he makes a DC 25 Spot check. Closer examination reveals the stone is actually a helmet frozen in the snow. If the characters dig the helmet out, they discover many ice-covered bodies, their garb revealing them as soldiers from the same army. A little farther along the path, the heroes discover more equipment strewn about a hole and more bodies under the snow. Any character with the Track feat can make a Survival check to see the signs of a body being removed from the hole and dragged away by a Large quadruped (the base DC for tracking is 14, modified by the actual conditions at the site, as determined by the DM). The tracks lead to a winter wolf’s underground burrow. Gnarl, the winter wolf, has been dragging bodies to her den to eat, and she has the equipment worn by the unfortunates collected in a recess of the burrow. The trove includes Wargird’s Armor.

Gnarl, Winter Wolf: hp 51 (see page 256 of the

Monster Manual). Winter Wolf Burrow

This map depicts the underground burrow of a winter wolf. This burrow obviously exists in an arctic climate and should reflect as much near the entranceway, icy slope, and frozen antlers. The chamber containing the bodies sketched on the map also contains Wargird’s Armor. Frozen Antlers A character who slips on the entranceway slope might fall into this crude trap. It is built of chipped bones and antlers frozen into a mound of ice. Frozen Antlers Trap: CR 1; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex save avoids; multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-foot squares); bone spikes (Atk +8 melee, 1d4 bones per target for 1d4 each); Search DC 5; Disable Device DC 5.

Passageway This is a very narrow passage, filled in with packed snow.

Entranceway This entrance to the den is obvious, not covered by snow and well trodden by the winter wolf’s paws. Wargird’s Armor This small recess contains several frozen corpses and scattered oddments, among which lies Wargird’s Armor.

Icy Slope The den descends rapidly into the frozen earth, and there are steep areas of ice-covered, smooth soil that are difficult to negotiate. A DC 15 Balance check is required to avoid slipping and sliding down the slope. Winter Wolf Den Gnarl rests here when she is not hunting. Secret Entranceway This “back door” is filled in with snow and ice, forming an emergency exit for the winter wolf.