Artifacts

Black Gauntlet of the Barrow Mounds

No one knows who made this cruel item, though most blame a necromancer or death master for its construction. The gauntlet is made out of black leather and studded with an unknown dull gray metal. It is fitted for the right hand, and can adjust its size to fit anyone from a halfling to an ogre. There has never been a report of more than one of these gloves in existence, so hopefully it is a unique item.

The magic in this item is such that when a person is touched by it and the command word is thought, the victim must make a Will check at a Difficulty Class of 18 or receive one negative level for three hours. It can be used only once per round, and the wearer normally doesn't kill with it. Instead they drain their victim down to the status of unskilled peasant ( zero level), and dispatch them through other means. If the victim escapes or survives the encounter they will be able to remove one negative level per hour starting three hours after the last touch.

The other rather vicious use of the glove is the creation of undead. The wearer usually doesn't kill with it out of choice, not because they can't. If the victim loses the last level and the wearer actually utters the command word, the victim is transformed into either a juju zombi (80% chance), or a wight (20% chance) under the wearer's control. This function temporarily drains the glove of all power until three nights pass. Then it will function normally again. Note that during this time it does not radiate a magic aura. Because of this many good people seeking to destroy it have let it slip through their fingers.

Healer's Basin

The first of these small white ceramic-seeming bowls was seen early in the days of Furyondy's rise to independence. Most attribute this marvelous creation to the goddes Sotillon, it fits her nature so well. A handful of basins have been seen since the first one's appearance, but no wizard or cleric has ever stepped forward and claimed to be the creator and more than one king has offered a fortune to any who can duplicate its simple effect.

Its healing magic at first appears to be basic, but it is the quantity of its use that is what amazing everyone. Anyone who spends one full round washing their wounds from water poured into the basin heals 1d8+6 points of damage and cleanses the body of any poisons that might be present, but each person can use it only once per day. This doesn't sound that impressive by itself, but there is no limit to the number of different people that can enjoy the benefits of the Healer's Basin.

Luck Blade

This well made broadsword, while quite serviceable as a weapon, has its appearance marred by costume jewelry and a poorly done job of coating the pommel in gold plate. Because of this strange ornamentation it more closely resembles an actor's accessory than a warrior's steel. But the magic of this blade, which is quite undetectable, is hidden beneath its gaudy trim. For when the Luck Blade scores a landing blow on its wielder's enemy, the blade provides a small boon to its wielder. If a second blow lands then boon increases again. When a third successful blow in a row lands the boon improves further and the blade begins to glow faintly. When a fourth blow in a row lands the blade's glow ignites as bright as day, its edge becomes sharper and the chance of connecting again improves even more. If the wielder should actually manage a fifth blow in a row with the item, then the boon increases still further; the blade now shines as bright as day. If it scores a sixth and final blow in a row the weapon will actually start to scorch and burn any it touches in lethal combat. It should be noted that with each blow it lands the appearance of it improves, until it shows such value and quality that even the most pious knight might desire the weapon for himself.

It should be noted though that this weapon is a fickle one. It will forgive a single mistake in combat, but a second will throw luck to your opponent for just as long as it was given to you. Also try not to trick the weapon through false sparrings or fallen enemies, it seems to possess its own sense of purpose and use, able to detect when true battle is taking place and when you are merely trying to exploit its power.

The magic of the Luck Blade works in the following fashion. If its wielder lands a standard melee attack using it, the weapon bestows a +1 bonus to attack and damage. Every strike it lands without missing any, it adds another +1 to attack and damage. After three successful strikes in a row the weapon glows as bright as a torch. When it becomes a +4 weapon (after 4 hits in a row) it also gains keen. When a the wielder has hit 5 times in a row the weapon glows as bright as a Daylight spell. If six blows land in a row it also bestows an additional 2d6 fire damage on it it hits. However if the wielder misses even once in combat the bonus stops improving. If they miss again, then they suffer a penalty to the next number of attacks equal to the final bonus (for example if four strikes hit in a row then the character misses twice, his next four attacks are penalized with a decreasing modifier; -4, -3, -2, -1). After all penalty attacks are made the blade resumes normal function again for considering bonuses.

REQUIREMENTS: CL 20. Artifact.

Spear of black ice

The Spear of Black Ice was crafted long ago by an elf that was unwilling to accept the death of his family by the raid of cruel efreet sultan. The elf, who's name is lost to legend, spent centuries reading tomes of weaponcrafting and advanced magic theory. When his research was done he traveled to the fabled land of black ice. There he collected the components and spent the next two decades preparing the weapon. This spear is the result of all his power and revenge.

This is a powerful and unique weapon (some would consider it an artifact). It is a +4 Spear that deals 3d6 damage with every hit it makes. Against fire based opponents its critical threat range increases from "20" to "18-20" and every blow that is a potential critical is automatically a critical success and it deals an additional 2d6 bonus dice in damage (making the total against fire based opponents 5d6). In addition to those amazing abilities it also bestows upon its wielder a Fire Resistance of 20. The last amazing gift of this weapon is the gift of skill. Any who wields its is not only automatically proficient with it but it also grants the feats Weapon Focus (spear) and Weapon Specialization (spear) while it is being used.

There is one weakness of this weapon according to legends, heat produced by natural sunlight. If it is ever exposed to natural sunlight and the temperature is above 40 degrees, the spear will start to melt into nothingness. The entire melting process takes only ten minutes and there is no known way to stop it.

Staff of Balanced Philosophies

These rare items (its is believed that only five exist at most) were created long ago by a grand druid who saw the need to reunify an order splintering before his eyes. He set about creating an item that would symbolize and reflect all aspects of the order, not only one. It is often written that it was his genius that brought together all factions of druids and gave birth to the Order of Druids, as it exists today. His staves worked well, if not in exactly the way he had intended. Instead of reflecting all five aspects in union, it represents the aspect of its wielder. When the one who claims it dies or relinquishes control, the staff will reform itself to fit the disposition of the next druid who finds it. The powers it grants are as follows and based upon the alignment of its wielder.

Powers common to all versions: None of these powers consume any charges and are found in all staves. This is the foundation all the staves were built upon.

Permanent Shillelagh: Grants the wielder a +2 to hit and inflicts 1d10+2 points of damage. (It symbolizes the strength of nature.)

Obscuring Mist: 3x/day, once during the day, once during the night, and once whenever desired. (This ability stands for the mysteries nature can hide.)

Speak with Animals: At will, same effect as the spell.

Turn Undead: as a cleric of half the druid's level. It is believed that Elhonna granted this power to show friendship between the sect and the clerics. (Turning undead symbolizes the circle of life reasserting itself.)

Powers by alignment:

Neutral Good (The benign powers of nature):

Cure Light Wounds: once per day for each person touched by the staff when the command word is spoken. Each application heals 1d8+1 hit points. This requires no charges.

Delay Poison: Once per day with no charges expended.

Cure Moderate Wounds: 1 charge and heals for 2d8+10 hit points.

Neutralize Poison: 1 charge per use.

Remove Disease: 1 charge per use.

Cure Serious Wounds: 2 charges and heals 3d8+15 hit points.

Dispel Magic: 2 charges per use.

Water Breathing: 2 charges per use.

Reincarnation: 5 charges per use.

Neutral Evil (The destructive force of nature):

Inflict Light Wounds: once per day for each opponent touched by the staff when the command word is spoken. Each hit deals 1d8+1 hit points. This power can be used during a melee strike to inflict extra damage. No charges are expended when this power is used.

Heat Metal: Once per day and expends no charges.

Produce Flame: 1 charge per use, the effect lasts for 12 rounds and deals 1d4+6 points of damage with each strike.

Contagion: 1 charge per use.

Poison: 1 charge per use.

Flame Strike: 2 charges per use 8d6 damage, DC 19.

Dispel Magic: 2 charges per use.

Spike Stones: 2 charges per use.

Insect Plague: 5 charges per use.

Lawful Neutral (The circle of life and order of seasons represented):

Endure Elements: Twice per day and costs no charges when used.

Wood Shape: 3 times per day and costs no charges.

Plant Growth: 1 charge per use.

Protection From Elements: 1 charge per use.

Stone Shape: 1 Charge per use.

Freedom of Movement: 2 charges per use.

Rusting Grasp: 2 charges per use.

Sleet Storm: 2 charges per use.

Awaken: 5 charges per use.

Chaotic Neutral (The randomness of life personified):

Faerie Fire: 3 times per day with no charges expended.

Calm Animal: Up to 3 times per day no with no charges expended.

Invisibility to Animals: Once per day and costs no charges.

Diminish Plants: 1 charge per use.

Meld into Stones: 1 charge per use.

Snare: 1 charge per use.

Giant Vermin: 2 charges per use.

Repel Vermin: 2 charges per use.

Transmute Rock to Mud: 2 charges per use.

Tree Stride: 5 charges per use.

True Neutral (Nature in Balance): These powers are unknown to all who hold it except the druid of this alignment. Some say they gain all the powers and the staff becomes truly united.

When found this staff has 50 charges. There is no way for a druid to recharge the staff for themselves and when it reaches zero charges all powers cease to function until a new wielder is found. No amount of time or separation from a staff will increase the number of charges it possesses for any given user. Once one staff quits working for a druid, none of them will. A few sages point to this as proof that only one staff actually exists, and not five.