Jandor’s Magic Item Series #8 – Assassin’s Bane Scroll

Posted by captainjandor on December 21, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

The goal of this series is to present a number of helpful and interesting items GMs can drop into a treasure horde or have ready for that random encounter on those days where you just don’t have a bunch of prep time. Or, maybe the item will spark a bit of story or an adventure!

NAME: Assassin’s Bane Scroll (divine scroll of detect magic and neutralize poison)

Aura Faint conjuration; CL 5th; Scribe Scroll, detect poison, neutralize poison; Price 437 gp; Identify Spellcraft DC 23

DESCRIPTION:

This vellum scroll is penned in Druidic with forest green inks. Two beautiful images adorn the back side of the scroll; one depicts a humanoid figure with a cone emanating from it and illuminating a skull and crossed bones symbol; the other shows the same skull and crossbones with a large X across it. When unfurled, the scroll is about eight inches wide and two feet long.

This Assassin’s Bane Scroll is stored in a sturdy case of alchemically treated leaves. A successful Knowledge: nature check against DC 15 reveals that the leaves all come from plants traditionally associated with treating the effects of venom and poison.

HISTORY: First scribed by a druid named Mikael, the Assassin’s Bane Scroll contains two very situational and valuable spells: detect poison and neutralize poison. Conceived of originally as a means to protect himself and his companions from the vermin of the region in which they travelled this combination of spells was popularized by a cleric named Sarah who was working closely with an unpopular baron.

Mikael and his band had made their way to the barony and were contracted to root out a rebel group who had threatened the baron’s life. As a bit of insurance, Mikael left one of his scrolls with Sarah, the baron’s counselor and personal healer. She was unable to cast neutralize poison yet herself, and Mikael felt it a small price to pay to ensure they had at least a little time to find the insurgents.

Sure enough, while the band was away, assassins attempted to poison the baron. Sarah used the scroll and saved the baron’s life! When Mikael returned, it was to a town abuzz with talk of his “Assassin’s Bane Scroll.”

The adventurers dealt with the problem and moved on, but the name stuck. Since then, many versions of the Assassin’s Bane Scroll can be found, crafted by clerics and druids alike.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 123 copper pieces in a worn leather pouch, a chipped piece of ivory (worth ~15 gp), and the Assassin’s Bane Scroll. . This sample horde could belong to any CR 2 creature that uses standard treasure.

Now for the legal stuff:

This supplement uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC, which are used under Paizo’s Community Use Policy. We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. This item is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo Publishing. For more information about Paizo’s Community Use Policy, please visit paizo.com/communityuse. For more information about Paizo Publishing and Paizo products, please visit paizo.com.

Sources Used: Core Rulebook and Ultimate Combat

Jandor’s Magic Item Series by Anthony Borzotta is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.d20pfsrd.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/community-use.

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #7 – Seething Sands

Posted by captainjandor on December 20, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: Seething Sands (+2 Furious Mithral Scimitar)

Aura Moderate enchantment; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, rage; Price 20,015 gp; Identify Spellcraft DC 23

DESCRIPTION: This curved, flat blade glitters in the light like polished silver. When held, your nostrils fill with a faint scent of blood.

HISTORY: Seething Sands was crafted for a barbarian who hailed from a vast desert. He was a fearsome warrior, and his wrath was rightly feared across the land.

During one of his many adventurers, the barbarian found himself underground, tracking someone. He stopped to rest and resupply at a dwarven settlement, know for their mithral mine.

During his stay, a purple worm broke through the mining tunnels, causing massive devastation and death. The barbarian, disturbed from his rest, grabbed his sword and charged, doing battle with the beast.

It was an epic fight. In the end, the worm swallowed the barbarian and, thinking itself the victor, turned on the dwarves … only to die, surprised, as the barbarian carved his way out of it’s stomach.

His sword (a trusty scimitar) was lost to the beast’s gullet, and in return for saving them the dwarves crafted the barbarian this blade. Inspired by his ferocious battle fervor, the craftsman enchanted it with a small slice of the barbarians fury, so that whenever he raged while wielding the blade it grew only stronger.

The barbarian’s name, as well as his eventual fate, has been lost to the passage of time, but his weapon still exists, hungering to taste battle once more.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 11,000 gold pieces in a beautiful darkwood chest with gold filigree (itself worth 550 gp), a silver crown studded with moonstones (worth 550 gp), a set of 12 silver goblets studded with 4 beautiful pearls (worth about 500 gp), a small round portrait of a minor noble from an ancient bloodline (worth about 600 gp), two mithral combs with gold trim, and Seething Sands. This sample horde could belong to any CR 18 creature that uses standard treasure.

Now for the legal stuff:

Sources Used: Core Rulebook and Ultimate Combat

A thought on mithral weapons in Pathfinder

Posted by captainjandor on December 20, 2011

Hey there space cadets! I was reading this article (linked by The Alexandrian), which deals with some of the misconceptions surrounding medieval swords and swordplay. And it got me to thinking; if lighter swords are preferable (to a point) as they allow for greater flexibility and precision, maybe it would be cool to add some incentive to make bladed weapons out of mithral in the Pathfinder (or D&D 3.5) system.

The normal rules for mithral (here) state that “An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed).” I propose a change to this rule:

Mithril: metal weapons (whether one-handed or two-handed) crafted from this material count as light weapons for the purposes of the Weapon Finesse feat. Metal light weapons crafted from mithral grant a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls when used with the Weapon Finesse feat.

This change allows finesse based fighters to either bump up to a bigger weapon dice (say going to a longsword from a short sword), or get a slight boost to attacks when using their mithril light weapon of choice. It might also be cool to see some traditionally non-light weapons (like warhammers!) get the finesse treatment.

COMMENTORS: What do you think of this idea? Any rules exploits jump out at you?

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #6 – Siege Wizard’s Staff

Posted by captainjandor on December 19, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: Siege Wizard’s Staff

Aura Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Staff, greater energy siege shot, greater magic siege engine, move earth; Price 36,800 gp; Identify Spellcraft DC 26

DESCRIPTION: This staff is made of a strong, light wood and re-enforced with three iron bands. Worn leather strips form a comfortable grip, and dwarven runes cover the bands, revealing the spells contained within.

The Siege Wizard’s Staff allows the use of the following spells: move earth (3 charges), greater energy siege shot (1 charge), and greater magic siege engine (1 charge).

HISTORY: This staff was developed by a dwarven siege wizard named Bara Obsidian. She was instrumental in several major engagements on the surface and in enormous underground caverns, where the dwarven army’s superior canons and firearms won the day.

Bara’s clan was beset by foes, and as she grew in power and prestige her services were in greater demand. She created this staff to aid her in her duties, and taught other wizards of her clan how to make it. Siege Wizard’s Staves have since spread a bit, and can be found in major settlements or kingdoms who have need of such magics. However, like all staves, it is quite rare.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 7,000 gold pieces in a wooden chest (itself worth 20 gp), 8 flawed uncut emeralds worth ~400 gp each, and a Seige Wizard’s Staff. This sample horde could belong to any CR 14 creature that uses standard treasure.

Now for the legal stuff:

Sources Used: Core Rulebook and Ultimate Combat

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #5 – Pilferer’s Potion

Posted by captainjandor on December 16, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: Pilferer’s Potion (potion of gaseous form)

Aura Faint; CL 5th; Brew Potion, gaseous form; Price 750 gp; Identify Spellcraft DC 20, Perception DC 18

DESCRIPTION: This potion comes in a sturdy glass bottle covered in black felt to prevent it clinking. The stopper is a black cork stamped with a gold cloud-like symbol. When drank, the imbiber turns into a cloud, as the spell gaseous form.

HISTORY: Zekarian the Alchemist is not a gnome who is afraid to market his wares. Even if he tends to sell to a rather “select” clientele. His “Pilferer’s Potion” is one in a line of “tools for the discerning professional,” and drinking it allows the imbiber to “slip through the cracks in the floor, silent and unseen, with wares in hand.”

The fact that it doesn’t actually make you invisible was a point of contention for his clients, and Zekarian had to re-evaluate his marketing strategy after a visit from one of these “discerning professionals.”

It remains a very useful item, however, for the nefarious and the adventurer alike. Pilferer’s Potions (or their knockoffs) can be seen across the world, in treasure hordes, underground markets, and in the belt pouches of many a thief or explorer.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 30,000 copper pieces in a several burlap sacks and one wooden chest, a large wool tapestry depicting a dragon breathing fire on a knight with a raised shield (worth ~400 gp), a mithril circlet inlaid with 6 white opals (worth ~8000 gp), a gold music box that’s slightly out of tune (worth ~2000 gp), and a Pilferer’s Potion. This sample horde could belong to any CR 8 creature that uses standard treasure. Could be a fun horde for a notorious thief or low-level criminal syndicate.

Now for the legal stuff:

Sources Used: Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #4 – Red Hawk Armor

Posted by captainjandor on December 15, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: Red Hawk Armor (+2 Full Plate)

Aura Moderate; CL 6th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Price 5,650 gp; Identify Spellcraft DC 21

DESCRIPTION: This masterwork suit of steel full plate armor is emblazoned with a crimson hawk, wings spread in a swooping pose, on the chest piece.

HISTORY: The Red Hawk’s were an ancient order of cavaliers, fierce knights and mighty warriors, who defended a tiny kingdom. In their heyday, they were widely renown for their prowess in battle, devotion to their monarch, and skill with mount and bird.

During the reign of the last monarch, Queen Sarah, of their kingdom, the Red Hawks were instrumental in turning the tide of a siege on the capitol. In return for their heroics, the Queen commissioned these suits of armor: 20 in all. The high ranking members of the order each received a suit, and it became a symbol and a badge of honor for the knights.

They wore them up to the day they all fell in a dramatic final stand, falling one by one against the very army they had defeated not a decade earlier. All 20 suits of armor were claimed by the invaders, and they have since spread throughout the land, having been sold, traded, stolen, or taken by force.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 8,000 silver pieces in a banded iron chest (itself worth 100 gp) and a suit of Red Hawk Armor. This sample horde could belong to any CR 8 creature that uses standard treasure.

Now for the legal stuff:

Sources Used: Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #3 – Darla’s Greater Metamagic Rod of Reach

Posted by captainjandor on December 14, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: Darla’s Greater Metamagic Rod of Reach

Aura Strong (no school); CL 17th; Craft Rod, Reach Spell; Price 24,500 gp; Identify Spellcraft DC 32

DESCRIPTION: This item is a smooth granite rod, about two feet in length and around an inch and a half in diameter. It is surprisingly light, weighing a mere 5 pounds.

A spellcaster who takes hold of the rod feels a slight thrum of power. Three times a day, the rod can be used to increase the range of any spell cast by one step (touch to close, close to medium, medium to long).

HISTORY: This unassuming object is actually a greater metamagic rod of reach, and was (at least for a while) the prized possession of a sorcerer named Darla.

Darla had a knack for touch spells; shocking grasp, chill touch, ghoul touch … when she had to fight she liked to do it close up. Maybe it was her draconic heritage, or maybe it was the influence of her barbarian companion Gail; whatever the reason, she was more likely to be found mixing it up in a melee than hanging back blasting fireball like most of her contemporaries.

However, hot headed though she was, even Darla recognized the utility and advantage of ranged engagements. There are any number of creatures it is best to stay as far away from as possible. And so she had this item commissioned, allowing her to use her signature spells while staying out of melee range.

Darla and Gail eventually retired and opened up a tavern together. Darla sold the rod to a traveling merchant named Charles Epson in order to fund the business, and lived out her days happily with her life-long companion.

Charles, on the other hand, had a very brief but explosive career, ending in a confrontation with a wizard who rather fancied Darla’s old rod but had no intention of paying full price. The argument escalated to the point where the wizard (a vicious elf named Alim) cast burning hands, intending to immolate Charles and take the rod from his corpse.

Unfortunately for both of them, the spell triggered several of the explosive runes Charles had guarding his wares, and the entire cart went up in a torrent of flame, taking Alim and the merchant with it. The rod lay in the wreckage, unharmed, and was forgotten.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 10 small moss agate gems and Darla’s Greater Metamagic Rod of Reach. This sample horde could belong to any CR 11 creature that uses standard treasure.

Now for the legal stuff:

Sources Used: Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #2 – Wand of Enervation

Posted by captainjandor on December 13, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: Alejandro’s Wand of Enervation (wand of enervation, 21 charges remaining)

Aura Moderate necromancy; CL 7th; Craft Wand, enervation; Price 8820 gp Identify Spellcraft DC 22

DESCRIPTION: A stiff wand made of mahogany, about 9 inches long. It has a worn leather grip, and faint draconic script along the length of the wood reads: blackest moil/darkest night/wither and die/by unholy light. When held, a little less than half of the etching glows softly blue; as the wand is used, the glow diminishes.

HISTORY: Alejandro’s Wand of Enervation was crafted by a necromancer named Alejandro Torres. It was his crowning achievement; beautiful, deadly, and tremendously expensive.

Alejandro was the son of a wealthy diamond baron. Growing up among the opulence displayed by his parents and their social circle gave the boy a taste for the luxurious. His clothes, his accessories, his equipment, all had to be beautifully crafted, unnecessarily extravagant, and as expensive as possible.

As the third son of the family, Alejandro chose the wizard’s academy over the church, and graduated in reasonably short order from the school with an official specialty as a Universalist. However, his true passion lay in necromancy; and after graduation he continued his studies in seclusion and secrecy.

For a few years he banded up with a group of adventurers, but they soon grew tired of his arrogance, his wasteful spending, and his unsettling interests. The young wizard returned home, meditating on what he had learned, and eventually he crafted this wand. It soon became a source of terror among the servants of his house, and more than a few thieves around the region met their end because of it.

It is uncertain how it ended up here … perhaps it was stolen. Or perhaps Alejandro met his end, his wand unable to save him. Whatever the reason, there is a lingering sense of hunger about the wand.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 900 gp, a fire opal and platinum stud earring (~1000 gp), a mithril broach studded with four black pearls (~1800 gp), black silk eyepatch emblazoned with a stylized eye made of purple corundum (~1900 gp), nobles clothing (tattered and dirty), and Alejandro’s Wand of Enervation (21 charges reamining). This sample horde could belong to any CR 9 creature that uses standard treasure. If the creature has swallow whole or is otherwise likely to have eaten Alejandro, remove the ruined clothes. The metals may also be corroded by stomach acid.

Now for the legal stuff:

Sources Used: Core Rulebook

RPG Superstar 2012

Posted by captainjandor on December 13, 2011

What’s up, space cadets! Quick post to let everyone know I am competing in this year’s RPG Superstar.

Brief background: RPG Superstar started in 2008, and it is an open game design contest hosted/created by Paizo, the company behind Pathfinder. Over the course of five rounds, the hundreds of entrants are whittled down to one remaining Superstar, who gets their submitted adventure published by Paizo! Pretty cool, space cadets.

The first round is the same this year as it has been since 2008: design a Wondrous Item. Simple on the surface, but more challenging than it seems; creating a Wondrous Item isn’t difficult, but making it INTERESTING and USEFUL is.

I have several ideas cooking, and after the results are posted in January I’ll put my submission here.

So wish me luck, and be sure to keep an eye on the contest! There are some really talented designers out there.

COMMENTORS: Anyone competing? Anyone competed before? What do you think about RPG Superstar and/or contests like this in general?

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #1 – The Stone’s Bite

Posted by captainjandor on December 12, 2011

Hey there space cadets! This series is all about magic items for your game table. Most will be Pathfinder, but a few from other game systems may crop up from time to time.

Each item will have a unique name, history, and treasure horde in which you may find it, as well as relevant crafting information and cost.

NAME: The Stone’s Bite (+1 corrosive dwarven waraxe)

Aura Moderate evocation; CL 10th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, acid arrow; Price 8330 gp

DESCRIPTION: A large axe with a double bladed head of dwarven steel, and a long haft bound in leather. “The Stone’s Bite” is etched on one head in dwarven runes. The weapon is otherwise unadorned. The blades are very sharp, and there is a slightly caustic smell about it. Upon command, The Stone’s Bite becomes slick with acid, dealing an additional +1d6 acid damage with each hit.

HISTORY: The Stone’s Bite was originally crafted for a warrior named Brusk Stonefoot. He commanded a unit of soldiers known as the Tunnel Stones, who were dedicated to patrolling the borders between the dwarven city Axehold and the wilds of the Underdark.

Brusk was granted this weapon in return for his role in defending Axehold against an assault led by the duergar warlord Grimbrow. He defended a tunnel against a wave of duergar soldiers even as his own people set of charges to bring the tunnel down on the attackers. Brusk barely escaped with his life, charging back to safety as tons of earth and stone collapsed behind him. No dwarves died on his watch that day.

He wielded The Stone’s Bite in battle for decades. It became something of a legend in the region. Many a goblin or grimlock trembled at the thought of its acidic bite. Brusk carried it with him up until the day he retired to start a family.

The Stone’s Bite was mounted above his mantelpiece and remained there until Brusk gifted it to his firstborn, a warrior like her father. She carried it faithfully for 3 years before she was tragically was lost to the Underdark during a routine mining expedition. No-one knew what happened, and Brusk was never able to recover his child’s body, or the weapon he had gifted to her. To this day, no-one knows what happened to the axe.

SAMPLE TREASURE HORDE: 700 gp, four pieces of polished obsidian (worth ~14 gp each), ad The Stone’s Bite (+1 corrosive dwarven waraxe). This sample horde could belong to any CR 6 creature that uses standard treasure. Preference should be given to creatures that live underground or near major dwarven settlements in your campaign setting.

Now for the legal stuff:

This supplement uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC, which are used under Paizo’s Community Use Policy. We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. This [website, character sheet, or whatever it is] is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo Publishing. For more information about Paizo’s Community Use Policy, please visit paizo.com/communityuse. For more information about Paizo Publishing and Paizo products, please visit paizo.com.

Sources Used: Core Rulebook, Advanced Player’s Guide

Captain Jandor's Grimoire

A grim repository of eldritch knowledge. Also nerds.

Category Archives: Pathfinder

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #8 – Assassin’s Bane Scroll

NAME: Assassin’s Bane Scroll (divine scroll of detect magic and neutralize poison)

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #7 – Seething Sands

NAME: Seething Sands (+2 Furious Mithral Scimitar)

A thought on mithral weapons in Pathfinder

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #6 – Siege Wizard’s Staff

NAME: Siege Wizard’s Staff

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #5 – Pilferer’s Potion

NAME: Pilferer’s Potion (potion of gaseous form)

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #4 – Red Hawk Armor

NAME: Red Hawk Armor (+2 Full Plate)

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #3 – Darla’s Greater Metamagic Rod of Reach

NAME: Darla’s Greater Metamagic Rod of Reach

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #2 – Wand of Enervation

NAME: Alejandro’s Wand of Enervation (wand of enervation, 21 charges remaining)

RPG Superstar 2012

Jandor’s Magic Item Series #1 – The Stone’s Bite

NAME: The Stone’s Bite (+1 corrosive dwarven waraxe)