Tuesday Magic Item – Blood Debt Chain
June 29, 2010“You can give me you blood as a sign of your good faith, Count,” said the Sorcerer-Despot, “of I will wring it from you daughter!” He gestured and the curtain was pulled back, revealing the slender form of the Court’s daughter, bound and suspended above a bone white bowl.
“Let her go,” said the Count, his voice wavering, “you will have your blood.”
Blood Debt Chain
This heavy necklace is made of looping chains of red gold with seven crystal vials suspended from them. The vials are usually filled with bright red blood though this can rapidly change. When the stored blood is used, it magically boils away in a red-gold flash, leaving the vial empty and ready to be used again. The first blood debt chain was made by the Sorcerer-Despot of Jokin-Tor but the knowledge of how to create these benighted items has slowly spread.
There is a certain sinister aura that surrounds the blood debt chains, giving any wearer a +2 enhancement bonus to their Intimidate checks. But its main power is the ability to steal and store life force for the wearer’s later use.
There are two ways to acquire life force, but in either case a sentient, living victim with a soul or spirit is required:
• By force, draining off the blood of a victim into a vial is messy but effective. It takes one hour during which the victim must be restrained. The victim suffers 1d4+1 points of Constitution damage and the vial store 1d8 hit points (1d8+1 if the victim died in the process).
• From a willing victim, the blood is given willingly. It takes five minutes, during which the victim must be still. The victim suffers one point of Constitution Drain and the vial stores 10 + Half the victim’s level (rounded up) + the victim’s Constitution or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher) in hit points as long as the victim is alive. When the stored hit points are used, the Constitution Drain become simple damage.
The wearer can transfer damage to the stored hit points as a free action (even as the damage is being suffered). Additionally the gift of blood creates a bond to those that were willing victims: the wearer of the chains may choose to burn the stored hit points to transfer any appropriate condition to the victim who donated the blood or it may be expended to reroll a failed saving throw but if the reroll is also a failure both the wearer and the victim are affected equally.
Aura strong necrourgy [evil] and transmutation; CL 13th
Slot necklace; Price 50,000; Weight 1 lb
Construction
Requirements Create Wondrous Item, bestow curse, death knell, eagle’s splendor, geas, enervation, shield other, vampiric touch; Cost 25,000 (+2,000 xp for D&D)
Notes: The idea was an item that would both protect the villain and enforce loyalty on his subjects.
