Momus’ Mask – New Magic Item / A to Z Blogging Challenge [M]

Mocking you!

Markalus the Mocker, Markalus the Merciless, Markalus the Masked, he was known by all those names and many more insulting ones as well.  Even the most powerful feared his mocking and scornful tongue when he decided to turn his scathing wit upon them.  His mask, which improved his comic delivery and strengthened his voice, only made him more recognizable and more effective in his role as enforcer of mores.

We will never know who killed him in that alleyway, for he had more enemies than one can easily count, but the powerful do not sleep easily.  You see, his mask was not recovered and even know there are rumors of a new comic orator in the agora using a mask . . .

Momus’ Mask

These items appear, at first, to be simple theater masks, usually with its face in an expression of mockery or disgust.  Once the mask is put on, it become a caricature of the wearer’s face becoming highly animated and expressive.

The wearer can see as though the mask was not there and suffers no penalties to Perception checks nor does it hamper their voice, indeed it amplifies it making it easier to hear.  The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus on Bluff checks and can use sharp words to mock and scorn, using the later allows the wearer to demoralize opponents using Bluff rather than Intimidate (see the Intimidate skill description for details taking no skill check penalty for being smaller than your target). Additionally, the wearer gains a +5 bonus to Sense Motive checks when opposing other social skills.

Aura faint illusion; CL 5th
Slot head; Price 6,500; Weight 3 lbs
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, disguise self, eagle’s splendor; Cost 3,250 (+260 xp for D&D)

Notes: Momus was the god of criticism and mockery and he was exiled from Olympus for criticizing Zeus.

The mask’s ability is modeled on that of the Taunt feat.

Photo by Tilemahos Efthimiadis used under Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution 2.0 Generic.