Tuesday Magic Item – Chess Set of the Spy Master

“The Count seems particularly focused on that chess set,” said Voddick.  “There is even a guard when he is not playing.”

“I suspect it serves as more than just a chess board,” said Gollaon.  “I hear rumors that the Count is the chief intelligencer of the Court.  I suspect the chess set figures into his plans in some way.”

“I have heard of such, there were rumors of such a set in my home city.”

“I suspect that one would have been more ornate, this one is surprisingly practical.”

Chess Set of the Spy Master

These chess sets are of varying styles but always made of hard woods, carved stone or metal.  Some are very ornate, other are simple traveling sets but they all are tough to damage.  They can use any board and some have ones that are built to compliment the set.

The owner of the pieces has the ability to shield its owners thoughts, gaining a +4 competence bonus to any opposed social roll where someone is trying to read their emotions or truthfulness and a +4 resistance bonus against any effect that would compel them to speak or allow their thoughts to be read.

The pieces themselves have different magic abilities encoded into them:

• Pawn, pawns are given to agents, each pawn allows an exchange of a message from the agent, a reply and then the pawn returns to the set.  The pawn also returns to the set if the person it was given to is killed.
• Rook, allows the two people holding the rooks of the same color to switch places, as long as they are on the same plane, once used, the rooks return to the set and their magic cannot be used again until a month has passed.
• Knight, the bearer of the piece may use dimension door, causing the piece to return to the set.  Once used, that rook’s magic cannot be used again for a month.
• Bishop, the bearer of the piece may choose to be protected by stoneskin spell, causing the piece to return to the set and once used, that bishop’s magic may not be used for a month.
• Queen, each queen may raise dead, but only once per queen and once used, it cannot be used again.
• King, the owner of the kings is the owner of the set, they have no other power.

Aura strong divination and transmutation; CL 15th
Slot none; Price 150,000; Weight 4+ lbs
Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, lesser miracle; Cost 75,000

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item (chess set), very rare (requires attunement)

First paragraph as above.

The owner of the pieces has the ability to shield its owners thoughts, gaining advantage on any opposed social roll where someone is trying to read their emotions or truthfulness and a advantage against any effect that would compel them to speak or allow their thoughts to be read.

The pieces themselves have different magic abilities encoded into them:

• Pawn, pawns are given to agents, each pawn allows an exchange of a message from the agent, a reply and then the pawn returns to the set.  The pawn also returns to the set if the person it was given to is killed.
• Rook, allows the two people holding the rooks of the same color to switch places, as long as they are on the same plane, once used, the rooks return to the set and their magic cannot be used again until a month has passed.
• Knight, the bearer of the piece may use dimension door, causing the piece to return to the set.  Once used, that rook’s magic cannot be used again for a month.
• Bishop, the bearer of the piece may choose to be protected by stoneskin spell, causing the piece to return to the set and once used, that bishop’s magic may not be used for a month.
• Queen, each queen may raise dead, but only once per queen and once used, it cannot be used again.
• King, the owner of the kings is the owner of the set, they have no other power.

Notes: Today is International Chess Day!  So a chess, and ambition, themed item seemed appropriate.

Image “Chess attack” by Dennis Wong is licensed under CC BY 2.0.