Tuesday Magic Item – Historian’s Quill

“Stop right where you are, my friend,” said Gollaon. “Unless you wish our conversation to become part of court records.”

Voddick stepped back. “Ah,” he gestured to a large book with a quill scribing away without human hands. “A historian’s great tome, I have heard of them. Recording the minutia of court.”

“Yes, I do not think we wish to be noted among such.”

Historian’s Quill

These are not always quills, they can be pens or brushes, whatever is commonly used for writing in the place where they were made, but they are always of the highest quality and usually decorated to match the colors of the court or the office of historians.

The quill, when set to a blank page will record anything spoken within 30′ as long as it has space to write. If set on a a stack of pages or a book, it will turn pages to get to a new page to continue recording. The quill never runs out of ink.

The quill will record different speakers in different styles of writing becoming more pronounced and unique the more time it has to ‘listen’ to the speaker.

Aura faint transmutation; CL 5th
Slot none; Price 3,500; Weight –
Construction Requirements
Create Wondrous Item, arcane mark, clairaudience, unseen servant; Cost 1,750

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item, uncommon

As above.

Notes: Partly inspired by the Korean show Rookie Historian: Goo Hae-Ryung which features historians recording the court. Also useful for spies, if you can conceal it properly.

Image edited from “fox writing with a quill pen” by 50 Watts is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Tuesday Magic Item – Cannibal’s Crown

“We must leave this place quickly, all of us,” whispered Gollaon, his hand dropping to his sword hilt.

“Agreed,” replied Voddick. “This place reeks of death. And no one more than the garish lord of this place.”

“We do not want to add to its reek. I will ready our mounts, you gather the others.”

“Meet at outside the stables?”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

Cannibal’s Crown

From a distance, this crown seems opulent and valuable, all gold and red gems. On closer examination, it is composed of gilded bones, from humans and other sentient beings, bound together with red gold wire and set with blood red garnets.

Wearing the crown provides its wearer with a variety of protections: they gain a +2 natural armor bonus and a +4 resistance bonus to saves against death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Additionally they are not at risk of death from massive damage. However, their flesh becomes rubbery and unpleasant to touch.

The owner also finds that only flesh has any taste to it, all other foods taste like ashes, and they never feel satiated . . . unless they eat the flesh of other sentient beings, others of the same kind as the owner are the most satisfying. Eating a full meal of such flesh is invigorating to the owner, gaining them 1d10 + their level in temporary hit points that last for the next eight hours and grants a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls for the same duration.

The more sentient flesh they consume, the more they crave it. After a year of such a diet, the owner flesh becomes grey and the become immune to disease and ghoul paralysis, the natural armor bonus provided becomes +4, and the owner’s teeth become sharp and tearing causing 1d6 piercing damage and carrying ghoul fever (Bite—injury; save Fort; onset 1 day; frequency 1 day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based).

If the owner is killed, if they have consumed sentient flesh, they will rise again in seconds, as a ghoul of some nature; the more powerful the owner, the more powerful the unliving being it becomes.

If the crown is given away before the wearer consumes the flesh of a sentient, gradually their sense of taste will return. However, once they partake of sentient flesh, the desire for it will remain until the curse is broken (and their body will be more likely to rise as unliving upon their death).

Aura strong necrourgy; CL 15th; Weight 3 lbs.

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item (crown), very rare (requires attunement)

First paragraph as above.

Wearing the crown provides its wearer with a variety of protections: their base AC becomes 11 + its Dexterity modifier and their gain advantage to saving throws against charm, death, disease, exhaustion, fear, paralysis, poison, sleep and stun. However, their flesh becomes rubbery and unpleasant to touch.

The owner also finds that only flesh has any taste to it, all other foods taste like ashes, and they never feel satiated . . . unless they eat the flesh of other sentient beings, others of the same kind as the owner are the most satisfying. Eating a full meal of such flesh is invigorating to the owner, gaining them 1d10 + their level in temporary hit points that lasts until their next long rest.

The more sentient flesh they consume, the more they crave it. After a year of such a diet, the owner flesh becomes grey and the become immune to disease and ghoul paralysis, their base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier, and the owner’s teeth become sharp and tearing causing 1d6 slashing damage and the target must make a Constitution save or suffer a level of exhaustion.

If the owner is killed, if they have consumed sentient flesh, they will rise again in seconds, as a ghoul of some nature; the more powerful the owner, the more powerful the unliving being it becomes.

If the crown is given away before the wearer consumes the flesh of a sentient, gradually their sense of taste will return. However, once they partake of sentient flesh, the desire for it will remain until the curse is broken (and their body will be more likely to rise as unliving upon their death).

Notes: And to end October’s magic items with one that turns you into a monster.

Photo edited from “File:Capela dos Ossos Chapel of Bones – Apr 2011.jpg” by Ken & Nyetta is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

New Magic Item – Soldier Stones

“We seem rather outnumbered,” said Voddick ducking back to recock his crossbow. Two arrows shattered on the stones behind him.

“I believe our companions have some tricks to help even the odds,” said Gollaon releasing an arrow and fading back as arrows broke around the stones. “Though there are even more of them than I thought.”

“I hope you are right about our companions.”

“Me too.”

Soldier Stones

These items are carved from stone, wood or bone in the form of a soldier. The materials to make them must have been taken from a battlefield, training ground or similar place that has a spiritual resonance to soldiers of the past.

Cast to the ground, the soldier stone becomes a stone soldier that will obey the person who cast it to the ground. The stone soldier will stay for 5d6 minutes then discorporate back to the figure, if the soldier is undamaged, it will return unbroken and can be used again in the future, but any damage will break the figure and the magic when the duration expires.

The echoes of the spirits tied to soldiers remember those who summoned them and sometimes the broken fragments will spontaneously generate stone soldiers that will seek to perform unfinished tasks or seek revenge against those who misused them.

Aura moderate conjuration [earth]; CL 7th
Slot none; Price 2,800; Weight 1/4 lbs
Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, heroism, summon monster IV; Cost 1,400

For D&D 5E:

Wondrous item (carved figure), uncommon

As above.

Notes: To go with the earlier posted Stone Soldiers, obviously.

Photo A selection of pieces from the Lewis chessmen at the British Museum, photo by Andrew Dunn, found on Wikimedia Commons and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

New Monster – Stone Soldiers

While called stone soldiers, these elemental beings draw from the surrounding area and replicate what in nearby for their form, be that earth, stone or wood, if there are equal amounts of such material around the summoner can choose which material they form from.

They are tied to the spirits of soldiers of the past, gaining instinctive insights into tactics well beyond that of most elementals and appearing in the forms of such soldiers with the apparent armor and actual weapons of such. Without other instruction they will fall back on their historic tactics and seek to continue their half remembered duties.

For D&D 5E: Stone Soldier

Medium elemental, neutral

Armor Class 14 (or 16 with shield, see below)

Hit Points 47 (5d8+25)

Speed Walk 25ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 8 (-1) CON 20 (+ 5) INT 6 (-2) WIS 10 (+ 0) CHA 5 (-3)

Saving Throws Str + 5

Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2

Damage Vulnerabilities thunder

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages One known and chosen by the Summoner, Terran

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Formation Fighter
The stone soldiers are used to fighting as a unit and when adjacent to another stone soldier, may use the help action for a adjacent stone soldier as a bonus action. They also gain advantage on Wisdom and Charisma saving throws when in a formation with at least two other stone soldiers.

Soldier’s Soul
A stone soldier gains one of the following fighting styles:

Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. These stone soldier appear with weapon and shield.

Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. These stone soldier appear with two-handed weapons, usually polearms.

Actions

The stone soldier makes two weapon or slam attacks.

Melee Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, by weapon (note soldier’s soul ability above)

Ranged Weapon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage (for earth or stone) or piercing (for wood). Range 20/60.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

The statistics above are for an earthen warrior, a stone warrior has -5 foot speed but +1 Armor Class and a wooden warrior has +5 foot speed and +2 Dexterity and disadvantage on saving throws against fire.

For Pathfinder: Stone Soldier CR 3

XP 800
N Medium elemental (earth)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +8 natural) may have a shield as well (see below)
hp 34 (4d10+12)
Fort +7, Ref +0, Will +4
Immune elemental traits, DR 3/Magic, Formation Fighter

OFFENSE

Speed 25 ft.,
Melee by weapon (see below) or slam +9 (1d8+7) or ranged +3 (1d6+5), Range Increment 30 ft. (thrown)

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 18
Feats Cleave, Improved Bull Rush[B], Power Attack
Skills Appraise +2, Climb +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +3, Perception +7, Stealth +3
Languages One known and chosen by the Summoner, Terran

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Formation Fighter (Ex)
The stone soldiers are used to fighting as a unit and when adjacent to another stone soldier, may use the aid another action for a adjacent stone soldier as a free action. They also gain a +2 morale bonus on Will saves when in a formation with at least two other stone soldiers.

Soldier’s Soul (Ex)
A stone soldier gains one of the following fighting styles:
Sword and Shield, gaining the following bonus feats: shield focus and weapon focus in the weapon they are summoned with.
Two-handed Weapon, gaining the following bonus feats: great cleave and weapon focus (weapon they are summoned with)

The weapon they are summoned with is considered to be masterwork but only in the hands of a stone soldier.

The statistics above are for an earthen warrior, a stone warrior has -5 foot ground speed but +1 Natural Armor and a wooden warrior has +5 foot speed, +2 Dexterity and -2 Natural Armor.

Notes: To be summoned/created by Soldier Stones. And finally an actual new monster for this October!

Photograph of some of the Lewis Chessmen from the British Museum collection found on Wikimedia Commons and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Tuesday Magic Item – Ghost Sealing Shroud

“I hate executions,” said Gollaon.  “Even when deserved, they are unpleasant to watch.”

“Take it up with our charge’s mother, she seems to think it is good for youth to see the result of such justice,” replied Voddick.  “Though in general I agree with you.  While justice must be done, and be seen to be done, there is no reason to make such a spectacle out of it.”

“Some just take delight in the misfortune and suffering of others.”

“The only good thing I can say about the the whole thing is that they are serving beer.”

Ghost Sealing Shroud

These shrouds are made of lead beaten into a thin sheet and marked with wards and protective sigils along the edges, until it is placed over the head of an unresisting or completely bound human-like creature, then it binds to the creature until it is killed or it is forcibly removed.  Once the being is killed hardens like poured wax until pulled away and even then it remain stiff until the spirit inside is removed.  Originally designed for the noble purpose of catching the spirits on murders when they were executed to prevent them from becoming vengeful spirits some have turned them to a less enlightened purpose.