Spooky Sundries
With Halloween just behind us, I feel inspired by all of the ghastly costumes and creepy memorabilia that define the holiday, and wanted to capture some of that flavor in this week’s new article, where I provide you with three new items that try to capture the Halloween flavor. Enjoy!
COFFIN PLATE PRICE 35,650 gp
Slot armor; CL 5th; Weight 50 lbs.
Aura faint transmutation
These macabre suits of armor are exceedingly rare and are forged from the remains of a coffin that has been buried for at least 13 months and 13 days. This wood has been magically treated to be as strong as steel. Regardless of the condition of the armor or how often it is subjected to cleaning or scent treatments, it always smells strongly of moist soil and decay.
In addition to functioning as a suit of +2 full plate, a coffin plate allows its wearer to seek comfort in the ground and to rest in her own grave if she is ever slain. Each day, the wearer of the coffin plate can entomb herself underground by speaking a command word. When she speaks the command word, the coffin plate is transformed into an actual coffin, which the wearer is inside. The coffin is teleported 6 feet below the point where the wearer was standing when she spoke the command word. If this would place the coffin within a solid area, such as if the wearer were standing on the ground outside, the coffin is buried. If this would place the coffin in midair, such as if the wearer were standing on the 3rd floor of a castle, the coffin will fall as normal. While in the coffin, the wearer has sufficient space to move about that she can easily perform activities such as drinking potions, casting spells, or searching her pack for items. While buried in this way, the wearer is no longer wearing the armor and is thus not subject to arcane spell failure. A second command word returns the wearer to the surface from which she exited, provided she is still within the coffin when she speaks it, the coffin is intact, and she has daily uses of the ability remaining.
The coffin plate can transport the wearer either below ground or to the surface a number of times per day equal to 1d4+1, and this number should be determined secretly by the GM. If the wearer is stranded underground in this way, the coffin has enough air for 5 hours and 30 minutes for a Medium creature, or 11 hours for a Small creature. If the wearer is unearthed while underground and she is alive, the coffin immediately transforms back into armor. Additionally, if the wearer is ever slain while wearing this armor, it immediately transforms into a coffin for burial. Finally, while she remains in the coffin, the wearer cannot be animated as an undead character, and cannot be made into spawn with the create spawn special attack.
None of a coffin plate’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +2-equivalent armor/weapon for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
Construction Requirements Cost 18,650 gpCraft Magic Arms and Armor, meld into stone
SHIELD OF THE JACK O’ LANTERN PRICE 2,657 gp
Slot shield CL 1st; Weight 10 lbs.
Aura faint necromancy
These heavy shields are made from a gourd magically strengthened and shaped into the rough form of a kite shield. The front of the shield has been carved to resemble the face of a leering demon with inhuman eyes and broken teeth. A slot for a candle or similar device can be found within the face’s mouth.
In addition to functioning as a +1 heavy wooden shield, a candle can be placed within a shield of the jack o’ lantern in order to activate additional magical powers so long as the candle is burning. While the candle is lit, any character who attacks the wielder of a shield of the jack o’ lantern must succeed on a Will save (DC = 11 + the wielder’s Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1 round. If the wielder is fighting defensively, then this DC is increased by 2. If the wielder takes the total defense action, this DC is increased by 4. Finally, if the wielder uses the Combat Expertise feat while fighting with this shield, the DC for this effect is increased by an amount equal to the AC bonus granted by that feat. Even if a creature is affected by this ability multiple times in a round, it remains shaken and does not progress to being frightened or panicked
None of a shield of the jack o’ lanterns unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +1-equivalent shield for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
Construction Requirements Cost 1,407 gpCraft Magic Arms and Armor, cause fear
SLASHER’S SICKLE PRICE 20,306 gp
Slot —; CL 1st; Weight 2 lbs.
Aura faint necromancy
These terrible weapons feature a human femur for a handle, wrapped in magically preserved gory entrails for a grip. The cruel hook of these sickles is made from dark rusted iron, magically sharpened to function as well as the finest of steel, and faint ghostly whispers issue forth from the wicked iron as it is swung, proclaiming the dread fate of its past victims.
In addition to functioning as a +1 sickle, these horrible weapons are more dangerous in the hands of vicious and merciless. Against foes who are denied their Dexterity bonus to AC or who are suffering from a fear effect, the sickle deals an additional 1d6 points of bleed damage. Additionally, whenever the wielder of a slasher’s sickle confirms a critical hit against such a creature, that character becomes panicked for 1d2 rounds.
Some of a slasher’s sickles unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +3-equivalent weapon for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.
Construction Requirements Cost 10,306 gpCraft Magic Arms and Armor, bleed