Sometimes you just want to mess with your players. Perhaps because they have become complacent or maybe they have forgotten that you, the GM, are all powerful. Maybe you are just an evil maniacal GM. Either way, these special loot items have you covered.
Ring of unnatural ageing
A platinum ring depicting two moons with an owl between them. There is the faintest sound of falling sand coming from the ring.
Detect Magic
There is a moderate magical presence. [Aura: moderate transmutation]
Identify (DC12)
The appears to be a ring of enhanced wisdom. If worn continuously, it should cause a daily increase in wisdom.
Identify (DC24)
The is certainly a ring of enhanced wisdom. If worn continuously, it will cause a wisdom to increase by 1d6 a day. There may be some minor side effects.
Identify (DC36)
The is positively a ring of enhanced wisdom. When worn continuously, it will cause wisdom to increase by 1d6 each time you get a full sleep. The gains come at a cost to strength and charisma.
PC puts on the ring
The ring fits comfortably on your finger. It instantly feels familiar as if it were an old friend you have worn for many years. You experience no immediate benefit but feel confident that when you wake up things will be different.
PC tries to remove the ring
You tug as hard as you can at the ring but it seems to have bonded to your finger. No mater what you do, the ring will not come off.
GM’s secret knowledge
Do not tell the players about the following caveats.
Each time that the wearer sleeps, they awake feeling refreshed as normal but look as if they have aged considerably. Their ability scores change in the following way Str -2, Dex -1d3, Con -1d2, Int -1, Cha -1d4 (to a minimum value of 6 in all cases), Wis +1d6 (to a maximum of 27). These are permanent effects as long as the ring is worn and can only be reversed through a wish or miracle (which is at best a temporary fix as the ring will keep causing the character to age). Additionally, as learning is now harder, the character earns half XP. Once put on, the ring can be removed only by means of a remove curse spell, a wish, or a miracle. Once removed, the ring crumbles to dust and all ability changes and other changes are reversed as if they were never there.
Blood Shadow
Both the hilt and blade of this sword are jet black as if it were forged from shadows rather than metal. A clear voice says, “My name is Blood Shadow. Pick me up, and let’s kill things.”
Identify (DC12)
This is a finely crafted +4 keen longsword. It is also, evidently, an intelligent item.
Identify (DC24)
This is an intelligent, keen, +4 longsword. It has the Greater Vampiric and Gory enhancements. It probably has some conditions under which it will deem a creature worthy to hold it.
Identify (DC36)
This is an intelligent, keen, +4 longsword. It has the greater vampiric and gory enhancements. It is a highly intelligent sword with an impressive ego and will only bond to a creature it deems worthy. A weak-minded owner could easily be overpowered by this weapon.
Blood Shadow: Stats
+4 Greater Vampiric Keen Gory Longsword 1d8+4 17-20/x2
Neutral evil intelligent item; Intelligence: 20; Ego: 21
Blood Shadow is an intelligent +4 Greater Vampiric Keen Gory Longsword. It is jet black as if forged from shadows. It longs only to shed blood but will only consent to be used by a warrior it deems worthy.
- Abilities: Telepathy; Speech; Blindsense
- Purpose: Shed blood daily
- Blood Shadow can teleport itself 1/day
- Blood Shadow can fly, as per the spell, at a speed of 30 feet
- Languages: Abyssal, Auran, Common, Goblin, Infernal, Undercommon
Conditions of ownership
Blood Shadow has a number of (secret) conditions as to who it will consent to be owned by. They are Strength must be greater than 14 and HD must be more than 5. If either of these two conditions is not met, it will loudly proclaim “unworthy” and fall from the creature’s hand. If the creature is deemed worthy, the sword will bond to the creature and stay with them until death (or they become unworthy).
Blood Shadow does not care about the alignment of it’s bonded own, nor the reason it is being used. It only cares that it is used.
Being used (GM only)
Blood Shadow longs to shed blood and will loudly make suggestions that will lead to it being used constantly. Whenever it is used to make a killing blow it will laugh maniacally granting +2 circumstance bonus to intimidate.
This is a cursed item and cannot be parted with once it has chosen an owner. If the owner attempts to sell, cast away, or otherwise part with the sword, it will teleport itself back to the owner’s hand as soon as the bonded owner enters battle.
Should the bonded owner try to use any other weapon, Blood Shadow will scream angrily and leap from its shieth into the owner’s hand.
If Blood Shadow determines that its owner is being stealthy to avoid a fight it will start singing very loudly.
Around drinkers, soldiers, watchmen, and strong looking strangers, Blood Shadow will yell obscenities in the hope of starting a fight.
Each time the owner draws or handles the sword it will whisper dark suggestions of violence into their mind drawing on the creatures own memories and emotions The creature must succeed a Will Save of five plus their own intelligence score to resist relentlessly attacking their own allies or other nearby innocents for 1d6+2 rounds. This save increases by +2 for each full day that Blood Shadow has gone without landing a killing blow.
Each killing blow increases Blood Shadow’s ego by +1. Each full day that goes by without landing a killing blow causes Blood Shadow ego to suffer a -1 although this can never take its ego below the initial value (21).
In addition to having a demanding ego, if the owner shows mercy, avoids fighting, or goes a day without combat, blood drinker will attempt to compel them to act by leaping into the owner’s hand and controlling the person as if by the spell dominate person the will save to resist being dominated is equal to Blood Shadow’s current ego.
Getting rid of the sword
Once bonded to an owner that bond can only be broken by means of proving oneself “unworthy”, a remove curse spell, a wish, or a miracle. The latter three options will cause Blood Shadow to disintegrate into fine ash (until blood is spilt on that same spot which will resurrect it).
About this post
This post was rescued from eternally being in the drafts due to a project I have undertaken to push my stuff out there and stop faffing about. This post was six months old. I almost certainly intended to beta test these items and/or add more. Instead, I’m pushing this out as is. I hope you enjoy them. If you use them in game, please tell me how it went.
These items were designed for Pathfinder First Edition which is worth noting as Second Edition is emerging now.
