Items

Artifacts

Trueforge

Slot none; CL 25th; Weight 500 lbs.; Aura overwhelming transmutation

Formed of meteoric adamantine, the massive anvil known as the Trueforge appears and vanishes according to unknowable whims—perhaps those of a greater power, perhaps its own.

A creature with sufficient power and knowledge can bind the Trueforge to a fixed location to best take advantage of its power.

Labor at the Trueforge requires both supreme skill and mythic power. Non-mythic creatures are affected as the feeblemind spell (DC 30) for daring to use the forge, and can't use the forge's abilities even if they succeed at their saving throws.

When toiling at the Trueforge, a mythic creature can create magical weapons and armor with a cost up to her mythic tier squared times 2,000 gp, ignoring the non-magical cost of the item created. For example, a 10th-tier character could craft a magic weapon of a +10 enhancement equivalent, worth 200,000 gp plus the cost of the weapon itself. The item forged must be at least partially metal, such as a breastplate or spear.

Creating such an item requires only half the usual value of raw materials. However, to create items involving exotic materials (such as adamantine), the creator must use and have access to the normal amount of the material.

Regardless of the materials involved, it takes 1 day of labor to forge a non-magical light or one-handed 168 weapon, shield, or suit of light armor; 2 days to forge a suit of medium armor or two-handed weapon; and 3 days to forge a suit of heavy armor. For items with magical properties, square the number of days of labor and multiply by 1,000 to determine the total gold piece value. For example, completing an item with magical properties worth 144,000 gp or less requires 12 days of work. The crafter must labor continuously on the item, not sleeping until work is completed, though she's kept awake and vigorous through the magic of the forge. If the work is interrupted for more than 1 hour at a time or more than 2 hours in a single day, the item is ruined, and half the value of the raw materials wasted.

In addition to making normal and magical weapons and armor, the Trueforge can repair a broken magic item, generally in half the number of days it would take to make it from scratch. It can even repair or create an artifact, though such a task requires months of preparation to gather the proper materials followed by weeks of labor at the forge.

Only one person can work the forge at a time. As the crafter labors, the Trueforge feeds on her mythic power and life energy, drawing it into the item forged. Forging non-magical items carries less risk. The crafter must succeed at a DC 25 Fortitude save at the start of each day of work or gain 2 permanent negative levels.

For magic items, the save DC is equal to 25 plus the number of days worked thus far. At the start of each day of labor, the crafter must expend a number of uses of mythic power equal to the number of days worked so far plus one.

If the crafter accumulates a number of negative levels equal to her own character level or exhausts her mythic power, the labor proves fatal at the end of the day.

Normally, this ruins the work in progress, but if this occurs on the final day of work, the crafter finishes the item as she dies. Her soul enters the item, making it an intelligent item with the crafter's personality—and likely some of her abilities, as determined by the GM.

Creatures immune to level drain, whether by innate nature or magical protection, can't use the Trueforge.

DESTRUCTION The Trueforge can be destroyed by first destroying every object forged by it, then shattering the forge with a single blow from a hammer of thunderbolts.

Orbs of Dragonkind

Aura strong enchantment; CL 20th; Slot none; Weight 5 lbs.

Color shimmers within the smoky depths of this perfect crystalline sphere. Both the scintillating shade and emanations of an indefinable power suggest the breathing of a drowsing dragon.

Each of these fabled orbs contains the essence and personality of an ancient dragon of a different variety. The bearer of an orb can, as a standard action, dominate dragons of the orb's particular variety within 500 feet (as dominate monster), with the targeted dragon being forced to make a successful DC 25 Will save to resist. Spell resistance is not useful against this effect. Each Orb of Dragonkind bestows upon the wielder the AC and saving throw bonuses of the dragon within. These values replace whatever values the character would otherwise have, whether they are better or worse. These values cannot be modified by any means short of depriving the character of the orb. A character possessing an Orb of Dragonkind is immune to the breath weapon—but only the breath weapon—of the dragon variety keyed to the orb. Finally, a character possessing an orb can use the breath weapon of the dragon in the orb three times per day.

All Orbs of Dragonkind can be used to communicate verbally and visually with the possessors of the other orbs. The owner of an orb knows whether there are dragons within 10 miles at all times. For dragons of the orb's particular variety, the range is 100 miles. If within 1 mile of a dragon of the orb's variety, the wielder can determine the dragon's exact location and age. The bearer of one of these orbs earns the enmity of dragonkind forever for profiting from draconic enslavement, even if she later loses the item. Each orb also has an individual power that can be invoked once per round at caster level 10th.

Gold Dragon Orb: The owner of the gold dragon orb can call upon any power possessed by one of the other orbs—including the dominate monster and breath weapon abilities, but not AC, save bonuses, or breath weapon immunity—but can only use an individual power once per day. She can use dominate monster on any other possessor of an orb within 1 mile (Will DC 23 negates).

Black Dragon Orb: Fly

Blue Dragon Orb: Haste

Brass Dragon Orb: Teleport

Bronze Dragon Orb: Scrying (Will DC 18 negates)

Copper Dragon Orb: Suggestion (Will DC 17 negates)

Green Dragon Orb: Spectral hand

Red Dragon Orb: Wall of fire

Silver Dragon Orb: Cure critical wounds (Will DC 18 half)

White Dragon Orb: Protection from energy (cold)

DESTRUCTION

An Orb of Dragonkind immediately shatters if it is caught in the breath weapon of a dragon who is a blood relative of the dragon trapped within. This causes everyone within 90 feet to be struck by the breath weapon of the trapped dragon as the orb explodes.

HISTORY

Certain knowledge exists in a state beyond time, distance, and the minds that struggle to possess it. The Orbs of Dragonkind number among such timeless mysteries, spoken of through the ages and across empires and planes as things of wonder and devastation, physical legends to be pursued or destroyed for the world-shaking power they possess.

Immortal historians among Heaven's Great Library trace the genesis of the orbs to the myth-shrouded history of dragonkind and a chaotic mother deity no dragon willingly names. Although the lines between truth and legend blur, fragments of epics claim the first orbs appeared in the aftermath of the great war that marks the beginning of time and existence for dragons. As her son and her partner battled and the kaleidoscopic mortal beings created in their images slaughtered one another, the chaotic queen, Tiamat, shed 10 tears. Through the ethers these tears fell, crystallizing the goddess's will, and each landing upon the fallen form of a different draconic hero. The souls of these dragons entered the tears, bestowing each with the power of and undeniable authority over its kin.

Soon after, all of these perfect spheres, glistening with the varied hues of draconic paragons, were claimed by lesser dragons. Some were collected into hoards, and others fueled the conquests of draconic tyrants, but all were objects over which dragon killed dragon. Ultimately, journeying across endless planes and nameless worlds, the orbs followed and continued to sow conflict. Today the orbs persist as they have since the infancy of dragonkind, embodiments of the will of the near-forgotten dragon mother, the talons of clawed hands reaching through eons to manipulate and dominate dragonkind toward unfathomable ends.

RAMIFICATIONS

Those who would bear an Orb of Dragonkind should consider the following:

Dragon Hatred: Few dragons view the Orbs of Dragonkind as anything other than a weapon: a way to enslave them and their brethren, and a chink in even the best prepared dragon's defenses. When a dragon raises an orb against her brethren—even those of opposed breeds—it is betrayal, and for a lesser creature to control of an Orb of Dragonkind is an abomination. Dragons will not stand for a non-dragon possessing one of the orbs, and their reaction to such an occurrence varies from demands to brutal attacks, depending on the breed of dragon taking action.

Eyes of the Dragons: The bearer of an Orb of Dragonkind can communicate verbally and visually with those who possess the other orbs. While several of these objects are locked away in absolute darkness, giving no hint as to their location or owners, such is not the case with all of them. Multiple orbs rest in the clutches of good and evil dragons, powerful individuals who guard their wards against abuse and purposefully monitor the other orbs for disruptive new bearers or discovery by non-dragons. Those who claim an Orb of Dragonkind must prove especially careful lest they reveal themselves and their locations to the mighty and cunning bearers of the other orbs. (The methods of communication an Orb of Dragonkind employs are vague and thus left to GMs to define. At the very least, these abilities should mimic the effects of greater scrying with the other orb being concentrated upon serving as the scrying sensor.)

The Slumbering Masters: Every Orb of Dragonkind possesses the essence and personality of an ancient dragon paragon, yet accounts differ as to what extent these dragon spirits are aware and willing to interact with an orb's bearer. One theory posits that the essences within regularly slumber, entering ages-long torpors as bearers who disinterest them or don't share their philosophies make use of their powers. The orbs function as described while in the hands of such bearers, but are little more than potent tools. When a more worthy bearer claims an Orb of Dragonkind, though, or one proves his worth through use of the artifact, it's possible the dragon within the orb makes itself known. Typically, only dragons of the same breed of the dragon whose essence inspires the orb—and even then usually only direct descendants of that dragon—cause the spirit within to awake. However, other creatures of singular worthiness or those imploring an orb in a time of world-shaking need might also awaken the spirit within. These ancient dragon personalities bring with them powers of potent intelligent items, but also possess overwhelming egos. One who awakens an orb's personality should be exceptionally wary, for unless his agenda coincides with that of the orb, he might find himself slave to the orb's ageless will. Lesser Orbs of Dragonkind

Philosopher's Stone

Slot ?; CL ?; Weight ?; Aura ?

The gnomes secretly have this. How it came about and why it does't have a better name is a mystery.