CapnZapp
Legend
Feel free to provide any feedback. What would be a reasonable minimum level of the party before I should give them this? (Yes, I hope they view the item as cursed, at least partly)
Istihlak.pdf
Istihlak, the Staff of Death
Istihlak is a +2 Staff (Weapon, Implement, Necrotic, Heroic Tier Artifact) made out of a dark wood with small iron skulls at both ends. It communicates with its owner by teleporting him or her into its own little demiplane, an octagon of a room, bare except for a black throne, appearing as an iron-crowned smirking lich head. Any such communication uses up the owner’s next standard action.
Enchantment: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +2d6 damage. A living¤ creature killed by a critical from Istihlak is automatically affected by a bonus use of its Animate Undead power (no action).
Property: Istihlak adds Necrotic to the properties of any attack made with it.
Property: Istihlak can be used as an implement for any arcane power.
Unhallow (Encounter; Minor Action): Close burst 4. You and each undead within the burst gain 5 temporary hit points. Burst also creates a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. Within the zone, bright light is reduced to dim light. You and each ally gain a +1 power bonus to all defenses while in the zone.
Animate Undead (Daily; Standard Action): Melee touch. Target: a dead (formerly living¤) or dying¤ creature. The target is reanimated as a zombie or skeleton (your choice) of a type appropriate for the target. The zombie or skeleton will be of a lower level than you. At the end of your next turn, roll initiative for the target. At its next turn, it becomes Dominated (by you; no save) and may rise (using its action) to do your bidding. While so animated, a creature gives a +5 bonus to any ritual that turns it into an undead permanently. This power lasts until sunrise.
Property: Istihlak does not accept being abandoned. At midnight, Istihlak reappears in the hands of its owner. Unless it is satisfied, at this time it lowers its owner’s maximum hit points by 1d8+2 points (cumulative) until owner gains in concordance.
Goals of Istihlak:End life, preferably through cruel ways; spread unlife.
Concordance, starting level 5
Owner gains a level +1d10
Owner “strives for undeath” (grafting, turning into an undead, achieving lichedom) +1 to+5
Owner creates a permanent undead (max 1/day) +1
Owner kills a living¤ creature (max 1/day) +1
Owner goes a day without torturing or killing a living¤ creature –1
Owner attacks an undead (max 1/day) –1
Owner destroys an undead –1
¤) A sentient living being with Int 8+, Cha 8+
Pleased (16–20): Unhallow gives 15 temporary hp, and a +1 power bonus to all attacks, defenses and saves.
Satisfied (12–15): Unhallow gives 10 temporary hp, and a +1 power bonus to all attacks and defenses.
Normal (5–11): -
Unsatisfied (1–4): Animate Dead only lasts to the end of the encounter. Istihlak will call its owner during an inopportune time to forward its complaints once a day. This causes ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
Angered (–0): Animate Dead does not function at all. Istihlak will call its owner during an inopportune time to forward its complaints once each encounter. This causes ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
Moving On: Istihlak can leave at any time. The staff will call its owner to announce its decision, stealing a standard action as usual. If satisfied, the owner gains resist necrotic 5 + one-half his level permanently. If unsatisfied, the owner gains vulnerable necrotic 5 + one-half his level and cannot gain or have resist necrotic; both conditions last until he dies or goes up in level.
Istihlak.pdf
Istihlak, the Staff of Death
Istihlak is a +2 Staff (Weapon, Implement, Necrotic, Heroic Tier Artifact) made out of a dark wood with small iron skulls at both ends. It communicates with its owner by teleporting him or her into its own little demiplane, an octagon of a room, bare except for a black throne, appearing as an iron-crowned smirking lich head. Any such communication uses up the owner’s next standard action.
Enchantment: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +2d6 damage. A living¤ creature killed by a critical from Istihlak is automatically affected by a bonus use of its Animate Undead power (no action).
Property: Istihlak adds Necrotic to the properties of any attack made with it.
Property: Istihlak can be used as an implement for any arcane power.
Unhallow (Encounter; Minor Action): Close burst 4. You and each undead within the burst gain 5 temporary hit points. Burst also creates a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. Within the zone, bright light is reduced to dim light. You and each ally gain a +1 power bonus to all defenses while in the zone.
Animate Undead (Daily; Standard Action): Melee touch. Target: a dead (formerly living¤) or dying¤ creature. The target is reanimated as a zombie or skeleton (your choice) of a type appropriate for the target. The zombie or skeleton will be of a lower level than you. At the end of your next turn, roll initiative for the target. At its next turn, it becomes Dominated (by you; no save) and may rise (using its action) to do your bidding. While so animated, a creature gives a +5 bonus to any ritual that turns it into an undead permanently. This power lasts until sunrise.
Property: Istihlak does not accept being abandoned. At midnight, Istihlak reappears in the hands of its owner. Unless it is satisfied, at this time it lowers its owner’s maximum hit points by 1d8+2 points (cumulative) until owner gains in concordance.
Goals of Istihlak:End life, preferably through cruel ways; spread unlife.
Concordance, starting level 5
Owner gains a level +1d10
Owner “strives for undeath” (grafting, turning into an undead, achieving lichedom) +1 to+5
Owner creates a permanent undead (max 1/day) +1
Owner kills a living¤ creature (max 1/day) +1
Owner goes a day without torturing or killing a living¤ creature –1
Owner attacks an undead (max 1/day) –1
Owner destroys an undead –1
¤) A sentient living being with Int 8+, Cha 8+
Pleased (16–20): Unhallow gives 15 temporary hp, and a +1 power bonus to all attacks, defenses and saves.
Satisfied (12–15): Unhallow gives 10 temporary hp, and a +1 power bonus to all attacks and defenses.
Normal (5–11): -
Unsatisfied (1–4): Animate Dead only lasts to the end of the encounter. Istihlak will call its owner during an inopportune time to forward its complaints once a day. This causes ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
Angered (–0): Animate Dead does not function at all. Istihlak will call its owner during an inopportune time to forward its complaints once each encounter. This causes ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
Moving On: Istihlak can leave at any time. The staff will call its owner to announce its decision, stealing a standard action as usual. If satisfied, the owner gains resist necrotic 5 + one-half his level permanently. If unsatisfied, the owner gains vulnerable necrotic 5 + one-half his level and cannot gain or have resist necrotic; both conditions last until he dies or goes up in level.
