The Crown of Endless Sorrows

[Empath Negative]

The crown of endless sorrows is an artifact.

As a standard action the bearer of the crown may use a gaze effect that casts programmed amnesia and suggestion on anyone that looks upon or is looked upon by the bearer of the crown as a supernatural ability. The programmed amnesia effect alters the subjects memories in such a way that they believe they must be completely loyal to the bearer. The suggestion effect is then used to manipulate further so that they engage in specific actions.

 

[Dandu]

Doesn't seem endlessly sorrowful.

 

[Herobizkit]

I'm betting he just placed that as a placeholder... because otherwise there is no sorrow at all.

 

[Sekhmet]

Certainly no sorrow there.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

What's the save?

I think I'd feel very sorrowful should such an item fall into the hands (or onto the head of, as the case may be) most people that weren't me.

 

[Empath Negative]

Doesn't seem endlessly sorrowful.

That's because you're not thinking it through. The entire point of this artifact is to cause people to engage in behavior they would normally rebel against.

An army of soldiers falls upon one another, brother slaughtering brother, entirely convinced of the righteousness of the act, their mind raped of any former loyalty, slavish in their devotion.

It's the perfect cult-making device.

 

[Dandu]

That's because you're not thinking it through. The entire point of this artifact is to cause people to engage in behavior they would normally rebel against.

An army of soldiers falls upon one another, brother slaughtering brother, entirely convinced of the righteousness of the act, their mind raped of any former loyalty, slavish in their devotion.

It's the perfect cult-making device.

So the victim is not supposed to feel sorrow; rather, the sorrow comes from the fact that the crown can be used for evil?

Thoughts:
1) This still doesn't seem endlessly sorrowful - it can be used for evil, but also for good. I could think of many therapeutic uses for it. For example, PTSD survivors might benefit from having certain memories suppressed. Just because it can be abused does not make it inherently evil, otherwise we'd be banning fertilizer.
2) Programmed Amnesia is a 9th level Sorc/Wiz spell from the Complete Arcane. It is not an [Evil] spell. In contrast, Mindrape is a spell from the Book of Vile Darkness which does similar things to Programmed Amnesia, and it is an [Evil] spell. You really should make the Crown of Endless Sorrow use Mindrape instead.

 

[kitcik]

The Crown of Ironic Joys

or something

 

[Sekhmet]

If the sorrow is indirect, it can't really be called a Crown of Endless Sorrow. Call it what it is, a [-]Rod[/-] Crown of Epic Rulership.

 

[Empirate]

"Crown of rulership"? You know what a crown signifies, right? How about calling it just Crown++ (that's C++ for short)?