An Undead Uber-defence

[jaker2003]

Here's an Item that could make a great fixture.

Shadestriker: This giant skull is the height of an elf and bears the holy symbol of Pelor on its brow. The shadestriker protects a 200 ft. radius from undead. Each Charisma check made to turn undead within this area gains a +6 sacred bonus. Charisma checks to command undead within this area take a -4 penalty. Every undead creature in the area suffers minor disruption, giving it a -2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves.
Undead cannot be created within or summoned into this area. Any dead body interred in the area cannot be turned into an undead creature.
An undead creature who enters this area must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be destroyed. An undead creature who succeeds on this save does not need to save again, unless they leave the area and return. An undead within 200 ft. of shadestriker is struck by 1d8+5 points of positive energy. The creature may Will save (DC 11) for half damage. The creature is struck every round that it remains in the area.
The item, itself, is protected by a magic circle against evil effect. If an undead creature touches shadestriker in any way, it is struck with a heal effect, inflicting 110 points of damage on a failed Will (DC 16) save. If the save succeeds, the creature instead takes 55 points of damage.
Moderate necromancy; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, consecrate, cure light wounds, hallow, heal, spectral hand, undeath to death; Price 968,000 gp.

Questions, comments, doubts regarding my sanity?

 

[airwalkrr]

This is appropriate either for an artifact or an epic item. Either way, CL 11th does not mesh with a 968,000 gp price tag. The irony to me is that although this item is extraordinarily powerful in terms of raw mechanics (being able to deal 1d8+5 damage to any undead in a very large radius each round for instance), it is likely to be practically worthless in an epic level campaign where undead will typically have hundreds of hp each.

The item isn't totally awful, but I think it needs some adjustment before it fills the role you seem to be wanting. As is, no NPC in my campaign world would ever own it because items that valuable simply don't exist (not on the prime material plane anyway). In all, there are maybe a dozen epic level NPCs in my world and none of them could even afford this if they wanted to.

Perhaps two versions, a normal one and an epic one. The normal one has a 30-ft. radius and causes 1d8+5 damage (Will save for half) to all undead in the area and gives a +2 sacred bonus on turn checks. The epic one has similar powers to above, only undead take 4d8+20 each round (Will save half), the radius is 60 ft., the turn check bonus is +4, and so on.

 

[Nel]

The idea is great, it could do a nice minor artefact with copies put here and there in the Negative Plane to provide some safe haven to travelers.
You could even elaborate a full campaign on activating a network of those, or even preventing a cabale of powerful undeads to activate some negative ones in the positive plane.
Or both.

On the item itself, and beside airwalkrr's very good advices, an interesting thing would be to increase the power of the effects as you go closer and closer, so the Destroy effect would occur when an undead touch the thing rather when it enter the zone, which imo makes more sense.

Question: the energy used being positive in nature, does it heal the livings too ?

 

[jaker2003]

Well, I originally intended it to be a sentry item, protecting certain locations from undead infestations. I guess airwalkrr is right, it does seem to be an artifact.

I like Nel's network idea, I could use that.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Not to stray too far from the original point, but I'd suggest making a custom 9th-level spell that has this sort of effect, and then putting THAT into the item. That'd set the caster level at 17th, which'd be more appropriate to a minor artifact-level item. If you want the weaker version, just make a 5th or 6th-level weaker version of the spell.

IMC, we had a spell like this, that did nasty things to undead, outsiders, aberrations, and anyone attempting planar travel/gating/summoning within its radius during its duration. Oh, and anyone in a contiguous plane within the area got yanked onto the prime, painfully. Really, really nasty; it was basically created by a Druid who felt offended by "That Which Should Not Be". A bit too much for what you're doing, of course.

 

[jaker2003]

Not to stray too far from the original point, but I'd suggest making a custom 9th-level spell that has this sort of effect, and then putting THAT into the item. That'd set the caster level at 17th, which'd be more appropriate to a minor artifact-level item. If you want the weaker version, just make a 5th or 6th-level weaker version of the spell.

IMC, we had a spell like this, that did nasty things to undead, outsiders, aberrations, and anyone attempting planar travel/gating/summoning within its radius during its duration. Oh, and anyone in a contiguous plane within the area got yanked onto the prime, painfully. Really, really nasty; it was basically created by a Druid who felt offended by "That Which Should Not Be". A bit too much for what you're doing, of course.

cool

 

[Thurbane]

There was an item in an old TSR mini adventure, maybe from the treasure map series, that had a magic bell in a tower that, when rung, would drive away undead...

 

[Adjudicator Tempest]

Nah. The weapon is way too much. From a Dm's point of view, a player can go tomb raiding with no danger to themselves. I would look at the items available, such as phalactryl of turning (Dm's), not sure of name, but adds +4 to turning levels at 11k, and then add your spell, celestial brilliance- i dont use it often as i nuke undead naturally without going OTT (level 15 greater turning level 26 undead as free action) - but it does about 2d6 damage to undead and evil outsiders who are harmed by sunlight.

Celestial brilliance (exalted deeds level 4 spell) is a good one - on activation with a spared level 8 slot, or true believer feat (complete divine artifact rules). 120 foot radius (not 200 damnit!), 60 foot bright, 60foot dim. Affects the undead harmed by sunlight within the inner 60 foot radius, and lasts - yes, go check the spell, for a day per level.

So this item can turn undead primarily, and those not affected take damage - a lot of it, before they reach you. Mind you, having 50 charges would be much cheaper as a staff; as a rod or weapon that has this as continuous, or otherwise at command word, would cost too much for any character in their right mind to buy!
Gimme sec...

4x7x1800gp (dm's, page 285) = 50,400gp
Add you 11k (I'd say 16, as it's going in to a weapon, I like fighting clerics),
=50,400+16,000=66,400
Don't forget to add the price of the weapon (has to be masterwork) to this cost.
I like this weapon, as the spell itself is irritating if you want to sleep, or sneak around, you can turn the weoapn off on command word.