I've been reading Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy, and decided I want to introduce the bells as magic items into my game. Check out what I've come up with below, and let me know what you think. Keep in mind that I'm not trying to run a game in Nix's world, just incorporate a new set of magic items based off of what I read. Hence, the bells are covered in runes, not charter marks, as there is no such thing as charter magic in my world.
Having said that, I'm going to need to write up some rules on how going into death and the 9 gates works. That is coming in the next day or so. Any thoughts on that ahead of time are appreciated!
The bells' names and descriptions are taken directly from the Garth Nix website. All this material is copyright Garth Nix. I just hope that, if he finds out I'm using this, he is understanding, and takes it as a compliment that I decided to write this up.
With out further ado, here it is:
The Necromancer's Bells
Seven bells are used by necromancers to summon and control the Dead. The seven bells are kept on a leather bandolier, like an old brown belt, each in a leather pouch, starting with one the size of a small pill bottle and growing larger, till the seventh is almost the size of a jar. The bells are usually silver or bronze, with dark, deeply-polished dark wood handles, usually mahogany or ebony. Runes appear on both wood and metal.
All the effects of the bells are sound-dependant, so if a listener is deaf, they will not have an effect on her. The ringer, however, is subject to any effects the bells may have on her regardless of whether she can hear them or not. The bells do they work in areas of magic silence. The powers of the bells are effective out to a thirty foot radius from the ringer. The effects of the bells are subject to spell resistance.
Drawing or sheathing a bell is a move action. Drawn bells that are not intentionally rung have a chance of being rung accidentally if mishandled. Every round that a bell is unsheathed and not intentionally rung, the holder of the bell must make a perform (percussion) check against a DC of 10, or the bells ring of their own accord. If mishandled as such, use the effects listed below for when the ringer fails to meet the specified perform check.
Ringing a bell is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. It is possible to ring two bells at once, but extremely difficult. The ringer must meet a perform (percussion) check equal to the highest perform DC listed for both bells +5. Success means that both bells function as desired or some other more powerful hybrid function, at the DM’s discretion. Failure means that either both bells fail as listed below, or some other more powerful hybrid failure occurs, at the DM’s discretion. Particularly powerful and climactic effects could result in one or both bells being broken.
Ranna-the first, the smallest bell. Ranna the sleepbringer, the sweet, low sound that brings silence in its wake. All undead who hear ranna must succeed at a will save of 12 or be sent into death. For every point the fail by the further into death they are sent. For example, a will save of 11 means they are sent to the first precinct, 10 the second, 9 the third, and so on.. All living who hear the bell must succeed at a will save of 12 or fall asleep for 5 minutes. The ringer must succeed at a perform (percussion) check 15 or automatically fail the save; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, sleep; Price ? gp; Weight .1 lb.
Mosrael- the second, a harsh, rowdy bell, the waker. The bell whose sound is a seesaw, throwing the ringer further into Death, as it brings the listener into Life. A successful perform (percussion) check against a DC of 25 brings back to life any one in range who has died within the last hour. If they have not passed beyond the ninth gate, then they have no choice but to come back to life. If they had already passed beyond the 9th gate, then they have to be willing to come back and they lose one level as the spell raise day. Alternately, the ring can awaken to “life” corpses as skeletons or zombies as the animate dead spell. Also, the ringer can choose to forcefully bring back the spirit of a specific person or creature which he has the name of if they fail a will save of 17. This merely brings them. It does not grant the ringer control of the spirit or provide it with a physical form, although other things can then be done empower and control the spirit (a ringing of saranath to bind the spirit, casting create undead to use this spirit to animate a ghoul or another ringing of Mosrael to place the spirit in a corpse as a zombie). A failed perform check does none of this, and sends the ringer into death with no save. Failure by 1 means they are in the first precinct, by 3 the second, by 5 the third, 7 the fourth, a so on; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, raise dead, animate dead; Price ? gp; Weight .1 lb.
Kibeth- the walker, a bell of several sounds, a difficult and contrary bell. It can give freedom of movement to one of the Dead, or walk them through the next gate. With a successful perform (percussion) check of 25, the ringer can grant freedom of movement to a single listener in range (as the spell), or make a single listener’s move their speed in a the ringer wants them to (will save of 16 negates), or if the listener is in death, it can guide to the next precinct (in either direction, will save of 16 negates). Failure of the perform check means that all listeners in range must succeed at a will save of 16 or move their speed in a random direction. The ringer gets no save; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, freedom of movement; Price ? gp; Weight .2 lb.
Dyrim- a musical bell, of clear and pretty tone. Dyrim can return the voice that the Dead have so often lost, but Dyrim can also still a tongue that moves too freely. This bell has two effects. On a successful perform (percussion) check of 20, it can give one undead creature or mute creature the ability to speak, or make a mute of any one creature who fails a fort save of 13. These effects are permanent. A failed perform check means that all who hear within range must make fort saves or are randomly affected as follows: 50% must make a will save of 13 or uncontrollably speak what’s on their mind for 1d4 rounds, 50% must make a fort save of 13 or become permanently mute; CL 3th; Craft Wondrous Item, Blindness/Deafness/Muteness; Price ? gp; Weight .2 lb.
Belgaer- another tricksome bell that seeks to ring of its own accord. The thinking bell, the bell most necromancers scorn to use. It can restore independent thought, memory and all the patterns of a living person, or slipping in a careless hand, erase them. This bell has four powers, the ringer choosing which one to use with a successful perform (percussion) check of 25. One, this bell can give thought to a mindless undead (roll 3d6 for intelligence). Two, this bell can wipe the mind of one selected creature (their int and cha scores drop to 1) if they fail a will save DC 17. Three, this bell can splinter the mind of one creature, making them insane. If they fail a will save of DC 17, their wis drops to 1. Four, this spell can restore thought and sanity to any one creature. This reverses any of the negative effects of this bell, as well as any other spell causing damage to Int, Wis, Cha, or dispel insanity and confusion-like effects. This can also cure naturally caused mental ailments. A failed perform check means that the ringer must make a will save of 17 or their minds splinter, giving them a wis of 1 and making them effectively insane. All effects are permanent; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, feeblemind, restoration; Price ? gp; Weight .3 lb.
Saraneth the deepest, lowest bell. The sound of strength, the binder, the bell that shackles the Dead to the wielder's will. A successful perform (percussion) check of 20 allows the user to command undead, as the spell. A will save of 13 negates the effect. A failed perform check leaves the ringer stunned for 1 round; CL 3th; Craft Wondrous Item, command undead; Price ? gp; Weight .4 lb.
Astarael, the Sorrowful. The banisher, the final bell. Properly rung, it casts everyone who hears it far into Death. Everyone, including the ringer. A successful perform (percussion) check of 35 means that all who hear Astarael including the caster are sent into death. Everyone makes a will save against a DC of 19. Creatures with 4 or less HD who fail the save are dead, sent beyond the 9th gate. A successful save means their spirit is thrown into the 7th precinct. Creatures with 5 to 8 HD who fail the save are thrown into the 7th precinct, or the 5th on a successful save. Creatures with 9 or more HD who fail their saves are thrown into the 5th precinct, and the third on a successful save. If the ringer fails the perform check, he gets no save and is treated as have 4 less HD when determining the effects of the bell; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, circle of death; Price ? gp; Weight .5 lb.
Having said that, I'm going to need to write up some rules on how going into death and the 9 gates works. That is coming in the next day or so. Any thoughts on that ahead of time are appreciated!
The bells' names and descriptions are taken directly from the Garth Nix website. All this material is copyright Garth Nix. I just hope that, if he finds out I'm using this, he is understanding, and takes it as a compliment that I decided to write this up.
With out further ado, here it is:
The Necromancer's Bells
Seven bells are used by necromancers to summon and control the Dead. The seven bells are kept on a leather bandolier, like an old brown belt, each in a leather pouch, starting with one the size of a small pill bottle and growing larger, till the seventh is almost the size of a jar. The bells are usually silver or bronze, with dark, deeply-polished dark wood handles, usually mahogany or ebony. Runes appear on both wood and metal.
All the effects of the bells are sound-dependant, so if a listener is deaf, they will not have an effect on her. The ringer, however, is subject to any effects the bells may have on her regardless of whether she can hear them or not. The bells do they work in areas of magic silence. The powers of the bells are effective out to a thirty foot radius from the ringer. The effects of the bells are subject to spell resistance.
Drawing or sheathing a bell is a move action. Drawn bells that are not intentionally rung have a chance of being rung accidentally if mishandled. Every round that a bell is unsheathed and not intentionally rung, the holder of the bell must make a perform (percussion) check against a DC of 10, or the bells ring of their own accord. If mishandled as such, use the effects listed below for when the ringer fails to meet the specified perform check.
Ringing a bell is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. It is possible to ring two bells at once, but extremely difficult. The ringer must meet a perform (percussion) check equal to the highest perform DC listed for both bells +5. Success means that both bells function as desired or some other more powerful hybrid function, at the DM’s discretion. Failure means that either both bells fail as listed below, or some other more powerful hybrid failure occurs, at the DM’s discretion. Particularly powerful and climactic effects could result in one or both bells being broken.
Ranna-the first, the smallest bell. Ranna the sleepbringer, the sweet, low sound that brings silence in its wake. All undead who hear ranna must succeed at a will save of 12 or be sent into death. For every point the fail by the further into death they are sent. For example, a will save of 11 means they are sent to the first precinct, 10 the second, 9 the third, and so on.. All living who hear the bell must succeed at a will save of 12 or fall asleep for 5 minutes. The ringer must succeed at a perform (percussion) check 15 or automatically fail the save; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, sleep; Price ? gp; Weight .1 lb.
Mosrael- the second, a harsh, rowdy bell, the waker. The bell whose sound is a seesaw, throwing the ringer further into Death, as it brings the listener into Life. A successful perform (percussion) check against a DC of 25 brings back to life any one in range who has died within the last hour. If they have not passed beyond the ninth gate, then they have no choice but to come back to life. If they had already passed beyond the 9th gate, then they have to be willing to come back and they lose one level as the spell raise day. Alternately, the ring can awaken to “life” corpses as skeletons or zombies as the animate dead spell. Also, the ringer can choose to forcefully bring back the spirit of a specific person or creature which he has the name of if they fail a will save of 17. This merely brings them. It does not grant the ringer control of the spirit or provide it with a physical form, although other things can then be done empower and control the spirit (a ringing of saranath to bind the spirit, casting create undead to use this spirit to animate a ghoul or another ringing of Mosrael to place the spirit in a corpse as a zombie). A failed perform check does none of this, and sends the ringer into death with no save. Failure by 1 means they are in the first precinct, by 3 the second, by 5 the third, 7 the fourth, a so on; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, raise dead, animate dead; Price ? gp; Weight .1 lb.
Kibeth- the walker, a bell of several sounds, a difficult and contrary bell. It can give freedom of movement to one of the Dead, or walk them through the next gate. With a successful perform (percussion) check of 25, the ringer can grant freedom of movement to a single listener in range (as the spell), or make a single listener’s move their speed in a the ringer wants them to (will save of 16 negates), or if the listener is in death, it can guide to the next precinct (in either direction, will save of 16 negates). Failure of the perform check means that all listeners in range must succeed at a will save of 16 or move their speed in a random direction. The ringer gets no save; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, freedom of movement; Price ? gp; Weight .2 lb.
Dyrim- a musical bell, of clear and pretty tone. Dyrim can return the voice that the Dead have so often lost, but Dyrim can also still a tongue that moves too freely. This bell has two effects. On a successful perform (percussion) check of 20, it can give one undead creature or mute creature the ability to speak, or make a mute of any one creature who fails a fort save of 13. These effects are permanent. A failed perform check means that all who hear within range must make fort saves or are randomly affected as follows: 50% must make a will save of 13 or uncontrollably speak what’s on their mind for 1d4 rounds, 50% must make a fort save of 13 or become permanently mute; CL 3th; Craft Wondrous Item, Blindness/Deafness/Muteness; Price ? gp; Weight .2 lb.
Belgaer- another tricksome bell that seeks to ring of its own accord. The thinking bell, the bell most necromancers scorn to use. It can restore independent thought, memory and all the patterns of a living person, or slipping in a careless hand, erase them. This bell has four powers, the ringer choosing which one to use with a successful perform (percussion) check of 25. One, this bell can give thought to a mindless undead (roll 3d6 for intelligence). Two, this bell can wipe the mind of one selected creature (their int and cha scores drop to 1) if they fail a will save DC 17. Three, this bell can splinter the mind of one creature, making them insane. If they fail a will save of DC 17, their wis drops to 1. Four, this spell can restore thought and sanity to any one creature. This reverses any of the negative effects of this bell, as well as any other spell causing damage to Int, Wis, Cha, or dispel insanity and confusion-like effects. This can also cure naturally caused mental ailments. A failed perform check means that the ringer must make a will save of 17 or their minds splinter, giving them a wis of 1 and making them effectively insane. All effects are permanent; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, feeblemind, restoration; Price ? gp; Weight .3 lb.
Saraneth the deepest, lowest bell. The sound of strength, the binder, the bell that shackles the Dead to the wielder's will. A successful perform (percussion) check of 20 allows the user to command undead, as the spell. A will save of 13 negates the effect. A failed perform check leaves the ringer stunned for 1 round; CL 3th; Craft Wondrous Item, command undead; Price ? gp; Weight .4 lb.
Astarael, the Sorrowful. The banisher, the final bell. Properly rung, it casts everyone who hears it far into Death. Everyone, including the ringer. A successful perform (percussion) check of 35 means that all who hear Astarael including the caster are sent into death. Everyone makes a will save against a DC of 19. Creatures with 4 or less HD who fail the save are dead, sent beyond the 9th gate. A successful save means their spirit is thrown into the 7th precinct. Creatures with 5 to 8 HD who fail the save are thrown into the 7th precinct, or the 5th on a successful save. Creatures with 9 or more HD who fail their saves are thrown into the 5th precinct, and the third on a successful save. If the ringer fails the perform check, he gets no save and is treated as have 4 less HD when determining the effects of the bell; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, circle of death; Price ? gp; Weight .5 lb.
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