Looking for a Magical Holy Symbol

[The_Dood]

My party will be encountering the remains of a fallen knight in the next few adventures and I was planning on the holy symbol being magical in some way. However, magic is scarce in my game so I aim to make each item special in regards to it's powers. I'm having a bit of a mental block right now, so I was wondering if ENWorld could help me out.

What powers would a holy symbol of the goddess of Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, and War have? It should be appropriate to a party level of 4 - 6th and I intend it to fill the amulet or vest slots.

Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

How about it gives the domain powers of one of those domains (at effective level one) to the user?

 

[Sejs]

Let's see ... Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, and War. So she's a civilization builder, essentially. Amulet came from a knight, looking for a 4th to 6th level party.



When worn, the holy symbol automatically lets the user know when they have been lied to on a per-lie basis, once per day per point of wisdom modifier. It's a passive ability; the goddess gives them a subtle nudge that just happens to make them rock at a given Sense Motive check every now and then.

Helps maintain the low magic atmosphere in that you don't invoke something and whammo~ magic happens. While wearing the symbol, you just happen to be particularly lucky in a certain way that jives with the goddess.

 

[The_Dood]

Stereotypes are firmly entrenched in my game so the cleric is likely to be the only one to care about a holy symbol. This means that giving or even enhancing domain powers isn't so great in terms of flavour.

I'll also clarify by what I mean when I say magic is scarce, as a DM I still try and maintain the standard magic level of DND. Its just concentrated into fewer items.

Sejs' idea is good and I already have plans to use it someplace else, it just doesn't fit my idea of a questing knight's holy symbol. So ENWorld any more suggestions?

 

[Nyeshet]

My first thought was that once per day per Wis mod the Knight could utilize the granted ability of one of the deity's domains. So he could cast a Good spell, a Law spell, or a Divination spell at +1 caster level, or he could make a Knowledge check as if the skill was a class skill despite having zero ranks in it, or he could have Weapon Focus (deity's weapon) the next round, etc.

But this does not seem to be in line with what you are considering, so back to the drawing board . . .

What class is the Knight: Knight?, Paladin?, Cleric?, multiclassed Fighter / Cleric? That could affect what type of power he would likely have in his holy symbol.

Perhaps more importantly, what was his purpose? Did he travel between frontier towns, dispensing justice as necessary? Perhaps the towns depended on him to be judge in their more serious cases. The holy symbol could have had use in that - aiding him in discerning who was in the wrong, what the appropriate level of justice may be, etc. A Phyllactery of Faithfulness might make a good lower level magic power for a holy symbol in this case.

Maybe he was travelling on a quest, and the magic in the symbol was to aid him on his quest in some measure. Perhaps it could cure him once per day. Perhaps it decreased his need for food / drink / rest in half. Perhaps a moment's reflection and he would feel drawn in the direction towards that which he sought - a compass, of sorts. Perhaps it granted Endurance or even Die Hard. Perhaps while wearing it he could not become lost. Or perhaps the holy symbol was under the effect of a permanent Consecate spell - a 20 ft aura of consecration (weakening undead, etc). Did the deity have a 'favored enemy' or is a particular race consider anathma to civilization (goblins, orcs, giants, etc in some stories)? Perhaps it grants a bonus when fighting such - akin to the bonus dwarves get vs those with the Giant type.

Any of these ideas of aid to you?

 

[The_Dood]

What class is the Knight: Knight?, Paladin?, Cleric?, multiclassed Fighter / Cleric? That could affect what type of power he would likely have in his holy symbol.

I haven't decided on a class yet, he'll probably end up being just a devout warrior.

Perhaps more importantly, what was his purpose? Did he travel between frontier towns, dispensing justice as necessary? Perhaps the towns depended on him to be judge in their more serious cases. The holy symbol could have had use in that - aiding him in discerning who was in the wrong, what the appropriate level of justice may be, etc.

SPOILER:

Spoiler

The knight sort knowledge and treasures from distant lands that could be used to improve his community back home. When he grew to old to travel, he retired to an secluded estate with his wife - who used to pray for him every day by placing a freshly picked rose in outstreched arms of a statue depcting their goddess.

I plan on this ceremony activating a power that's accessible whilst the rose is still alive.

Any more thoughts?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Anyone who touches the holy symbol and would be considered an enemy of his religion is burned by it and wracked with pain. Think "It burns! It burns!"

Some ideas are:

Bonus to craft deity's favored weapon [Artifice]
Bonuses to Knowlege skills [Knowledge]
Bonuses to diplomacy [Law]
Weapon Focus in deity's favored weapon [War Domain]
Bonuses to Turn Undead
+1 Caster Level for priests of the symbol's faith
Bonus to intimidate vs. enemies of the religion
Praying grants augary 1/day

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What powers would a holy symbol of the goddess of Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, and War have?

Ok...this is bit twisted... Make the symbol an Anvil. I mean a full sized one! Thus, to turn undead, you must lift the 500lb anvil and present it forcefully...

Allright...that won't work. Make her symbol an anvil in a circle of flame (representing the forge), with each of her priests carrying a small replica of hers with a chip from her anvil worked into it.

Symbolically, it fits in with artifice (its neccessary for creating any metal goods), community (most communities would have a smithy near the center), good (toolmaking is at least neutral, and most would consider it good), knowledge (smithing requries a great deal of knowledge), law (what is a prison without iron bars?) and war (weapons are hammered out on an anvil, of course).

Link the smithy to a temple, and all of her priests would be smiths and proficient with hammers and related weapons (like mauls).

A magical version of her symbol could turn into a life-sized anvil that grants a +20 to smithing rolls, reduces time by 20% and costs by 10%.

 

[Tsillanabor]

I've always like having a special holy symbol give a cleric access to another of the deity's domains.

 

[Nyeshet]

Your spoiler suggests that perhaps a bonus to Search and Appraise is appropriate, or perhaps spells that allow one to find things and identify them, or perhaps look for traps as a rogue (ie: 'Find Traps'). The rose, however, suggests something regarding safety - which could be anything from Endurance to 'Cure Lesser Wounds' to 'Endure Elements' to 'Protection from Evil' to 'Shield of Faith' or 'Sanctuary'. Even 'Consecrate' or 'Lesser Restoration' might work, or perhaps a combination of the two or three of these.

She is likely praying for his safe return, so perhaps 'Consecrate' is in action while the rose lives, and so long as the amulet is worn the wearer has the benefit of the feat Endurance and the spell 'Endure Elements.' Furthermore, once per day the wearer may call upon one of the following effects: 'Cure Lesser Wounds,' 'Shield of Faith,' 'Sanctuary,' or the Diehard feat.

If you wish to make it more potent - or if you wish to focus more on the 'finding useful items' - then perhaps you could have it grant the wearer both Trapfinding (as a Rogue) and a +4 bonus to Appraise, Disable Device, and Search skills, and a +2 bonus to Knowledge skills in general (Geography, History, Religion, etc). These would make it easier to identify useful items, to find them, and to evade any traps associated with them - and all are typically cross-class skills to Warriors and Fighters. Furthermore, once per day the wearer can cast one of the following: 'Find Traps,' 'Identify,' 'Locate Object,' or 'Remove Curse.'

Combining the two groups of effects into one objects might be a bit powerful, but from what you've said earlier it sounds like you use fewer magic items with more power rather than a plethora of magic items with scattered powers. In any case, both together work out to an amulet that grants Endurance, 'Endure Elements,' a few skill bonuses (+4 to Appraise, Disable Device, Search, +2 to some Knowledge skills), and Trapfinding. Furthermore, twice per day the wearer can cast a spell - once only from each of two lists. Or they can utilize 'Die Hard' once in exchange for casting a spell from the first list.

All in all it may not be quite as powerful as at first seems. The most potent aspect, arguably, is the Knowledge bonus, but I can see that being reduced to allowing a Knowledge check even if no ranks are in the skill, and granting a +2 bonus to specific knowledges (Geography, History, Local [hometown], and Religion perhaps being most useful.