The invoker/wizard in my 4e game has come into possession of the Eye of Vecna (though it is currently disguised as a Moonstone Sphere - a crystal orb that was in the possession of an Angel of Secrets in service to Vecna).
The question is - should he pluck out his own eye and implant the artefact in its place?
Details on the PC: he is a mid-epic invoker/wizard who is a Divine Philosopher and Sage of Ages. He is a deva who was, until recently, reincarnated in human form - but then after dying he was returned to life in his full angelic form, with his memories of his thousand prior lifetimes (more or less) intact.
He wields the partly-reforged Sceptre of Law (= Rod of 7 Parts, with 5 parts currently re-assembled). He serves a range of gods: unambiguously Erathis, Ioun and the Raven Queen; a bit more grudginly Bane and Levistus (an arch-devil trapped in the ice of Stygia); probably Vecna (certainly with enough severity that the Sword of Kas rejected him when he tried to pick it up); and to a lesser extent Pelor. (Oddly enough, he is also on speaking terms with Kas.)
Gods and entities he is clearly opposed to include Asmodeus, Torog, Lolth, Gruumsh, and the full gamut of demon princes. He's pretty down on primodials too.
He is extremely hostile to humanoid forces (gnolls, goblins, orcs etc) who prey on civilised communities. It is less clear that he want to restore the Lattice of Heaven and thereby freeze the cosmos in divine, crystalline grandeur, although that is the goal of the Sceptre that he wields.
Here are stats for the Eye in Moonstone form, and in implanted form:
Currently, his bonuses to Arcana, Diplomacy, Insight and Perception are +37, +23, +25 and +25 respectively.
So, should he do it? Or not?
The question is - should he pluck out his own eye and implant the artefact in its place?
Details on the PC: he is a mid-epic invoker/wizard who is a Divine Philosopher and Sage of Ages. He is a deva who was, until recently, reincarnated in human form - but then after dying he was returned to life in his full angelic form, with his memories of his thousand prior lifetimes (more or less) intact.
He wields the partly-reforged Sceptre of Law (= Rod of 7 Parts, with 5 parts currently re-assembled). He serves a range of gods: unambiguously Erathis, Ioun and the Raven Queen; a bit more grudginly Bane and Levistus (an arch-devil trapped in the ice of Stygia); probably Vecna (certainly with enough severity that the Sword of Kas rejected him when he tried to pick it up); and to a lesser extent Pelor. (Oddly enough, he is also on speaking terms with Kas.)
Gods and entities he is clearly opposed to include Asmodeus, Torog, Lolth, Gruumsh, and the full gamut of demon princes. He's pretty down on primodials too.
He is extremely hostile to humanoid forces (gnolls, goblins, orcs etc) who prey on civilised communities. It is less clear that he want to restore the Lattice of Heaven and thereby freeze the cosmos in divine, crystalline grandeur, although that is the goal of the Sceptre that he wields.
Here are stats for the Eye in Moonstone form, and in implanted form:
When held, the moonstone sphere has the following properties and powers (its attack powers include its own +5 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, and deal +5d6 damage on a critical):
Once implanted, the Eye has the following additional properties and powers:
Property: You gain a +2 bonus to Arcana checks
Property: You gain a +5 item bonus to Perception checks (as the sphere at times moves like a roving eye, looking at things that you missed)
Property: You may use the sphere as a focus for scrying rituals
Power (At-Will ✦ Arcane, Charm, Psychic): As a standard action, make an attack (ranged 10 vs one creature): Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma +5 vs Will for 2d6+5 + Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier psychic damage, and if you hit then you are invisible to the target until the start of its next turn
Power (Daily ✦ Arcane): As a minor action (ranged 10 vs one creature), you see through the target’s eyes (save ends), although the target is not aware that you are doing so: you have line of sight and line of effect from the target for your attacks, and powers used from this item can originate in the target’s square (each time you use a power through this link, a mystical third eye briefly appears upon the target’s brow)
Property: You gain a +5 item bonus to Perception checks (as the sphere at times moves like a roving eye, looking at things that you missed)
Property: You may use the sphere as a focus for scrying rituals
Power (At-Will ✦ Arcane, Charm, Psychic): As a standard action, make an attack (ranged 10 vs one creature): Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma +5 vs Will for 2d6+5 + Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier psychic damage, and if you hit then you are invisible to the target until the start of its next turn
Power (Daily ✦ Arcane): As a minor action (ranged 10 vs one creature), you see through the target’s eyes (save ends), although the target is not aware that you are doing so: you have line of sight and line of effect from the target for your attacks, and powers used from this item can originate in the target’s square (each time you use a power through this link, a mystical third eye briefly appears upon the target’s brow)
Once implanted, the Eye has the following additional properties and powers:
Property: The eye becomes part of your body, functioning like a normal eye (although retaining its unusual appearance); it communicates silently by delivering vivid hallucinatory visions about what it wants
Property: You suffer a -2 penalty to Diplomacy checks
Property: You gain a +5 item bonus to Insight checks in addition to the item bonus to Perception checks
Power (At-Will ✦ Arcane, Necrotic): As a standard action, make an attack (ranged 10 vs one creature): Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma +5 vs Fortitude for 2d6+5 + Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier necrotic damage and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends)
Power (Daily ✦ Arcane): As a minor action you call forth an aura of clear sight (aura 10) that lasts until the end of your next turn: you gain a +10 bonus to all attack rolls, ability checks and skill checks made against targets within the aura
Property: You suffer a -2 penalty to Diplomacy checks
Property: You gain a +5 item bonus to Insight checks in addition to the item bonus to Perception checks
Power (At-Will ✦ Arcane, Necrotic): As a standard action, make an attack (ranged 10 vs one creature): Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma +5 vs Fortitude for 2d6+5 + Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier necrotic damage and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends)
Power (Daily ✦ Arcane): As a minor action you call forth an aura of clear sight (aura 10) that lasts until the end of your next turn: you gain a +10 bonus to all attack rolls, ability checks and skill checks made against targets within the aura
Currently, his bonuses to Arcana, Diplomacy, Insight and Perception are +37, +23, +25 and +25 respectively.
So, should he do it? Or not?
In my Goblins of Eberron campaign I gave out the Eye at 7th level, and it was awesome. It let me just randomly hand out visions whenever I felt like it.
