The Mask of Pain

[dante58701]

The Mask of Pain (Major Artifact)

Description: This featureless mask in no way hinders it's wearer, who can breath, drink, eat, stick out their tongue, and otherwise function as though they were not wearing the mask at all. Even more surprising is the wearer's ability to alter the general shape of the mask to fit the contours of their face, as though it were designed for them. The mask, being impervious to divinations of even a deific variety, flawlessly conceals the wearer's face, preventing positive identification by virtue of one's facial features alone. Furthermore, it adheres to the wearer's flesh, becoming one with the wearer, a seamless union, which results in the wearer forever turning pure white. Though all of this, while certainly beneficial, has little or nothing to do with the primary powers of the mask. These are another matter altogether.

Powers: The primary powers of the mask are it's untouchable nature and it's ability to keep reviving the first individual who ever wore it. It is impervious to damage, destruction, loss, removal, tampering, theft, and even the abilities of omnipotent and/or omniscient beings. Only the wearer of the mask may ever remove it, although the wearer's complete annihilation will free the mask for another's use. Though this would be a mistake, for the wearer, who foolishly and willingly put on the mask, will literally become the first individual to wear the mask, essentially perpetuating the true resurrection of the first individual to wear the mask and the painful destruction of the fool who put it on. The final feature of this mask is it's ability to assume any shape desired by the wearer, except the actual shape of the wearer's face. This grants a +2 equipment bonus to Disguise checks and is accomplished through will alone. The bonus would be higher, but none of the wearer's facial features are revealed and the hue, material, and/or size of the mask cannot be altered. It should also be noted that attacks directed at the wearer's face are completely negated, since the mask is irrevocably impervious.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Ok, I was hoping that someone else would ask the question, but I guess it's gonna be me...

If you peel away all the gygaxian verbiage, what does the thing actually do?

It sounds like if the wearer dies, then the mask brings him/her back to life. What the mechanics of this are I don't know. I see the words true resurrection but what if the owner died of old age? Or if the killing attack disallows true resurrection? Or if the wielder doesn't want to come back? And does the resurrection happen immediately, or in one round, or one turn, or what?

And what constitutes "complete annihilation"? If the wearer is annihilated and someone else puts on the mask- are they subject to "painful destruction" or are they thereafter resurrected whenever they die? The description seems to say both that they are the new first wearer *and* will be painfully destroyed.

If it *is* removed, does it keep reviving the original wearer? If so, where does the revival happen? If by the mask, what happens if the mask (after having been removed) is folded up and put into a very small demiplane (6" by 4" by 2", say). Does the owner get squashed as soon as s/he is revived?

Why can the mask assume any shape desired by the wielder *except* the actual shape of the wielder's face? And how would that work? If you added a small wart just in front of the ear (and otherwise be a shape identical to the actual face) could the mask assume that shape? How big would the wart have to be?

And if the wart were very small, why is it that positive identification is completely prevented? How about if someone made a DC 100 spot check?

And all these absolutes. Does it not matter how high in Upper_Krust's deific hierarchy you are, you can't get past these absolute immunities?

 

[domino]

As I understand it, it ressurects the original owner by turning the most recent wearer into that original person when the mask is removed.

 

[dante58701]

Domino has it right on the money.


Imagine if a soul could be reconfigured to revive the very first person to wear the mask time and time again.

This would destroy anyone, other than the original wearer, who puts on the mask.

An event that could be prevented by simply not being that stupid.

The trick is this, each time the wearer is destroyed, he is recreated when some hapless fool puts on the mask. Recreated as a young adult version of himself, since the mask actually regrows a physical body from a soul.

The soul of the original wearer is inside the mask. It works a lot like a phylactery...but is vastly more potent.

The mask, being highly prized, is likely to be owned by a god.

The mask is incapable of assuming any form that is even similar to the wearer's face.

Upper Krust has "absolute" omnific abilities that can bypass these immunities. Exactly how? You'ld have to ask him.

The secret behind the mask is that it is a trapped Time Lord of incredible power. It isn't even sentient, but it's power remains enslaved to the mask.