The inhabitants of Tolrea claim hundreds of craftsmen, mages and priests among their number. Millennia of their painstaking study and practice have led to innovations and curiosities beyond count. Some of their most noteworthy discoveries, both for good and ill, are enumerated below.
New Spells
Assassin Spells
1st-Level Assassin Spells
Owl’s Fletching: You extend the range of your sneak attack ability by 30 ft. plus 30 ft./2 levels.
Bard Spells
5th-Level Bard Spells
Unctuous ContaminationM: Coats one object or 10-foot square with slippery, poisonous grease.
Cleric Spells
4th-Level Cleric Spells
Festering Claw: Creature touched gains a disease attack for 1 minute/level.
Druid Spells
1st-Level Druid Spells
Lesser Tree StrideF: You enter a tree and emerge from another tree of the same species within range.
4th-Level Druid Spells
Festering Claw: Creature touched gains a disease attack for 1 minute/level.
Ranger Spells
1st-Level Ranger Spells
Lesser Tree StrideF: You enter a tree and emerge from another tree of the same species within range.
Owl’s Fletching: You extend the range of your sneak attack ability by 30 ft. plus 30 ft./2 levels.
Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
1st-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
Divination
Owl’s Fletching: You extend the range of your sneak attack ability by 30 ft. plus 30 ft./2 levels.
Transmutation
Lesser Tree Stride: You enter a tree and emerge from another tree of the same species within range.
5th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
Conjuration
Unctuous ContaminationM: Coats one object or 10-foot square with slippery, poisonous grease.
Necromancy
Festering Claw: Creature touched gains a disease attack for 1 minute/level.
New Weapons
Hobgoblin Iklwa
Peculiar to the hobgoblin culture of the Mereflow Valley, this weapon is a short, broad-bladed spear used in one hand as a stabbing weapon. It is the standard armament of the embi, the fierce, lightly-armored infantry warriors who form the backbone of goblinoid war parties in the region. Customarily, the iklwa is wielded in combination with a large shield made of bullhide and wood.
If you use a ready action to set a hobgoblin iklwa against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging character.
| Martial, One-Handed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Cost | Damage (S) | Damage (M) | Critical | Range Increment | Weight | Type | ||
| Hobgoblin Iklwa | 15 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | x3 | — | 5 lbs. | Piercing | ||
Garid Drop-Vane
Resembling a slightly elongated, needle-pointed javelin with a small weight just behind its head and a streamer of feathers at its butt, the garid drop-vane is a thrown weapon like its simpler cousin. The weighted head and fletchings strongly encourage the weapon to fall with its point downward, making it far easier to aim at targets below its wielder. The garid race uses drop-vanes in both warfare and hunting against land-bound prey. The weapon’s range increment doubles when the wielder is higher than the target, whether because of flight or due to high ground.
| Exotic, Ranged | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Cost | Damage (S) | Damage (M) | Critical | Range Increment | Weight | Type | ||
| Garid Drop-Vane | 30 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | x4 | 60 ft.* | 2 lbs. | Piercing | ||
* Special rules apply. See weapon description.
New Alchemical Items
Bleak Banyan Fig
The fresh fruit of the bleak banyan tree has mild healing properties. When consumed by a living creature, it heals 1 point of damage. The creature must succeed on a DC 10 Fortitude save or be dazed for 1 round as it experiences a rush of euphoric well-being. Undead creatures consuming the fruit take 1 point of damage. A DC 10 Will save negates this damage.
Market Price: 10 gp.
Bleak Banyan Wine
A living creature that imbibes at least 8 ounces this potent beverage experiences an intense rush of pleasure, effectively stunning it for 1 minute. After the initial rush of intoxication, the creature is rendered languid and distracted by the wine’s continuing effects, suffering a -2 penalty to saves, skills and ability checks for 1 hour. This penalty worsens to -6 at the end of the hour, and lasts for 24 hours or until another dose of the wine is consumed. During this time, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Will save to resist an opportunity to consume another dose.
Market Price: 30 gp.
Fisherman’s Unguent
This alchemical substance is treasured by prism-finned sturgeon fishermen as a means of resisting the urge to throw back their catch. It is also one of the rankest smelling substances in existence. One ounce of the unguent is applied to a creature’s eyelids to dull the senses, imposing a -2 penalty to Spot and Listen checks. In addition to these penalties, the utterly disgusting smell causes a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks. The unguent grants a +4 alchemical bonus to saves against the hypnosis and hypnotic pattern spells and the enthralling shimmer ability of the prism-finned sturgeon. Creating an ounce of fisherman’s unguent requires a Craft (alchemy) check at a DC of 25.
Market Price: 100 gp per ounce.
Prism-Finned Sturgeon Caviar
This supernatural substance is among the most expensive food substances in the world because it tastes supernaturally perfect, without respect to the individual preferences of the eater. Someone who tastes it once is able to recognize it if he has it again, although the taste varies to complement the food preparation. Even a little of the caviar makes any dish taste better, and it is normal for common people in the areas where it is fished to use a pinch of it for this purpose. However, the most valued food preparations are those using an ounce or more of the caviar.
Because of the nature of prism-finned sturgeon caviar, the exact manner of presentation has little effect on how good the meal tastes. Expert chefs using this product focus instead on the visual presentation of their prism-finned sturgeon caviar dishes by plating it appropriately in any course of the meal, as desired by the host. The prices listed are accurate only when the caviar is in season and fished locally. Out of season or at a great distance from a fishery, the caviar must be magically preserved, and this (as well as its rarity) can significantly increase the cost.
When a sentient creature ingests at least one ounce of caviar, it is filled with such a feeling of sensual taste satisfaction that it is naturally inclined to view the world in a more friendly fashion. For one hour, the creature is affected as if by the charm monster spell, except that he or she treats all other creatures within sight as the caster of the effect (all creatures affected by the caviar are mutually charmed, but unaffected creatures interact normally with each other and the affected creatures). A creature may resist this effect with a Will save against DC 17. It is easy to recognize the taste of prism-finned sturgeon caviar, particularly if a creature has had it before, but it tastes so good that if a creature has started to consume the dish, it must succeed on a Will save against DC 17 to stop eating.
The caviar is acquired from the roe of female prism-finned sturgeons. In general, a prism-finned sturgeon has roughly a 7% chance of being a gravid female. In places where spawning prism-finned sturgeons congregate, this chance rises to 20%. A gravid prism-finned sturgeon yields 1d12 x 16 ounces of caviar. A greater prism-finned sturgeon yields 20d20 x 16 ounces caviar. An elder prism-finned sturgeon yields 100d20 x 16 ounces of caviar.
Market Price: 100 gp per ounce (fresh, in season); 400 gp per ounce (preserved).
New Magical Items
Conjuring Bell
Generally formed as a cylindrical tube of brass, bronze, or silver etched with eldritch runes, this bell includes a spring-loaded clapper inside its length. By shaking the bell at appropriate moments during the casting of spells from the summoning and calling subschools of conjuration, a spellcaster gains a +2 bonus to caster level. The bell can enhance three such spells per day.
Moderate conjuration; CL 10th; Craft Wondrous Item, lesser planar binding; Price 5,000 gp; Cost to Create 2500 gp, 200 XP; 1 lb.
Control Spike
This needle-sharp length of alchemical silver is used to transfer control over corporeal undead creatures from one master to another. A control spike is engraved in glowing letters with the name of the undead creature’s current owner near its point, and the head of the spike is similarly engraved with the name of the owner-to-be. When the current owner thrusts the spike into the head of an undead creature under his control, the spike transfers control to the new owner. Removing the spike does not reverse the transfer of control or free the subject from control.
Moderate necromancy; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, arcane mark, command undead; Price 450 gp; Cost to Create 225 gp, 18 XP.
Nithingsbane, the Retainer’s Blade
The intelligent weapon known as Nithingsbane is a quintessentially lawful neutral blade, created as a weapon to be used only by a retainer truly loyal to his king, so it harbors a deep and abiding intolerance for cowardice, treachery, or dishonorable behavior of any sort in those who carry it into battle. It tends to be both wiser and more intelligent than those into whose hands it falls, and it is not shy about dispensing advice to its wielders, often in scathingly sarcastic language.
Planar Candle
These long tapers are painstakingly dipped from rare resins mixed with beeswax, with the exact formulae depending on the plane of existence to which they are tied. When lit, they grant a +2 bonus to the DC to resist all Conjuration (calling) spells cast within a 30 ft. radius in the attempt to call and bind a creature native to the plane to which they are keyed. A planar candle burns for up to 1 hour, which need not elapse all at once.
| Color | Plane | Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | The Astral Plane | None |
| Black | The Bleak Vista | Law, Evil |
| Blue | The Ethereal Plane | None |
| White | The Heart of Light | Good |
| Violet | The Negative Energy Plane | None |
| Gray | The Plane of Shadow | None |
| Orange | The Positive Energy Plane | None |
| Red | The Roiling Hells | Chaos, Evil |
| Green | The Spirit World | None |
Strong conjuration, strong alignment (see description for individual candle); CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, greater planar binding; Price 2,400 gp; Cost to Create 1,200 gp, 96 XP.
Star of Command
This black sapphire is treated with necromantic processes to aid in the control of mindless undead. A star of command replaces the black onyx material component used in the animate dead spell, allowing the creation of an overseer zombie instead of a standard zombie or skeleton. The star of command is irrevocably destroyed when so used.
Moderate necromancy and evil; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate dead, command undead; Price 2,800 gp; Cost to Create 1,400 gp, 112 XP.
Varaji
These +1 shock returning garid drop-vanes are wielded as a badge of office by great chieftains of the garid race. Like any drop-vane, they are designed to be cast at a target from a position of superior height. Important garid war-wind lords take advantage of these weapons’ ability to use the call lightning storm spell to blast hapless victims on the ground.
Once per day on command, a varaj can cast call lightning storm (CL 9th).
Moderate evocation; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, call lightning, call lightning storm, telekinesis; Price 34,530 gp; Cost 17,265 gp + 1381 XP.
New Artifacts
Minor Artifacts: Grimoires of Indenture
Bound in the finest tooled leather, these thick tomes are filled with page after page of arcane formulae and notations on the attributes and habits of the inhabitants of one of the planes of existence which lies beyond the Material Plane, all embellished with diagrams and illustrations of the finest artistry.
When the pertinent contents of these volumes are read aloud as part of the casting of lesser planar binding, planar binding, or greater planar binding, the caster invokes additional protections which prevent a called outsider or elemental from breaking free of the spell if the caster rolls a natural 1 on her opposed Charisma check to compel the creature to do her bidding. This protection is only valid against creatures native to the plane discussed in a specific grimoire.
| Title | Plane | Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Sidereal Stars | The Astral Plane | None |
| Tyranus Tyrannicorum | The Bleak Vista | Law, Evil |
| Nebula | The Ethereal Plane | None |
| Lights of Mercy | The Heart of Light | Good |
| Entropia | The Negative Energy Plane | None |
| Sceadugangas | The Plane of Shadow | None |
| Vitus Vita | The Positive Energy Plane | None |
| Codex Daimonicus | The Roiling Hells | Chaos, Evil |
| On Spirits | The Spirit World | None |
Any volume of the Grimoires of Indenture also grants a +5 circumstance bonus to Knowledge (the planes) checks if consulted. Using a grimoire volume for this purpose takes one hour. For topics specific to the specific plane of existence covered by the volume, the bonus on Knowledge (the planes) increases to +10.
If collected in one place for use as a library on planar lore, the Grimoires of Indenture function in synergy as a major artifact. All Knowledge (the planes) checks made in consultation with the grimoires gain a +10 circumstance bonus, and the detailed rituals and formulae in the volumes make it possible for the caster of a greater planar binding, lesser planar binding, or planar binding spell to call kind of any outsider or elemental without risk of the creature’s escape when he rolls a natural 1 on his opposed Charisma check to force the creature to serve him.
Additionally, after each year of intensive research completed by a character, the combined grimoires allow the possessor to make a Knowledge (the planes) check to unearth the proper name of an individual of a specified kind of outsider or elemental. The DC is 30 + the Hit Dice of the desired creature (thus, a researcher might learn the proper name of a Small air elemental by succeeding against a DC of 32; a standard pit fiend would require success against DC 48, and a pit fiend advanced to 20 Hit Dice would require success against DC 50). For the purpose of this research, the library’s circumstance bonus to Knowledge (the planes) checks does not apply. Learning a specific outsider or elemental’s proper name allows the caster to use greater planar binding, lesser planar binding, or planar binding to call that individual.
Overwhelming conjuration, overwhelming alignment (see description for individual volumes); CL 21st.