Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Item: Athach Rod

Second of my submitted items, and the one I thought/think least likely to get any votes.
(Addendum: It's been pointed out that Tenkar hasn't posted the list of "1-vote" winners yet, so in theory this could be on that list, but a) the Codex of Dungeons already advances me; b) Erik is apparently weeding out duplicate winners; and c) I think this is the weakest of my 3 entries...so I don't currently see a big issue with posting it.)


Athach Rod

This stout wooden rod is engraved with coarse runes, and a lump of crude iron is fastened to one end, like a primitive mace. Three eye-like symbols are etched into the iron. An athach rod has a maximum of 3d10+3 charges.

The athach rod can be used as a +3 mace, and once per day, for one turn, the rod can secret a poison that causes creatures struck by it to make a successful save at a -2 penalty or be nauseated for 1d3 turns.

The athach rod has a number of other effects, three of which use a single charge each, and each of which last an hour. First, the wielder can cause a third arm to grow from their torso. This arm wields the athach rod; the user’s other arms can be used to wield weapons or shields without penalty. The third arm gets one attack a round in addition to the character’s normal actions, but is only partially under the wielder’s control and attacks anyone who comes within reach.

Second, the user can expend a charge to grow a third eye. This grants the wielder darkvision out to 60 feet (or 30 additional feet if the wielder has darkvision naturally), and the ability to cast darkness (5 ft radius), levitate, and phantasmal force. Each of these can be cast once during the duration of the third eye.

Third, the rod-holder can grow a third leg. Their movement increases by 3 [5 feet], they do +1 damage on their attacks, and they subtract one point of damage per die from cold, fire, gas, and lightning attacks against them.

Finally, the wielder of an athach rod can summon an athach. The first two athach remain each for three turns before disappearing, and attack as directed by the summoner. Each summoning causes one of the eye symbols on the head of the club to become blackened and singed, as though burned out by fire. After the third summoning (when the athach appears, not after three turns), the rod loses all magical properties. The third (and final) athach summoned only obeys the rod-wielder for three rounds, and does not disappear.


Athatch: HD 11; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 or 2 weapons (3d6 or 2d6/2d6)/1 bite (1d6+1); Move 15; Save 4; AL C; CL/XP 15/2,900; Special: Poison (nausea) spit, darkness, levitate, phantasmal force, reduced damage from cold, fire, gas, electricity, polymorph into other giant type. The complete entry for the athach can be found in Monstrosities.



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