Epic Level Handbook

CHAPTER 4:EPIC MAGICITEMSEye of Gruumsh: This lump of rock has a marquis-cutblack sapphire set in its center, making it appear similarto a large eye. Ore legends claim that the rock is actuallythe petrified eye of Gruumsh himself, put out ages agoby the elf deity Corellon Larethian. Elven sages scoff atthis story, insisting that Corellon destroyed Gruumsh’seye completely.Nevertheless, the Eye of Gruumsh has great power, particularlyin the hands of one of ore blood. If possessed byan ore, it grants a +6 enhancement bonus to Strength andCharisma, and the ore’s darkvision range is doubled.Nonorcs who possess the Eye gain a +2 enhancementbonus to Strength but take a –2 penalty to Intelligenceand Charisma.Regardless of the owner’s race, any weapon wielded bythe owner of the Eye is considered an elf baneweapon. Furthermore, by holding the Eyebefore you, you can perceive things asif you had true seeing cast upon you.This can be activated only onceper day but lasts as long as youconcentrate on it (requiring astandard action each round).Golem Armor: This enormoussuit of black iron +10 fullplate armor increases the wearer’ssize by one category (to a maximumof Colossal). The wearergains a +10 enhancement bonusto Strength and is rendered immuneto mind-affecting effects, poison,disease, and similar effects. He is notsubject to critical hits, subdual damage, abilitydamage, energy drain, or death from massivedamage. Unlike the iron golem afterRing of Gaxxwhich the armor is modeled, Golem Armor is immune torust attacks. The wearer of Golem Armor gains damagereduction 50/+3. He also cannot regain hit points by anymeans (mundane or magical) while the armor is worn. Itrequires 1 hour to don or extract oneself from Golem Armor.Invulnerable Coat of Arnd: When humanity wasyoung, a nation in the distant west found itself under thefoot of a tyrannical wizard-king, one of the first to masterthe arcane arts. Seeing the nation’s plight, a humble clericnamed Arnd prayed to his gods for mercy and was provideda vest of shimmering chain that would standagainst the mightiest foe. Though Arnd has long sincepassed away, the Coat remains. Rumors persist that it continuallyseeks out new owners to wear it into battle.The Invulnerable Coat of Arnd is a +5 chain shirt of heavy fortification.It grants its wearer damage reduction 10/+5 andresistance 20 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonicenergy. If the wearer can turn undead, treat the wearer ashaving +4 class levels for purposes of caster level, turningundead, smiting evil, and laying on hands. For instance, a21st-level cleric would have an effective caster level of25th, while a 21st-level paladin could lay on hands for 25 ×her Charisma modifier in points of damage healed.Iron Gauntlet of Hextor: This right-handed gauntletof black iron was worn by Hextor in his first battleagainst his half-brother Heironeous and was imbuedwith a fraction of his power and intellect. Since that day,the Gauntlet has been passed down to various lieutenantsand high priests of the faith of Hextor, always seeking tofind the right vessel to further its destructive urges.The Gauntlet grants a +8 enhancement bonus toStrength. The wearer doubles the damage bonus on anysmite attacks he makes. If the wearer has the Leadershipfeat, the wearer’s Leadership score increases by +4, butthe wearer can never attract or keep followers or cohortswho are good or chaotic. Once per day, the wielder canuse implosion as a 20th-level caster (DC 23).The Iron Gauntlet of Hextor is intelligent (Int 13, Wis 18,Cha 24, Ego 26) and lawful evil. It can communicatetelepathically with its wearer, though itcannot speak. It will always seek to dominateany wearer who isn’t lawful evil,forcing such an owner to commitlawful evil deeds (or else find amore suitable wearer).Ring of Gaxx: This strangelycrafted platinum ring of unknownorigin is set with a gemof nine facets, each one inscribedwith a different incomprehensiblerune. Each day atsunrise, the gem turns to display adifferent facet (with no apparentpattern, though some wearers havereported the ability to control the activefacet to some extent). The active facet determinesthe Ring’s power for that day. Each day, roll 1d10 todetermine which facet (and thus which power) is active.1d10 Active Facet Power1 Wearer is immune to disease2 Wearer needs no air to survive3 Wearer gains +5 natural armor bonus4 Wearer gains low-light vision5 Wearer gains fast healing 16 Wearer can fIy at will7 Wearer gains cold resistance 308 Wearer gains freedom of movement9 Wearer gains +5 resistance bonus on saving throws10 Wearer may select which facet is activeThe wearer of the Ring of Gaxx can, with a great deal ofmental exertion, attempt to change the active facet awayfrom one he does not desire. This requires a full-roundaction and a Concentration check (DC 50), and deals 2d6points of subdual damage regardless of success. If thesave is successful, the new facet is determined randomly.If the Ring of Gaxx is removed, the former wearertakes 2d6 points of subdual damage each minute untilit is replaced or until his subdual damage exceeds hiscurrent hit points (though the subdual damageresumes again immediately when the former wearerregains consciousness).154