Villains' Lorebook.pdf - Department of Political Science

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including magical items such as the teleport ring itself.
The ring’s magic scatters such objects at random all
over Undermountain, where some may never be
found. As always, these secondary effects are used at
the discretion of the DM; of course, Halaster is not
known for discretion or fairness.
Heart of Kazgaroth
This evil artifact was used by HOBARTH of Bhaal
(see page 32) in that dark god’s plan to overthrow
the power of the Earthmother in the Moonshae
Isles. After KAZGAROTH the Beast was destroyed,
Hobarth gained the heart from a corrupted druid.
In the cleric’s hands, the heart served as a direct
link to Bhaal. It supplied Hobarth’s clerical spells to
him automatically (while he could cast no more
spells than normally allowable, they were granted
instantly and automatically replenished every day),
and served as a channel for Bhaal to talk directly
with his priest. The heart also gave Hobarth the ability
to raise hundreds, if not thousands, of undead to
serve in two different armies that sought to destroy
the Moonshaes. This effect was likely some massive
or supremely powerful version of the animate dead
spell that Bhaal himself cast from the heart. It’s
doubtful that Hobarth could duplicate this particular
effect on his own, even with the heart.
The heart also was absorbed into Genna Moonsinger’s
stony form; she had been transformed to stone
by the Earthmother in a desperate attempt to save Her
druids from complete destruction. Not only did the
heart reverse the Earthmother’s spell, it also fully corrupted
Genna into the service of Bhaal while somehow
allowing her to maintain her druidic abilities.
The possibility exists that Bhaal somehow duplicated
the druid’s powers through his “divine” presence
within Genna. One example to support this
theory is that not long after Genna was corrupted,
Hobarth instructed her to use her powers. She called
forth fire, fire that left the grass and ground it
touched burnt and useless, whereas Genna’s druidic
fires had never harmed plants or the earth itself.
The heart also granted the corrupted druid the
shapechange abilities of Kazgaroth the Beast. The fact
that Bhaal’s servant had this ability-one very similar
to the druidic power of the same name-also
lends credence to the idea of Bhaal’s providing substitute
powers that strongly resembled Genna’s own,
perhaps simply to further the illusion that this corrupted
shell actually was Genna.
Horned Ring
Fashioned by Halaster, these iron rings are normally
found only in Undermountain. Pairs of tiny curved
horns rise from such a ring, the horns curling out
and back toward the wearer’s finger.
Horned rings function as teleport rings within the
dungeons of Undermountain, though the wearers
can arrive at different locations. The wearers can
specifically define their “arrival” areas. They also
break all wizard locks, walls of force, holds, webs, and
other magical barriers (except prismatic sphere and
prismatic wall) on contact; no harm comes to the
wearer while disrupting magical barriers. They absorb
magic missiles and all electrical spells and natural
effects to re-power themselves, causing no harm to
the wearer.
There are only eight of these rings known to exist,
and nearly all are accounted for among Halaster’s exapprentices.
Jhesiyra Kestellharp also had one in her
possession, but its current whereabouts are unknown.
Ring of Anti-Venom
This ring is ornately carved from horn, tooth, or
bone. It gives the wearer immunity to all poisons:
ingested, insinuative, contact, and gaseous. Each
time a saving throw vs. poison is required, it automatically
succeeds, draining one charge from the
ring.
A ring of anti-venom is created with 2d10 charges,
and may be recharged by a cleric of 12th or higher
level. Attempts to increase the efficacy of the ring
beyond 20 charges always result in its shattering. If
the ring’s charges are exhausted, it instantly crumbles
into useless dust.
Ring of Arachnid Control
The wearer may control one giant or 10 to 40 normal-sized
arachnids of any type. This includes beings
who have magically assumed any arachnid form.
Arachnids are not allowed a saving throw unless
they have an Intelligence of 3 or greater (polymorphed
characters received the best class-related saving
throw available to the character).
The wearer must be able to see the arachnids to
control them. Control lasts as long as the wearer
maintains visual contact, concentrates on the arachnids,
and does not engage in spellcasting or combat.
The wearer may move slowly if doing so does not
break the line of sight. When the wearer stops con-