Set Items

It's no great work of magic or psionic artificing to make things reactive. After all, many a magical item is based around the idea that when a condition is fulfilled, it is to act in a certain fashion (rings of counterspelling, capes of the mountebank). It merely takes a bit of extra work for those truly dedicated spellcrafters and artificers to compose items that are truly interdependent. The individual pieces of a magical armoury may indeed produce an effect that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Typically, set items are designed for highly specific owners, as otherwise, they're prohibitively expensive to create and to buy. However, items do exist in some cases which can be owned and used by very broad categories of people - and these are usually either extremely costly to make, or rather impotent in effect. Crafting each part of a Set Item requires the spells and feats required to craft all other parts of it.

If any individual part of a set is suppressed through dispelling or similar, or removed from the set (by disarms, for example), then the entire set stops working. Usually, cost demands that a single part of a set be of a lower caster level than the rest, which in turn makes it what is referred to as 'the weak spot' of a set.

Accolade of the Bladesong: Originally crafted by Orskyr Burdlenatt, a gnomish druidic artificer who admired the Elven bladesingers, the Accolades were split into several parts and made to only function properly for one of these elite Elven warriors. Orskyr was eventually slain by an evil Bladesinger who lusted after the Accolades and didn't want to run the risk of facing an opponent similarly equipped. The Bladesinger eventually perished at the hands of a fellow, and so, the Bladesingers eventually degenerated into infighting, until one wise member of their ilk cast the entire Accolade into a portal that threw them all around the planes.

The Accolades, separated, are nonetheless, useful and potent magical items in their own right. However, their cost of creation and latent magic makes them prohibitive compared to other items of similar ability. However, many an adventurer has accidentally pawed through and handled some part of the Accolades (in particular, Crescendo's Edge, which is a deadly weapon in its own right).

Clef's Heel: These fine, leather boots of Elven make imbue the wearer with a +10 competence bonus on all Perform (Dance) checks. Further, these boots grant the wearer a +1 luck bonus on reflex saving throws.

Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Cat's Grace. Market Price: 6,500 gp; Weight: - .

Crescendo's Edge: This +1 Keen Wounding Flaming Frost Longsword, with ornate Elven runic work on the hilt, carries with it an intense resistance to dispelling magic. Twice a day, it automatically counterspells any Dispel Magic or Greater Dispel spell cast upon it, its wielder, or its wielder's equipment.

Caster Level: 18th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, haste, keen edge, dispel magic. Market Price: 100,715 gp; Weight: 15 lb.

Treble's Chain: This garment of extremely fine +2 mithral chainmail is further empowered with the power of the forest. When its wearer is in a forested area, the very trees whisper warning to him, alerting him of anyone's presence, invisible or not, within 15 feet.

Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Protection from Law, Guidance, Commune. Market Price: 37,600 gp; Weight: 15 lb.

Final Clause: This fine leather glove, when worn by an elf or half-elf on an off hand, allows them to make a touch attack to deliver a weak shock of positive energy, dealing 1d4 subdual damage to living creatures and 1d6 real damage to undead unless the target makes a successful fortitude saving throw (DC 11). It further grants the wearer free use of the two-weapon fighting and ambidexterity feats, providing the glove is used as the off-hand weapon.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Craft Wondrous Item, Cure Light Wounds, Inflict Light Wounds, Cat's Grace, Polymorph Self. Market Price: 30,800 gp; Weight: -.

When all the components of the Accolade have been brought together, and are worn by an elf or half-elf capable of fighting in the Bladesong style, the elf or half-elf in question gains the following special benefits as long as they utilise all the items.

First, the Bladesinger in question is granted the uncanny dodge ability as a 5th-level Barbarian. They saving throw DC for the Final Clause is raised by 4, and they receive double the number of first-level spell slots as a Ring of Wizardry I. Furthermore, once per day, the Bladesinger may cast a single spell as if affected by the Maximise Spell Metamagic Feat with no level cost to the spell in question.

Armour of The Devout: Sometimes, there are those who are called to the role of Paladin, and sometimes, there are just holy warriors. While true Paladins quest for gods and righteousness, there are many who are merely fighters or even barbarians for their gods.

It was for one of these that the Armour of the Devout was crafted. Its actual craftsman is unknown, but magical divinations have proven that it had to have been a cleric of a holy god who was at least involved in the production of the set.

The Blade of Seeing: This longsword is rendered of solid platinum, from hilt to blade. Every last line of fretwork is pure and solid, and the entire weapon is brilliant and shines with excellent workmanship. Normally, a weapon so rendered (and magically hardened) would take special training to wield as a normal longsword, but this weapon has been both magically made lighter, and at the same time, stronger than normal platinum, being as strong as steel. As well as being a +3 Holy Longsword, the Blade of Seeing allows any good wielder who takes it up to Detect Evil at will, as the spell.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Holy Smite, Detect Evil. Market Price: 96,315 gp; Weight: 5 lb.

The Shield of Striving: This +3 Holy Charging Shield of Bashing is studded with diamonds and crafted from silver. This shield cannot become dirty, and is somehow immune to tarnishing. The wearer of the shield is immune to the effects of all diseases.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Haste, Expeditious Retreat, Holy Smite. Market Price: 93,170 gp; Weight: 5 lb.

The Guard of the Heart: This Mithral breastplate, layered beneath with a suit of dragonscale studded leather, is brilliantly bright and flashes brightly even in the dullest of light. However, the Guard of the Heart becomes even brighter when donned by a character of a good alignment. When worn, it is constantly the center of an area of light as brilliant as full daylight. It is, besides this, a +3 Mithral Breastplate.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Holy Smite, Daylight. Market Price: 79,350 gp; Weight: 25 lb.

The Eyes of Heaven: This stout steel helm, inlaid with white gold filigree, imposes a certain feeling of balance to its wearer. When worn, it grants its wearer access to the Ambidexterity, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, and Greater Two-Weapon fighting (provided they meet the dexterity and base attack bonus requirements) and a +4 competence bonus to hit with both hands when wielding a nonlight weapon.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, True Strike, Guidance, Holy Smite. Market Price: 79,000 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

When all the elements of the Armour of the Devout are brought together, they grant the wearer the spellcasting ability of a 20th-level Paladin with a Wisdom of 18.

Army of the Lord: Forged by the nefarious spellcrafter known as the Magus of Black, this fine complete complement of equipment was commenced as a work for the use of Markon, the Geomancer in the service of the Lord. Magus was frustrated, however, when Markon forbid him complete the work to focus his attentions elsewhere. Magus cast away the armour in anger and refused to even return to examine it when Markon permitted him to work on it once more. As such, he was unaware of the strange machinations that overcame the armour. After his death, the armour was scavenged from his posessions by the many creatures desirous of magical power, such as spellweavers, and distributed over the world. It seems the armour actually forged itself after a certain point, a fact that has worried many of its owners. Rumours abound of Paladins unwittingly owning one of the gauntlets only to perish in their sleep as the gauntlet strangled them to death.

Unsurprisingly, all elements of the Army are evil, and will do their best to leave the service of any nonevil creature that attempts to keep them. Each part of the Army details special rules for how the individual piece reacts if owned by a nonevil character.

Unum Ducaris, The Keep: This suit of black-enamelled +2 Energy Draining Mithral Full Plate is decorated to make the wearer appear in the guise of a mighty demon. As well as granting its wearer the power to enervate its enemies with a touch, the armour emits a dull chill and a strange, sickly black light that illuminates outlines and shadows. This all results in a +10 circumstance bonus to Intimidate checks against good creatures.

When possessed by a good character, Unum Ducaris is treated as a -2 suit of Full Plate; that is, it provides a +6 armour bonus to AC, with a maximum dexterity bonus and the full armour check penalty of nonmagical fullplate. Furthermore, it is impossibly difficult to don when in this recalcitrant state, and requires a full hour of work with two people or it's simply not wearable.

Caster Level: 17th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Unhallow, Enervation, Cause Fear. Market Price: 29,830 gp; Weight: 25 lb.

Duoth Elvarin, Pain: This black-enamelled gauntlet has on its back a pair of thick, stout blades, which, despite their odd appearance, can actually be wielded with ease as a shortsword (1d6 damage, 19-20/*2 crit). A character cannot be disarmed of Pain. When used as a weapon like this, Pain is treated as a +1 Sure-Striking Wounding weapon. Furthermore, Pain imbues its wearer with an unnaturally predatorial air and eagerness to engage in combat; when in the hands of an evil character, Pain grants a +4 profane bonus to its wearer's initiative.

When possessed by a good character, Pain daily attempts to infect its owner with Devil Chills. Any such person attempting to wear Pain while sleeping gain no benefit from sleep or rest at all. If after a week of trying this fails to have Pain discarded, or if its owner is immune to disease (Such as a Paladin), Pain attempts to make a more conventional escape when the opportunity presents itself. Pain, in this way, is a Tiny Animated Object (see the Monster Manual) with a movement rate of 60. Pain has no way to know whether or not its owner is immune to disease beyond observation - if an owner successfully saves against the disease many times in a row, it may decide to cut its losses and escape regardless. Occasionally, Pain has been known to attempt to throttle Paladins who own it, though.

Caster Level: 17th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Poison, True Strike, Haste, Mordenkainen's Sword. Market Price: 36,592 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Triarc Culvoros, Strife: This black-enamelled gauntlet has on its back a pair of thick, stout blades, which, despite their odd appearance, can actually be wielded with ease as a shortsword (1d6 damage, 19-20/*2 crit). A character cannot be disarmed of Strife. When used as a weapon like this, Strife is treated as a +1 Sure-Striking Wounding weapon. Furthermore, Strife draws out its wielder's savagery, and grants them a +2 resistance bonus to all saving throws.

When possessed by a good character, Strife daily attempts to poison its owner with Dragon Bile, delivered while its owner sleeps by touching them. If after a week of trying this Strife is not discarded, or if its owner is immune to poison, Strife attempts to make a more conventional escape when the opportunity presents itself. Pain, in this way, is a Tiny Animated Object (see the Monster Manual) with a movement rate of 60.

Caster Level: 17th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Contagion, True Strike, Haste, Mordenkainen's Sword. Market Price: 36,592 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Quadran Vigilis, Panic: This black-enamelled helm is considered by many to be the weak point of the armour. The wearer of this helm is granted darkvision, and may highlight an opponent they can pinpoit with burning hellish flame, identical in effect to the spell Faerie Fire as cast by a 2nd-level druid.

Any nonevil character attempting to wear the helm is struck blind immediately, and this blindness persists for a day after the helm is removed.

Caster Level: 17th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Darkvision, Flamestrike. Market Price: 21,980 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Pental Ragonis, Deceit: This fine-spun cloth cloak is in fact a vital part of the armour, and is desired by those of evil alignment the world over, if only for its utility. This armour constantly affects its wearer as though with the spell Undetectable Alignment, but only functions in this way for evil characters.

In the hands of any of a good alignment, the cloak periodically silently calls out to all that is evil within a 100-foot radius. This gives all evil creatures a +20 to spot the wearer. If this doesn't get Deceit thrown away, it retaliates by becoming bugridden and curses its owner with lice, fleas, or some other parasitic insect, until it is finally discarded.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Undetectable Alignment, Message. Market Price: 16,380 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

When all five parts of the Army of the Lord is donned by a character capable of rebuking undead, the equipment locks together, with quietly chilling locking sounds. Once locked, it cannot be removed until the wearer dies. Once locked in this fashion, Pain and Strife are capable of chanelling the armour's Enervation ability, and Deceit's abilities are further increased, affecting the wearer as if by a Change Self spell at will.

The wearer is also gifted with the ability to rebuke or command twice as many HD of undead as they could before, not counting for methods such as Animate Dead spells. These commanded undead also receive a +1 morale bonus to hit when within 50 feet of the Army, as the spell bless. Finally, the armour itself becomes incredibly easy to sleep in, and the gauntlets feel completely natural, almost as if they were not even there.

Any nonevil character who unites the equipment in this way must make a will saving throw each day against a DC of 15, or be turned to an evil alignment.

Everflown: Few druids or practitioners of magic ever approach the level of prowess or personal power possessed by the Geomancer of the Windrunners, Sollomon Vex. Possessed of an innate gift for magic both divine and arcane, Sollomon did not tend towards the creation of items. However, adepts of her clan are known for employing the bewitching woman's amazing magics to power their own items. From this, the magical array known as Everflown arrived.

Moonsickle: This +3 Keen Scimitar is rendered to appear as a highly stylised crescent moon, and has a handle made of stag horn. Braided around the weapon's hilt and handle are a variety of woven fibers holding various prayer beads.

The wielder of Moonsickle can use the magic stored within the beads to recall a single second-level druidic spell per day of the Transmutation school, as a Pearl of Power I.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Keen Edge, Summon Nature's Ally. Market Price: 78,715 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Starfallen: This +3 Light Fortification Large Wooden Shield is laced with the power of the moon and the raging elements. When worn by a character capable of casting divine spells, including Animal Friendship and Plant Growth, Starfallen grants its wielder a +2 Sacred bonus to Dexterity.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Heal, Cat's Grace. Market Price: 69,565 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

When both elements of Everflown are brought together, attacks made with Moonsickle are resolved as touch attacks.

The Garb of Nature's Avatar: This array of finery, rendered of entirely natural materials, was, surprisingly, designed by the wizard Celledyn Moon, for his friend Meylar Bleakwinter. Meylar's weaponry and armour had already been created - but Celledyn wanted to make a masterwork. And so, he crafted the Garb of Nature's Avatar.

Foxfeet: These fine boots grant the wearer the Pounce extraordinary ability. While the boots are magical, the ability is not (though this is no more than a semantic difference).

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Expeditious Retrea. Market Price: 20,500 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Owlbrand: This headband is woven from stout green cloth, and usually left tied loose around the back of its wearer's head. It grants its wearer the ability to store a single spell of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level in the headband, which can later be cast out of it as a spell-trigger. Only the person who cast the spells into the headband can trigger the spells in question.

Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Imbue With Spell Ability. Market Price: 21,000 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Oakweave: This long white robe is made of fine-woven canvas, and decorated with green patterns akin to vines along the hems and sleeves. When donned, the Robe grants its wearer some of the strength of the oak, rendering its wearer immune to critical hits.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Control Plants, Barkskin. Market Price: 33,500 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

Bearworn: These plain leather thongs, adorned with beads and the claws and fangs of a dire bear, are designed to be worn as a set of prayer beads. When worn by a divine caster, the prayer beads constantly affect the wearer as if by a Speak with Animals spell.

Caster Level: 1st; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Speak With Animals. Market Price: 10,500 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

When all the components of the Garb of Nature's Avatar are brought together and worn by a character capable of casting control plants, animal friendship, and plant growth, the power of the Garb is awakened, and the wearer gains access to an alternative form.

The alternative form is akin to a strange amalagum of wolf, bat, spider, and cat; the wearer's body is primarily akin to an antropomorphic wolf, with 20-foot spread bat-like wings, a long, wolflike tail, and backwards-folding legs akin to a large puma's. Most distinctly, the alternate form has four arms, each of which ends in large, sickle-like claws, dealing 1d6 damage each for a medium-sized character, 1d4 for a small-sized character. The form also has a bite attack that deals 1d4 damage (1d3 if small). The wearer can fly at a speed of 30 feet, with poor manoeuvrability, gains a +4 to balance checks because of its tail, and has gills concealed underneath its fur, granting it the ability to breathe underwater. A character can change between the two forms as a full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. All of these natural attacks are considered blessed, as the spell bless weapon.

Furthermore, whenever the wearer of the garb attacks a favoured enemy, all the wearer's attacks deal a point of constitution damage (no saving throw). Favoured enemies immune to this affect (constructs and undead, for example), instead take charisma damage.

When in the alternate form, the character's type is considered both Animal and Humanoid for the purpose of determining spells that affect them. Therefore, a Dominate Animal or Invisibility to Animals spell will affect the wearer of the garb.

Maren's Guard: Once, the city of Sanders in Kyngdom, when it was but a disparate fiefdom that barely paid fealty to the king of that nation, was assaulted by a demented druid named Kyvus. Kyvus refused to enter combat himself - instead, he chose to send hordes of invisible, shambling plants to terrorise the city. Kyvus' goal, he stated, was the utter destruction of this abomination against nature. The militia of Sanders was not suited to deal with this sort of threat, and it seemed all was lost, until a young blind Abilen, bow in hand, approached the mayor and offered his services. That young abilen was Maren Sylmen, and he went down in history as the defender of Sanders.

Maren's Watchtower: This +1 Flaming Frost Shock Longbow was the primary weapon of the Abilen archer Maren Sylmen, the cleric archer of repute. The weapon itself was nothing too spectacular; however, when combined with Maren's other equipment, it helped establish Maren as an invaluable ally. Maren sold his services as a mercenary and archer in the service of El to the concerned citizens of Sanders, during the time the city was being terrorised by the invisible terrors sent to them by the evil druid Kyvus.

Maren's Watchtower, as well as its martial abilities, casts Faerie Fire on any creature struck by its arrows, which lasts for one minute.

Caster Level: 1st; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, faerie fire, call lightning, flame strike, chill metal. Market Price: 53,115 gp; Weight: 3 lb.

Maren's Keep: This quiver was owned by the Abilen archer Maren Sylmen. Any arrows placed within it are instantaneously stored away in an extradimensional space 30 cubic feet in size, and are there, immune to dispelling. Furthermore, the quiver can instantly put an arrow in its owner's hand if the owner is firing an arrow from Maren's Watchtower. As such, the owner of Maren's Keep is very rarely without magical artillery.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste. Market Price: 22,600 gp; Weight: 3 lb.

Maren's Parapet: This blindfold was owned by the Abilen archer Maren Sylmen, and was the secret to how well he held the city of Sanders with help from untrained militia. When worn by a person already blind, this blindfold grants the ability to know the exact location and appearance of invisible creatures within 120 feet as the spell See Invisible. The person can only see invisible creatures that they could see were they able to see (they are not able to see through obstructions).

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, See Invisibility. Market Price: 25,200 gp; Weight: 2 lb.

When all the elements of Maren's Guard are brought together, the bow adds its wielder's Wisdom bonus to its damage. In turn, all arrows placed inside Maren's Keep are immediately transmuted to become +3 arrows, but only when being fired from Maren's Watchtower.

The Willowby Defense: Celledyn Moon was not content to let his achievements rest with the Garb of Nature's Avatar. The young man turned his efforts to the Paladin, Cayden Willowby, and with the aid of his friends Kheleb Cravat and Meylar Bleakwinter, the young artisan focused on making Meylar's best friend's equipment an absolute masterwork of magical and mundane craftsmanship. The Willowby Defense was in fact originally, several separate items crafted by various others that Cayden invariably owned as an itinerant adventurer.

The Brilliant Star: Cayden Willowby's shield is famous - his armour less so. This Mithral Breastplate was originally no more and no less than that - a simple layer of metal between the world and the Paladin. However, Celledyn Moon took it upon himself to make the armour more appropriate for his beloved friend.

The Brilliant Star is a +3 Mithral Breastplate inlaid with fine gold and magically empowered platinum. The overall affect is quite dazzling. Cayden typically wore plain, simple clothes over the armour, however, making its glorious design somewhat irrelevant. However, on command, the armour prompts a pair of shimmering, phoenix-like wings to extend from the back of the wearer, allowing them to fly at their base speed, with a movement of average. The character further sheds light in a 60-foot radius, and when in this form, the character is so inspiring as to confer a +1 morale bonus to hit and to saves against fear to all allies within 50 feet.

Furthermore, the armour may be called upon, once a day, to surround the wearer with a blazing shroud of flame that deals 1d4+1 fire damage (Reflex half, DC 13) to all within 5 feet of the armour barring the armour's wearer that lasts for three rounds.

Caster Level: 18th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Body of the Sun, Alter Self, Fly, Flame Shield, Light, Bless. Market Price: 46,525 gp; Weight: 25 lb.

The Protector's Wrath: First owned by the Paladin of Yondalla, Cayden Wlilowby, this shield was a gift from his mentor, the dwarven paladin known only to history as the Badger. Broad-armed and strong, the Badger felt that Cayden would need quite a bit more protection than he himself had had when he had adventured. The shield is shaped like a large cornucopia, and decorated with the symbol of Yondalla. It also crackles with barely-suppressed magical power, as, despite its low enhancement bonus, this shield is a powerful weapon for good.

The Protector's Wrath is a +1 Sure-Striking Large Steel Shield of Bashing, which has been ensorcelled to deal 2d8 damage, rather than 1d6. Celledyn Moon, the Abilen craftsman, also took the advice of his master, Meylar, and enchanted the weapon to deal double damage against inherently evil outsiders or creatures incredibly and irredeemably steeped in evil (and triple on a critical). However, when wielded against a non-evil creature, it loses its Sure Striking property. Furthermore, The Protector's Wrath is good-aligned, and only functions as anything more than a +1 shield for a halfling who worships Yondalla.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Protection from Evil, True Strike. Market Price: 45,640 gp; Weight: 15 lb.

Entropy Guard: When Cayden Willowby found his Willowby Shortsword to be less useful to him than it could be to another, he set it aside, and sought another weapon. It was through his young ally, Celledyn Moon, that he received this.

Entropy Guard is a +1 Shortsword that constantly affects its wielder as the spell Entropic Shield, as cast by a first-level cleric, but only when it is wielded in the wielder's off hand and not used to attack.

Caster Level: 1st; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Entropic Shield. Market Price: 18,237 gp; Weight: 1 lb.

The Leader's Brand: When this bandanna is donned by a character with the leadership feat, it confers upon them a clarity of action and a strength of purpose, granting them a +2 sacred bonus to Charisma.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Eagle's Splendour. Market Price: 19,125 gp; Weight: 1 lb.

When all the elements of the Willowby Defense are brought together, the powers of the set are awakened. First, the Protector's Wrath is granted the Holy attribute, and the Brilliant Star gains the Charging enhancement. Secondly, the actual character wearing all of this equipment is the center of a 30-foot area of hallowed ground, as the spell Hallow cast by a 10th-level Cleric. All good-aligned creatures within this area are affected as if by a Freedom of Movement spell, cast by a 7th-level Cleric.