Making the Necromancer's Crown

[Cole10000]

So for the game I'm doing the Characters have the chance to find the "Necromancer's Crown"

The Crown was worn by a powerfull necromancer who set himself up as king of almost all the human lands. (not as impressive as in some other setting mind you, considering in this setting humans only control about half a continent.)

I want it to be pretty awsome, but i can't decide on what traits to give it exactly, and the other problem I have is I dont want the other Characters to get jealous over it if it's too awsome.

So i ask you Forum, what do you think the Necromaner's Crown should be?

[Flickerdart]

A permanent Control Undead effect is a pretty decent high-level item.

For a lower level character, a permanent Crown of the Grave spell is also pretty decent, with the bonus advantage of being a crown already. It lasts hours/level, so an Extended Crown of the Grave looks completely like a magic item, except it's totally not.

[Silva Stormrage]

I think we need to know what level the characters are.

Some ideas:

Have it grant undead leadership

Whenever the target kills something raise it as a zombie (Cap the amount of zombies that can be controlled)

Have it give some buff to all within 20ft so the other players aren't as jealous.

[Cole10000]

Ok these are some nice ideas, and thanks for them, but to just flush this out a little bit as to what the party is.

level 5 Half-giant Anti-paladin of Nerull. LE

level 6 Half-elf cleric of Nerull. NE

Level 6 elf Rogue. LE

Level 6 Human Soldier. CN

and I expect the half-elf cleric to get the crown, because he plays his Char as a necromancer

[Silva Stormrage]

Another option would be to allow it to give + x to rebuking level as well as an extra turning feat.

[Chilingsworth]

Relevent Link: (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0434.html)

In other words, why not just make it look cool, rather than do anything. That way, noone will get a massive powerboost from it.

Alternatively, you could make it nonmagical in and of itself, but make it cheeper to enchant that some standard magic items would be. e.g. You might calculate the cost of a "helm of undead control" costs X gold, but if the players want, they can put the same abilities on the crown for half that cost.

[Piggy Knowles]

Stealing shamelessly from the warlock's ability...

When wearing the crown, you can cast Animate Dead without requiring the material components. However, the animated dead only last for ten minutes when you create them this way.

Or, have it give a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and +2 to natural armor whenever the wearer animates the undead.

Both of these are enviable effects that even a high level character could enjoy, but wouldn't unbalance the game at your level. Giving a party of 5th and 6th level characters a very powerful magic item can cause no ends of trouble.

Alternatively, what if the crown slowly turns the wearer into a lich? The effects happen gradually. Maybe even make no discernible effects right away, although the wearer of the crown notices that he is less hungry, and doesn't need to sleep as much. As the character who wears the crown levels, start adding in other lich characteristics - the mental boosts, the immunities, the fear aura, etc. Then have the final transformation happen at a suitably high level, with the crown itself becoming the phylactery.

Of course, this begs the question as to what happened to the original necromancer, if the crown was his phylactery. Perhaps he was stopped before the process was completed. Or perhaps there is still a remnant of the original necromancer in there somewhere, and as more of the wearer's soul pours into the crown, it gets stronger and stronger...

[JaronK]

When I played a Dread Necromancer, I looked for the following things in my gear:

1) Anything that lowered turn resistance on undead I wanted to Rebuke.

2) Anything that raised my effective Rebuke Undead level.

3) Anything that boosted my casting stat.

4) Anything that let me make better undead.

So, here's a basic crown that would work: make it be an item that lowers the turn resistance of all undead near you by 2, but only when you use turn or rebuke undead attempts. Additionally, when worn any skeletons or zombies you make automatically have one random template from the Libris Mortis skeleton and zombie template list. It also radiates a Desecrate effect. Finally, it gives +2 to Int, Wis or Cha (depending on the class of this Necromancer).

That's a decent necromancy item, but not a big deal at all for anyone else. However, it does help the party out when they get it... and gives you an excuse to have more awesome undead when he fights them.

JaronK

[Diarmuid]

What level do you intend on the party to actually be getting the crown? If you assume the cleric will be getting it, make it something that would be appropriate for him/her to have at that level.

[Cole10000]

Oh, Chillings worth that sounds fun, I could make the old necromancer a psuedo Xykon.

and the thing is, none of them would get the reference because they don't know about OOTS.

Taking parts from everyone here, I think I'll have it not have any special characteristics except the historical reference as well as a high value, at first, then it gets evil.

If the cleric actually starts wearing the crown, I'm planning on making it look "badass", but if he wears it long enough he starts hearing a cranky voice in his head.

"Ugh, what the where the hell am I, Where are my minions... and why can't i move anything. oh dam that's right that angry guy, what was his name redblade? ah whatever, interupted me right when i was about to finish my Litchification, screwed up the ritual pretty good."

"Hang on a second, am i on someone's head!? Who the hell're you!?"

and from that point on it starts having some of the efects that have been talked about here (order of and which still to be decided)

As well as having the characteristics of an intelligent item with the mind of a necromancer bent on dominion.

Thoughts?