One-use items that give eternal benefits

[Jowgen]

The Sparring Dummy of the Master (A&E) gives the user the ability to make 10 ft steps instead of 5 ft steps once the training with it is complete. This benefit stays with the user, regardless of the dummy.

What other (obscure) items are there that give benefits in a similar manner?

[Thurbane]

I tried compiling a list like this a few years back, but didn't get much interest.

The various Tomes that give ability points.

The Codex Anathema (LoM p. 214) +2 to Int, -2 to Wis, and Knowledge (dungeoneering 5 ranks) , (arcana 2 ranks) and (planes 2 ranks).

[Coidzor]

I tried compiling a list like this a few years back, but didn't get much interest.

The various Tomes that give ability points.

The Codex Anathema (LoM p. 214) +2 to Int, -2 to Wis, and Knowledge (dungeoneering 5 ranks) , (arcana 2 ranks) and (planes 2 ranks).

Does that mean it increases one's ranks in the skill by 5 or 2 or that if you don't have 5 or 2 ranks invested already, it sets them there?

[Thurbane]

Does that mean it increases one's ranks in the skill by 5 or 2 or that if you don't have 5 or 2 ranks invested already, it sets them there?

Re-reading, it says "gains X ranks", so it would add to existing ranks.

[eggynack]

Does that mean it increases one's ranks in the skill by 5 or 2 or that if you don't have 5 or 2 ranks invested already, it sets them there?
It says it's a gain, so the former. I've gotta assume that the extra ranks respect skill rank maximums, but the item doesn't say that's the case, so that could be kinda borked.

[Heliomance]

Re-reading, it says "gains X ranks", so it would add to existing ranks.

Holy crap, how is this thing not better known?

[Thurbane]

Holy crap, how is this thing not better known?

Thats was pretty much my reaction first time I heard of it!

[Mr Adventurer]

The Sparring Dummy of the Master (A&E) gives the user the ability to make 10 ft steps instead of 5 ft steps once the training with it is complete. This benefit stays with the user, regardless of the dummy.

What other (obscure) items are there that give benefits in a similar manner?

Are you putting together a pilgrimage of self-improvement for an NPC? Because that would be awesome.

[Darrin]

It says it's a gain, so the former. I've gotta assume that the extra ranks respect skill rank maximums, but the item doesn't say that's the case, so that could be kinda borked.

Hmmm... how many feats or PrCs can be accessed early via ranks in Knowledge: Dungeoneering/Arcana/Planes?

[Deophaun]

Hmmm... how many feats or PrCs can be accessed early via ranks in Knowledge: Dungeoneering/Arcana/Planes?
Knowledge Devotion can finally be taken at level 1!

If... you know... you could afford it.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Do you want to include things like the Otyugh Hole that aren't quite items?

[Thurbane]

This was the thread I created: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?412235-3-5-Magic-Items-With-Lingering-Affects


Hey all,

Was wondering if you could help me compile a list of magic items with lingering affects i.e. they still affect a character after they are gone. I suppose you could count magical locations, too.

Tomes that boost stats.
Deck of Many Things
Items of Wish.
Sparring Dummy of the Master.

Looking for permanent or indefinite effects

Cheers - T

[Blackhawk748]

Hmmm... how many feats or PrCs can be accessed early via ranks in Knowledge: Dungeoneering/Arcana/Planes?

Hellfire Warlock comes to mind

[PacMan2247]

Quaal's Feather Token: tree

Even if you don't like the idea of just planting trees wherever, successfully setting one off in a hat worn by a major adversary is unbelievably satisfying.

[Doctor Despair]

Let's see, off the top of my head...

You can swim in a worm of minous for a +1 untyped bonus to your highest attribute score. Magical location, like the Ottyugh Hole

You can make a Faustean Pact for all sorts of goodies, among which is an untyped boost to an attribute. A pact insidious doesn't even necessitate that you do anything for it if you're unlawful

Plus zero templates are an easy source of bonus for any character, though that doesn't seem like it really counts. Along those same lines, any character can take a Greater Bloodline at creation and take the levels after level 1 for the minimum XP, catching up very quickly after that.

Also, if you can seduce or otherwise convince a fiend of corruption to travel with you, you can get an untyped +3 to any attribute each day, though that isn't permanent like you want.

As for boost to skills... I suppose it's simpler/more elegant than paying a bard to inspire greatness and a Psion to use psychic reformation on you with 1.5 level wbl, butttt :p

[Anthrowhale]

This probably is not in scope, but it's worth remembering that there are a number of artifacts and magical locations of this nature.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Along those same lines, any character can take a Greater Bloodline at creation and take the levels after level 1 for the minimum XP, catching up very quickly after that.

This requires a fairly specific reading of bloodline levels and should not be included or included with that caveat. I have never, ever, seen a DM use that ruling. I have never seen it mentioned outside of GitP.

[Doctor Despair]

This requires a fairly specific reading of bloodline levels and should not be included or included with that caveat. I have never, ever, seen a DM use that ruling. I have never seen it mentioned outside of GitP.

It works by RAW, and that is the typical method to evaluate things by here. Personal ally, I've never even seen Bloodlines mentioned outside here, but that doesn't change how they work without house rules.

[Erik the Green]

The Sparring Dummy of the Master (A&E) gives the user the ability to make 10 ft steps instead of 5 ft steps once the training with it is complete. This benefit stays with the user, regardless of the dummy.

What other (obscure) items are there that give benefits in a similar manner?

Well, it might be a little outside your parameters in that you can't buy it or make it but I think the Draco Mystere, a minor artifact from the Draconomicon is worth a mention. Any character can spend 30 8-hour days reading it and gain +5 to Knowledge: Arcana involving anything about dragons, low-light vision (or a x2 boost to same), plus immunity to magical sleep effects and paralysis. Any character with sorcerer levels gets all that plus a permanent +1 to Charisma (apparently untyped) and enough XP to be halfway through their next level of Sorcerer. It's a fun and thematically appropriate boost for a high-ish level sorcerer who is tired of hearing from the party wizard "I've got eighths (or ninths) and you don't." The fluff says that the Mystere is well-known in arcane circles, frequently sought after, and frequently copied (or at least copied from) so it might be more plausible for the real tome to show up in either humble or dangerous circumstances, compared to most other artifacts.

[Thurbane]

Well, it might be a little outside your parameters in that you can't buy it or make it but I think the Draco Mystere, a minor artifact from the Draconomicon is worth a mention. Any character can spend 30 8-hour days reading it and gain +5 to Knowledge: Arcana involving anything about dragons, low-light vision (or a x2 boost to same), plus immunity to magical sleep effects and paralysis. Any character with sorcerer levels gets all that plus a permanent +1 to Charisma (apparently untyped) and enough XP to be halfway through their next level of Sorcerer. It's a fun and thematically appropriate boost for a high-ish level sorcerer who is tired of hearing from the party wizard "I've got eighths (or ninths) and you don't." The fluff says that the Mystere is well-known in arcane circles, frequently sought after, and frequently copied (or at least copied from) so it might be more plausible for the real tome to show up in either humble or dangerous circumstances, compared to most other artifacts.

That's awesome - I was unaware of that one, thank you! :smallsmile:

[GilesTheCleric]

Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance (MIC 183) have a "drawback" that makes you a ghost.

Deck of Many things was already mentioned, but I recall there being a web supplement, if not a few published (RotD?) variants on it as well.

There's also a whole bunch of golem creation manuals spread throughout the books (DMG, LM, and possibly a few others).

Elixir of Dark Speech (BoVD 114) opens up all of the madness that is Dark Speech.

Unholy Shrouds (LM 79) creates undead.

[Thurbane]

Some of the Rod of Wonder effects can be permanent, such as the wielder being reduced to 1/12 height. Nice for stealth based characters.

[ShurikVch]

Warp Touch - disease from Book of Vile Darkness - can randomly cause various effects, and some of them are beneficial, such as:
+2 on Spot checks
+10' speed
+4 Int
claws
bite
snakelike arm (attacks of its own accord as Medium-size viper)
horns
+2 natural AC
+3 natural AC
+2 Dex
+2 Str
+2 Con
fly 30' (clumsy)
gaze attack (as Medusa)
Warpsword cause Warp Touch on hit (Fort. DC 14)

[Zanos]

Warp Touch - disease from Book of Vile Darkness - can randomly cause various effects, and some of them are beneficial, such as:
+2 on Spot checks
+10' speed
+4 Int
claws
bite
snakelike arm (attacks of its own accord as Medium-size viper)
horns
+2 natural AC
+3 natural AC
+2 Dex
+2 Str
+2 Con
fly 30' (clumsy)
gaze attack (as Medusa)
Warpsword cause Warp Touch on hit (Fort. DC 14)
This, or any other random effect, is hilarious when combined with forced dream. If you have a contingent last breath or something similar, you can undo any effects you don't like.

IIRC there are permanent magical rituals in several books that cost gp+xp but give nice abilities. One of them gives a 1d6 per hd negative energy ranged touch attack. Do those count?


Holy crap, how is this thing not better known?
I'm guessing because the bonus to intelligence is inherent, the loss to wisdom is just a straight unmitigatable loss, and the thing isn't very cheap.

[ZamielVanWeber]

It works by RAW, and that is the typical method to evaluate things by here. Personal ally, I've never even seen Bloodlines mentioned outside here, but that doesn't change how they work without house rules.

Only by one reading of RAW. That is the problem. There are multiple, equally valid, readings of how bloodline levels work and people love to trumpet the version that is most permissive here but it is not the only one.

[Jack_Simth]

Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance (MIC 183) have a "drawback" that makes you a ghost.Only for a year and a day, though. Still, useful.

[Doctor Despair]

Only by one reading of RAW. That is the problem. There are multiple, equally valid, readings of how bloodline levels work and people love to trumpet the version that is most permissive here but it is not the only one.


Over the course of his career, a character with a bloodline becomes more powerful than one without a bloodline. Because the power gain is gradual over a span of twenty levels, a static level adjustment doesn't truly reflect this difference. instead, a bloodline character must take one or more levels of "bloodline" at various points in his career, as noted on Table: Bloodline Levels. Before a character with a bloodline reaches the indicated character level, he must take one class level of "bloodline." Class levels of "bloodline" do not increase a character's character level the way a normal class level does, but they do provide certain benefits (see below).

If the character does not take a class level of bloodline before reaching the character level indicated on the table, he gains no further bloodline traits and must take a 20% penalty on all future XP gains. As soon as he meets the minimum bloodline level, he gains all bloodline abilities due him according to his character level, and the XP penalty no longer applies.

For example, A 1st-level character with a major bloodline (silver dragon) receives a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks as a bloodline trait. When he reaches 2nd character level, he gains the Alertness feat as a bloodline trait. Before he reaches 3rd character level, he must take a level of bloodline in order to continue gaining bloodline traits. if he reaches 3rd character level and has no bloodline levels, he does not gain the bloodline trait due him at 3rd character level (Strength +1) and must take a 20% reduction on all future XP gains. If he later meets the minimum required bloodline levels, he gains his 3rd-level trait at that time (as well as any other traits he may have failed to receive for not taking his bloodline level right away), and the XP reduction no longer applies to future gains. Before reaching his 6th character level, he must have taken two levels of bloodline in order to keep gaining bloodline traits. If he takes his third bloodline level before reaching 12th character level, he becomes eligible to gain all the traits of his bloodline (as they become available when he reaches new character levels).

The text says that you must take levels of bloodline before reaching the points marked on the table; it then explicitly explains rules for characters who do not take the level before the appropriate time. The text says you must take them before the level, and never says you cannot take them before the level, so there is no reason to think you cannot take all three levels between levels 1 and 2. While a DM can houserule that the text says "If the character does not take a class level of bloodline at the character level indicated on the table instead of progressing to that same level, he gains no further bloodline traits and must take a 20% penalty on all future XP gains", that is their prerogative, but the rules specifically permit that you take them any time before that level.

[Mr Adventurer]

A scroll of Wish or Miracle can grant a number of persistent benefits, from inherent ability scores to different treasure items.

[JoshuaZ]

IIRC there are permanent magical rituals in several books that cost gp+xp but give nice abilities. One of them gives a 1d6 per hd negative energy ranged touch attack. Do those count?


Where is that?

[Thurbane]

Where is that?

Lords of Darkness, p.11: The Ritual of the Dark Flames. There's several rituals in the book, but this is by far the most powerful.

[Telonius]

Hellfire Warlock comes to mind

Dragon Disciple could get in at level 3. Possibly Green Star Adept (though why you'd want to is another question).

[Bronk]

There are the 'Codex Hammers' in Dragon 297... There are at least 31 of them, and studying each one for 84 hours grants the 'epic skill focus' feat for a different skill.

Edit: Also, in Dungeon 88 p 104, there's "YenejgTogan’s Planar Syllabus", that grants 6 actual skill ranks in 'Knowledge: The Planes' when read.

[JoshuaZ]

There are the 'Codex Hammers' in Dragon 297... There are at lest 31 of them, and each one for 84 hours grants the 'epic skill focus' feat for a different skill.

That one also includes the Rosetta Stone epic item which gives one the Polyglot feat. Also the Stone of Destiny is in that article and gives some useful permanent benefits also.

[martixy]

Hm. Okay, this is useful.

I also can't believe I've missed The Codex Anathema. And LoM is one of my favourite books.
Though it is worth noting that the +2 Int is an inherent bonus, not a plain increase, while the Wis is unrecoverable loss.

But the skill ranks gain is quite valuable and unique, which is what rescues it from ultimately being a net loss in character ability, and only because it allows you to qualify for things earlier than would otherwise be possible. And even then only technically, given that it exceeds the WBL of any party at the levels where it would be relevant quite significantly.

For qualifying... Hellfire warlock is indeed a valid option. Reading the book qualifies you to take the PrC at L8 instead of L10.
Other notable classes... well, if you could somehow get L3 arcane spells earlier, Incantatrix.
(This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?180637-Incantatrix-Early-Entry) here says "Casting 3rd level spells is easy enough to do before then", but I don't remember coming across that trick, and I don't wanna bother looking ATM, cuz sleep).
Also, dragon disciple is available @L4, not 3(cuz you choose class first).

[Kelb_Panthera]

You can make a Faustean Pact for all sorts of goodies, among which is an untyped boost to an attribute. A pact insidious doesn't even necessitate that you do anything for it if you're unlawful

LOL, no.

If the devil that granted you the boon doesn't think you're upholding your end of the bargain (which will be pushing you toward LE) then he can rescind the boon as easily as he gave it. The devils -always- get their due.

[Jowgen]

I suppose since we have Codex Anathema , the most obscure-sourced "Yenejg Togan's Planar Syllabus" from Dungeon Mag 88 p.104 should be mentioned for completeness. It grants Knowledge (the planes) ranks, usually 6, but anyone with the prerequesites can craft one that grants ranks equal to half the ranks possessed by the creator. Cost is number of ranks granted x 500 gp.

I used to consider this stupid broken, as it makes getting ranks in this skill a trivial manner; but I suppose since the Codex Anathema does a similar thing and comes from a most reputable source, it's not really that questionable.

[Manyasone]

LOL, no.

If the devil that granted you the boon doesn't think you're upholding your end of the bargain (which will be pushing you toward LE) then he can rescind the boon as easily as he gave it. The devils -always- get their due.

Couldn't agree more... That's why I love devils. Far more sophisticated and more willing to bargain and pull one over on the idiot mortals

[JoshuaZ]

Elixir of Dark Speech (BoVD 114) opens up all of the madness that is Dark Speech.



With a 10 minute duration, not permanent.

[pupaeted]

There's the Tome of the Stilled Tongue in Complete Divine. It has a bunch of wizard spells, and permanently increases your effective caster level by 2 for calculating damage etc.

And there's a bunch of Tomes of X (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#tomeofClearThought) straight from the SRD, that grant up to +5 inherent bonus on a mental ability.

There's also a bunch of sites, Kord's Colleseum granting +2 to a physical stat, Bigby's Tomb granting a daily Bigby's Hand use, Court of Thieves granting a luck feat. I think most of the sites have a permanent effect.

[Jack_Simth]

Lords of Darkness, p.11: The Ritual of the Dark Flames. There's several rituals in the book, but this is by far the most powerful.
Checking... Faerun, 3.0, has a Wisdom cost every time you use it... but yes, that's what it does. Goes real well on a Binder....

[remetagross]

I think by RAW there is nothing in the Knowstones description that forces you to keep them on you to benefit from their powers. So you can buy a bunch of them, wear them for 24 hours to gain the spell inside, and then toss them out or resell them.

[Zanos]

Checking... Faerun, 3.0, has a Wisdom cost every time you use it... but yes, that's what it does. Goes real well on a Binder....
I don't think a HDd6 10ft ranged touch attack with a wisdom damage cost is overpowered in pretty much any sense. It's good, certainly.

[Thurbane]

I think by RAW there is nothing in the Knowstones description that forces you to keep them on you to benefit from their powers. So you can buy a bunch of them, wear them for 24 hours to gain the spell inside, and then toss them out or resell them.

That's hilarious - I just re-read their description, and it appears you are right!

[ShurikVch]

Word of Chaos's Power (Magic of Faerûn) - gives supernatural ability to use Word of Chaos at will; no, not that Word of Chaos (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wordOfChaos.htm), another one - it works like Rod of Wonder (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#wonder) and also cause 1 Wis drain to user (if Wis=0, user go insane, fall asleep and "cannot awaken"); also, user can grant knowledge of the Word by casting Wish (or equivalent)

Note: since this thread about "One-use items that give eternal benefits", does it means such things as potion/scroll of certain spells are fit right in?
Possible spells/powers:
Mantle of the Fiery Spirit
Mineralize Warrior
Nar Fiendbond
Reincarnate
Mind Transfer/True Mind Switch
Create Undead
Create Greater Undead
Become Spectral Hunter - if Spectral Hunter is playable

Blood of Orcus (Ghostwalk) turns you into Ghoul (ask DM for Ghoulish Creature template), Flesh of Orcus - Vampire or Monstrous Vampire
Green Rapture (Dragon #358) can turn you into Kaorti

[Gruftzwerg]

Codex Advocare:
You need to read the book to claim it (8h). After resting (another 8h) you gain another "least invocation". (warlocks/dragonfire adept only). The book needs to stay in "your possession".

[Segev]

re: Bloodlines - it's not whether you can take them early that's in dispute. It's the reading that bloodline levels somehow let you "catch up" afterwards. The very specific reading being implicitly accepted is that, after taking a bloodline level, you are still the same character level you were before. That is not really supported by the RAW, which give explicit benefits for the bloodline level and express what you do NOT get for that level (including HD and BAB and SP) as costs for the pseudo-LA it represents.

In short, nobody is disputing that you could take your major bloodline levels at levels 2, 3, and 4. However, the notion that you could do so and still be level 1, allowing you re-take level 2 thrice more (to get the second and third bloodline level and to finally get to level 2 in a class) is the disputed reading.

The alternate reading (to which I subscribe, as it seems to me to be less nonsensical a reading of the RAW, and not to clash with parts of the RAW the way the reading implied earlier in this thread does) is that, having taken bloodline levels at levels 2, 3, and 4, you're now a 4th level character with 1 HD, skill caps as a 4th level character, but only skill points and BAB as a level 1 character. You do gain your third level feat at the appropriate time (your second bloodline level, in this case), and your 4th level attribute bonus (at your third bloodline level, with this build), but you gain no character class benefits, save for any bloodline powers that come at those character levels.

[Thurbane]

Another non-item way to gain permanent benefits: defeat an Aleax.

+2 Wis, +1 insight to Initiative, +2 perfection to AC, and SR equal to it's HD.

[remetagross]

No joke?? Is it a powerful monster? What is the in-game explanation for this?

[LordOfCain]

No joke?? Is it a powerful monster? What is the in-game explanation for this?

It's the avatar mercenary of a god. I think the fluff is the god recognizes your power or something? Haven't read the Book of Exalted Deeds in a while...

[Thurbane]

Gods send it to test/punish followers who have offended them. If you lose, you die and get taken before your god, where if you atone, you will be resurrected. If you defeat the Aleax, you absorb a portion of it's power info yourself.

The Aleax is a copy of you, but is a Construct with some extra powers.

[animewatcha]

It is also immune to any hp damage besides yourself. Even better, it is written in such a way that with shenanigans, you can turn into one of yourself.

[Jack_Simth]

It is also immune to any hp damage besides yourself. Even better, it is written in such a way that with shenanigans, you can turn into one of yourself.
Not just HP damage. Attacks of any kind. Someone (other than you) casts Entangle, and the beastie is completely unaffected.

As to turning into one... it takes shenanigans. It's a templated creature, by definition, so none of the standard polymorph spells work. To turn into one, you pretty much have to copy it (Simulacrum or Ice Assasin), and then have it mind switch with you in a way that's permanent (you can't affect it, after all, unless it's of you... and even then, it's immune to mind-affecting stuff, and doesn't necessarily have a soul).

[Troacctid]

Hmmm... how many feats or PrCs can be accessed early via ranks in Knowledge: Dungeoneering/Arcana/Planes?
Not as many as you'd think, due to the prohibitive cost of the item. If you're willing to spend all of your WBL, you can get it as early as level 10, which is well past the standard entry level for the vast majority of prestige classes.

[Zaq]

Word of Chaos's Power (Magic of Faerûn) - gives supernatural ability to use Word of Chaos at will; no, not that Word of Chaos (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wordOfChaos.htm), another one - it works like Rod of Wonder (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#wonder) and also cause 1 Wis drain to user (if Wis=0, user go insane, fall asleep and "cannot awaken"); also, user can grant knowledge of the Word by casting Wish (or equivalent)

Note: since this thread about "One-use items that give eternal benefits", does it means such things as potion/scroll of certain spells are fit right in?
Possible spells/powers:
Mantle of the Fiery Spirit
Mineralize Warrior
Nar Fiendbond
Reincarnate
Mind Transfer/True Mind Switch
Create Undead
Create Greater Undead
Become Spectral Hunter - if Spectral Hunter is playable

Blood of Orcus (Ghostwalk) turns you into Ghoul (ask DM for Ghoulish Creature template), Flesh of Orcus - Vampire or Monstrous Vampire
Green Rapture (Dragon #358) can turn you into Kaorti

Yeah, this is a good road to go down. If you're going for Mantle of the Fiery Spirit, you might also ask if you can get away with the pre-nerf version of Mantle of the Icy Soul (so the Frostburn version rather than the SpC version), which was also instantaneous. I've always thought it was super weird that Icy Soul got nerfed while Fiery Spirit didn't. It would make sense to me to nerf both of them or to nerf neither of them, but it makes no sense to me to nerf one and leave the other alone.

There's also the (perhaps dysfunctional) Opalescent Glare from SpC, which by strict RAW has an instantaneous duration, meaning that you get the gaze attack it gives you forever. (Also by super strict RAW, manifesting Psionic Lion's Charge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psionicLionsCharge.htm) just once—including from a tattoo, which takes no training—gives you the ability to pounce forever, though I've never met a GM who plays that particular power by strict RAW, since it's obviously intended to require you to manifest it every turn you want to use it.)

[Segev]

That's stretching the definition of "you gain X" on a instantaneous spell. Though admittedly, it is poorly worded; it should say "when you use this power as you charge" or "you use this power as you charge," because you gain the charging ability only for that instant.

I do see where this "generous" interpretation comes from, but I dispute that it's the ONLY way to read the RAW (thus making the fairly obvious RAI require house rules).

[Vaern]

Some of the Rod of Wonder effects can be permanent, such as the wielder being reduced to 1/12 height. Nice for stealth based characters.
Maybe. It reduces you to 1/12 your height, though, not 1/12 your size in all dimensions. You'd look like a cartoon character that's just had an anvil dropped on its head.

[Jowgen]

Maybe. It reduces you to 1/12 your height, though, not 1/12 your size in all dimensions. You'd look like a cartoon character that's just had an anvil dropped on its head.

That is the effect of Rod of Wonder that always has me frowing. However, looking this up, I think there is a solid argument to be made that Break Enchantment can fix it. The "enchantments, transmutations, and curses" line seems very much in line with the shrinking effect, and per the spell's last line, the effect does come from "some sort of permanent magic item" and "does frees the victim from the item’s effects".

[Uncle Pine]

Some of the Rod of Wonder effects can be permanent, such as the wielder being reduced to 1/12 height. Nice for stealth based characters.
Actually, the Reduce effect is in italic, as it is whenever the text refers to a spell with the same name. The SRD even makes this more obvious by directly linking the Reduce Person spell if you click on it. Therefore, since a Rod of Wonder has a CL of 10, the Reduce effect lasts 10 minutes.

[Gruftzwerg]

While we are at "rods"..

Does Immovable Rod count too? Just arguable if it's some kind of "benefit"^^

[daremetoidareyo]

Histenia's Draught of Despair: One vial (which contains just a swallow) of this potent alchemical elixir is enough to send someone into a permanent state of despondency. When consumed by itself or mixed with another liquid, it forces the drinker to make a DC 18 Fortitude save. On a failed save, there is no immediate effect, but 1 minute later the drinker falls into a deep blue funk. The victim becomes unable to take an action without making a DC 18 Charisma check. On a failed check, the victim can take only a single standard or move action and also takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, weapon damage rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. On a successful check, the victim can take actions normally, but still takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, weapon damage rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. While affected, a character shows no enthusiasm for anything or inclination to do much of anything. The character feels an overwhelming urge to sit tight and bemoan the misfortunes of his life. The character can be motivated to act by obvious danger or urgings from allies.

The draught's effects are permanent once the victim consumes the draught and the effects begin. A heal spell frees a victim from the draught's effects, as does a vial of Histenia's despair antidote.

Craft (alchemy) DC 20; Price 2,500 gp.

from the archive: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/al/20040707a

[Uncle Pine]

Histenia's Draught of Despair: One vial (which contains just a swallow) of this potent alchemical elixir is enough to send someone into a permanent state of despondency. When consumed by itself or mixed with another liquid, it forces the drinker to make a DC 18 Fortitude save. On a failed save, there is no immediate effect, but 1 minute later the drinker falls into a deep blue funk. The victim becomes unable to take an action without making a DC 18 Charisma check. On a failed check, the victim can take only a single standard or move action and also takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, weapon damage rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. On a successful check, the victim can take actions normally, but still takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, weapon damage rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. While affected, a character shows no enthusiasm for anything or inclination to do much of anything. The character feels an overwhelming urge to sit tight and bemoan the misfortunes of his life. The character can be motivated to act by obvious danger or urgings from allies.

The draught's effects are permanent once the victim consumes the draught and the effects begin. A heal spell frees a victim from the draught's effects, as does a vial of Histenia's despair antidote.

Craft (alchemy) DC 20; Price 2,500 gp.

from the archive: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/al/20040707a
It might be worth to specify that removing the effect requires a heal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/heal.htm) spell specifically, as opposed to any healing spell. Since that's a 6th level spell, a low level adventurer could find itself stuck with this for a reasonably long time.