Belial_the_Leveler
2007-11-16, 01:25 PM
The "spheres that see all" from LotR. Enjoy:
A larger than average crystal sphere sits on the pedestral, multicolored lights swirling in it lazily. An aura of power radiates from it and draws you to it with a force that is almost physical. Upon touch, your vision explodes in a Kaleidoscope of images from past, present and future...
Palantir [Artifact]
Each palantir is a seven-inch crystal sphere that seems fully transparent when not touched but you can't actually see anything from the other side when you look into it. In fact, the sphere is opaque and only looks transparent due to the lights and jumbled images coming from within that are projected to its surface.
The palantiri are artifacts-they cannot be harmed by either mortals or deities. Only other artifacts of equal or greater power, the divine powers of creator deities or pantheon heads and Epic Spells specifically created to affect them can harm them. Other than that, they have the following abilities and powers:
Aura of Power: A palantir radiates an aura of power. All creatures-even those normally immune to mind-affecting effects-are affected as if by a Sympathy spell, compelled to get closer to the palantir and use it. The will save DC is 30. This ability only affects beings of 6th level and higher.
Distant Gaze: A palantir can be used to scry to distant places, as the spell. Unlike the spell, the ability has no casting time-it works instantaneously-and the images revealed are as if the wielder is standing there himself, not being limited to a 10 ft radius around the target. Distant Gaze cannot be blocked by effects that block divinations-even if they are the powers of deities-because it actually projects the spirit of the wielder there as if by Astral Projection. Unfortunately, this means the wielder is subject to gaze attacks and mind-affecting effects from the destination of the viewing as well as any effects that directly affect the soul. Distant Gaze also confers true seeing upon the wielder with no range limitation.
Window to the Soul: By focusing on a single being instead of an area, the wielder of a palantir gains information as if by a Metafaculty spell cast by a 45th level caster. Unlike Metafaculty, Window to the Soul is not normally blocked by epic powers or the powers of deities unless the target both makes the intelligence check to notice he's scryed upon and makes a successful opposed will save against the wielder. Ofcourse, unless the target is much more powerful than the wielder, the wielder will eventually succeed due to repeated uses of the ability.
Visions of Truth: As a standard action, the wielder can benefit from a Vision effect as if from the spell of the same name-however, the Vision of Truth is always truthful, though it can be misleading. Use of this power is dangerous though as the wielder has to pay a 300 xp cost for each use-something that will eventually drain him and leave him weak and powerless. (wielders can and will lose levels if this power is overused)
Visions of Past and Future: As a standard action, the wielder initiates a vision that shows him both the past and the possible future of one object, person, area or event. He gains the benefit of a Hindsight effect-though the effect applies to both past and future-regarding the object, person, area or event he wishes to learn about, the information revealing images and speech for days, weeks, years even centuries of history or future possibilities. While for the wielder only a single turn passes, when he wakes to the physical world he learns no less than an hour has passed. The wielder can be snuck upon and slain-he is in a helpless trance-like state while the vision lasts.
Shared Vision, Shared Mind: The wielder of another palantir always knows when any other palantir is used for the stones that see all are linked. If he wishes, he may interfere. An opposed will save between the two wielders with a +10 bonus to the "defender" is made-if the interloper is successful, he controls which areas, targets, events or persons the other palantir is aimed at-but can never make it show untruths, regardless of his power. During a shared vision, both wielders can communicate telepathically regardless of distance or mind-affecting immunities and both know the thoughts of the other as if by a detect thoughts spell.
Caster Level 45th.
Creation: craft wondrous item, craft epic wondrous item, craft artifact, Scrying, Astral Projection, Detect Thoughts, True Seeing, Metafaculty, Vision, Demand, Hindsight, Foresight, 1.000.000 gp, 40.000 xp, Epic Divination Focus.
A larger than average crystal sphere sits on the pedestral, multicolored lights swirling in it lazily. An aura of power radiates from it and draws you to it with a force that is almost physical. Upon touch, your vision explodes in a Kaleidoscope of images from past, present and future...
Palantir [Artifact]
Each palantir is a seven-inch crystal sphere that seems fully transparent when not touched but you can't actually see anything from the other side when you look into it. In fact, the sphere is opaque and only looks transparent due to the lights and jumbled images coming from within that are projected to its surface.
The palantiri are artifacts-they cannot be harmed by either mortals or deities. Only other artifacts of equal or greater power, the divine powers of creator deities or pantheon heads and Epic Spells specifically created to affect them can harm them. Other than that, they have the following abilities and powers:
Aura of Power: A palantir radiates an aura of power. All creatures-even those normally immune to mind-affecting effects-are affected as if by a Sympathy spell, compelled to get closer to the palantir and use it. The will save DC is 30. This ability only affects beings of 6th level and higher.
Distant Gaze: A palantir can be used to scry to distant places, as the spell. Unlike the spell, the ability has no casting time-it works instantaneously-and the images revealed are as if the wielder is standing there himself, not being limited to a 10 ft radius around the target. Distant Gaze cannot be blocked by effects that block divinations-even if they are the powers of deities-because it actually projects the spirit of the wielder there as if by Astral Projection. Unfortunately, this means the wielder is subject to gaze attacks and mind-affecting effects from the destination of the viewing as well as any effects that directly affect the soul. Distant Gaze also confers true seeing upon the wielder with no range limitation.
Window to the Soul: By focusing on a single being instead of an area, the wielder of a palantir gains information as if by a Metafaculty spell cast by a 45th level caster. Unlike Metafaculty, Window to the Soul is not normally blocked by epic powers or the powers of deities unless the target both makes the intelligence check to notice he's scryed upon and makes a successful opposed will save against the wielder. Ofcourse, unless the target is much more powerful than the wielder, the wielder will eventually succeed due to repeated uses of the ability.
Visions of Truth: As a standard action, the wielder can benefit from a Vision effect as if from the spell of the same name-however, the Vision of Truth is always truthful, though it can be misleading. Use of this power is dangerous though as the wielder has to pay a 300 xp cost for each use-something that will eventually drain him and leave him weak and powerless. (wielders can and will lose levels if this power is overused)
Visions of Past and Future: As a standard action, the wielder initiates a vision that shows him both the past and the possible future of one object, person, area or event. He gains the benefit of a Hindsight effect-though the effect applies to both past and future-regarding the object, person, area or event he wishes to learn about, the information revealing images and speech for days, weeks, years even centuries of history or future possibilities. While for the wielder only a single turn passes, when he wakes to the physical world he learns no less than an hour has passed. The wielder can be snuck upon and slain-he is in a helpless trance-like state while the vision lasts.
Shared Vision, Shared Mind: The wielder of another palantir always knows when any other palantir is used for the stones that see all are linked. If he wishes, he may interfere. An opposed will save between the two wielders with a +10 bonus to the "defender" is made-if the interloper is successful, he controls which areas, targets, events or persons the other palantir is aimed at-but can never make it show untruths, regardless of his power. During a shared vision, both wielders can communicate telepathically regardless of distance or mind-affecting immunities and both know the thoughts of the other as if by a detect thoughts spell.
Caster Level 45th.
Creation: craft wondrous item, craft epic wondrous item, craft artifact, Scrying, Astral Projection, Detect Thoughts, True Seeing, Metafaculty, Vision, Demand, Hindsight, Foresight, 1.000.000 gp, 40.000 xp, Epic Divination Focus.