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ZeroNumerous
2008-02-01, 04:55 PM
Designer's Notes
Playing through FFT again got me thinking.. I want to run a campaign involving Zodiac Stones. The problem? I don't know what to do if/when my players get a hold of a Zodiac Stone. A quick Google search found nothing for already homebrewed Zodiac Stones in D&D.. So I threw something together and called it good.

Since only 7 of 13 were introduced in Final Fantasy Tactics, I've filled in the gaps with Final Fantasy 12's Espers. I went with FF12's spelling for Velius/Quecklain/Adramelk, mostly because it seems to have been translated much better versus FFT's horrific translations..

Also, Elidibs sucks.

I'm reposting this from a while back. Primarily because I did some changes to the attuning system and I've now redone some other things. Please critique the fluff and the mechanics only.

Do not argue about the Zodiac Stones being evil or good. They're evil, lets all move on with our lives.

Legend
Dec. 25 - 'A Zodiac Stone? Pah! Legends and old wives tales intended to give hope to the ignorant.'

That was what I would have said a day ago.. But.. This book. These stones. They have shown me something.. Something strange. A day ago, a friend of mine arrived with a few crystal orbs and a journal. He said I might be interested in learning what these orbs were. They were flawless and round, perfect in all ways..

January 2 - I did some research, and I discovered that the stones I had were three of the actual Zodiac Stones! Pisces. Aries. Taurus. Powerful things.. Just holding them makes me feel more powerful, more alive!

January 3 - I feel that I am going no, I have gone, insane. I hear things, creatures, whispering to me in the darkness of my mind. It calls to me. It calls itself.. The Impure King. It tells me no, commands me to search for the other stones..
-Last entry of the wizard Demelus.

Before the Planes as they are existed, there were only the Gods. The Gods existed in the endless limbo of the Astral Sea with nothing yet made. These Gods, powerful and limitless, created the Material and filled it with Life. They breathed so much Life into that plane that another plane burst into existence beneath it. This second plane would come to be known as the Underworld, and it is where the Gods would rule while watching the Material. But, as all things do, the work of keeping the Upperworld and the Underworld running grew tiresome to even the immortal gods. And ever so slowly, they grew disillusioned with the Upperworld and it's Life.

The Gods thought up a brilliant plan, a plan most cunning indeed. They created Espers, beings who existed solely to perform their duties, and then breathed Life into them as well. They created twenty-four Espers. Twelve Espers of the Upperworld and Twelve of the Underworld. The Gods instilled each Esper with it's purpose, and it was a grand purpose indeed. They existed to run all of existence, so that Life may flourish and grow. And they did as they were told. For a time, a short time, it was good.

Of the Scions, these Esper workers, little is written. Possibly because many kept their existence out of the Material Realm, as they were instructed. The twelve Espers of the Upperworld would become known as the Scions of Light, being perpetually bathed in the light of the sun. While the twelve Espers of the Underworld would become known as the Scions of Darkness, beings forever scorned from the sun's warmth.

The Gods were all-powerful, but they were not all knowing. The Gods were none-the-wiser when the twenty-fourth Scion, the Scion of Light known as Ultima, began her traitorous thoughts. Ultima was the masterpiece of the Scions and she was tasked with leading the souls of the deceased to the Gods for reincarnation. The High Seraph, so called for her wings of brilliant gold, was the Gods' favorite Scion and worst enemy.

Ultima went to each of the twenty-three Scions that had been made and pleaded her case. The Gods were useless beings who did nothing but lounge about now that Espers did their work. She reasoned that they, the Espers, should be given their time to rest. And when Ultima began her revolution, eleven of them stood with her.

The first of them, and the least among them, was Belias the Gigas. Belias, made as half-man and half-beast, was deemed by the Gods to be a failed experiment. As pity, they gave the Gigas the task of guarding and regulating passage to the Holy Realm. His hatred at never receiving his true purpose grew with the passing of time. And he joined Ultima as soon as she whispered her poisonous words into his ears.

The second would come to be known as Mateus, the Corrupt. Mateus was tasked with the watching and care of the Underworld, where he would swim through it's waters to cleanse them. He ruled the living beings of the Underworld with a fair hand, and protected the Upperworld from it's inhabitants. However, he eventually submitted to avarice, and darkness flowed into his heart. Eventually, the greedy and corrupted spirit heard the whispers of power from Ultima. In his cowardice, the Corrupt bound a goddess of Ice as a living shield to do battle with the Gods.

The third would come to be known as Shemhazai, the Whisperer. Shemhazai was given total control over the souls of the Underworld inhabitants, and would be tasked with guarding the Gods from the living beings of the Underworld. She was forbidden to walk among the Upperworld, so that her clarity of purpose would remain pure. Jealous of the Scions of Light, but enamored with the grace and beauty of Ultima, Shemhazai would succumb to the Scion's treasonous thoughts. She fled to Ultima's side and whispered the weaknesses of the Gods into her ears.

The fourth would come to be known as Hashmalim, the Bringer of Order. Hashmalim was given the task of bringing Order to all things, and he walked among the Upperworld to lead the races away from the chaos of their birth. The Gods gave him power over the very world itself in order to accomplish his birth-given task. His desire to bring Order to all things would prove to be what felled the great Lord. The Gods were a seed of chaos in a perfect world, and Ultima's sweet words coaxed his support.

The fifth would come to be known as Famfrit, the Darkening Cloud. Famfrit was gifted with a clouded and revolting form, a form so revolting that even his creators deemed him an abomination. Famfrit was given control over the waters of the world so that he would be away from Underworld for long periods of time. Famfrit hated the Gods for branding him with his ugly flesh, and went to war with them readily. Ultima crafted him a set of armor inlaid with wards to protect him from the Gods, but in reality it hid his flesh from her eyes.

The sixth would come to be known as Adrammelech, the Worth. He was Emperor among the Scions of Darkness. His power was limitless, and he could reduce anything to dust with the blows of his fists. The Gods tasked him to quell the fiends and dark spirits of the Underworld. His power and fearsome visage, however, drew these fiends to him and bound them to his will. With his army of fiends, Adrammelech joined Ultima's revolution against the Gods.

The seventh would be called Cúchulainn, the Impure King. He was a Scion of Darkness created to rid both of the worlds of their impurities by swallowing them all himself. The Gods, however, vastly underestimated the impurities of Man. Cúchulainn would become corrupt and mad with their evil, and flocked to Ultima's side when she announced her rebellion.

The eighth would come to be known as Chaos, the Walker of the Wheel. He was made by the Gods to guard the sacred crystals from mortal hands. But the moment he entered the Upperworld and breathed deep the air of Man, the nameless god fell. In a single second he was stricken by madness and overwhelmed by the turmoil of life and death. He took the name Chaos and would live and die a hundred times by walking the wheel of Life. Angered that the Gods did not assist him, Chaos rebelled with Ultima.

The ninth would come to be known as Zalera, the Death Seraph. Zalera was created by the Gods to judge the souls of the dead. He, unlike the Gods, felt the full brunt of their forlorn cries and the curses of those who rail against the natural order. Their pain tainted the Death Seraph, and it took a mere whisper from Ultima to begin his revolution. The Scion reached into Heaven and stole a shamaness from her bed to do battle with his creators.

The tenth would come to be known as Zeromus, the Condemner. The Gods created Zeromus to be an infallible executer of criminals, and because of this he holds the law above all else. Over time, Zeromus came to enjoy condemning criminals to death rather than simply performing his job. Because of this, he was slowly corrupted by the cries of anguish from the innocents he condemned. When Ultima began her revolution, Zeromus felt it was time to condemn the very Gods themselves.

The final Scion to join Ultima was known as Exodus, the Judge-Sal. He was tasked by the Gods to judge all things, and have the final say in the operation of the Underworld. However, as the Gods before him, Exodus grew disillusioned with the world as it was. Withdrawn, unseen and uncaring, Exodus began to harbor a deep hatred for the world's continual annoyances and interference with his rest. And thus, when Ultima offered him rest, he offered her allegiance.

And thus, the eleven Scions of Darkness, led by the High Seraph, began their revolution against the Gods. The eleven remaining Scions, the Scions of Light, proved incapable of halting the advance of their Underworld brethren. Ultima ordered each and every Scion of Light to be slain, and his body brutalized so they could be presented as a warning to the Gods. And it was this act of unrestrained malice that forever corrupted Ultima. No longer was she the High Seraph. She had become the Bloody Seraph.

Angered and repulsed by this brutality, the Gods offered Ultima one chance to lay down her arms and surrender to the judgement of her creators. The Bloody Seraph responded with the dismembered and disfigured body of Emet-Selch, the Angel of Truth and a Scion of Light. The Gods, stricken by the ease of which Ultima murdered her brethren, withdrew to the great Citadel, Giruvegan, and the Tower of Babil that held up the Upperworld. Ultima and the army of fiends provided by Adrammelech marched upon the Tower with full intent of becoming new Gods.

Before her army could begin their attack, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the entire Underworld. In a single burst, the entire army of fiends vanished amid the light and became dust under it's brilliance. Adrammelech was the first to fall, broken by the loss of his worshipers and his loyal subjects. The light slowly died away, to reveal a snake-child in it's place.

Each of the fallen Scions battled this snake-child. At first, Famfrit and Cúchulainn attacked it alone. The Darkening Cloud fell quietly, his armor broken and his unsightly form exposed to the sky. The Impure King burned by the simple radiance of the snake-child, and fled to the Upperworld in stark fear. There would be no victory alone, and the Scions realized this. Thus did they attack together, in hopes of bringing down the snake-child as quickly as possible. Ultima, however, fled into the Tower of Babil in hopes of becoming a God before the snake-child caught her..

One by one, the Scions were broken. And the snake-child hunted down the few that fled. It found the Impure King hiding beneath the waste and garbage he absorbed into his flesh. It found the Whisperer hidden among the lies and deceit of mankind. And finally, it found the Corrupt hidden among the tainted waters and in the minds of mortals. There did it banish them, and contain the broken essence of all the Scions.

Ultima stood before the Seat of the Gods when the snake-child appeared before her. He whispered the quiet results of her companions, and presented her with twelve stones bearing the twelve marks of the Zodiac. Each of her companions were broken and captured, and the twelfth stone existed solely for her. Ultima railed against her condemnation, and demanded the creature's name. He was Zodiark, the Keeper of Precepts. The final judge in all things, in all worlds, in all life, and in all death. The true face of the Gods.

The Gods, however, learned from the Rebellion and the death of their Scions. They collapsed the great Tower of Babil while both Ultima and Zodiark were still inside. They turned the tower's stones to Crystal, and shaped it's center with the mark of the Thirteenth Zodiac. But not before extracting the other twelve stones. The Gods feared Zodiark's power, and they contained him within the Tower. This tower became Serpentarius, and the Twelve became the Zodiac Stones..

Zodiac Stone
You grasp a small, perfectly round crystal shaped like an orb. The orb is simple and completely flawless. Upon gazing into the stone, you can see a faint and familiar symbol resting in it's center..

Each Zodiac Stone appears to be a small, perfectly round crystal about the size of a human fist. There are thirteen Zodiac Stones in total, each of which can be used in conjuction with any other stone. Each stone is attuned to a single zodiac constellation and bears the symbol of it's constellation etched in it's center. A DC 15 Profession(Astrology) check is required to decipher the symbol for each stone. Once a Zodiac Stone enters the possession of an intelligent creature, the creature feels a minor boost to it's life as it's wounds begin to knit together. The possessor also feels a presence filled with malice around him at all times, which saps his mental reserves and weakens his defense against mental assaults.

In a dire situation where the threat of death is prevalent, the possessor of a Zodiac Stone may, as a full-round action, hold the stone up high and call upon the spirit dwelling within it by it's personal truename. The user of this ability makes another Charisma check(DC 20). Success means that the Stone reacts and the user may make a demand as if using the wish spell. Using the Stone in this manner will not create any items, magical or otherwise. Any other abilities of wish are duplicated as if the user had cast wish spell. Using this ability of the Stone carries a 50% chance of becoming attuned to the stone.

When the possessor of a Zodiac Stone discovers it's true purpose, or if the demon feels that the possessor is adequate, then either the user or the demon may begin negotiations to collaborate their power. Negotiations take a full twenty-four hours, during which the possessor may continue his daily actions as negotiating is done entirely telepathically. During this process, the possessor must remain within one hundred feet of the Stone at all times and cannot sleep at night so that the Stone may speak to the possessor. The demon is in no way restricted to telling the truth, giving the possessor any sort of item, or even keeping his end of the bargain as long as the possessor agrees to the pact. At the end of this twenty-four hour period the possessor must make a level check with his Charisma modifier added as a bonus. Success or failure is determined by the bind DC of each Lucavi. If he succeeds, he attunes to the stone but remains in control. If he fails, then the demon takes over his body and uses it for it's own purposes for the duration of a standard Lucavi transformation. In the event of failure, the possessor's soul is placed within the Zodiac Stone.

A possessor of a Zodiac Stone that she is attuned with constantly feels a powerful malice emanating from the Stone. Holding the Stone, be it with bare hands, gloves, tongs, or holding anything the Stone is stored in provokes a Will Save(DC 15) each round. Failure means the user is overwhelmed by the malicious aura and dazed for 1d4+1 rounds, during which she does not need to make subsequent saves. An attuned possessor may, as a free action, grasp the Stone and speak to the spirit within. The spirit will communicate with the possessor for as long as the possessor wishes, but will always attempt to draw him or her into using the Stone's power. If the attuned uses the Stone's power to transform into a Lucavi or uses it's spell-like abilities, then he's forced to make another Level+Charisma Modifier check. Failure means the attuned loses control to the Lucavi.

Any intelligent being within thirty feet of a Zodiac Stone is subtly manipulated by the Stone's malice. All such creatures must make a DC 15 Will Save once a day. Failure carries the same consequences as a failed Diplomacy check(moving all creatures one step closer to Hostile) as if everyone else within thirty feet of the stone had attempted one. The demon within may choose to suppress this aura as an entirely mental action in the event that it does not want to reveal itself.

A Zodiac Stone is attuned to a being until that being's death. It cannot attune to another being unless it is currently not attuned to any living creature. Losing the Stone causes the attuned to lose the will to live and begin wasting away. Once an attuned being has lost her stone, she must make a DC 15 Fortitude Save every day with a cumulative +1 for every day she has spent without her stone. Failing the save causes the attuned to take 1d6 CON damage. If the attuned is immune to constitution damage, then she takes WIS damage. If the attuned is immune to ability damage, it becomes a cumulative penalty instead.

Abilities of the Zodiac Stone

Reknit the Flesh

All of the Zodiac Stones bestow upon their possessor, attuned or not, the following bonuses and penalties as long as the stone is held or on his person:


Fast Healing 1.
+1 Profane bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls.
+1 Profane bonus to Reflex saves.
+1 Profane bonus to Fortitude saves.
-1 Profane penalty to Will saves.



"I will grant you some of my power.."

An attuned user may call upon the Stone's power and gain the following abilities for a twenty-four hour period:


+10 Profane bonus to damage from weapons or weapon-like spells.
Aura of Malice: As a free action, the possessor of a Zodiac Stone may exude an aura of malice out to fifteen feet. Any creature that isn't a Devil, Demon, or Lucavi that enters the aura must make a Will Save (DC 10+1/2 Character Levels+Cha Modifier). Failure means the creature cannot attack the user. Failure by 10 or more means the creature is overwhelmed by sheer abject terror and is paralyzed for a number of rounds equal to the user's Charisma bonus.
25 temporary HP (renewed every round)
+4 Profane bonus to Fortitude and Reflex saves.
-4 Profane penalty to Will saves.
Immunity to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
+6 Profane bonus to Constitution, Strength, and Dexterity.


Calling upon the Stone's power in this manner causes the user's maximum HP to lower by one-half(rounded down) for a twenty-four hour period. The HP lost in this manner cannot be healed or regained in any way short of direct divine intervention.


Lost Magic

Each Zodiac Stone has a particular spell that an attuned user may use as a Spell-Like Ability 3 times a day unless otherwise noted. The caster level for any caster level based effect is 20. Save DCs are equal to 10+1/2 HD of possessor+Cha. None of these spell-like abilities are subject to non-deific spell-resistance, as they are the remnants of direct divine magic. Using any of these abilities is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity because the user must raise the Zodiac Stone and point it at the target area or creature.

Aries: Fire Storm(Fire is pure divine flame, and fire immunity/resistance does not apply.)
Pisces: Freezing Fog*
Capricorn: Chain Lightning
Gemini: Finger of Death
Sagittarius: Trap the Soul (1/day)
Scorpio: Ghoul Gauntlet*
Libra: Word of Balance
Leo: Dictum
Cancer: Reverse Gravity
Aquarius: Blood to Water* (Penalty instead of damage)
Taurus: Animal Shapes(Bison only)^
Virgo: Heal(If attuned is Good) or Harm(If attuned is Evil)
Serpentarius: Time Stop
*Spell Compendium
^Bison Form
Note: This is added onto the Caster. HP/Base Saves/BAB remain the same.

Size/Type: Colossal Animal
Hit Dice: Caster's HP
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: -8 Size, +4 Natural
Base Attack/Grapple: As Caster/+27
Attack: Gore (BAB+3) melee (4d6+11)
Full Attack: Gore (BAB+3) melee (4d6+11)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks: Powerful Charge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#powerfulCharge) +6d6
Special Qualities: Low-Light Vision, Scent.
Saves: +6/+0/As Caster.
Abilities: Str 32, Dex 10, Con 22

Lucavi Transformation

The user may supplant his body with the demonic form of the Lucavi demon trapped within the Stone. This ability is further describe in the Lucavi entry.

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-01, 04:58 PM
Lucavi Type
A lucavi is a type of creature directly created by an Overdeity god or goddess. It's natural body is not composed of any plane, be it Material or otherwise, but instead is made of pure divine power. Lucavi always have the Extraplanar subtype.

Features
A lucavi has the following features:

12-sided hit dice.
Base attack bonus equal to hit dice.
Good fortitude, reflex, and will saves.
Skill points equal to 4+Int per Hit Die. With quadruple points on the first Hit Die


Traits
A lucavi has the following traits:

Darkvision out to 120 feet.
Unlike normal living creatures, lucavi are not created from any single plane and are representations of pure divine power. When slain, no soul is released from a lucavi. Instead, each lucavi immediately reverts to a form it can survive easily in. Each reverted form is described in the lucavi's entry. No mortal magic may revive a slain lucavi. Only deific magic on par with an Overdeity can revive a lucavi.
As the original creators of battle and war, all lucavi are proficient in the use of any weapon it can normally wield. Lucavi are also proficient in any natural weapons in their entry.
Lucavi are also proficient in all forms of armor. A Lucavi is further proficient in all shields.
Lucavi do not need to eat, breathe, or sleep.
Lucavi are immune to mind-affecting abilities, abilities that alter their physical form, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, or death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to any of its ability scores, as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Tongues(Su): All lucavi can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to lucavi's Hit Dice). This ability is always active.


Lucavi-Possessed Subtype
Traits
A lucavi-possessed creature has the following traits:

Lucavi-possessed are proficient in all forms of armor and any shield.
Lucavi-possessed are immune to mind-affecting abilities.
Tongues(Su): All lucavi-possessed can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to lucavi-possessed’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active.
Aura of Hate(Su): All lucavi-possessed are surrounded by a small aura of hate. Any creature within five feet must make a Will Save(DC 10+1/2 HD+Cha) or take a -4 morale penalty to attack rolls, damage rolls, skill checks, and saves.


Lucavi

{table="head"] Name of Lucavi | Zodiac Symbol | Related Element | Color of Zodiac Stone
Belias | Aries | Fire | Light Blue
Mateus | Pisces | Ice | Dark Blue
Adrammelech | Capricorn | Electricity | Green
Zalera | Gemini | Death | Purple
Shemhazai | Sagittarius | Soul | Dark Green
Cuchulainn | Scorpio | Poison | Red
Exodus | Libra | Balance | Orange
Hashmalim | Leo | Earth | Yellow
Zeromus | Cancer | Gravity | Pink
Famfrit | Aquarius | Water | Ocean Blue
Chaos | Taurus | Wind | Gold
Ultima | Virgo | Holy | Blue
Zodiark | Serpentarius | Dark | Light Green[/table]

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-01, 04:59 PM
(Reserved incase I need more space)

Stycotl
2008-02-01, 07:12 PM
this is pretty neat. i don't know anythign about final fantasy, so i am not sure as to what it is modeled after, but you did a good job on making a cool set of artifacts with a really comprehensive backstory.

are the lucavi unfinished? i was expecting a template, and it almost looks like the beginning of one, but i am not sure...

other than that, looks very good. aaron out.

magic_unlocked
2008-02-01, 07:30 PM
This... is truly awesome. And you explained how and exactly why the Espers were made in FF XII. Always wondered what the "scions of light" were. I can't see anything wrong and look forward to seeing this thread develop.

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-01, 08:16 PM
this is pretty neat. i don't know anythign about final fantasy, so i am not sure as to what it is modeled after, but you did a good job on making a cool set of artifacts with a really comprehensive backstory.

The Lucavi Type is a species Type all on it's own. It won't have a template.

magic_unlocked
2008-02-01, 08:18 PM
Ah. So yer saying the Lucavi are, essentially, the Espers?

Arakune
2008-02-01, 08:39 PM
Just one word:

Again?

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-01, 09:08 PM
Ah. So yer saying the Lucavi are, essentially, the Espers?

Basically. It helps to have played FFT.


Just one word:

Again?

I did some altercations to the attuning method(Thank you Fax!). And bumping my last thread would have been a serious case of Thread Necromancy.

Stycotl
2008-02-01, 10:03 PM
ah, a race. are there cr stats and stuff? this really is cool, zero. pat-on-the-back-cool.

magic_unlocked
2008-02-01, 10:28 PM
I think the Lucavi are gods. I think. He did mention that they attacked the gods, who then became Overdeities. Unless i got it all mixed up in my head. Perhaps they may just be Divine Rank 1--5 deities? The Wroth was crushed by the loss of his followers. That's god-hood there.....

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-01, 11:01 PM
Perhaps they may just be Divine Rank 1--5 deities? The Wroth was crushed by the loss of his followers. That's god-hood there.

They do have DR 0 because they're basically created from pure divine energy. But they are not gods, do not have domains, and do not grant spells.


ah, a race. are there cr stats and stuff? this really is cool, zero. pat-on-the-back-cool.

There will be, eventually.

magic_unlocked
2008-02-01, 11:11 PM
Ah. I figured the Wroth would have had a DR of 1 or so. He did have millions of fiends worshiping him. But i guess that doesn't matter since Zodiarc nuked them all.

Paragon Badger
2008-02-02, 01:36 AM
Do not argue about the Zodiac Stones being evil or good. They're evil, lets all move on with our lives.

But they brought Rafa back to life!

...Oh...Wait...They ARE evil, then!

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-02, 01:47 AM
They brought Malak back to life. They brought him back to life to suck more.

Paragon Badger
2008-02-02, 02:41 AM
Sorry. Whenever I think of that castle rooftops battle, Rafa stands out in my mind.

Likely because of all the times Elmdor killed her on the first turn. :smallfurious:

(As if Wiegraf wasn't bad enough!)