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RMS Oceanic
2008-03-30, 10:19 AM
The source of great power for the Demon Dragon Shendu, these twelve talismans each have a picture of an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. To use them requires a standard action unless otherwise stated. To dismiss any ability currently being used is a free action. Each talisman can be incorporated onto a piece of clothing or armour, like augment crystals, or held freely in one hand.

Caster Level: 20th

Rabbit
All movement speeds of the wearer increase by a factor of five. Any skill check requiring a full-round action now requires a standard action, and any standard action requires a move action. The wearer acts as though Haste has been cast upon him. The increased land speed from Haste does not stack with the talisman's improvement.
School: Transmutation

Dragon
Can only be used while being held in a hand. Allows the wearer to cast Fireball as a spell-like ability every 1d4 rounds. (DC 22 reflex for half)
School: Evocation

Snake
At will, the wearer can cast Greater Invisibility on themselves, but nobody else.
School: Illusion

Horse
Acts like a Ring of Regeneration. Also grants immunity to curses, poisons and diseases. Once per hour, user can cast Cure Critical Wounds, Remove Curse or Remove Disease with a range of touch. Once per day, user can cast Heal or Restoration with a range of touch.
School: Conjuration [Healing] & Abjuration

Ram
Allows the wearer to cast Astral Projection as a spell-like ability at will, but only on himself.
School: Necromancy

Monkey
The user can cast Polymorph on any target, themselves included, with the following exceptions: The spell is a ranged touch attack with a range of close; and the target can only be polymorphed into any animal. Otherwise the spell functions as Polymorph normally does.
School: Transmutation [Polymorph]

Rooster
The wearer is under a constant Feather Fall effect. In addition, the wearer gains a fly speed of 40 ft (perfect), which is affected if the wearer also has the Rabbit talisman.
School: Transmutation

Dog
Perhaps the most prized talisman, the dog talisman secures your tether on the mortal coil. First of all, any damage that would place you on negative 10 or less puts you on negative 9, and you automatically stabilize. Secondly, you are immune to all death/negative energy effects. Finally, any penalties to ability scores due to age are removed, while bonuses still acrue. If the talisman is removed from your possession, and you are past your natural lifespan, you must retrieve it within 1d10 rounds or you will die of old age.
School: Transmutation

Pig
This talisman allows you to shoot firey rays not unlike Scorching Ray, except only two rays are fired and they come from your eyes.
School: Evocation

Rat
By inserting the Rat talisman onto an inanimate object, it gains the benefits of an Animate Objects spell which lasts until it's removed.
School: Transmutation

Ox
The Ox is all about strength. The strength score of the wearer of the talisman is tripled. This only applies to the base score, plus any inherant bonus to strength. All other bonuses are applied after the trippling.
School: Transmutation

Tiger
Designed for spiritual balance, wielding the tiger Talisman makes the wearer immune to all magical alignment changes, such as a Helm of Alignment Change or the compulsions of the lycanthropic curse. However, if the talisman is broken in two (Break DC 30, Hardness 15, 30 Hit points), the user will split in two. These two copies will have exactly the same abilities, except one is Lawful Good and the other is Chaotic Evil. If the wearer had levels in a class that had alignment restrictions, only the duplicate who still retains that alignment quality keeps using the powers. E.g. if a Cleric of Nerull split into two, the Chaotic Evil duplicate would retain his spellcasting abilities, but the Lawful Good duplicate would not, while if a Druid split into two, neither would retain their abilities, since they are no longer neutral. If one duplicate is killed, the other dies as well. By casting a Repair Construct spell on the Talisman and rejoining them, the two duplicates will turn back into the original, with its original alignment. The wearer will not require an attonement spell to regain class features lost due to their alignment change.
Schools: Abjuration, Enchantment

Copacetic
2008-03-30, 10:28 AM
Pretty good. I no nothng about balance but the flavor seems nice.

The Glyphstone
2008-03-30, 10:28 AM
MAGIC MUST DEFEAT MAGIC!

But wouldn't Mending or Make Whole be more appropriate to repair the Tiger than a Repair Construct spell, since the talisman is a magic item and not an actual construct?

Destro_Yersul
2008-03-30, 12:11 PM
One MORE thing: I agree with Glyphstone here. Use either mending or make whole for the tiger.

DementedFellow
2008-03-30, 12:29 PM
I really like it. In the show they gave the bad guys some of the talismans too.

Come to think of it, it is not a bad hook for a plot. I approve.

Jayngfet
2008-03-30, 12:40 PM
I really like it. In the show they gave the bad guys some of the talismans too.

Come to think of it, it is not a bad hook for a plot. I approve.

bad day, BAD DAY BAD DAY BAD DAY BAD DAY!


though I also approve

GoC
2008-03-30, 04:19 PM
Yeah, they look cool.

SurlySeraph
2008-03-30, 04:49 PM
For the Pig Talisman, say that it lets the bearer cast Scorching Ray as a spell-like ability at will at caster level 7 (2 rays for 4d6 damage each). Also, it would be best to declare all of these minor artifacts. Otherwise, I can't think of any changes to make. Nice work.

SilentNight
2008-03-30, 05:34 PM
They look good. Oh, ONE MORE THING, the dragon talisman should be a lightning bolt that deals fire damage rather than a fireball.

Triaxx
2008-03-30, 08:53 PM
Perhaps a spell-shaped fireball (into a line), or a conversion of the 2E Aganazzer's Scorcher would work better.

Admiral Squish
2008-03-30, 09:14 PM
These open lots of wonderfully overpowered options. I have a character with 40 str, for example. I dont even think my character sheet program even the modifications appropriate for the kind of strength that would be with the ox on. It only lets you plug in numbers up to 100, I think. Or a Monk with rabbit!
Oh, that would be beautiful.

On the subject of modifications, I'd say make the dragon talisman ACTUALLY give you a dragon's breath. But make it randomly-chosen for each person. So, one guy gets acid cone, another guy gets fire line, and so forth.

And instead of making the tiger-twins LG and CE, why not NG and NE? Seems slightly more appropriate.

streakster
2008-03-30, 09:17 PM
Yu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao -
The Rooster offered Telekinesis as well, did it not?
The Ox, may, perhaps, need to offer a mere STR bonus.

Rama_Lei
2008-03-30, 09:19 PM
Horse needs Repair and Mending, as Jade uses it to repair a sinking cruise ship....

Atticus Bleak
2008-03-30, 09:24 PM
@ Squish: Their acually based on the items from Jackie Chan Adventures, and the Dragon Talisman on the show faused a bolt of fiery energy to fire from the talisman held in the palm of your hand.

I would think a simple spellcrafted lightning bolt to make a firebolt would work. other than that i love this, its really welldone! Huzzah!

Admiral Squish
2008-03-30, 09:59 PM
@ Squish: Their acually based on the items from Jackie Chan Adventures, and the Dragon Talisman on the show faused a bolt of fiery energy to fire from the talisman held in the palm of your hand.

I would think a simple spellcrafted lightning bolt to make a firebolt would work. other than that i love this, its really welldone! Huzzah!

I know that, I was just trying to think of ways to bring a touch of D&D into it.

But yeah, these really are great. I'm rewatching the series now, thanks to you.

Atticus Bleak
2008-03-30, 11:07 PM
Ah, i apologize of Squishy one *bows in apology*

Brickwall
2008-03-30, 11:19 PM
Awesome.

Though, canonically, the thing about the Tiger Talisman was that it could be rejoined simply by the opposite twins touching each of their halves together. That was important sometimes.

kpenguin
2008-03-31, 01:18 AM
Hold on... didn't Uncle specifically say that the "bad Jackie" Tiger twin wasn't evil?

Collin152
2008-03-31, 05:26 PM
Hold on... didn't Uncle specifically say that the "bad Jackie" Tiger twin wasn't evil?

I think so.
I'm pretty sure he was just incredibly chaotic.

Behold_the_Void
2008-03-31, 05:37 PM
Should probably be Chaotic Neutral and Lawful Neutral for the Tiger. Dragon is too weak, I think. Possibly some kind of force effect is in order.

SurlySeraph
2008-03-31, 05:57 PM
I dunno if we can really approximate Yin and Yang with alignments. Jackie was changed into a near-complete pacifist and a near-complete destructive psychopath; but they were different parts of his own nature, not random alignments. Perhaps something splitting the components of the person's alignment would work. For example, a Lawful Good person would split into Lawful Neutral and Neutral Good.

SilentNight
2008-04-01, 09:13 PM
For the talismans I would let the player keep control of the half closer to the original character's alignment.( i.e. the good half for a good character.) The other half should be an NPC under the DM's control. THe DM will guide this half to act as contrary to the the as possible regardless of alignment.

Zeful
2008-04-01, 10:16 PM
Rabbit
All movement speeds of the wearer increase by a factor of five. Any skill check requiring a full-round action now requires a standard action, and any standard action requires a move action. The wearer acts as though Haste has been cast upon him. The increased land speed from Haste does not stack with the talisman's improvement.
School: Transmutation

I agree.


Dragon
Can only be used while being held in a hand. Allows the wearer to cast Fireball as a spell-like ability every 1d4 rounds. (DC 22 reflex for half)
School: Evocation

Disagree, In the T.V. show it was close to At-will, though if you went by the binder recharge, once every five rounds might be appropriate.


Snake
At will, the wearer can cast Greater Invisibility on themselves, but nobody else.
School: Illusion

Agree


Horse
Acts like a Ring of Regeneration. Also grants immunity to curses, poisons and diseases. Once per hour, user can cast Cure Critical Wounds, Remove Curse or Remove Disease with a range of touch. Once per day, user can cast Heal or Restoration with a range of touch.
School: Conjuration [Healing] & Abjuration

And it could heal ships.


Ram
Allows the wearer to cast Astral Projection as a spell-like ability at will, but only on himself.
School: Necromancy

A little weird but it works.


Monkey
The user can cast Polymorph on any target, themselves included, with the following exceptions: The spell is a ranged touch attack with a range of close; and the target can only be polymorphed into any animal. Otherwise the spell functions as Polymorph normally does.
School: Transmutation [Polymorph]

Except it turned a boulder into mice shaped rocks.


Rooster
The wearer is under a constant Feather Fall effect. In addition, the wearer gains a fly speed of 40 ft (perfect), which is affected if the wearer also has the Rabbit talisman.
School: Transmutation

You should add that the particular fly speed has no weight limit because the rooster picked up the pig.


Dog
Perhaps the most prized talisman, the dog talisman secures your tether on the mortal coil. First of all, any damage that would place you on negative 10 or less puts you on negative 9, and you automatically stabilize. Secondly, you are immune to all death/negative energy effects. Finally, any penalties to ability scores due to age are removed, while bonuses still acrue. If the talisman is removed from your possession, and you are past your natural lifespan, you must retrieve it within 1d10 rounds or you will die of old age.
School: Transmutation

Cool but a little odd.


Pig
This talisman allows you to shoot firey rays not unlike Scorching Ray, except only two rays are fired and they come from your eyes.
School: Evocation

Cool.


Rat
By inserting the Rat talisman onto an inanimate object, it gains the benefits of an Animate Objects spell which lasts until it's removed.
School: Transmutation.

And statues gain hit dice and class features equivalent to their models as well as the whole the memory save ageing and death.


Ox
The Ox is all about strength. The strength score of the wearer of the talisman is tripled. This only applies to the base score, plus any inherant bonus to strength. All other bonuses are applied after the trippling.
School: Transmutation

I think that it should be a +10 untyped bonus to Strength.


Tiger
Designed for spiritual balance, wielding the tiger Talisman makes the wearer immune to all magical alignment changes, such as a Helm of Alignment Change or the compulsions of the lycanthropic curse. However, if the talisman is broken in two (Break DC 30, Hardness 15, 30 Hit points), the user will split in two. These two copies will have exactly the same abilities, except one is Lawful Good and the other is Chaotic Evil. If the wearer had levels in a class that had alignment restrictions, only the duplicate who still retains that alignment quality keeps using the powers. E.g. if a Cleric of Nerull split into two, the Chaotic Evil duplicate would retain his spellcasting abilities, but the Lawful Good duplicate would not, while if a Druid split into two, neither would retain their abilities, since they are no longer neutral. If one duplicate is killed, the other dies as well. By casting a Repair Construct spell on the Talisman and rejoining them, the two duplicates will turn back into the original, with its original alignment. The wearer will not require an attonement spell to regain class features lost due to their alignment change.
Schools: Abjuration, Enchantment

The Talisman separated and repaired itself, so those two points aren't really valid.


Also:

If any of the Talismans of Shen' Do are destroyed the magical energies seek out the most exemplary form of the animal represented by the talisman. The animal has free use of the power of the talisman. For the Talisman to be reshaped a duplicate needs to be made and an elaborate ritual costing 1000gp and ten minutes.

Dante & Vergil
2008-04-10, 08:04 PM
Wow, I was just thinking of why anyone hasn't done this D&D the other day. I really do like this!:smallbiggrin: I now subscibe to this. ... Done.
Now there needs to be someone who can make Shendu's bretheren. That would be complete awsomenessisity.:smallcool: