Items from Return to White Plume Mountain

The following are items from the great adventure, Return to White Plume Mountain.

Amulet of Repudiation

Among the items of potent wizardry that the original Keraptis crafted during his stay in the volcano were eight amulets of repudiation, which draw their energy from the Negative Material Plane. Living creatures gain no benefit from these, but an undead being who wears one becomes completely impervious to turning. In addition, an undead wearer connected with the Negative Material Plane can absorb the constant energy "leakage" from the amulet over time, gaining additional Hit Dice and other special enhancements at the DM's discretion.

Caster Level: 13th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animal growth, enervation, limited wish, teleport; Market Price: 14,000; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.

Blackrazor

This +3 greatsword resembles a piece of the night sky studded with strange stars, and carved obsidian stone decorate its sheath. In reality, Blackrazor is an entity of shaped negative energy that revels in absorbing life energy from those it kills. On any killing blow, Blackrazor sucks out and devours the soul of the victim. This action temporarily adds the dead foe's total levels or HD to the wielders as positive levels. The wielder also gains the hit points the victim possessed when fully healthy. All subsequent damage is applied to these "stolen" hit points first. Victims who have lost their souls to Blackrazor cannot be raised.

Blackrazor is the epitome of an evil weapon, existing solely to feed on power and souls, and no good-aligned party can retain that distinction for long with this weapon in its midst. For every three days the sword remains "unfed," its ability scores increase one point. When it becomes capable of controlling its wielder, it compels them to slay the nearest living creature-preferably a friend or relative, a successful Will save (DC 15) to avoid. After feeding on the slain creature's life force, the swords ability scores return to normal.

The sword does have one drawback, which it never communicates to any wielder. Should it touch a creature tied to the Negative Material Plane (such as undead being of any type), it transfers one energy level (with corresponding hit points) to the creature attacked. Each and every successful blow sucks yet another level from the sword's wielder, and the sword devours its wielder's soul should their negative levels exceed their current levels or HD. A character who loses levels in this manner can regain them only through normal adventuring, by an atonement spell followed by a greater restoration spell, or by using Blackrazor to steal twice as many levels from other living creatures as they lost.

Caster Level: 20th (artifact); AL: NE, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 13; Ego 26; Communication: Telepathy; +3 bonus; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.

Deck of Destinies

A bound demon created this magical deck of vellum cards for Keraptis in return for its freedom. Suspicious of fiendish gifts, even when he himself has commissioned them, Keraptis filed the deck away for later research.

Anyone drawing a card from this deck becomes the recipient of its magic, for better or worse. No form of divination allows knowledge of any card's nature prior to a draw. The designs fade away upon expending their magic; thus no card can be used twice.

The DM may, if desired, use the face cards and aces from a standard deck of playing cards to simulate the deck of destinies cards according to the descriptions below. The Deck of Destinies cards have the following individual effects:

  • Black Sword (King of Diamonds): Character gains one level.

    • Crow (Queen of Spades): Characters grows a pair of black, feathered, wings that bestow the benefits of a _cloak of flying_. The wings are permanent additions to the characters body.

      • Djinni (Jack of Spades): Character gains one _wish_ as the spell, which must be used within 24 hours.

        • Druid (Ace of Diamonds): Character gains the enmity of nature. At least once every two months, a natural disaster (DM's choice) affects the character and everything within a 10-mile radius of them.

          • Gauntlet (Jack of Diamonds): Character's off-hand and forearm grow a layer of slimy fungus, which returns in 1d12 hours if removed. The character's touch upon the earth or any other fertile surface causes a 1ft.-diameter ring of mushrooms to form within ten minutes.

            • Giant Crab (Jack of Clubs): Character permanently grows 60% larger. The giant character gains an additional +5 Constitution and +5 Strength, but loses 3 points of Dexterity. Lost Dexterity returns at a rate of 1 point per month as the character adjust to the new size. Items do not grow to match the character's new size, however.

              • Hammer (King of Clubs): Character inflicts 5 points of damage over and above normal with an unarmed attack.

                • Hand of Youth (Ace of Hearts): Characters lifespan increases by 1d10x100 years.

                  • Ice Sword (King of Hearts): Character can cast _chill touch_ as a 12th level sorcerer once per day.

                    • Magma (Ace of Clubs): Character sinks into the earth over the course of 4 rounds. The tunnel so created closes up 10 rounds after the descent begins, expelling any other being within it to the surface and inflicting 1d6 points of heat damage in the process. The user reaches magma at the beginning of the 5th round unless a _dispel magic_ (DC 20) or similar magic is used to negate the effect before that time. (Rate of descent and distance traveled vary with the depth of the magma.) Immersion in magma inflicts 20d6 points of heat damage per round and negates the victim's ability to breathe.

                      • Ogre (Queen of Hearts): Characters Strength increases by +4, but Intelligence drops by 6 (to a minimum of 5).

                        • Sea (Jack of Hearts): Character gains the enmity of the sea. Every time a character journeys on a large body of water, roll for twice as many encounters.

                          • Skull (Queen of Diamonds): Character's forehead visibly swells as his/ her Intelligence increases by 5 points.

                            • Trident (King of Spades): Character gains the at-will abilities to breathe water, swim at a Speed of 45, and use _charm monster_ on all natural marine creatures as a 12th-level sorcerer.

                              • Vampire (Queen of Clubs): Character loses two levels as if drained by a vampire's touch.

                                • Withered Hand (Ace of Spades): Character ages to a point only minutes away from a natural death and must make a successful Fort save (DC 15) each day to avoid dying of old age until anti-aging magic can be applied.

                                Caster Level: 20th (artifact); Weight: 0.5 lb.; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.

                                Frostrazor

                                This archetypal +3 greatsword is completely composed of enchanted ice, but causes no discomfort to anyone who grasps the hilt. Though the weapon constantly steams and drips, a magical recondensation process ensures that it never permanently loses any of its substance. On a successful critical hit with Frostrazor, a 6in. ice shard breaks off in the wound, draining life in some form from the victim and transferring it to the wielder. Undead and non-living foes are immune to such draining.

                                The following table lists specific effects for the various shards.

                                1d4 RollShard Effect
                                1
                                2
                                3
                                4

                                This effect allows the wielder to exceed normal hit points, Strength, and level. All stolen benefits fade after thirty minutes, including excess hit points not lost in combat. Victims who survive an encounter with Frostrazor regain drained hit points and Strength points at 1 per every ten rounds; level loss, however, is permanent.

                                A victim who makes a successful Fort save (DC 12) can remove one shard, thus halting the draining effect. Upon removal (or after ten rounds of draining), the shard melts-even in freezing conditions-and its substance magically returns to the sword, restoring the blade to perfect condition. Nothing can stop this reacquisition process; a wish merely delays the process for 1d10 rounds. In exceedingly rare instances (1% chance), a shard fails to melt. Such lingering shards are 99% useable, but 1% of them function as daggers +2. The potent weapon known as Icerazor was created in just this way.

                                In addition to all this, any killing stroke with Frostrazor (including death caused by an embedded shard) instantly freezes the opponent solid. Any touch is likely to shatter the frozen victim (Fort save DC 15), a solid hit may split the body into so much debris (Fort save DC 20), negating any possibility of the victim being helped by a raise dead spell.

                                Unlike the other three enchanted weapons that once belonged to Keraptis, Frostrazor is not sentient and does not communicate with its wielder. If it does possess Intelligence and a special purpose, it successfully harbors that secret.

                                Caster Level: 20th (artifact); Weight: 15lb.; +3 bonus; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.

                                Spore Repellent

                                This mixture renders the imbiber immune to spore infection-including indirect infection from phycomids, fungus hulks, mold wyrms, and even Mossmutter's spore cough-for one month. It does not grant immunity to direct hit point damage from spore contact. The bottle contains enough elixir for one creature.

                                Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Brew Potion, heal, neutralize poison; Market Price: 2,000; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.

                                Wave

                                This +3 trident acts as a trident of fish command, a trident of warning, and a cube of force with nine charges per 24-hour period. On a successful critical hit with Wave, the target must make a successful Fort save (DC 16) or be dehydrated, removing half of the victims remaining hit points. Wave also confers water breathing as the spell once per day and bestows five ranks in the Swim skill as well as swimming speed of 30ft.

                                Wave was once had the special purpose to spread the worship of a particular sea god-but in light of all that's befallen it, the weapon is now intent only on staying out of the hands of Keraptis or anyone who claims to be Keraptis. Should its wielder ever speak highly of Keraptis, Wave will attempt to convince its owner to change ownership.

                                Caster Level: 20th (artifact); AL: NE, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18; Ego 26; Communication: Telepathy; Weight: 5lb.; +3 bonus; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.

                                Whelm

                                This +3 hammer acts as a bane weapon against giants and monstrous humanoids, except that if the wielder fails to slay such a creature at least once per month, they must make a successful Will save (DC 16) or be forced to hunt one down-even if that would involve a journey of several days. On a successful critical hit with Whelm, any large-size or smaller target must make a successful Fort save (DC 16) or be affected by a disintegrate spell.

                                Up to three times per day, Whelm can teleport back to its wielder's hand (150ft. maximum) after being thrown. By striking its haft upon the ground, the wielder can generate a shockwave that forces up to 7HD of enemies up to 60ft. away to make a successful Fort save (DC 13) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. (The wielder and his allies are immune to this effect.) In addition, Whelm automatically detects the existence of any gold, gems, or monstrous humanoids within a 60ft. radius, though it cannot pinpoint their precise locations.

                                The hammer has one drawback: It afflicts its wielder with agoraphobia (fear of wide, open places) within one day of its first use. Agoraphobics suffer -2 to all actions in outdoor settings. For each consecutive 24-hour period during which the user fails to spend at least eight hours inside or underground, this penalty increases by -1 cumulatively, to a maximum of -5. This condition persists until the wielder disposes of the weapon permanently-an action Whelm vigorously opposes if reasonably satisfied with the relationship.

                                Caster Level: 20th (artifact); AL: CN, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 16; Ego 26; Communication: Telepathy; Weight: 8lb.; +3 bonus; Reference: Return to White Plume Mountain.