Rod of the Stricken Heart

Rod of the Stricken Heart

CL 3 Magic Rod • Weak Necromancy

Cost: 4,500 gp

Weight: 4 lbs.

This rod is made dried, thorny vines, with wretched scraps of dried sinew clasped, pierced, and squeezed among the cruel-spiked strands. On close examination, the dried lumps of tissue are hearts, stricken, pierced, dessicated, and stilled. The ends are capped with knurled bosses of gold, engraved with eerie symbols that glow with baleful light.

Wielders of this rod can utter a command word as a standard action to cast a Stricken Heart spell, using up one charge from the rod.

When the wielder growls the guttural command word, the rod jolts in their hand as the ruined hearts all try to give a single stertorous beat. The withered hearts pump forth a black cloud of dire energy, which gusts forth toward the chosen victims. All creatures in a 5x5 space that must be centered within 200 feet of the wielder's can be affected by this deadly energy, as long as there is line of sight and line of effect to the target space. All creatures in the area suffer damage according to the creator level of the rod as shown below, as necrotic (energy, uncommon) damage and are Jostled until the end of the encounter. Creatures are allowed a Fortitude saving throw based on the creator level of the rod as defined below to take half damage and negate the jostled condition.

If a targeted creature has spell resistance, the wielder of the rod must first make a Bailiwick skill check against the target's Maneuver Defense. If they equal or exceed this number, the spell is resolved against the target as normal. If the check fails, the spell is cast from the rod (using up a charge) but has no effect on the target creature.

You can purchase this rod at a higher creator level than the minimum required to cast the spell. Doing so increases the potency of the spell as described above, but also increases the cost, as follows:

Creator Level	Cost	Save DC	Damage Dealt
-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-
3	4,500 gp	16	3d6
4	6,600 gp	17	4d6
5	9,000 gp	18	5d6
6	12,000 gp	19	6d6
7	15,000 gp	19	7d6
8	19,200 gp	20	8d6
9	24,000 gp	20	9d6
10	30,000 gp	21	10d6
11	37,200 gp	22	11d6
12	45,000 gp	23	12d6+12
13	54,600 gp	24	13d6+13
14	67,200 gp	25	14d6+14
15	85,200 gp	27	15d6+15
16	115,800 gp	28	16d6+16
17	156,000 gp	28	17d6+17
18	216,000 gp	29	18d6+18
19	288,000 gp	30	19d6+19
20	384,000 gp	31	20d6+20

Creator Level	Cost	Save DC	Damage Dealt
21	510,000 gp	32	21d6+21
22	684,000 gp	33	22d6+22
23	906,000 gp	34	23d6+23
24	1,200,000 gp	35	24d6+48
25	1,560,000 gp	36	25d6+50
26	2,100,000 gp	37	26d6+52
27	2,760,000 gp	38	27d6+54
28	3,720,000 gp	39	28d6+56
29	4,920,000 gp	41	29d6+58
30	6,540,000 gp	42	30d6+60
31	8,640,000 gp	44	31d6+62
32	11,340,000 gp	45	32d6+64
33	15,000,000 gp	46	33d6+66
34	19,860,000 gp	47	34d6+68
35	26,460,000 gp	48	35d6+70

This magic item does not require an attunement period, and grants its benefits immediately upon being worn or wielded.

Creation: Creator (Feat), Bailiwick Check (DC 16 (10 + double CL)), Languid (tier 1) remnant, An item symbolic of the enchantment, 2,250 gp (minus cost of symbolic item).