Maddening May: Quicksilver Amulet

Quicksilver Amulet

Aura weak transmutation; CL 9th
Slot neck; Price 49,000 gp; Weight 0.5 lbs.

aaw website - AAW_Blog_Quicksilver_AmuletDESCRIPTION
Suspended from a simple knotted sinew cord, this intricate amulet has been crafted from a combination of gold, copper, and electrum. Each face of the palm-sized talisman is opened and securely sealed behind a lens of clear quartz crystal that exposes a strange stone-like object (a petrified karz slug gland) floating in quicksilver. The bottom of the amulet is a clear crystal beaker, and the front is adorned with three spherical gemstones: one sapphire, one ruby and one emerald. The reverse boasts three small holes that appear to have needles tucked securely within.


ACTIVATION

To activate the amulet, the wearer must wear it beneath armor and clothing, allowing the flat back of the amulet to rest against their bare chest, and then depress the three embedded gemstones which function as tiny buttons.
Upon activation three small needle points project from the back of the amulet and into the wearer. The quicksilver is sucked out of the amulet and is injected into the wearer’s body. This causes the amulet to be physically attached to the body, and triggers a random (or several random) arcane effects. While the arcane effects triggered by the amulet are active, tendrils of silvery metallic veins protrude from the amulet and extend across the wearer’s chest, up the neck, and around the sides and back of the cranium—expanding and contracting in rhythm with their heartbeat.  
This physical attachment of the amulet to the user lasts for the duration of the arcane effects triggered by the amulet. Afterwards, the quicksilver creating the silvery veins retracts back into the amulet and the wearer reverts to normal.
Active arcane effects activated by the amulet cannot be dismissed at will, and the only way to stop these triggered effects while their durations persist is to forcibly remove the amulet. If the amulet is forcibly removed while in use, the quicksilver instantaneously retreats back into the amulet and the user must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or suffer 3d4 points of Constitution damage and be stunned for 3d4 rounds. If the saving throw is successful, they instead take 3d6 points of damage and are stunned for 2d4 rounds. In either case, the wearer involuntarily screams out in agony as loudly as possible.
The amulet can be activated 5 times per day. When activating the amulet use the following chart to randomly determine the arcane effects activated:

d100   quicksilver amulet effect
1-5       
resistance (1 minute)
6-10     detect magic (2d4 minutes)
11-15   detect poison (instantaneous)
16-20   endure elements (24 hours)
21-25   protection from [opposing alignment] (2d4 minutes)
26-30   mage armor (2d4 hours)
31-35   obscuring mist (2d4 minutes)
36-40   comprehend languages (2d4 x10 minutes)
41-45   detect secret doors (2d4 minutes)
46-50   detect undead (2d4 minutes)
51-55   enlarge person (2d4 minutes)
56-60   expeditious retreat (2d4 minutes)
61-65   jump (2d4 minutes)
66-70   reduce person (2d4 minutes)
71-75   protection from arrows (2d4 hours)
76-80   resist energy (2d4 hours)
81-85   detect thoughts (2d4 minutes)
86-90   tongues (2d4 x 10 minutes)
91-95   Roll for 2 additional random arcane effect *
96-99   Roll for 3 additional random arcane effect *
100       Roll for 4 additional random arcane effect, and double durations if applicable. *

* Rolls for additional arcane effects do not stack. If this option is rolled as a result of a previous roll, assume whichever option allows the most additional rolls as the new total number of effects to be randomly determined and roll again. When rolling for multiple arcane effects in a single activation of the quicksilver amulet, if the same effect is rolled more than once, roll again for a different power.

 

Adverse Insanity Effects

Image_Portfolio_104_Fantasy Jason Walton 59When activated there are strange sensations as the user is affected by various sorts of madness. After each activation use the following activation sensation chartto determine what the particular sensation (and associated mental effect) is for the activation:

d100    Adverse Insanity Effect
1-10
       A cold rushes through your veins, buzzing in the back of your mind.
A momentary lapse of memory that passes after a few seconds. No negative effects.
11-30   Your body is covered by a warm tingling sensation followed by a sharp chest pain.
Stunned for 1d4 rounds, amnesia for 1 hour (DC 20 Will negates).
31-60     A burning sensation runs through your veins and your ears ring.
Stunned for 2d4 rounds, amnesia for 2d4 hours (DC 20 Will negates).
61-90     Dizziness and debilitating chest pains overwhelm you.
Drop prone, stunned for 2d4 rounds, amnesia for 1d6 hours (DC 20 Will negates).
91-99     Adrenaline floods your body alongside a crippling sense of vertigo.
Drop prone, amnesia for 2d8 hours (DC 20 Will negates), immediate paranoia (DC 17 Will negates) for 1d4 days.
100         The world goes black. You awaken with a migraine that lasts for hours.
Unconscious (helpless) for 3d20 minutes, awaken with permanent amnesia (no saving throw), 1d4 points of Constitution damage.

Note: Multiple mental effects from multiple activations of the quicksilver amulet are stacked for the longest duration.

 

Optional Permanent Augmentation

An additional use (a method of permanent augmentation) for the quicksilver amulet is revealed with a DC 35 Spellcraft check. The quicksilver amulet can become a permanent augmentation to a creature’s physical body with the right preparations!

First, a special oil that induces the karz slug gland contained within the item must be slathered upon the creature’s chest. This oil is created using the slime of a karz slug that has been fermented for 2 weeks (DC 20 Spellcraft check). Once the oil has been applied to a user, the quicksilver amulet has to be activated upon their chest while permanency is simultaneously cast upon it.

Finally, as the amulet is activated and the permanency spell is cast the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 5 + spell level of the effect rolled upon amulet activation). If the creature the quicksilver amulet is being augmented to fails this saving throw their Constitution is reduced to 1 and they are afflicted with a permanent phobia of quicksilver (no saving throw). Upon a failed attempt to permanently augment the quicksilver amulet to a creature, it shatters and the karz slug gland within withers to fine dust before blowing away on the wind.
If the creature succeeds the Fortitude saving throw, the quicksilver amulet shatters and the petrified karz slug gland contained within it burrows deep into the chest cavity of the creature, becoming a functioning, non-magical organ. The pulsating silvery veins become a permanent attribute of the creature, and whatever arcane effects were rolled during the activation in the augmentation process become the options for a permanent supernatural ability called “Shroudtouched” that can be used 5 times per day.

The quicksilver amulet is destroyed as a magic item by the attempt of permanent augmentation regardless of failure or success. Crafting a quicksilver amulet requires no less than 3 weeks of time and a DC 25 Spellcraft check.

HISTORY
The quicksilver amulet was first created by the alchemist known as Vyn Durgrugan, the Slug Hunter of Dar’Spelun Slugmarsh. He crafted it while investigating the strange abilities of the karz slugs that inhabit the caverns near the Shroudstone, caused by their consumption of the flora and fauna surrounding the mysterious locale. He was never satisfied with its functionality as the quicksilver amulet also inherited the adverse effects that are common maladies where the veil between sanity and insanity is faint. The instructions for its creation can also be found in Vyn’s alchemical formula journal.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, 0.5 lb refined quicksilver (2,500 gold worth), karz slug gland, precious metals (gold, copper, and electrum), binding, polymorphCost 24,500 gp

DESTRUCTION
The quicksilver amulet has a built-in self destruction contingency. Casting the permanency spell upon it shatters the amulet, and reduces the karz slug gland within to dust.

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