Improved Limners Rod
Improved Limner's Rod
- Cost: 4,500 gp
- Weight: 4 lbs.
This rod is a translucent crystal prism that seems to gather light into itself, reflecting a rainbow hue of colors along its edges as it does so. Close observation reveals eddies and swirls in these colors, and even the hints of shapes and movement, as figments of reality are spun from it in a chaotic and dazzling display, yet confined to within a tiny nimbus around the rod itself, no more than an inch from its surface.
Wielders of this rod can utter a command word as a standard action to cast a Minor Image spell, using up one charge from the rod.
The wielder may expend a move action to move the image within the confines of its maximum space, in order to make the image appear to move naturally, or even react to any nearby creatures, if they wish. This may also include adjusting the sounds created by the illusion, though the wielder still cannot cause the illusion to speak intelligibly (or even haltingly). Charades and pantomiming are also impossible, as the illusion simply cannot react realistically enough to convey meaning usefully (beyond the truly obvious social clues like "this thing might bite me"). Of course, you can always create an illusion of a sign with writing on it, you just can't have the sign speak out its message to viewers.
Nothing created by the rod's effect can be used for cover or concealment of any sort. The illusion cannot be terrain, such as a hill or wall. It cannot make a filled room appear empty, nor can it be used to create the image of massed piles of smaller objects. It can only create the illusion of a single object, such as a monster, a treasure chest, a fountain, or even a window. If used to create the image of a window (or some similar image), it only looks out onto an illusion — it does not create a transparent effect that allows a viewer to see what is actually beyond the illusion.
Interacting with the illusion directly allows a saving throw based on the creator level of the rod to notice that the illusion isn't real, but only if using a non-visual, or non-standard auditory sense. Note that Darkvision and Low-Light Vision are also not able to penetrate the illusion, since they are just improved versions of normal vision, seeing in the normal spectrums of light and darkness. Anyone noticing the lack of smell, taste, texture, or changes to temperature (if a real version of the illusion would normally produce such things), or anyone using a non-standard auditory sense (such as Echolocation) can make a saving throw to disbelieve the illusion. Those who succeed on the saving throw can perceive the reality of their surroundings as well as the illusion, but they know the illusion for the fake that it is. Those who fail are duped into believing the illusion is real.
In addition, the rod's wielder can construct the illusion such that the magic used to weave its fabric can 'ground out' through anyone who interacts with it without realizing it is an illusion. The conditions for this grounding must be described in some detail, and when these conditions are met, then all creatures, friend or foe, who are within 10 feet of the illusion's maximum affected area suffer an amount of fictive (energy, uncommon) damage based on the creator level of the rod, as the magic inflicts Unreality upon them. Once discharged, the illusion is dispelled.
Examples of triggers for this effect include attempting to pick the lock on an illusory chest, or attacking an illusory monster, or even when the illusion is successfully disbelieved by a nearby creature (in such a case, any disbelieving creatures would be immune to the discharging effect, but any other creatures within range would be affected). The GM adjudicates all uses of this spell, and should have an eye toward rewarding clever play while remaining fair.
This rod's spell effect lays an arcane charge on the wielder while the illusion remains in effect. If the wielder already has an arcane charge present, they must choose which effect they wish to maintain. Only one arcane charge can ever be present on a target at a time.
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).