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Tychris1
2013-03-04, 11:04 PM
So, i'm running a campaign split up into 3 parts with the first part's "Arch-Nemesis Boss battle" is a pimped out Rogue Vampire Lord with a knightly order at his disposal, and in a suitably epic fashion his prized possession is an infamous artifact. The crown of the first Vampire Lord; Who went mad with power, took his golden crown and beat to death his entire kingdom before piling their bodies in his throne room and pooling their blood up in order to dunk his crown in it and drink the pool, thus creating Vampires. The problem is I can't find any artifacts that would suit a Vampire Rogue/Assassin and so I come to the playground, hoping someone can either conjure something up or point me in the right direction.

LordErebus12
2013-03-04, 11:07 PM
blood drinking dagger (con draining) or a necklace that protects them from their weakness to light.

Yitzi
2013-03-04, 11:38 PM
The blood drinking dagger seems a good idea. However, as an artifact, let's make it a bit more spectacular:
1. When it drains CON, it heals the wielder just like a vampire's bite attack does.
2. If it drains someone's CON to 0, they rise as a vampire (or spawn if under level 5) under the wielder's control, as if drained by a vampire's bite. Up to 40 HD may be controlled in this way; if the wielder is a vampire, it is separate from those created by the wielder's normal bite attack.
3. If it is used to kill someone through a death effect (such as an assassin's death attack or a CDG), then the victim rises as a vampire that does NOT count toward the HD limit, and the wielder gains 1 permanent hit point per HD of the victim. The victim cannot be resurrected by any mortal magic.

LordErebus12
2013-03-05, 12:24 AM
The blood drinking dagger seems a good idea. However, as an artifact, let's make it a bit more spectacular:
1. When it drains CON, it heals the wielder just like a vampire's bite attack does.
2. If it drains someone's CON to 0, they rise as a vampire (or spawn if under level 5) under the wielder's control, as if drained by a vampire's bite. Up to 40 HD may be controlled in this way; if the wielder is a vampire, it is separate from those created by the wielder's normal bite attack.
3. If it is used to kill someone through a death effect (such as an assassin's death attack or a CDG), then the victim rises as a vampire that does NOT count toward the HD limit, and the wielder gains 1 permanent hit point per HD of the victim. The victim cannot be resurrected by any mortal magic.

Varkul, Fang of the Blood Titan

http://i.imgur.com/FbtuCTk.png

The lore of Vampires goes back untold ages, Legends speak of a Dagger carved from the incisor of the Titan of Blood, Varkulrin. The dagger has long been pasted down through vampiric death cults across the material plane, used to create vampire minions by the thousands in ancient times.

Visually, the dagger appears to be wickedly sharp dagger of an unknown dark grey material, slightly transparent without any shine or luster. Rather dull appearance if not for the shape.

The true magic comes into play when the blade is coated in blood. The blade becomes black as pitch, drawing the blood coating it into the blade's fang shaped hand-guard. The faintest of heartbeats can then be felt within the blade. The more it is fed, the stronger the pulse is. Over the years the blade has drunk thousands of lives worth of blood.

Varkul functions as a +2 Blurstrike (MIC) Keen Dagger with several unique powers.

Xeratos
2013-03-05, 12:43 AM
Reading the original post, I'm not sure if he meant that the crown mentioned was supposed to be the artifact and he wanted a list of powers for it, or if it could be anything. Assuming that it is the crown though, here's some ideas for it:

Blood Satiation. A vampire wearing this item never suffers from debilitating effects of not drinking blood.

Ever Night. The area in a 1 mile radius around the ground is dark, as if it were night. All vampires in the area gain bonuses to hp, damage, and save DCs for their special abilities.

Genesis. Easily and quickly create new vampire minions without the normal time constraints.

Shadow Walk. Instantly move through darkened areas an unlimited number of times. It takes 1 hour for the item to reorient itself as the new center for its Ever Night effect.

Desecrated Aura. All good aligned beings in a 100 ft. radius take penalties as if standing on desecrated ground. Evil aligned beings gain equivalent bonuses.

Obliteration Bolt. Powerful negative energy version of lightning bolt or chain lightning (damage and type depending on what level you want your party to be when they face the vampire lord).

Overmind. Telepathically communicate with all other vampires in the Ever Night area.

Blasphemous Word. Negative energy burst, strengthens vampires who hear it, weakens good aligned beings.

Blood Bond. Drinking the blood of another vampire amplifies abilities of the artifact.

Unholy Presence. Immune to being turned by a good or neutral aligned cleric. Saving throws increased significantly.

Tychris1
2013-03-05, 06:51 AM
Yes, I was looking for special powers to give the crown, but the dagger idea is good aswell, especially the death effect on the dagger.

LordErebus12
2013-03-05, 06:53 AM
Yes, I was looking for special powers to give the crown, but the dagger idea is good aswell, especially the death effect on the dagger.

sorry about that, misread your post. :smallbiggrin: enjoy the dagger anyways

Belial_the_Leveler
2013-03-05, 08:48 AM
Crown of Erebus
Major Artifact, CL 30

This crown of blackened iron has been shaped like a row of fangs resting points-down on the wearer's head. It is much heavier than an object of its size, requiring a strength of 16 to lift and a strength of 26 to wear comfortably. Rumor has it that it was created by the Blood Queen, a mighty vampire sorceress from the Prime Material world of Erebus, that revolves around a dead sun and is ruled by intelligent undead. How it came to be here is anybody's guess - the current wearer doesn't much care beyond the awesome powers the crown confers;

Curse of the Dead Earth: The wearer can employ the spell Cursed Earth as an at-will spell like ability. Use the wearer's charisma modifier to calculate DCs.
Cloak of Nyx: The wearer and any undead he creates (controlled or otherwise) are protected by the spell Protective Penumbra, preventing sunlight from touching them. The effect is constant regardless of distance or location for as long as the crown is worn. The wearer may choose to remove the effect from any undead as a free action at any time, or add it to any willing undead he has not created himself as a standard action.
Bonds of Darkness: All undead beings affected by the Crown's power or within an area cursed by the crown are telepathically connected as if by Telepathic Bond. No mortal magic short of Disjunction can block or sever such bonds and undead beings don't get a say on whether they are connected; the bond is established automatically each time the conditions are met. The crown's wearer may control or stop the flow of information as he sees fit as a free action and is aware of all such communications. He may also employ Greater Scrying once per round as a swift action upon any creatures thus connected or any point in a cursed area.
The Night Eternal: The crown's wearer may cast the spell Polar Midnight as an at-will SLA centered to any point the crown has cursed or upon any undead creature affected by the crown's power, regardless of distance or intervening barriers. The wearer needs to be able to see the target directly or indirectly (such as through Scrying spells) for this effect to be cast.

Destruction: As a major artifact, the Crown of Erebus is not subject to mortal magic like dispel magic and antimagic field and cannot be otherwise harmed or damaged. The only way to permanently get rid of it is for a willing vampire to carry it into a yellow sun.




Here is a major artifact that provides great benefits for the prospective Dark Lord. Curse entire cities and, given time, countries with famine, plague or zombie apocalypse? Check. Allow the undead to walk in broad daylight if they would follow you? Check. Communicate with your minions and watch them over any distance? Check. Blot out the sun and bring forth the chill of the void? Check. And all that without providing boring numerical benefits like most magic items are prone to.

Relevant spells:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/polar-midnight
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/cursed-earth

Tychris1
2013-03-05, 12:30 PM
Wow, that's perfect! It's exactly the kind of artifact i'm looking for, and it even allows for an expansive network of spies (Both willing and unwilling). This'll be alot of fun to work with, thanks alot Belial.

Belial_the_Leveler
2013-03-05, 01:04 PM
No problem. Creating monsters and artifacts is my specialty in homebrew after all.