Telesto
2017-07-09, 07:41 AM
So, I needed some kind of extremely infectious form of insanity for the next campaign I'm writing up, something to corrupt the minds of the fey and generate mass chaos, one of five major, interconnected plotlines in the game. So, this is it.
The Madness Codex
Wondrous Item, artifact (requires attunement)
A compilation of the deranged writings of madmen, The Madness Codex disguises itself as an unassuming journal. Creatures reading it are lured in by their own desires, believing it to be something of great value to them. However the Codex soon reveals itself to be more than it appears, granting boons to the reader beyond the knowledge they believe is contained within. The whole time roots of madness spread through their mind, consuming the reader entirely.
The Codex doesn't stop with the reader, once its vile work is done, whereever they go they spread insanity, a plague carrier of madness.
Any creature that opens the Codex views in its contents something of great desire to them, often it will appear as a Manual or Tome magic item of value to them, or a spellbook or skill book, something of great allure. Regardless of if the creature can read, or what languages it knows, it sees inside the Codex something it is compelled to continue with. If the creature continues to read, the creature becomes attuned to the Codex, deciding to unattune to another object to continue to gain the benefits of the Codex if they are already attuned to three items.
Creatures which glimpse the Codex and try to resist, or don't attune themselves to it must make a DC 18 Charisma save. On a failed save they suffer a random indefinite madness, on a successful save they instead suffer a random short-term madness.
The Madness Codex remains with you only as long as you continue to spread madness in the world. Failing to cause at least one creature to suffer from a long term or indefinite madness within a span of 10 days, or becoming unattuned, causes the codex to disappear, leaving you insane and infected with mindblight.
Random Properties. The codex has the following randomly determined properties:
2 minor beneficial properties
2 minor detrimental properties
Particular Beneficial Property. While attuned to The Madness Codex you gain a minor or major beneficial property, based on what attracted you to the codex, as determined by the DM.
Madness Aura. While attuned to and carrying The Madness Codex all creatures within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected with mindblight. If a creature's saving throw is successful it is immune to your madness aura for the next 24 hours.
Madness. While attuned to The Madness Codex you suffer from a different random indefinite madness each day, rolling every 24 hours for a new random indefinite madness which replaces the old one.
Gift of Madness. Whileyou are attuned to the codex and holding it you may, as an action, afflict one creature with insanity. Select a creature within 30 feet which you can see. That creature must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or become insane for 1d4 rounds and a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected with mindblight. If both saving throws are successful the creature is immune to your Gift of Madness for the next 24 hours.
Disease: Mindblight. A creature that comes within five feet of another creature with mindblight must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected.
It takes 1d4 days for mindblight symptoms to manifest in an infected creature. The creature gets a single random short term madness for 24 hours and, at the end of this time, must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, a successful save cures the madness, but the creature suffers three levels of exhaustion. A failure causes the creature to gain a single random long term insanity which lasts for 24 hours, after which time it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, a successful save cures the madness, but the creature suffers five levels of exhaustion. On a failure the creature suffers a single indefinite madness.
Curing mindblight requires the insanity to be cured, followed by a remove disease spell.
Condition: Insane. An insane creature can't take actions, can't understand what other creatures say, can't read, and speaks only in gibberish. The DM controls its movement, which is erratic.
The Madness Codex
Wondrous Item, artifact (requires attunement)
A compilation of the deranged writings of madmen, The Madness Codex disguises itself as an unassuming journal. Creatures reading it are lured in by their own desires, believing it to be something of great value to them. However the Codex soon reveals itself to be more than it appears, granting boons to the reader beyond the knowledge they believe is contained within. The whole time roots of madness spread through their mind, consuming the reader entirely.
The Codex doesn't stop with the reader, once its vile work is done, whereever they go they spread insanity, a plague carrier of madness.
Any creature that opens the Codex views in its contents something of great desire to them, often it will appear as a Manual or Tome magic item of value to them, or a spellbook or skill book, something of great allure. Regardless of if the creature can read, or what languages it knows, it sees inside the Codex something it is compelled to continue with. If the creature continues to read, the creature becomes attuned to the Codex, deciding to unattune to another object to continue to gain the benefits of the Codex if they are already attuned to three items.
Creatures which glimpse the Codex and try to resist, or don't attune themselves to it must make a DC 18 Charisma save. On a failed save they suffer a random indefinite madness, on a successful save they instead suffer a random short-term madness.
The Madness Codex remains with you only as long as you continue to spread madness in the world. Failing to cause at least one creature to suffer from a long term or indefinite madness within a span of 10 days, or becoming unattuned, causes the codex to disappear, leaving you insane and infected with mindblight.
Random Properties. The codex has the following randomly determined properties:
2 minor beneficial properties
2 minor detrimental properties
Particular Beneficial Property. While attuned to The Madness Codex you gain a minor or major beneficial property, based on what attracted you to the codex, as determined by the DM.
Madness Aura. While attuned to and carrying The Madness Codex all creatures within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected with mindblight. If a creature's saving throw is successful it is immune to your madness aura for the next 24 hours.
Madness. While attuned to The Madness Codex you suffer from a different random indefinite madness each day, rolling every 24 hours for a new random indefinite madness which replaces the old one.
Gift of Madness. Whileyou are attuned to the codex and holding it you may, as an action, afflict one creature with insanity. Select a creature within 30 feet which you can see. That creature must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or become insane for 1d4 rounds and a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected with mindblight. If both saving throws are successful the creature is immune to your Gift of Madness for the next 24 hours.
Disease: Mindblight. A creature that comes within five feet of another creature with mindblight must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become infected.
It takes 1d4 days for mindblight symptoms to manifest in an infected creature. The creature gets a single random short term madness for 24 hours and, at the end of this time, must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, a successful save cures the madness, but the creature suffers three levels of exhaustion. A failure causes the creature to gain a single random long term insanity which lasts for 24 hours, after which time it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, a successful save cures the madness, but the creature suffers five levels of exhaustion. On a failure the creature suffers a single indefinite madness.
Curing mindblight requires the insanity to be cured, followed by a remove disease spell.
Condition: Insane. An insane creature can't take actions, can't understand what other creatures say, can't read, and speaks only in gibberish. The DM controls its movement, which is erratic.