Fire and Ash: Magic Items of the Volcano
By James Jacobs
Just as the power of the volcano can be harnessed to create powerful and destructive spells, it can be captured or duplicated with potent magic items. These items, with the notable exception of the boots of lavawalking, are universally destructive and devastating. Volcano-worshiping cultists often carry items like those presented here, and many of them can serve as the basis for deadly traps. A bottled eruption balanced on top of a partially opened door can make a thunderous surprise for an intruder. Likewise, a large container of gravel or sand perched above a volcano seed makes a horribly simple and destructive trap, although this kind of trap isn't recommended for those who wish to preserve the surrounding environs.
Boots of Lavawalking: These black and red leather boots are stiff and somewhat uncomfortable to wear. The soles of the boots are made of some sort of strange, red, glasslike substance that is much stronger than steel yet still somewhat flexible. Boots of lavawalking allow the wearer to walk over liquid surfaces such as water. The boots also grant fire resistance 20, which is enough to allow the wearer to ignore damage from contact with lava and therefore allowing the wearer to tread upon molten rock with comfort and ease.
Moderate abjuration; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, resist energy, water walk; Price 57,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Bottled Eruption: A bottled eruption looks like a large bottle made of thick, clouded glass and stoppered with gritty, gray wax. The bottle contains the magically captured sounds of a volcanic eruption. The eruption can be released in one of two ways: by opening the bottle or by smashing the bottle. If the bottle is opened (requiring a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity), the stored sound is emitted as a 60-foot cone of sonic energy that the wielder can aim. If the bottle is smashed (requiring a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity), the stored sound is emitted as a 20-foot burst of sonic energy centered on the wielder. A bottled eruption can be thrown as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10; if it hits a solid surface at any time it must make a Fortitude save (DC 10) as an unattended object (Fortitude save +2 +1/2 caster level) to avoid being destroyed and releasing its eruption.
Although the sound released by a bottled eruption when it is opened or smashed is thunderously loud (DC -40 to hear with a Listen Check; thus, at a range of 400 feet the Listen check to hear the explosion is DC 0), only those in the cone or burst area suffer the full effects. All such creatures must make two successful Fortitude saves (DC 17). If both saving throws are failed, a creature becomes permanently deafened and is both knocked prone and stunned for 1d6 rounds. Creatures that make one of the saving throws are merely deafened for 1 minute and knocked prone. Creatures that make both saving throws are deafened for 1 round.
Once a bottled eruption is opened and the sound within escapes, it becomes a nonmagic item.
Strong evocation; CL 16th; Craft Wondrous Item, greater shout, sculpt sound; Price 4,000 gp; Weight 2 lb.
Lavalash: A lavalash is a +1 flaming burst whip that seems to be made of a thin strand of molten lava. The handle of the whip is made of obsidian and remains cool to the touch. Although the lavalash's base damage deals nonlethal damage as a normal +1 whip, the additional fire damage can hurt creatures normally.
Three times per day you can cause the strand of lava to detach from the handle as you attack with it. This allows you to make a single ranged touch attack against any target within 60 feet. If you hit, the strand of lava wraps around the target and inflicts standard damage. Additionally, the whip can immediately make a free grapple check to wrap around the target; the whip attacks as though you were making the grapple check against the target. If the whip gets a hold, it holds the target immobile and inflicts 2d6 points of fire damage each round it maintains the hold. The strand of lava fades away into nothingness if it ever fails a grapple check, or after 6 rounds pass.
Strong evocation; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, entangle, flame blade, flamestrike; Price 47,000 gp; Cost 23,701 + 301 XP.
Stonemelt Powder: Pouches of stonemelt powder typically come in obsidian containers that hold five applications of the magic dust, although smaller and larger containers are not unheard of. Stonemelt powder is quite heavy and granular, and it is warm to the touch. A single dose of the powder can be spread over a 5-foot-square area; applying the powder is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The user can apply the powder to any square she threatens.
Stonemelt powder is useless unless it is placed upon a stone surface (either worked or natural). One round after the powder is placed, it bonds with the stone and causes it to melt rapidly, but not instantly, into lava. All creatures in the affected area are allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 22) to reach safety before the lava fully forms, provided they also move out of the area. These creatures take 2d6 points of fire damage. For the next 1d3 rounds they take 1d6 points of fire damage per round. A creature that fails its save or cannot flee becomes mired in the lava. Creatures mired in the lava sink until hip- or chest-deep, reducing their speed to 5 feet and giving them -2 penalties on attack rolls and AC. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet. Any creature mired in the lava takes 20d6 points of fire damage per round. This damage continues for an additional 1d3 rounds once the creature is free of the lava, but the damage is halved (10d6 points of fire damage per round).
If a dose of stonemelt powder is cast upon the ceiling of a cavern or tunnel, the resulting lava falls to the floor and spreads out in a pool with a depth of 5 feet. The falling lava and the ensuing cave-in deal 2d6 points of fire and 8d6 points of bludgeoning points of damage to anyone caught directly beneath the area, or half damage to those who succeed at Reflex saves (DC 22). For 1d3 rounds after this, creatures that made their saving throw take 1d6 points of fire damage per round until the lava cools. Creatures that fail this saving throw become mired in the lava as detailed above.
Stonemelt powder can horribly damage stone creatures or objects of Large or smaller size. The creature or object must make a Fortitude save (DC 22) when sprayed with stonemelt powder or take 20d6 points of fire damage per round for 1d3 rounds, starting 1 round after the initial application. A successful Fortitude save halves this damage. Any creature in contact with or struck by the melting object or creature takes 2d6 points of fire damage.
Lava created by stonemelt powder remains until a successful dispel magic restores its substance -- but not necessarily its form. Natural cooling causes the lava to turn to stone at the rate of 5 feet per 10 minutes, starting from the outer edge toward the center.
Strong transmutation; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, flamestrike or wall of fire, transmute rock to mud; Price 9,000 gp per dose; Weight 5 lb. per dose.
Volcano Seed: A volcano seed resembles a lump of polished obsidian the size and shape of a chicken egg. Warm to the touch, it is in fact a destructive magic item as rare as it is potent. A volcano seed is activated by simply burying it under a few inches of gravel, soil, sand, or other earthy substance on the ground. This is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. The user can set a delay for the seed's activation from 1 round to 10 rounds after it is initially buried; after this time limit passes, the item triggers a raise volcano spell. A volcano seed works only once; it is consumed in the process of creating the volcano.
Strong conjuration; CL 17th; Craft Wondrous Item, raise volcano; Price 37,650 gp; Weight 5 lb.
Items of the Brotherhood of the Burning Heart
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows: These soft leather gauntlets sport a large, flat gem on the back of each hand. Ringed by steel, these stones slowly shift color as long as the gauntlets are worn. Whenever the bearer becomes involved in combat, the stones glow brighter, and their colors begin to swirl with intense energy, casting a fiery aura around any weapon in the wearer's hands. The wearer's melee attacks cause extra points of fire damage equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum of +0. This bonus damage also applies to touch attacks. The fire does not deal damage to the wearer or anything the wearer carries.
Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, burning hands; Price 12,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Girdle of Hate: This broad belt is made of hide, hair, and bone, and it is studded with small hooks along its length. The exact source of these materials is ambiguous until someone with a racial or favored enemy buckles it on and speaks a command word, at which point the girdle appears to be constructed from a creature representative of one of the wearer's chosen enemies. If the wearer has more than one racial or favored enemy, the girdle applies its benefits to one enemy of the wearer's choice (chosen when the belt is first donned). The hooks, while useless as weapons, make a fine mounting point for captured scalps, and the cords of hair easily hold other grisly trophies. Any trophies of the appropriate type of racial or favored enemy smoke for a moment when first mounted on the hooks, then become cured and preserved within round.
The belt doubles all bonuses the wearer gains against the chosen racial or favored enemy, such as those possessed by dwarves or granted by the ranger class.
Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, caster must have racial or favored enemy; Price 16,000 gp; Weight 2 lb.