Magic Items: Scroll of Protection from Living Beings

Scroll of Protection from Living Beings

7,500 gp 1,500 xp

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Background

     These scrolls were first devised by Zadok the Enchanter. He found need of protecting his undead minions from living heroes long enough for them to accomplish the small goals needed for his greater plan. Once he discovered that the scrolls had a hidden ability to cause harm to the living he made a change to allow the underlying magic to be learned by others.

Powers

     (Reading time 4) When this scroll is read, a 5-foot radius circle of protection extends from, and moves with, the reader. It protects everyone within it from all physical attacks made by living creatures (humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, dragons, etc.) but not magical spells or other attack forms. If a creature leaves the protected area, it is subject to physical attack. The protection restrains up to 35 Hit Dice/levels of living creatures; excess Hit Dice/levels can pass through the circle. It remains in effect for 10d8 rounds. Some protection scrolls of this nature protect only against certain types of living creatures (one or more) rather than all living creatures, at the DM's option.

Notes

     Living creatures who use one of these scrolls will suffer 35 hit points of damage for reading it, as these are designed for non-living creatures and undead to use. Provided they survive the damage the protection works exactly the same as described above.
     If a player wishes to use this scroll to learn how it was made they can research the underlying protection spell. As the spell is lich magic only a necromancer or lich can learn the spell.

Zadok's Protection from Living Beings

5th level (Abjuration/Necromancy)
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2 rounds per level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None
Reversible: No

     When this spell is cast, it creates a magical barrier around the recipient at a distance of 5 feet. The barrier moves with the recipient and has three major effects:
     First, all attacks made by living creatures against the protected creature suffer -2 penalties to attack rolls; any saving throws caused by such attacks are made with +2 bonuses.
     Second, any attempt to turn (as by a priest's turn undead ability) or to exercise magical control over (as by a control undead spell) the protected creature is blocked by this spell.
     Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by creatures of a living nature if this is cast upon an undead or non-living (such as golems) recipient.
     This protection ends if the protected undead tries to force the barrier against a living creature. To complete this spell, the wizard must trace a 3-foot-diameter circle on the floor (or ground) with powdered bone.
       This spell can be cast upon a living creature but will do 35 points of damage to the creature. If the creature survives, they are protected from other living creatures as above. Other non-living creatures, such as golems, can have this spell cast upon them without any ill effects.
     This spell is a special necromantic lich spell. Any non-lich who casts it will suffer 1d10 points of cold damage as if they had been touched by a lich. Only a lich or necromancy specialist wizard may learn this spell, with DM approval. If this spell is cast on the Demiplane of Dread it will force the caster to make a Ravenloft Powers check (5% chance) due to the very evil nature of the magic.