Dagger of Memory Snatching

Aura strong enchantment; CL 19th; Slot none; Price —; Weight 0.3 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

This minor artifact is a dagger that has been carved out of a single large emerald and magically enhanced to the strength of adamantine. It functions in combat as a +3 dagger. If it is used to kill a living creature, a portion of the dying victim’s memories and knowledge are stored inside of the dagger. These stolen memories and thoughts are stored as experience points. The number of experience points stored when the dagger slays a living target is equal to 5% of the experience point value based on the victim’s CR. For example, slaying a CR 1 wolf worth 400 xp while wielding the dagger of memory snatching would cause 20 xp to be stored in the dagger, while slaying a level 3 rogue (CR 2) would store 30 xp. Stored experience points remain trapped in the dagger until its wielder uses them. If the dagger already contains stored experience points, these stored experience points are released in a flash of green light and the new experience points are stored in their place. A dagger of memory snatching can only store the thoughts and memories of one creature at a time.

If a dagger of memory snatching damages a living target while it contains stored memories, and the dagger contains at least 100 xp, the dagger expends 100 of the experience points automatically and bombards the victim’s mind with a cacophony of unrelated thoughts and ideas. A victim subjected to this must make a Will save (DC 20) or be stunned for 1d6 rounds.

The wielder can also use the stored experience points to pay for the cost of casting a spell requiring an expensive material component or creating a magical item, with a conversion rate of 1 xp = 1 gp. For example, a wizard wielding the dagger of memory storing could use 100 stored xp when casting stoneskin to reduce the cost of the material components to 150 gp worth of granite and diamond dust from a normal total of 250 gp. The dagger need not be held by the user to invoke this ability, but it must be worn or carried somewhere on his person. Spending the stored experience points in this manner is an all or nothing affair; all the stored experience points are depleted at once. Any experience points expended in this manner that are not used for the spell or magical item creation are lost. If the experience points expended by the dagger are not enough to meet the spell or item requirements, the caster pays for the difference with his own gp or material components.

A creature slain by a dagger of memory snatching who is later brought back to life with a true resurrection or other effect that does not cause the standard loss of one level for doing so still loses those experience points upon being restored from death. If this creature is later struck for damage by the same dagger that originally stole his memories and that dagger still contains a portion of those stored memories, the remaining experience points stored in the dagger are returned to the victim in a flash of light.

DESTRUCTION

The method of destroying the dagger of memory snatching should be determined by the GM.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Villains: Rebirth. Copyright 2003, Bastion Press, Inc. Author: James Jacobs.

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