Aegis (5e Equipment)
Armor (Shield), artifact (A gift from Athena only the reciver could use.)
The Aegis, as stated in the Iliad, is carried by Athena and Zeus, but its nature is uncertain. It had been interpreted as an animal skin or a shield, sometimes bearing the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a deity named Aex or Aix, a daughter of Helios and a nurse of Zeus or alternatively a mistress of Zeus (Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 13). The aegis of Athena is referred to in several places in the Iliad. "It produced a sound as from a myriad roaring dragons (Iliad, 4.17) and was borne by Athena in battle ... and among them went bright-eyed Athene, holding the precious aegis which is ageless and immortal: a hundred tassels of pure gold hang fluttering from it, tight-woven each of them, and each the worth of a hundred oxen."Virgil imagines the Cyclopes in Hephaestus' forge, who "busily burnished the aegis Athena wears in her angry moods—a fearsome thing with a surface of gold like scaly snake-skin, and the linked serpents and the Gorgon herself upon the goddess's breast—a severed head rolling its eyes", furnished with golden tassels and bearing the Gorgoneion (Medusa's head) in the central boss. Some of the Attic vase-painters retained an archaic tradition that the tassels had originally been serpents in their representations of the aegis. When the Olympian deities overtook the older deities of Greece and she was born of Metis (inside Zeus who had swallowed the goddess) and "re-born" through the head of Zeus fully clothed, Athena already wore her typical garments. When the Olympian shakes the aegis, Mount Ida is wrapped in clouds, the thunder rolls and men are struck down with fear. "Aegis-bearing Zeus", as he is in the Iliad, sometimes lends the fearsome aegis to Athena. In the Iliad when Zeus sends Apollo to revive the wounded Hector, Apollo, holding the aegis, charges the Achaeans, pushing them back to their ships drawn up on the shore. The Aegis is a gold shield ornated with blue lapislazzuli; it glimmers a bright gold light and is decored with the Titanomachy on the outside and the history of the Godes in the inside. At the centre is incastonated a bronze mas of Medusa.
Random Properties. The Aegis has the following random properties:
- 2 minor beneficial properties minor beneficial properties
- 2 major beneficial properties major beneficial properties
- 1 minor detrimental property minor detrimental properties
- 1 major detrimental property major detrimental properties
Divine Armor The Aegis is a magic item that grants a +3 bonus to AC while worn and weight nothing. It permanently grant you a +2 in Intelligence and +2 in Wisdom. Take it is neither an action nor a bonus action.
Medusa 's look The Aegis can petrify a target that sees the Medusa 's head on it. The target must succeed a 20 DC saving throw on Wisdom; if the target has less than 100 hp he automatically fail the roll. This feature can be used 3 times per week.
Sacred animal You can call upon you a divine owl (15th level mage) that act as your familiar and has your same stats. The owl goes away only when you order it or after a week of services. You can call it once a week. If you are near water you can require the help of 3 seas snakes (15 level warrior with the champion archetype) with your same stats. They goes away when at your order or when you are at 500m from the water.
Well of knowledge You can enter for a while in the well of divine knowledge. You can see the future up to 30 minutes and plan the attack ignoring any enemy's preparation and having advantage on the first 5 turns. You can use this feature once per dawn.
Revenge Path If you hear someone making fun of Athena the Aegis force you to deal with him/her. If you punish adequately the impious the Aegis earns a revenge point (for a maximum of 10) leaving the punished 'soul almost without energy. You can use this points to:
- Cast a spell without spending any spell slot (1 point per level from level 2 spells) (half per level 1 spells).
- Double the effect of a spell (2 points per level until level 8 spells but the first 3 levels cost always 2 to duplicate) (You have to roll the attack again).
- Turn it into a CR 10 Giant Spider at your orders. (3-5 points depending on the size of the creature)
- Make you permanently expert in a talent. (7-8 points)
- Slow down the time and make you invisible for 15 minutes experimenting the world in a God view (10 points). When you exit this status you take from 2d10 to 5d10 psychic damages depending on how much you slow down the time. You also have to pass a Constitution check with a DC of 20; on a success you vomit and have disadvantage on hitting the enemies and on the Constitution checks for the next -time you block the time+ d20+ d12 minutes-. . On a failed roll you go down stunned as many hours as minutes you have blocked time+ d4 with a minimum of 3h.
Destroying the Aegis. It can be destroyed only with a power of another God.
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