Attuned Sand (3.5e Equipment)
Attuned Sand: Attuned sand is a wondrous item that can only be made by a sandbender. It has many complex properties including being able to be coated in certain metals and then enchanted. It is considered highly valuable if enchanted with permanency as that allows it to be used by other classes as well as giving it the function to retain its properties when melted to glass.
Sandbenders always carry a certain amount of sand with them called attuned sand. This is sand made by the sandbender using their class skill Dry Hands on dirt for 1d3 minutes or on sand for fifteen seconds. This process creates a cubic foot of sand (roughly 100 pounds of sand). A sandbender may have 200 pounds of attuned sand per level in the sandbender class.
Attuned sand can be completely and totally controlled by the sandbender allowing the sandbender to move it as a move-action. The sandbender may move any amount of Attuned Sand it chooses but a max of 25 cubic feet of attuned sand may be in any one unoccupied square (5 cubic foot area) at a time. This attuned sand moves rather slow at first but eventually speeds up. At level 1, a sandbender can move his sand 15' a move action with perfect flight and no sand may take additional move actions. A sandbender may move his sand an additional 5' in a move action at levels 5, 10, and 15.
When a sandbender attempts to use a technique he should ensure the proper amount of attuned sand is within the range of the technique. It is assumed when a technique ends all the attuned sand returns to the sandbender unless the sandbender wishes it to stay.
Attuned sand can be dropped upon a target but unless it is part of a technique it will simply slide around the target with little effect. Although, a cubic foot of attuned sand can alternately be used to blind a creature for 1 round if it is moved through a creature's square and that creature fails a DC 5 + (1/2 speed the attuned sand can move) Reflex save.
Considering a single cubic foot of sand is 100 lbs. and a sandbender can have up to 2 cubic feet of attuned sand per level that can get pretty heavy very quickly. But for only the sandbender that created the attuned sand (or for any attuned sand enchanted with permanency), each cubic feet of sand weighs just 5 pounds to carry.
Trapping a creature in attuned sand is a powerful way to make enemies helpless and open up death dealing techniques for sandbenders and others alike. The following table shows the amount of attuned sand needed to trap certain sized creatures.
Faint DC 15 Technique;CL 1st; sandbender; Activation: See text.; Weight: 100 per cubic foot lb.; Market Price: Not applicable.
| Size | Attuned Sand |
|---|---|
| Fine | 1/2 cubic foot or less |
| Diminutive | 1 cubic foot |
| Tiny | 1 1/2 cubic feet |
| Small | 3 cubic feet |
| Medium | 6 cubic feet |
| Large | 12 cubic feet |
| Huge | 24 cubic feet |
| Gargantuan | 48 cubic feet |
| Colossal + | 80 cubic feet or more |
- Non-Sandbenders
For those who are not sandbenders but are still interested in using attuned sand, you may apply a permanency spell to the attuned sand. It costs 500 gp and 50 xp per cubic foot of attuned sand as well as providing the person casting the permanency spell a gem worth at least 1000 gp. Doing so allows the person holding the gem to move the sand with the permanency spell on it in any direction with perfect flight at a speed of 20' per round as a move action as well as form the attuned sand into a hand that may pull levers, open things, and carry 5 pounds. It moves without making any sound whatsoever and is thus a favorite of thieves. Also, at the time of casting the permanency spell, you may choose any technique from the sandbender class technique list of 3rd level or less that may be used 2/day but may not be enhanced through the expenditure of additional technique points.
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