Cistir Poesta (3.5e Equipment)
Lore: The cistir poesta was crafted by the Netherese abjurer Ghesilie Halsad, a powerful archmage trying to find an alternative to the failing mythallars that powered the Empire. Her many experiments led to the discovery of sparks, powerful enhancers of magical energy; the cube is her artificially created version.
Description: This object appears to be a tarnished mithril cube about 6 inches in diameter, with strange etchings which when touched, seem to shift slightly.
Activation: To activate cistir poesta you must succeed on a Spellcraft check (Dc 20+ the characters caster level), success means you have learned to shift the etchings with your fingers tips, allowing you to configure the cube.
Effect: After activating the cube, you must make another Spellcraft check (Dc 15+ the characters caster level) to configure it. Configuring the cube takes ten minutes during which you may not take any other action. once configured, the cube must remain in the characters hands while casting spells, making it impossible to cast spells with somatic components. Since the cube effectively creates its own version of the Weave, it's wielder is immune to all effects of wild or dead magic areas. Instead of making use of the configurations listed below, the user may release the energy stored within, the pent up energy is instantly released in a 30-foot radius. All within 2 squares of the user take 50d10 points of damage those, 3 or 4 squares away take 45d10 points of damage, and those 5 or 6 squares distant take 40d10 points of damage. All those affected can make DC 20 Reflex saves to reduce the damage by half. Releashing the energy has 50% chance of being feebleminded and randomly teleported to anywhere on Toril, if he is not he is utterly destroyed. If used in this manner, the cube loses all special qualities for 1d12 years. This ability also mends dead and wild magic areas, turning them back to normal.
First configuration: The cube slowly shifts into a dodecahedron shape, increasing your effective arcane caster level by ten; You also gain a +20 bonus on all Knowledge (Arcana) checks.
Second configuration: The cube slowly shifts into a octahedron shape, increasing your effective divine caster level by ten; You also gain a +20 bonus on all Knowledge (Religion) checks.
Other configurations: The following configurations do not require a Spellcraft check to configure. They still require a Spellcraft check to learn to configure the cube.
Third configuration: The cube slowly shifts into a icosahedron shape, increasing your effective manifester level by ten; you also gain five extra power points per level granted and a +20 bonus on all Knowledge (Psionics) checks. This configuration requires a Psicraft check (Dc 15+ the characters manifester level) to configure.
Fourth configuration: The sphere slowly shifts into a tetrahedron shape, increasing your effective meldshaper level by ten; you also gain five extra points of essentia per level granted and a +20 bonus on all Knowledge (Nature) and Knowledge (The Planes) checks pertaining to incarnum. This configuration requires that you expend all remaining essentia points per day to configure.
Other configurations are said to exist, but have not yet been discovered.
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