Robe of Corpses (5e Equipment)
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Wondrous item, See text for rarity
This handy item functions much like a robe of bones for the truly serious necromancer. It appears to be an ornately embroidered robe with vague designs that have no theme. However, a character who dons it notes that it is adorned with small embroidered figures representing undead creatures and/or corpses. A character who closely studies the robe and succeeds a DC 18 Investigation check, while within 5 feet of the robe, can deduce the patterns the same as a character wearing the robe, but not necessarily the capabilities of the robe.
This robe may have any corpse or undead creature magically transformed into embroidery and attached to it. You need simply touch the undead creature or corpse and will it into the robe. You may do this as part of your move action unless the target in question is attempting to avoid you. Upon successful activation, the corpse or undead will appear to rapidly unravel, as if made of thread, and embroider itself onto the robe over the course of a second. Undead that are in your control remain in your control but still count towards any limits of controllable undead you may have. While embroidered, undead creatures can still think and use all of their senses, such as sight and hearing, as if they were located on the surface of the robe, however they cannot move or take any of their normal actions. All of the creature's other attributes are suppressed as it is just a piece of clothing while embroidered. You may cast spells on the embroideries as if they were their original form, and mentally command the undead as well.
On your turn, once per round as part of your move action, you may have up to three of the embroideries return to their original form, unraveling from the robe and then coalescing in a chosen location. You may choose any location within line of sight and within 15 feet of the wearer. All the chosen embroideries return to their original form within 5 feet of the chosen location. There must be enough room for the original form of the embroideries to fit.
If you attempt to embroider an undead not under your control, you must succeed on a touch attack against it. On success, the undead must then succeed either a Wisdom save or a Charisma save (the undead's choice), or become an embroidery as normal. The save is equal to 10 + the sum of the wearer's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma modifiers + the robe's DC modifier (each robe may have a different one affecting price). If the creature is intelligent, it may repeat the saving throw each minute to cancel the robe's effect on them. If an undead succeeds to break free, it appears in a random space adjacent to the robe's wearer. If there is not enough room for the undead to reappear, it is safely shunted to the closest location that it can fit, but not through solid objects or magical barriers. If there is no path that the creature's shunting can take to a large enough location, the Wisdom save automatically fails.
In the case an undead creature that commands spawns or has some other undead under their control is embroidered, they are able to telepathically command their undead that are within 60 ft. of the robe as they normally might.
Each robe of corpses has a set number of total CR that may be embroidered onto it, and a maximum CR per embroidery. Corpses count as the CR they had in life. An attempt to embroider something that would add enough total CR in the robe to more than the robe has available, or used on a target that has a higher CR than the robe's max CR, does nothing but waste your time.
Robes of corpses may be created by anyone with the formula to craft it, knows the Gentle Repose and Animate Dead spells, and the willingness to create it. The max CR that may be embroidered and the DC modifier is chosen at the time of creation.
To create a random Robe of Corpses, see the table below.
| Name | CR Total | CR Max | DC Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 1d6 | 1 | 1d4-2 |
| Uncommon | 2d4+6 | 1d4+2 | 1d4+1 |
| Rare | 2d4+14 | 2d4+6 | 1d4+5 |
| Epic | 4d10+20 | 2d4+12 | 1d4+9 |
For reference to premade robes of corpses, see the table below.
| Name | CR Total | CR Max | DC Modifier | Formula | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robe of Corpses, Lesser | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1000 + (4*100)+(1*300)+(0*300) | 1700 gp |
| Robe of Corpses, Medium | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1000 + (10*100)+(4*300)+(3*300) | 4100 gp |
| Robe of Corpses, Greater | 20 | 13 | 7 | 1000 + (20*100)+(13*300)+(7*300) | 9000 gp |
| Robe of Corpse Imprisonment | 13 | 13 | 10 | 1000 + (13*100)+(13*300)+(10*300) | 9200 gp |
| Robe of Endless Corpses | 50 | 1 | 0 | 1000 + (50*100)+(1*300)+(0*300) | 6300 gp |
If a robe of corpses already has undead embroidered onto it, the price raises by 100 gp per CR of what is embroidered. Intelligent undead, awakened undead, and any other sort of undead capable of casting spells or manifesting powers is treated as having 4 times its normal CR for this purpose.
Applying a permanency spell to a robe of corpses locks it. This means that those undead that were on the robe of corpses are permanently tied to the robe of corpses and that the robe of corpses may not have new undead embroidered (though it may re-embroider the undead tied to it). The undead tied to the robe are commanded only by those who wear the robe and cannot be rebuked. If no one is wearing the robe, the undead are automatically re-embroidered onto it. Those undead may not exceed a 100 ft. radius from the robe.
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