3rdEd Lifejammer Helm

First draft.  As all the other (non-artifact, actually magical)
Helms this gets a magic item write-up.  Reading the rules
carefully you can use two of these in parallel to shift a bigger
ship - the neogi do this with Deathspiders.  In other respects
this is just about as a Minor Helm.

The actual form of the bit which holds the individual being fed
off is not specified, so I just refer to it as a 'victim
restraint', which could be anything from a single manacle on up,
through a rack, to a coffin.

Comments?


Spelljammer Helms - 11/May/06


Lifejammer: This is the same as the standard version sold by the
Arcane, but without access to their secret techniques is
considerably more expensive.  Creating one costs 80,000 gp, takes
160 days, and costs 6,400 XP.  The listed weight is for a heavy
hardwood chair plus victim restraint; some helms are heavier or
lighter than this, and note that they are normally bolted down.

Note that unlike most magic items Helms are very, very, tough.
This is probably due to the immense amounts of magical energy
needed both to make them, and that flows through them just to
operate them.  They do not normally have a rated AC, hardness,
hit points or break DC, but you could use AC 5, and +18 save
bonus.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wonderous Item, Create
Lifejammer Helm; Market Price: 160,000 gp; Weight: 75 lb.


Arcane Price: 80,000 gp

The lifejammer is a very specialised and evil type of
spelljamming helm which feeds off the life energy of an
individual placed inside (usually against his will).  The
lifejammer can function on any creature with hit points, but

drains the life out of the creature placed within.

For every day of operation, the lifejammer sucks 1d8 hit points
from the target.  These hit points cannot be regained by healing
while the individual is within the lifejammer.  In addition, for
every day of operation (or fraction thereof) the lifejammer's
victim must make a Fortitude saving throw DC 13 or perish.  An
individual with good hit points and saving throws is preferred,
but a ready supply of weak characters can be just as useful.

A lifejammer engine gives the ship an SR as if the creature
placed within was a spellcaster using a minor helm.  A lifejammer
drawing energy from an 8th level Fighter, for example, will
operate as if an 8th level spellcaster was at the helm.  Two
lifejammer helms may be used in parallel to be able to spelljam a
100 ton ship.

Lifejammers are believed to be an invention of the neogi, who use
multiple lifejammers in powering their deathspider ships.  Other
evil races, including undead, have been known to use lefejammers
as well.  Good races and characters are very reluctant to use a
lifejammer except in emergencies, and then are careful to remove
the character from the device before his life is endangered.

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/