Rune Orb (3.5e Equipment)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 7/7/2017 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Rune Orb

Rune Orb

Price:	12,000 GP (Tier I), 18,000 GP (Tier II), 28,000 GP (Tier III), 42,000 GP (Tier IV), 60,000 GP (Tier V)
Body Slot:	None/Held
Caster Level:	5th (Tier I), 8th (Tier II), 11th (Tier III), 14th (Tier IV), 17th (Tier V)
Aura:	Moderate Universal (Tiers I, II and III); Strong Universal (Tiers IV and V)
Activation:	Move, Swift; Standard (See Text)
Weight:	1 lb.

A Rune Orb being used as a magic amplifier for a Polar Ray spell.

The mage cried out in fear as the ebon ray crackled through the air toward him, holding out his hand in front of him as if to stop it, a crystalline orb hovering in his palm. The black ray struck the orb, the outline of a magical shield flickering into view for a split second as the spell dissipated harmlessly.

Rune Orbs are ancient relics once used as shields by magi from times long past. Like the Rune Arm, Rune Orbs require the Rune Arm Legacy feat to craft or use; Otherwise, they're simply pretty crystalline or metal baubles with no apparent use. When not in use, they float lazily at the owner's side, not unlike an Ioun Stone or Psycrystal. With the same action use to draw a weapon or shield, the user can mentally call the orb to his hand (Usually his offhand), where it floats a couple inches from his palm until once more made passive.

Rune Orbs can be attacked; They are Fine objects (AC 18 + the Shield bonus it can currently grant), have 10 HP + 5 per Tier, and hardness equal to 5 + the Orb's tier. Thus a fully-charged Tier V Rune Orb would have AC 28, 35 HP and hardness 10. Some Rune Orbs are made out of harder materials and thus have a base hardness better than 5.

The Rune Orb holds a number of charges equal to twice its Tier. Subtract the item's tier from the number 6. The remainder (Between 1 and 5) is how many rounds it takes for the Orb to regain one charge.

While a Rune Orb has a charge and is being used actively, it grants the user a +1 Shield bonus to armor class and Spell Resistance 3 for each charge it has. Thus a Tier 2 Rune Orb would grant +4 AC and SR 12 when fully charged. The shield bonus to AC applies to touch attacks as well, due to the effect being a Force effect. However, each time the user is subjected to a spell or attack while the Orb is being actively used, it consumes one charge per attack. Thus, if put under a lot of pressure, your defenses will lower quickly. Each spell counts as a single attack, no matter how many separate attacks the spell creates; Such as a Magic Missile spell's multiple missiles - They are separate sources of damage, but the Rune Orb regards them as a single attack because they all occurred in the same round.

The exception is in the case of spells that allows attacks over multiple rounds, such as the Flame Blade spell. In that case, it's treated as a new spell each round; For example, if a caster attacked you with a Flame Blade spell twice in a round, it would only consume a single charge. However, if they attacked you again in the next round, it would consume another charge, despite being the same spell.

The other use of a Rune Orb is to act as a focus for spells and abilities. By forgoing the Orb's protection, you can use the Orb's charges to affect abilities. Each charge consumed can apply 1 metamagic level, a +1 caster level increase, or a +1 DC increase. However, you can't spend more charges on any one of these effects than the Rune Orb's Tier; Thus a fully-charged Tier II Rune Orb - 4 charges - Would only allow you to apply two of: +2 metamagic levels, +2 DC or +2 Caster Level. When used as a spell amplifier in this manner, you lose the AC and SR granted by the Rune Orb until the beginning of your next turn.

Additionally, Rune Orbs can be enchanted. Because of their AC bonus, they can be enchanted as Shields - A Tier I Rune Orb is the equivalent of a +1 Shield. You cannot add an enhancement bonus or spell resistance bonus to the Orb in this manner, as it already possesses that quality in its base shielding, but you can add other shield-specific enchantments. You lose the benefits of these enchantments when the Orb is passive or during a round in which you use the Orb as a magic amplifier. The total enhancement bonus value of the enchantments can't exceed the Orb's Tier; Thus a Tier II Orb could only have a +2 bonus equivalent added to it.

Likewise, due to its ability to amplify spells, a Rune Orb can be enchanted as a Spellcasting Implement and with Spell Power Enhancements, though these only function when you forego the Orb's protection in order to use it as a magic amplifier, even if you choose not to use any charges from the Orb. These enchantments suffer the same per-tier limits as the shield enchantments.

Like Rune Arms, most Rune Orbs will be found in old places and cannot be bought, but they can be made by someone with the Rune Arm Legacy feat.

Some Rune Orbs have Ioun Stones embedded in them, and/or are infused into or made from a Psycrystal. These are rare occurrences, but powerful indeed.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Rune Arm Legacy, Shield, Spell Resistance

Cost to Create: Tier I: 6,000 GP, 480 EXP, 12 days. Tier II: 9,000 GP, 720 EXP, 18 days. Tier III: 14,000 GP, 1,120 EXP, 28 days. Tier IV: 21,000, 1,680 EXP, 42 days. Tier V: 30,000, 2,400 EXP, 60 days.

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