Taint Dread Effects

Overview

The effects described in this section are similar to terrain features. While terrain affects the physical capabilities of creatures within it, dread effects have an impact on abilities and characteristics in a magical or apparently magical way. For example, rather than granting cover or hindering movement, blood rock increases the threat range of attacks made in its area, and abyssal blackgrass restricts healing near it.

Abyssal Blackgrass

Patches of this thick black weed often spread through planar portals or through tiny seeds inadvertently carried in the clothing or gear of planar travelers. When it takes root on the Material Plane, abyssal blackgrass grows in a small clump about one foot across, although its roots spread in a 50-foot radius just under the surface of the ground.

Natural healing is impossible within 50 ft (in any direction) of a clump of abyssal blackgrass. Even magical healing is impaired, restoring only half the normal number of hit points. Anyone who casts or is subject to a spell with the evil descriptor while within 50 ft of a clump of abyssal blackgrass must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + spell level) or increase his corruption score by 1.

Pulling up a clump of blackgrass does not kill it or negate its baleful effect, and the grass regrows in 1d4 days. Only digging up the entire root system-or destroying the plant with a blight or similar spell-can prevent it from regrowing.

Blood Rock

In certain places, the very essence of war and violence suffuses the earth or stone. Found naturally in ancient battlefields and certain outer planes, blood rock can be extracted from such areas and used to infuse other locations with the same violent essence. Whether occurring naturally or transplanted, blood rock causes weapons to strike harder, claws to tear deeper, and blood to flow more freely.

An area of blood rock increases the lethality of any attack made by a creature standing in that area. Double the threat range of all attacks made within an area affected by blood rock. To gain this benefit, a creature must be touching the ground in the affected area. This increase in threat range does not stack with the increased threat range from the Improved Critical feat, the keen edge spell, or the keen weapon property.

Deliberately seeding an area with blood rock requires 5 lbs of blood rock for every 5-foot square to be affected. Simply carrying 5 lbs of blood rock around in your pock- ets is not enough to gain the benefits of its presence, although it might be enough to cause the character carrying it to gain taint. Blood rock must be placed in an area for a period of at least 48 hours before its presence permeates the area. Blood rock can be gathered and moved, although it then requires another 48 hours to take effect in its new location.

Tainted Blood Rock: Indistinguishable from normal blood rock except that it radiates a moderate aura of evil, tainted blood rock is suffused with hatred and evil as well as violence. A character who scores a critical hit while standing on tainted blood rock must make a successful DC 25 Fortitude save or have his corruption score increase by 1.

Charnel Bog

Often formed at the sites of great battles where water has come in to cover the wasted land, charnel bogs are both horrible and deadly. Pale grasses grow on desolate islands in the midst of these bogs, but no living animals inhabit charnel bogs.

Such an aura of evil pervades a charnel bog that certain magic is impeded within its borders. Characters attempting to cast a spell with the good or healing descriptor must attempt a Spellcraft check (DC 15+ spell level) or lose the spell. Turning checks made to turn undead take a -4 penalty within a charnel bog, and turning checks to rebuke undead gain a +4 profane bonus, as if an unhallow spell encompassed the bog.

Characters camping within a charnel bog find their sleep troubled by nightmares. They are unable to rest properly, and morning finds them fatigued and unable to regain arcane or divine spells with the good descriptor for the next 24 hours. They regain no hit points from their night spent in the bog.

Finally, characters whose travels take them on long treks through a charnel bog find it sapping their will and even robbing them of their desire to leave the place. They experi- ence increasing apathy and despair, a dulling of their senses, and a growing feeling of paranoia. At the conclusion of every week spent in a charnel bog, any living creature must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 10+ the number of consecutive weeks spent in the bog). Failure indicates that the character has lost all will to continue on her journey. She cannot leave the bog of her own volition and has no desire to do so. All memories of her previous life slowly fade into nothingness, and a limited wish, miracle, or wish spell is required to return the character to normal.

Other Hazards: Charnel bogs often manifest signs of a haunting (see below). Disease is also common in charnel bogs, including inhaled diseases such as cackle fever and mindfire. Also, some charnel bogs are suffused with taint, so that a character entering the bog must make a DC 25 Fortitude save. If he fails, his corruption score increases by 1d3. Even on a successful save, his corruption score increases by 1.

Night Stone

This stone is infused with raw negative energy. A living creature within 5 ft of a floor, wall, or statue formed of night stone takes 1d6 points of damage per round. A death ward spell protects a character from this damage.