Corrupted Relic

Corrupted Relic Creature4

Rare CE Medium Incorporeal Spirit Undead

Senses Perception +9; darkvision, lifesense (imprecise) 60 feet

Languages Common, Elven

Skills Acrobatics +11, Intimidation +10, Stealth +11

Str -5, Dex +3, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +1, Cha +4

Items amulet (see sidebar for relic rules)

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AC 19; Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +11

HP 50, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious; Resistances all 5 (except force, ghost touch, or positive; double resistance vs. non-magical)

Amulet Relic (curse, divine, necromancy) The corrupted relic is an amulet cursed to contain a malevolent spirit. The statistics in this stat block are for the spirit when it’s manifested (see Manifest). The amulet can’t take any actions except Sudden Manifestation and Manifest. As long as the spirit is manifested, the amulet is immune to spells and magical abilities and uses the saves listed here. Regardless of whether the spirit is manifested, the amulet can be targeted by Strikes (AC 21, Hardness 5, BT 10). It is not incorporeal. If the amulet becomes broken, the spirit is bound within and can’t Manifest, and if the amulet is destroyed, so is the spirit. Destroying the spirit frees the amulet from its curse.

Sudden Manifestation [reaction] Trigger The relic detects a creature using its lifesense; Effect The relic Manifests. If this causes an encounter to begin, the relic gains a +4 status bonus to its initiative roll.

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Speed fly 30 feet

Melee [one-action] spectral hand +14 (agile, finesse, magical), Damage 2d6+3 negative

Ranged [one-action] deadly spark +14 (air, electricity, divine, evocation, range 20 feet), Damage 1d12 electricity

Death Gaze [two-actions] (concentrate, divine, necromancy, negative) The spirit targets a creature it can see within 30 feet, dealing to it 4d6 negative damage (DC 20 basic Fortitude save). A creature with negative healing instead regains 4d6 Hp and is then temporarily immune for 10 minutes.

Manifest [one-action] (divine, necromancy) Requirements The relic detects at least one creature using its lifesense; Effect The spirit within the relic manifests in an open space within 10 feet of the amulet. When it does, the relic teleports around its neck. The spirit remains in its manifested state until it no longer senses any living creatures within range of its lifesense.

About

Creatures that once held particular items dear can be bound to them after death, their souls inhabiting the item from within. These might be the faithful haunting symbols of their faith, warriors clinging to their old weapons, or the greedy inhabiting their precious wealth. These spirits’ physical bodies have long since degraded, but they keep their corrupted relics pristine. The spirits manifest on the unsuspecting or curious, determined to destroy anyone who would dare show any interest in their one precious possession.

Though rare, there are several kinds of corrupted relics. The bound spirit can manifest in different ways, from animating an ancient weapon to possessing anyone who dons the item. Destroying the relic often ends up being the simplest, most direct way to banish the haunt itself. Destroying or dispelling the spirit without destroying the relic, however, can sometimes leave priceless treasure behind.

The amulet shown here has the air and death aspects. Its minor gifts, deadly spark and death gaze, power some of the spirit’s abilities. Someone who claims the relic might gain different gifts from those aspects.

Relics are a special type of magic item that can grow in power as their wielders unlock additional abilities.