...What's a Bane?

Cover by Alan Pollack; illustrations by Arne Swekel

Banes are evil given form. They represent a blight on the world -- darknesses that must be destroyed, or at least placed where they can do no harm.

Such was the opinion of Danar Rotansin, the creator of the Banewarrens. He built deep catacombs where he placed sealed vaults to store the evil that proved too difficult, or too dangerous, to simply destroy. The Banewarrens, then, holds diseases, curses, poisons, evil artifacts and magic items, constructs, creatures, nightmares, and even storms, blights, and other corruptions.

What became of Danar and the Banewarrens is a matter for the adventure, but as a preview and example of what you can find there, consider the following sample banes:

Diabolis Configurator
This green iron bracer is a boon to any devil or other lawful evil outsider. Such a creature wearing the item adds a +5 profane bonus to its SR and a +2 profane bonus to its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores.
Caster Level: 9; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, nightmare; Market Price: 20,000 gp

Disk of Dissolution
This red stone disk measures about 6 inches across. Once per day, its possessor can use it to touch an object or creature and disintegrate it, as the spell (except that touch is required). Users, however, must make Fortitude saving throws (DC 19) or be disintegrated themselves each time they activate it.
Caster Level: 11; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, disintegrate; Market Price: 16,000 gp

Vargouille Knife
This +1 dagger has a hilt guard that looks like outstretched batwings with a screaming face between them. Anyone struck by this cursed dagger must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 16) or be polymorphed into a vargouille (see MM, page 182). At the same time, however, the wielder is automatically polymorphed into a vargouille (no saving throw).
Caster Level: 7; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, polymorph other, polymorph self; Market Price: 6,000 gp

Phylactery of Forsaken Souls
This ornate box, a minor artifact, is covered with evil images and unholy symbols. When someone opens the phylactery, a spectre comes out. The spectre is free willed (although an evil cleric could try to control it) and attacks all living creatures it comes upon -- even the one that opened the phylactery.

Cartagra, the Affliction of Souls
This magical disease is transmitted by mere contact. Resisting it requires a Fortitude save (DC 20), and it has no incubation time. Each day the disease inflicts 1d6 points of temporary Wisdom damage and 1d4 points of temporary Charisma damage. Each time a character suffers damage, she must make a second save to ensure that 1 point of the damage does not become a 1-point permanent drain. Only magical healing can save a character affected by this malady-specifically, a remove disease spell cast by at least a 10th-level caster.

Necrophagon
This terrible malady, also called skinbite fever, compels its victims to slice off and devour their own flesh. The disease animates its victims even as they eat themselves to death, giving them an undeniable hunger for flesh. They become ghouls that also carry the disease. The Fortitude save DC is 14, and the incubation time is one day. Victims devour 4d6 of their own hit points each day until they are dead.

Vampiric Mist
This greenish mist normally travels as the wind takes it, keeping to a coherent cloud about 10 feet across; it does not dissipate. Anyone the mist touches must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 20) or become a vampire over the next 1d6+3 anguish-filled rounds.

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