Divining Rod of Restless Souls
Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement) [a PKE Meter from Ghostbusters]
This slender wand-like device is fashioned of blackened bone bound with copper filigree, its head crowned with three shards of smoky quartz that vibrate faintly in moonlight. Forged by priests and occult scholars, the rod is attuned to the uneasy resonance of souls that refuse to pass on.
Properties:
Sense the Restless. While holding the rod, you may use an action to activate it. For 1 minute, the crystals glow with pale green light whenever undead are within 60 feet of you and not behind total cover. The intensity of the glow increases as the wielder draws nearer.
Reading the Soul’s Echo. Once per short or long rest, you may concentrate through the rod for a round, allowing spectral whispers to seep into your mind. Make a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check. On a success, you learn the rough number of undead present within 60 feet (“one,” “a handful,” “a host”) and if any are markedly stronger than the others (CR 5 or higher). On a failure, you instead hear maddening whispers—suffer 1d4 psychic damage and the rod’s crystals flicker uselessly.
Whispers Beyond the Veil. Once per short or long rest, you can attune the rod to the spiritual echoes of nearby undead. As an action, make a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check:
- Success. You learn an appropriate tidbit of information from one of the undead.
- Failure. The rod floods your mind with maddening whispers. You take 1d4 psychic damage and are distracted, giving you disadvantage on your next Wisdom ability check or saving throw.
Resonant Disturbance. The rod responds not only to undead, but also to areas steeped in necrotic power (desecrated ground, cursed objects, or planar rifts). When near such disturbances, the crystals vibrate erratically, sometimes misleading the user. A DC 12 Arcana check reveals whether the resonance is tied to undead or ambient corruption.
Echoes of Death. If undead are within 30 feet, the rod faintly whispers their names or the manner of their deaths (DM’s choice). This effect cannot be silenced, which may reveal your presence to nearby creatures.
Optional Artifact Quirks:
Once attuned, the wielder’s shadow lags behind by a heartbeat. The rod whispers names of the dead when pointed toward a grave. The wielder feels a faint chill whenever they pass within 30 feet of an undead. If left unattended, the rod angles itself toward the nearest cemetery or tomb.
Optional Cursed Variant (DM’s Choice)
Curse. While attuned, each dawn roll a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you gain one of the following flaws until your next long rest:
“I cannot rest easy unless I’ve recited the names of the dead I’ve sensed today.”
“I feel compelled to seek out the undead, even when danger is certain.”
“I trust the whispers of the dead more than the words of the living.”
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