Zodiac Talismans-Intro and Dog

Year 2000, eh?  kind of feels longer, symptoms of getting old! 

Well here’s something really old I came across hidden the pages of my 2^nd ed. AD&D book.   

A print out for the talismans from Jackie Chan Adventure’s with gaming stats that I did.  Yep that’s nerdy.   I honestly do not recall ever using them and the stats are clearly for d20 3.0, so have no idea why they were in the book for.   

Come to think of it, the OGL and SRD are just compatible enough you could use them for Pathfinder with only a bit of alteration, go figure.  Should I update them for that other system with the big and confusing copyright/licensing for fan pages…hmm not sure.  Though I did try to fix some of my grammar and spelling, what the hell was I writing with in 2002...  Well at least it wasn't dot matrix on continuous feed paper.

General Rules:  You must have an open hand to use a talisman, and can only activate  one at a time.   Their passive bonuses are not normally stackable for regular player characters.  The price is estimate on normal magical item costs.  Typically they are not for sale and finding a buyer for them is extremely hard; though some old cranky shop owner may offer you a half decent price for them.    Talismans might be hidden in undiscovered treasure troves, owner's who are unaware of their true powers, or protected by powerful supernatural beings who covet them for their own use.  It is rumored that gathering all the Talismans and placing them into a lost statue on a specific day will awaken a powerful and evil ancient dragon whose powers where distributed among the talismans to quell his world conquering desires.

Listed alphabetically, will do try to do one every other day or so during my holidays.

Dog Talisman (~105,750 gp)

Bonuses:  As long as it is owned and stays in the possession of the user, they do not age naturally and are immune all powers that cause unnatural aging.  If the user is already suffering penalties from advanced age, those penalties are negated, though they may keep any bonuses from being older.    The owner also reduces any negative energy (level) drain they take by 1 point.

Use Activated Powers:  Make a Wisdom check DC 20 to use the following.  5+ ranks in spellcraft, use magical device, concentration, or knowledge (arcana) grants a +1 synergy bonus to the check each.

·     Return from near death:  3/day, if the user is taken to zero or less hit points, immediately make the activation check.  If successful, the user immediately heals to be at 1 hit point instead.  This cannot help the user if they are taken below   -10 hit points.  

·     Death trance:  1/day, special.  The user may put their body or one willing subject by touch in to a near death like state.  The body drops helpless, but is granted 2 temporary hit points per user level, and can survive without air, food, or water for up to 7 days.  The effect lasts for a minimum of 1 day to a pre-determined time set by the user.  The body is also immune to things like natural heat and cold or bad weather (though will still hit point damage from being set on fire, dropped, attacked and the like), and all diseases and poisons have their effects suspended until the trance ends.   This power cannot be used again until the death trance duration is finished on its last target. 

·     Resurrection:  1/owner.  This acts as the Resurrection spell without the need of components.  If the user of the talisman is taken to -10 or less hit points or has their body utterly destroyed they may activate this power on themselves immediately.  They may also target allies normally within the rules of the spell, including the normal casting time, though still not needing components.   This power only works for once ever for the owner, no matter if the owner loses the talisman and gains it back, is killed and resurrected or reincarnated by some other effect, or even if they move between planes of existence.  Even a wish or miracle cannot compel this power to work more than once for the owner.