Sha'nes ducked behind a fallen tree, narrowly avoiding the blast of brackish green energy that seared away the brush around her. Wiping cold sweat from her brow, she leapt back atop the tree trunk, charging through the moonlit woods, rushing toward the necromancer. She punched him once square in the chest, knocking him back a step, before he hoisted a small darkwood chest in his arms. The thing gave off a palpable enervating energy which grew stronger as the necromancer undid the lock keeping it shut. As the lid lifted, a thin mist raced through the air, searing Sha'nes's skin, opening wounds where none had been before...
Slot —; Price 200,000 gp; Weight 15 lbs.
This item is a darkwood chest bound in black chains. If any living creature dies within 30 feet on the black coffer, its soul is instantly trapped inside unless it succeeds on a Will saving throw (DC 22). If the coffer is open when a creature fails this save, it immediately closes. Creatures whose souls are contained in the black coffer cannot be returned to life until the soul has been released except by the intervention of a deity.
If used as a spell focus for a Necromancy spell, the caster gains a +1 circumstance bonus to caster level per soul trapped within the black coffer.
If used as a spell focus for a Conjuration (healing) spell cast to return one of the souls contained in the coffer to life, the soul can be released as part of the spell. This drastically reduces the physical stress of returning to life, negating any Constitution drain or permanent negative levels the target may have incurred as part of the spell, and the target instead suffers 2 Wisdom drain from the mental stress of having been in the coffer.
The coffer can be opened as a full-round action. Trapped souls are immediately released when the coffer is opened, and these confused spirits harm any creature nearby as they escape. If the black coffer contains at least one soul and is opened, all creatures within 30 feet a number of d6s of damage equal to the CR of the creature with the greatest CR whose soul is trapped in the coffer. A Fortitude save (DC 22) halves this damage. An open coffer also emits an area of desecrate centered on itself regardless of whether any souls were trapped inside.
The black coffer holds a maximum of five souls at a time. If a new soul enters the coffer while it contains five souls, the soul that has been in the coffer is immediately released. As it escapes, it emits a terrifying moan, and all creatures within 30 feet of the coffer must make a Will save (DC 22) or be panicked for 2d4 rounds.
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, desecrate, trap the soul; Cost 100,000 gp (+8,000 XP for D&D)
