Orb of Undying Flames
The Orbs of Undying Flames is another item that has the ability to enhance minor undeads. The orb appears as a small, glass pearl with black flames inside. It is installed inside the body of any undead creature, giving that undead the ability to, at will, self-combust. The undead can use it’s own animating energy to power the orb. The creature draws the negative power into the pearl, which then explodes violently in a ball of black flames. These black flames cause damage to all creatures within 5 ft. of the undead, causing 1d6 points of damage pr. HD of the undead. It doesn’t matter if the undead is wounded, it still inflicts the same amount of damage. The damage is considered Unholy damage. It is mostly skeletons and zombies that are equipped with Orbs of Undying Flames. Most intelligent undead would prefer to flee, rather than to explode. The orb cannot be fitted in an incorporeal undead.
Since the undead must transfer it’s energy to the orb for it to work, an undead slain before it could do so, will not cause the orb to explode. Using the orb can only be done when it is the undeads turn. The necromancers who use these orbs often give their undead minions specific orders about when to use them. A common command for undead guards is to self-combust when they reach 1 or 2 hitpoints.
Prerequisites: Shatter, Animate Dead
Market Price: 500 gp.
Headband of Formation
When this headband is worn by a necromancer, he gains the ability to command one additional HD of undead pr. level. Yet, this ability is not the reason why the Headband of Formation is a valuable item amongst necromancers. The headband allows anyone commanding undead to give them unusual commands. The skeletons under the command of the wearer can be ordered to group together to create an object.
The skeletons can form the following items
Light Ballista: Requires 3 skeletons
Heavy Ballista: Requires 5 skeletons
Light Catapult: Requires 4 skeletons
Medium Catapult: Requires 7 skeletons
Heavy Catapult: Requires 12 skeletons
Ladder: 1 skeleton for every 5 ft. of height.
It takes one round pr. participating skeleton to form the chosen item. The headband doesn’t give the skeletons any ability to use the items though, but an item such as Orb of Everpounding can give a skeleton or zombie the necessary skills to use the items. The ladder can though be used by “untrained” skeletons. Once an item has been formed, the item becomes non-magical (yet, still made of bones and flesh). So, the wearer of the headband doesn’t need to “support” the undeads once they have formed the item.
The item is mainly used for necromancers and evil spellcasters who use their undead hordes in large-scale battles and sieges.
Prerequisite: Animate Item, Animate Dead
Market Price: 16.000 gp.
