Armor Bath (Magic Household Item)

This extremely rare item appears as a 5' tall, 6' long, claw-footed cauldron made of a metal and ceramic mix. The rim of the cauldron is inlaid with sandalwood, upon which are carved runes of an ancient language. If someone can read the language, they can decipher the message as reading, “To protect one from grievous harms and render oneself immune to the ordinary hurts of the world.”
If blessed (or cursed, depending on the alignment of the user) water fills the bath, it can confer great power upon the bather. In short, it places an invisible armor, harder than steel, over body parts immersed in the water. The armor is completely impervious to ordinary weapons and attacks, and grants an effective AC 0 against magical weapons for the affected area. Creatures that are magical in nature are assumed to be as magical weapons, so they attack against AC 0. Damage-causing spells that are not directly cast at the armored individual (such as fireballs not directly centered on the character) cause no damage to the armored parts of the body, though unarmored parts suffer ordinary damage.
There are several disadvantages to this armor. First, it can never be removed. Second, it robs the affected area of alt feeling, so tasks that require the tactile skills of a covered area cannot be performed. In addition to losing all feeling in the area, the bathed part loses flexibility, able to move only in a limited fashion.
Third, and most dangerous, if a person using the bath applies the bath's armor to more than 50% of a body, the individual dies. There is no save against this effect. Thus, those who know the full effects of the bath use it only sparingly, covering only their necks, forearms, chest, and the like. They are always careful to restrict how much they place on themselves, knowing that too much can kill them.
Some call this the balk of death. There is some speculation that it was created by dark gods, or fashioned by priests at the behest of gods who needed secret and near-invulnerable assassins for their evil works.
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Category:Magic Items
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