Alchemist's Apparatus (Magic Apparatus)

The apparatus, or the alchemist's apparatus as it is sometimes known, is best described from the notebooks of Meister Dettrick.
: The very sight of it [the Apparatus] inspired a terror within me, for its very shape spoke of the unholy researches that planned it. It filled Herr Gustav 's great hall, o 'er-reaching even the balconies that looked upon the floor below. The main part consisted of a great glass sphere of sulphurous fumes, madly churning as the lightning teased the steel receptors set atop it. The whole is supported in a tripod of oppressive wood and iron, beneath which were suspended two smaller globes, each the height of a man. Piping arced from these to the sulphurous orb. Ringing these were yet smaller orbs, interwoven by tubes through which flowed streams of noxious yellow gas. To my trepidation, Herr Gustav already stood among the wires and pipes of the platform, priming the foul device for the coming storm. Then I saw that each contained a beast—one a quivering fawn, the other a ravening dire wolf. "Behold the test!" he cried to me, frantic with his madness as he gestured to the orbs. From his robes he produced a crystal rod, no more than 2 feet long, that throbbed with crystal fire. "The rod!" he shouted above the enraged storm. "With the rod 1 shall..."
: No more of his madness could I bear, and so risking the fury of the elements I fled the sage s halls, out into the night....
It is unclear whether the apparatus is a single device or a set of plans and concepts so infernal in their execution that the result is the diabolic machine known by that name. The doubt exists because several times this artifact is said to have been both invented and destroyed, and yet, somehow it seems to recreate itself elsewhere to once again wreak havoc upon those who experiment with it.
The first known construction of the apparatus was by one known as the Alchemist of Mordentshire, sometimes confused with Count Strahd Von Zarovich, another player in this tale. The story is that the alchemist created the apparatus in order to divide a soul and purge it of evil or, as others maintain, to fuse his own incomplete soul with that of another. Whatever his goal, his ambitions became entangled in those of Strahd and led to disaster, destroying the apparatus and its maker.
The monstrous apparatus had more of a life than its maker, it seems, for it has reappeared in other lands, sometimes as it was and sometimes changed and improved. Thus it is that some sages maintain that the true artifact is not the apparatus itself but the supposed notebooks of the original alchemist, and that it is from these plans that the physical apparatus is built. No one, however, can ever testify to seeing a copy of these notes.
One important feature of the apparatus is the rod of Rastinon. This magical item, although not an artifact in its own right, is vital to several of the apparatus's powers. It must be set in place between the two chamber orbs and then powered by lightning—or so that is how the story goes.
The apparatus is a wonderful artifact with which to threaten PCs, because its powers of transpossession and soul-splitting strike at the very essence of the player character. The thought of having one's mind and psyche transferred into that of an ore or, perhaps worse, a goat should be enough to rouse fear in the heart of any PC.
Since the apparatus is not small, portable, or even quick to use, any adventure involving it must have a strong villain, one who can trap the PCs and then operate the device. A strong villain needs strong ambitions, too. The goals of this villain are certainly more than just tormenting the PCs. They are only attacked because they are useful in some experiments or because they threaten, knowingly or not, greater plans.
Should the characters manage to avoid the threats posed by the apparatus, they may still have problems. Friends and allies may suddenly become enemies through transpossession. Innocents may need to be restored or transpossessed spies ferreted out. This might require that the characters to seize and operate the apparatus, all at great peril to themselves!
Among all of the artifacts, this apparatus is the easiest to remove from any campaign, for it has a history of overloading, exploding, and otherwise destroying itself. Whenever the device's time has passed, it is a simple matter to demolish it in a dramatic stroke of lightning. Another apparatus, should it ever be needed, can always conveniently appear elsewhere, for like true science, once released from Pandora's box, it can never be banished completely.
Unlike many other artifacts, the powers of the apparatus cannot be utilized at will. Although magical in nature, the device operates more like a machine. To run, it must be energized by lightning. No other electrical source can suffice, for the apparatus requires not only the voltage, but the elemental power that the lightning provides. The metal receptor plate in the top must be struck 12 times in the space of three hours for the device to build up the necessary charge. Only one charge can be held at a time and beyond the time limit, the stored energies fade. The charge is enough to feed a single power of the apparatus. Which power is used is determined by the operator, who must constantly supervise the machine's operation. Transpossession can be used without additional preparation, but the remaining powers of the apparatus require the use of the rod of Rastinon, set in its place between the two globes.
Invoked Powers: The simplest power is transpossession, the complete exchange of minds between two creatures. The subjects are placed in the two globes and, amid swirls of gas and glowing blue sparks, the transfer is made. All mental, spellcasting, and psionic abilities are transferred between the two bodies. The new form has the Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, and Charisma of the host, but the Intelligence and Wisdom of the transferred mind. The subjects are struck unconscious for 1d3 turns. Transpossessed subjects detect as neutral to all spells and psionics that would reveal alignment, ethos, or personality.
The second power, soul splitting, divides a single subject into two personalities. The split separates some property of the psyche into its opposing elements—good vs. evil, law vs. chaos, wisdom vs. folly, and other opposing forces. The two persons are physically similar, differing only in ways that characterize the nature of the split and the strength of each trait. The good personality may be fair and strong, if the original subject was filled with good, or sickly and pale if the subject was less than noble. Each personality has the full knowledge and abilities (within the limits of the separation) of the original body.
The two forms are also utterly opposed to each other, so that cooperation is impossible. Depending on the nature of the separation, one seeks to destroy the other or reverse the soul splitting process. An evil twin would seek its counterpart's death while the good one tries for reunion. A wise twin might revel in freedom from the foolish half. A foolish twin is likely to become wild and bestial, filled with more-than-animal cunning. In all cases, the two separated properties become concentrated and exaggerated in each individual until the distilled trait dominates their personalities. It radiates with astonishing intensity to detection spells revealing that trait.
The third power is that of soul fusing. Here, two personalities are joined in one body. Normally this is done to reverse the process of soul splitting, but it is possible to merge two unrelated personalities into a single creature. The merged form now has two separate minds within it. Each retains its own personality, including all class, mental, spellcasting, and psionic powers. One personality, however, cannot use the powers of the other.
The result of this fusion is seldom harmonious, for unless the two minds are in perfect agreement on all things, they vie for control of the body. Any time there is a disagreement over a course of action, an Intelligence check is made for each mind. Should one succeed and the other fail, that personality seizes physical control. The subject's mannerisms, voice, accent, likes, and dislikes are instantly those of the dominant personality. Should both fail, the subject is racked by fearsome headaches so severe that any action is impossible. If both succeed, the subject's body is the battleground for control. Movements become confused and jerky, behavior erratic from moment to moment, as each tries to assert itself.
Attempts to detect the mental nature of such a person reveal details of the current dominant personality. If there is no dominant force, the result is a confused blur that might be mistaken for neutrality.
Curse: With the apparatus there are perils both for those subjected to its horrible transformations and for those who would use it upon themselves or others.
For subjects, beyond the perils described above, there is a chance that, unable to reconcile oneself to the alteration, madness results. The subject (or subjects in the case of a split) must immediately roll a successful saving throw vs. death magic or succumb to incurable madness. After that, the subject must roll a successful saving throw every day for a full week. Only after this time is the subject able to come to terms with the situation. Note that for those subjected to soul fusing, each personality must roll a separate saving throw and it is perfectly possible for one personality to be sane and the other to be utterly mad.
The experimenter risks other fates each time the apparatus is used. There is a 20% chance (noncumulative) that the energies of the apparatus create a field that transfers the device and surrounding locale (such as the building housing it), along with all characters, into Ravenloft. (Players familiar with the demiplane know this is a serious curse.)
In Ravenloft: Where the device was originally found, the operator must roll a dark powers check each time the device is used—even if the operator is the subject. Evil "twins" created by the apparatus are immediately adopted by the land.
Suggested Means of Destruction:
* The machine itself is quite fragile and can be easily destroyed. However, it recreates itself at some other place and time.
* The characters must travel back in time to the workshops of the original alchemist and there destroy him, his works, and all his notes.
* Mystical barriers blocking the blend of science and magic must be built to protect each world in the Prime Material Plane. This does not destroy it. It merely prevents its appearance in that world.
Category:Encyclopedia Magica Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Apparatus