Karsus

Karsus was a human mage who attempted to infiltrate the Weave itself through a leyline well and absorb the power of Mystra. In this attempt he quickly learned that the power was too great, never making it out of the well. He was disintegrated and cemented to the well, his spirit becoming encased in solid energy, which shaped his vestige. Karsus appears in the form of a crimson boulder that crashes down in front of the summoner. The edges of the boulder bubble violently and blood shoots out from cracks on its surface, getting higher as his voice raises. Those who bind to Karsus find themselves becoming more arrogant, and any wounds they receive bleed ten times more than normal (yet this doesn't do extra damage).

### Terms of Summoning

Karsus will not be summoned in the vicinity of an active spell, nor will he come to binders who have summoned Amon recently. He will only appear to summoners with proficiency in arcana.

### Abilities of Karsus' Vestige

Heavy Magic: The save DC for each effect of every magic item you use increases by 2.

Karsus’s Senses: You can sense magic auras as easily as others can detect odors, and concentrating on them reveals them to your sight. When you concentrate (a standard action), you automatically detect the number of different magical auras within 30 feet, and the power of the most potent aura within 30 feet, as though you had cast detect magic on the area and concentrated for 2 rounds. You do not need to concentrate to maintain this effect, but concentrating for 1 additional round reveals the location and strength of the auras in the area. A third round of concentration allows you to determine the school of a particular aura automatically. Additional rounds of concentration reveal the schools of other auras. You cannot use this ability if you are blinded, but otherwise it functions as detect magic for the purposes of concealment and the materials pierced. If you encounter an aura of overwhelming strength, however, you are dazzled so long as it remains within range of Karsus’s senses.

Karsus’s Touch: You can produce a dispel magic effect with a touch. To do so, you must make a successful melee touch attack against a creature or an object as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can then make a dispel check (1d20 + your effective binder level, maximum +20) against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. The DC for this check is 11 + the spell’s caster level. If you succeed on a particular check, that spell is dispelled; if you fail, it remains in effect. If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a summoned monster or a conjured object), you must touch the target and make a dispel check to end the spell that brought it into being.

Targeting a spell effect that is not an object or creature (such as the flames of a wall of fire) has no effect. If the touched object is a magic item, you must make a dispel check (the DC is the item’s caster level). If you succeed, all the item’s magical properties are suppressed for 1d4 rounds, after which the item recovers on its own. An inter-dimensional interface (such as a bag of holding) is temporarily closed by this effect. A suppressed item becomes non-magical for the duration, but its physical properties are unchanged, so a suppressed magic sword is still a masterwork sword. You can use Karsus’ touch a number of times per day equal to your effective binder level. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds.

Karsus’s Will: You can use spell trigger items, such as wands and staves, as if you were a wizard of your effective binder level.