Cauldron of NightmaresEquipment 17

Source Pathfinder #161: Belly of the Black Whale
Price 13,000 gp
Weight 1 bulk

Engraved with carvings of tortured souls, this green cauldron has two abilities that allow it to capture nightmares and then unleash them on the world.

The cauldron has an affinity for preying on the minds of captives and prisoners, who take a -2 circumstance penalty to saving throws against it. Good creatures are Enfeebled 2 while carrying, wielding, or wearing this item crafted by the sea-witches.

Activate One Action Interact

Frequency once per day

Effect The cauldron casts Nightmare (DC 35 will) on a target creature that you know by name. The target must be on the same plane as you. If the target fails its save and is 15th level or lower, you add its nightmare to the cauldron. The cauldron can hold only six nightmares at a time; when you add a new nightmare, you choose which six to keep.

Activate Two Actions Interact

Frequency once per week

Effect You spill the nightmarish contents of the cauldron onto the ground and choose one creature whose nightmare is stored in your cauldron. A nightmare copy of the chosen creature springs to life from the bubbling pile of horror. The cauldron casts Duplicate Foe on the target, ignoring the range restriction, and the target automatically fails its saving throw. All enemies within 20 feet of the cauldron are subjected to a Fear spell (DC 35 will). All other nightmares stored in the cauldron are lost. The cauldron becomes totally inert and can't be used again for 1 week.

Craft Requirements Supply a casting of nightmare.

Traits

Rare

This rarity indicates that a rules element is very difficult to find in the game world. A rare feat, spell, item or the like is available to players only if the GM decides to include it in the game, typically through discovery during play. Creatures with this trait are rare. They typically can't be summoned. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to these creatures is increased by 5.

Illusion

Effects and magic items with this trait are associated with the illusion school of magic, typically involving false sensory stimuli.

Invested

A character can wear only 10 magical items that have the invested trait. None of the magical effects of the item apply if the character hasn't invested it, nor can it be activated, though the character still gains any normal benefits from wearing the physical item (like a hat keeping rain off their head).

Magical

Something with the magical trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. A magical item radiates a magic aura infused with its dominant school of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the magical trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.