4th & Dragon : Dungeons and Dragons...and stuff

The Hex Cannon
Artifact Construction

This dreaded weapon immobile weapon is capable of delivering a powerful magical hex that blights and entire city.
The cannon has a range of 2,000 miles as it fires in an arc, but that is enough to subjugate an entire continent. The Cannon itself is a massive structure. When fired a bright light streaks across the sky from the cannon to the target area and a horrid moaning sound follows in the shots wake. Upon impact a 3 mile diameter stretch of land is hexed for years to come.

The artifact is not invulnerable, but due to its massive size damaging one section is not sufficient to destroy it as it can be repaired. The building its self is heavily guarded and warden with magic. Items such as Lyre’s of Building and a weird stone protect the building. As the hex cannon is currently situated atop the central palace in a metropolis sized city, only adds to the possible protection from the nations defenders.

The artifact was built on top of a powerful magical nexus point of energy. Only a handful of such places exist in the world and as such few locations would be capable of supporting a Hex Cannon. The hex cannon is powered by a minor artifact called an Magicka Resonator that draws energy from the nexus point

The only way to truly neutralize the hex cannon is to reach the hidden chamber containing the Magicka resonator and destroy it. This would prevent them from rebuilding the hex cannon. (unless they found a second Magicka Resonator). However due to the Resonator being tapped into the nexus point of magical energy destroying it would be like detonating a staff of the magi but with twice the damage and radius.
Safely removing the resonator requires a successful spell craft check DC 45 and one hour uninterrupted work.
Failure by 5 or more has a 25% chance of explosion.
SImply yanking the resonator away has a 50% chance of explosion
A Wish or miracle spell can successfully remove the resonator immediately.

The Hex cannon is powered by the nexus and magicka resonator however the hex is formed from a tortured soul. To create the hex requires the a specially prepared sacrifice. The sacrifice must have a close positive personal connection to the target area. The sacrifice must be tortured repeatedly over many days always to a point just before death. The process is very difficult and typical subjects do not survive. So one must either find a sufficiently durable sacrifice (6 HD or more) or nab enough commoners so statistically one sacrifice surveys the preparation process.

Distance from center and severity of hex
0.50 mile diameter: Severely Hexed
1.00 mile diameter: Highly Hexed
1.50 mile diameter: Moderately Hexed
3.00 mile diameter: Minorly Hexed

Severely Hexed Area
Desecrate
Dark inky fog obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away or more have concealment (attacks by or against them have a 20% miss chance). Creatures with vulnerability to sunlight can move freely in this area
All conjuration(cure) spells cure three less hit points (minimum 0)
Natural Healing does not function area highly hexed or more.

Highly Hexed Area
Dark Fog as above,
Natural Healing does not function
Conjuration (cure) spells cure two less hit points (minimum 0)

Moderately Hexed Area
Dark Fog but no longer provides sunlight protection
Conjuration (cure) spells cure one less hit point (minimum 0)

Minor Hexed Area
Wisps Fog remains but concealment is only granted after 30ft

Any creature spending time in the area is subject to hex sickness which depends on the severity of the hex and the time of exposure

Hex Sickness
Time of Exposure 1 Round
Area Minorly Hexed:  Mild Sickness
Area Moderately Hexed:  Mild Sickness
Area Highly Hexed:  Light Sickness
Area Severely Hexed:  Moderate Sickness

Time of Exposure 1 Minute
Area Minorly Hexed:  Mild Sickness
Area Moderately Hexed:  Light Sickness
Area Highly Hexed:  Moderate Sickness
Area Severely Hexed:  High Sickness

Time of Exposure 10 Minutes
Area Minorly Hexed:  Mild Sickness
Area Moderately Hexed:  Light Sickness
Area Highly Hexed:  Moderate Sickness
Area Severely Hexed:  High Sickness

Time of Exposure 1 Hour
Area Minorly Hexed:  Light Sickness
Area Moderately Hexed:  Moderate Sickness
Area Highly Hexed:  High Sickness
Area Severely Hexed:  Severe Sickness

Time of Exposure 1 Day
Area Minorly Hexed:  Moderate Sickness
Area Moderately Hexed:  High Sickness
Area Highly Hexed:  Severe Sickness
Area Severely Hexed:  Severe Sickness

Hex Sickness
Degree of Exposure: Mild, Fort Save DC: 12, Incubation: 1 day, Damage: 1d4-1 Con*

Degree of Exposure: Light, Fort Save DC: 15, Incubation: 4d6 hours, Damage: 1d6-1 Con,*

Degree of Exposure: Moderate, Fort Save DC: 18, Incubation: 3d6 hours, Damage: 1d6 Con,*

Degree of Exposure: High, Fort Save DC: 21, Incubation: 2d6 hours, Damage: 1d6+1 Con.

Degree of Exposure: Severe, Fort Save DC: 24, Incubation: 1d6 hours, Damage: 2d6 Con.
*Minnium 0

Anyone caught in the blast immediately must make a fort save as if they had spent 1 day in the area. *If using the taint system throwing that in there somewhere is a good idea.

So two factors determine what level of hex sickness you get.
1st: The severity of the hexed area, and the time you spend in that area.
A day spent in the edge of the hex is equivalent to spending one round in a hexed area.
You only make one saving throw depending on how long you stay with in the area. Or every day of exposure if your stuck out there. Then of course it takes time before you feel the effects.

Creatures immune to disease are not immune to hex sickness but do gain a +5 bonus to their fort saves. A creature immune to both poison an disease is immune to hex sickness. Death Ward protects a creature from exposure Plants wither and water and soil becomes corrupted and stagnant unable to support life. Creatures immune to poison are immune to this effect, but not plants. Hex sickness can otherwise be treated like any disease but the heal check DC is 5 higher then normal. The disease is not contagious only exposer to the hex can cause it.

I adapted the radiation sickness from the d20 modern SRD for the hex sickness. I originally had a different idea but as I tweaked it the more I found what I was looking for already existed. The Hex Cannon is right now developing feature in my current campaign. (an evil campaign).

So… this intended to be the doomsday “I WIN” button of a nation? I.E. Death Star, Suncrusher, etc.?

I’m somehow reminded of WH40K. I can certainly see this thing in the middle of a blasted cityscape, protected by legions of chaos marines.

And what does it look like? A castle? Temple? Skyscraper?

Yes its in tended to be a doomsday I win to a nation like the death star.

Hmm looks like a fortified temple

A few other effects i’ll add later are nasty things that happen to anyone caught in the hex when it lands. I don’t have a high priority for this as I don’t intend to ever actually shoot the PC’s with the hex cannon.
One such effect is when the hex lands there is a blinding white flash and those in the area must also make a fort save vs blindness the DC and the duration would depend on how close you are to ground zero.

Distance from center and severity of hex
0.50 mile diameter: Severely Hexed: Blindness-Permenant DC 18
1.00 mile diameter: Highly Hexed: Blindness-2d4 Hours DC 16
1.50 mile diameter: Moderately Hexed Blindness 2d4 Minutes DC 14
3.00 mile diameter: Minorly Hexed: Blindness 1d4 Rounds DC 12*
*But Only if looking in the direction of ground zero.

So take John Smith, he’s a 5th level fighter Con 14, Fort Save+7.
He must two saving throws the moment the hex hits the central plaza where he’s working as a guard.
The first save is to avoid being permanently blinded
*This save come before the hex energy damages constitution.
The second save is against taking 2d6 points of con damage from the initial blast of hex energy. Also on a failure he contracts hex sickness.
Of course as he was near ground zero he has severe hex sickness (I need a better name). And the incubation period is only 1d6 hours.

Many of those who perish in the hex will return as undead especially in the centeral areas covered in the thick dark fog. The hex area may not be of epic size but its large enough that with the dark fog the blinding effect of the initial blast.

The sacrifice also haunts the Severely Hexed area until such time as the hex in cleansed.

I’m also adapting Taint Elementals to be creatures that form from the evil malice contained with in the hex. As I don’t use taint I’ll have them inflict hex sickness instead of taint.
The severity of the sickness would depend on size.