Those who wear the armor of the watching master know what it feels like to be in command and to sense what others miss. They possess unnatural sight and unusual powers to blind, burn, and bully their enemies. Individually, each piece of the armor of the watching master provides a useful ability, but only those with the full set know its true powers.
The armor of the watching master works best in the hands of a barbarian or other melee warrior. As medium armor, a breastplate of terror allows a barbarian to use his fast movement ability, and its damage reduction stacks with the barbarian’s. The armor of the watching master also provides other advantages useful to any melee-oriented character, such as frightening or blinding foes, ignoring hardness, and overcoming damage reduction. Note that the Strength bonus provided by the armor of the watching master can be increased using the rules for Adding Common Item Effects to Existing Items.
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion), or who have the bardic knowledge ability, can research the armor of the watching master to learn more about these items. When a character succeeds on a check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 15: The first set of the armor of the watching master belonged to a powerful elf paladin who returned from planar travel wearing the items. The paladin founded an organization devoted to guardianship and order, and sets of the armor of the watching master became standard issue for the highest-ranking members of that group. The organization, called the Watchful Eyes, collapsed due to internal strife one hundred years ago, and now sets of this armor continue to appear from time to time in the hands of various individuals.
DC 20: The Watchful Eyes collapsed because many of its paladin members became blackguards at about the same time that its founder vanished. Lacking leadership and warring internally, the group eventually disintegrated.
DC 25: Stories persist that the founder of the organization was the first to fall from grace, and that she returned from the planes tainted by evil. The stories don’t say how she managed to hide this from other members of the Watchful Eyes or why she founded the group, but supposedly the dark side of the Watchful Eyes persists as a cultlike order of barbarians and blackguards who wear pieces of the armor of the watching master as a sign of their devotion to the cult.
DC 30: A check result of 30 or higher reveals the location of another piece of the set. Use this to drive further adventure and direct the PCs toward some location or story you would like them to explore.
Wearing pieces of the armor of the watching master allows you to command or frighten foes, blind and burn enemies, or crush objects that impede your vision. Wearing the entire set grants you vision that can pierce invisibility.
When all four pieces of the armor are worn, the staring eyes marking each item appear to come to life, becoming bloodshot, yellow-pupiled orbs that look around of their own accord.
2 Pieces: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
4 Pieces: You gain a +5 competence bonus on Spot checks. Once per day, you can speak the command word of “Cabiri” and activate the armor with a standard action to gain the effect of a see invisibility spell for 3 minutes.
| Piece | Body Slot | Price (gp) | Item Level | Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mask of mastery | Face | 3,500 | 8th | +5 on Intimidate checks; 1/day command |
| Helm of wounding sight | Head | 6,500 | 10th | Light at will; 3/day blinding fire cone |
| Gauntlets of destruction | Hands | 6,610 | 11th | +2 Strength; 3/day treat attack as adamantine |
| Breastplate of terror | Body | 13,200 | 14th | +1 adamantine breastplate; 1/day frighten foe |
| Pieces Worn | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 2 pieces | +2 on initiative checks |
| 4 pieces | +5 on Spot checks; 1/day see invisibility for 3 minutes |
Price (Item Level): 13,200 gp (14th)
Body Slot: Body
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) necromancy
Activation: — and immediate (mental)
Weight: 30 lb.
This adamantine breastplate bears an emblem of a wide, staring eye surrounded by raised rays of glittering mithral.
As a +1 adamantine breastplate, this item grants damage reduction 2/—. A breastplate of terror’s damage reduction stacks with damage reduction gained as a class feature (but not from any other source). For example, a 10th-level barbarian would have damage reduction 4/—.
In addition, once per day immediately after you have been damaged by a melee attack, you can activate this armor to render a foe that just wounded you frightened for 1 round. If the enemy succeeds on a DC 20 Will save, it is shaken for 1 round rather than frightened.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cause fear, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 1,500 gp (plus 10,200 gp for adamantine breastplate), 120 XP, 3 days.
Price (Item Level): 6,610 gp (11th)
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 6th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) evocation and transmutation
Activation: — and swift (command)
Weight: 2 lb.
Each of these spiked steel gauntlets has an embossed image of an eye on its back. Each eye has an emerald for a pupil.
Gauntlets of destruction grant you a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength.
In addition, you can activate the gauntlets to enable the next melee attack made during your turn to overcome damage reduction and ignore hardness as if the attack were made with an adamantine weapon. This ability functions three times per day.
Gauntlets of destruction are masterwork spiked gauntlets and can be used as a weapon. You can enhance a gauntlet beyond its base abilities by using the rules for crafting a magic weapon, but each gauntlet must be enhanced separately.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bull’s strength, shatter, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 3,000 gp (plus 610 gp for two masterwork spiked gauntlets), 240 XP, 6 days.
Price (Item Level): 6,500 gp (10th)
Body Slot: Head
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) evocation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.
This steel helmet covers all of the wearer’s head but the face. A single huge eye with a crystal pupil is embossed on the helm’s forehead.
When a helm of wounding sight is activated, the embossed pupil sheds light with the brightness of a light spell until it is commanded to cease or the helm is removed.
In addition, three times per day, a helm of wounding sight can be activated to emit an instantaneous 60-foot-long cone of bright, burning light. This cone deals 2d6 points of fire damage and blinds all creatures in the area for 1 round. Creatures that succeed on DC 20 Reflex saves take half damage and are dazzled for 1 round.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, light, burning hands, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 3,250 gp, 260 XP, 6 days.
Price (Item Level): 3,500 gp (8th)
Body Slot: Face
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) enchantment
Activation: — and standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.
This steel half-mask covers only the lower face. Over the wearer’s mouth, an emblem depicting a large eye with a crystal for its pupil stares forth.
Wearing a mask of mastery causes the wearer’s voice to sound more commanding and authoritative, adding a +5 competence bonus on Intimidate checks.
When activated, this mask allows you to utter a command (as the spell; Will DC 20 negates). Unlike the command spell, this effect is not language-dependent—the target needs only to be able to hear you. This ability functions once per day.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, command, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 1,750 gp, 140 XP, 4 days.
Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 191.