The items that make up the wraith’s woe live up to the name, making you a deadly enemy both to spirits and the walking dead. However, although they were constructed to battle undead, the items in the set are useful in encounters with a variety of creatures, both living and unliving.
Wizards, sorcerers, and other spellcasters who have poor Fortitude saves likely benefit from this set the most, since they are in more danger from the necromantic powers typically possessed by undead. Also, level drain reduces a spellcaster’s effectiveness dramatically, whereas a fighter or other character focused on physical attacks can likely still get by even with the penalties of negative levels. Finally, gauntlets of ghost fighting offer a rare opportunity for spellcasters to affect incorporeal foes normally. A set of the wraith’s woe makes a good investment for any character preparing to face undead. The relatively low prices of the items make purchasing particular pieces an option even for a low-level party. You might consider having a few characters purchase the different pieces of wraith’s woe and then having the PC who suffers the most from the attacks of undead put on all the items to restore ability damage and drain.
Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion), or who have the bardic knowledge ability, can research the wraith’s woe 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 example of this set was created over a century ago by a human mystic theurge who devoted herself to hunting undead after her family was slain by wraiths. This mystic theurge founded a holy order devoted to battling undead and created sets of the wraith’s woe for those who joined her quest. Members of this order had to earn items from these sets by slaying a sufficient number of undead while also adhering to the order’s ideals of bravery, self-sacrifice, and compassion for innocent mortals.
DC 20: The order, known as the Blades Against Death, still exists. Composed mainly of paladins and clerics, the order sponsors adventurers of every stripe in quests against undead. Adventurers who perform well are often offered membership in the organization and granted pieces of the wraith’s woe, much as the order’s founder rewarded the original members. Being a member has other benefits, since Blades Against Death has decades of experience confronting undead, and its members have learned much during that time that can aid those who share their cause.
DC 25: High-ranking members of the Blades Against Death have been heard to speak of the order’s founder as though she still lives and speaks to them. If it’s true, she must be undead herself, for no human could live so long. Those who openly suggest this possibility are labeled blasphemers by the Blades Against Death and exiled from the order. Such individuals are then never seen again, leading some to think that the Blades Against Death is capturing or killing these ex-members. Of course, to suggest such or question the order about how it handles blasphemers causes a member to be labeled a blasphemer, a fate all members take great pains to avoid.
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 two pieces of the wraith’s woe grants you the ability to know where undead hide and to pierce their disguises. Wearing the whole set also allows you to undo the effects of encounters with undead that damage or drain ability scores.
A character wearing all of the wraith’s woe takes on a haunted and pale appearance. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost” is commonly heard by those who regularly dress in all three pieces.
2 Pieces: You can activate detect undead (CL 3rd) as a standard (mental) action at will.
3 Pieces: You can activate wraith’s woe as a standard (mental) action to cure all ability damage you have, as well as restore all points drained from a single ability score of your choice. This ability can be used once per day.
| Piece | Body Slot | Price (gp) | Item Level | Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choker of life protection | Throat | 14,000 | 14th | +2 AC against undead; protection from 3 negative levels/day |
| Gauntlets of ghost fighting | Hands | 4,000 | 8th | Ignore incorporeal miss chance; +1d6 melee damage against incorporeal creatures |
| Shirt of wraith stalking | Torso | 6,000 | 10th | Hide from undead |
| Pieces Worn | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 2 pieces | Detect undead |
| 3 pieces | 1/day cure all your ability damage plus drain on one ability |
Price (Item Level): 14,000 gp (14th)
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 7th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) conjuration
Activation: — or immediate (mental)
Weight: —
This slim black leather collar is set with three golden stones the size of small grapes.
As long as a collar of life protection can still protect you as described below, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against the attacks of undead.
A choker of life protection also protects you from energy drain attacks. When you would normally gain up to three negative levels, you can activate the choker to negate the negative levels. A choker can negate three negative levels per day, so it can be used three times to negate one negative level with each activation, once to negate three negative levels all at once, and so on.
Each negative level prevented renders one of the collar’s three stones gray and dull. Every day at dawn, all three stones automatically dissipate the collected negative energy and once again become golden.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, restoration, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 7,000 gp, 560 XP, 14 days.
Price (Item Level): 4,000 gp (8th)
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 13th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) conjuration
Activation: —
Weight: 1 lb.
This pair of heavy, black leather gloves bears suns and skulls of gold on the knuckles and around each wrist.
The wearer of gauntlets of ghost fighting deals damage normally to incorporeal creatures with spells or attacks, ignoring an incorporeal creature’s 50% miss chance. In addition, melee attacks made by the wearer deal an extra 1d6 points of damage against incorporeal foes.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, plane shift, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 2,000 gp, 160 XP, 4 days.
Price (Item Level): 6,000 gp (10th)
Body Slot: Torso
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) abjuration
Activation: Standard (mental)
Weight: 1 lb.
This shiny black leather shirt bears small golden sun and skull emblems around its collar, shoulders, and cuffs.
When you activate a shirt of wraith stalking, you gain the benefit of a hide from undead spell at will, except that undead are not allowed a saving throw regardless of their Intelligence.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, hide from undead, possession of a piece of the set.
Cost to Create: 3,000 gp, 240 XP, 6 days.
Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 215.