Panic Button

These buttons appear to be the normal sort sewn into clothing, although some resemble round metal bells, glass beads, or other small, inconspicuous adornments.

You activate a panic button by dropping or throwing it to the ground, where it bursts with a small flash of light, a tiny popping noise, and a faint smell of sulfur. These items are designed for quick use; you can pull a panic button off your clothing (as long as you aren’t wearing armor) and drop it in your square as a swift action.

You can pull it off your clothing and toss it into another square as standard action. A thrown panic button has a range increment of 5 feet. Throwing the button into a square other than your own requires a ranged touch attack, as though it were a splash weapon, and it lands in a random square if you miss.

A panic button affects whatever creature is in the square it lands in. Unless otherwise noted, a button’s effect lasts for 1 round. If you target another creature’s square, that creature is allowed a DC 16 Fortitude save to resist the effect created by a panic button. (Most panic buttons are harmless effects that creatures would like

A number of different kinds of panic buttons exist. The following are the most common; each one lists the spell needed to create it.

Bolstering: You gain 10 temporary hit points for 1 round. Requires false life.

Dodging: You gain a +2 dodge bonus to your Armor Class against the first attack made against you in the next round. Requires haste.

Escaping: You immediately gain the benefit of dimension door, except that the range is limited to 30 feet and you must have line of sight to the destination. Requires dimension door.

Flexing: You gain a +5 bonus on all Dexterity-related skill checks and Dexterity checks made in the next round. Requires cat’s grace.

Meandering: You act as if under the effect of a slow spell for 1 round; this panic button is usually thrown at an opponent. Requires slow.

Protecting: You gain a +2 bonus on the next saving throw you roll within 1 round. Requires resistance.

Retreating: You gain an enhancement bonus of 30 feet to your speed for 1 round. Requires expeditious retreat.

Silencing: You act as if under the effect of a silence spell, centered on you, for 1 round. Requires silence.

Standing: You act as if under the effect of a dimensional anchor spell for 1 round; this panic button is usually thrown at an opponent. Requires dimensional anchor.

Strengthening: You gain a +5 bonus on all Strength-related skill checks and Strength checks made in the next round. Requires bull’s strength.

Lore: The first of these items were created by the famed assassin Fratello Simm to aid his guildmates in avoiding capture. Knowledge of panic buttons began to spread when examples of the items were discovered on captured assassins’ guild members. Fratello originally created the bolstering, escaping, and flexing panic buttons. Since then, a wider assortment of buttons has been developed by other sorts of spellcasters.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, spell varies (see individual description of each panic button).

Cost to Create: 375 gp, 30 XP, 1 day.

Source: Complete Scoundrel, page 115.