Psychoactive Skin

This fist-sized blob of murky ectoplasm shimmers faintly in the light.

Once a psychoactive skin is donned, the ball unfolds, extends, and surrounds a Medium or smaller wearer’s entire body in a variegated second skin, granting the wearer access to a particular array of abilities (see the Index above). Donning a psychoatcive skin requires a mental command as a standard action.

A deployed skin completely covers the wearer and all his equipment, but allows him to see, hear, and breathe normally. It rolls away from various parts of the body as needed, such as when the wearer needs to eat or access a backpack. Held items or items specifically excluded are not covered up.

Up to three skins can be worn simultaneously, although only the outermost is active in any given round (the powers of the hidden skins cannot be activated or accessed). Skin layers can be changed as a standard (mental) action, which causes the desired lower-layer skin to come to the surface.

Skin of the Celestial

Once activated, the stainless white skin of the celestial bathes you in a shimmering golden halo.

When activated, this skin grants you the following abilities for 7 rounds (if you already have one of these abilities, use your own values if higher):

• Damage reduction 5/magic.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and electricity 10.
• Smite Evil (Su): Once during the skin’s duration, you can attempt a normal melee attack to deal an extra 10 points of damage against an evil foe. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not evil, or if your smite attack misses, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
• Spell resistance 15.

A skin of the celestial functions once per day. At the end of its duration, it falls dormant until the following dawn.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, lesser holy transformation or planar apotheosis {CP 93}.

Cost to Create: 3,000 gp, 240 XP, 6 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 169.

Skin of Celestial Embrace

This iridescent white skin bathes you in a shimmering golden halo when activated.

When activated, a skin of celestial embrace grants you the following abilities for 15 rounds (if you already have any of these abilities, use your own values if higher):

• +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against poison.
• Damage reduction 10/magic.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Feathered wings that allow you to fly at twice your base land speed with good maneuverability.
• Immunity to disease.
• Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and electricity 10.
• Smite Evil (Su): Once during the skin’s duration, you can attempt a normal melee attack to deal an extra 15 points of damage against an evil foe. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not evil, or if your smite attack misses, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
• Spell resistance 25.

A skin of celestial embrace functions once per day. At the end of its duration, it falls dormant until the following dawn.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, holy transformation or planar embrace {CP 94}.

Cost to Create: 12,000 gp, 960 XP, 24 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of the Chameleon

This skin adjusts its color and texture according to your surroundings.

A skin of the chameleon adjusts to your surrounding textures and colors, continually granting you a +10 competence bonus on Hide checks.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, darkness or chameleon {XPH 82}.

Cost to Create: 7,500 gp, 600 XP, 15 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of the Claw

This skin ripples with suppressed power once worn.

A skin of the claw benefits you only if you are a {psychic warrior}. If you are a psychic warrior and you wear this skin, you can transform your hands into deadly claws. You gain two primary natural claw attacks, each dealing 1d6 points of damage (if you are Medium) plus your Strength modifier. You can’t combine these claw attacks with other weapon or natural weapon attacks as part of the same full attack action. You can return your hands to their previous form with another swift (mental) action.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, claws of the bear (SC 47) or claws of the beast {XPH 83}.

Cost to Create: 6,000 gp, 480 XP, 12 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of the Defender

This thick, rough skin gives your body an appearance similar to tree bark.

This skin continually grants a +4 enhancement bonus to your natural armor bonus. (A creature without natural armor has an effective natural armor bonus of +0.)

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, barkskin or thicken skin {XPH 137}.

Cost to Create: 16,000 gp, 1,280 XP, 32 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of Ectoplasmic Armor

This silvery, translucent skin appears to surround you in a suit of crystalline plates.

This skin grants you a +8 armor bonus. The skin has a maximum Dexterity bonus of +2, a –⁠6 armor check penalty, and a 25% arcane spell failure chance. It is treated as light armor for the purpose of affecting class features and movement.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, mage armor or inertial armor {XPH 113}.

Cost to Create: 3,000 gp, 240 XP, 6 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of the Fiend

This deep red skin raises tiny horns from your forehead.

When activated, a skin of the fiend grants you the following abilities for 7 rounds (if you already have any of these abilities, use your own values if higher):

• Damage reduction 5/magic.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10.
• Smite Good (Su): Once during the skin’s duration, you can attempt a normal melee attack to deal an extra 10 points of damage against a good foe. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not good, or if your smite attack misses, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
• Spell resistance 15.

A skin of the fiend functions once per day. At the end of its duration, it falls dormant until the following dawn.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, lesser infernal transformation or planar apotheosis {CP 93}.

Cost to Create: 3,000 gp, 240 XP, 6 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of Fiendish Embrace

This glistening, blood-red skin raises horns the color of bloodied bones from your forehead.

When activated, a skin of fiendish embrace grants you the following abilities for 15 rounds (if you already have any of these abilities, use your own values if higher):

• Damage reduction 10/magic.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Batlike wings that allow you to fly at your base land speed with average maneuverability.
• Claws: Two primary claw attacks that each deal 1d6 points of damage (assuming you are Medium).
• Immunity to poison.
• Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.
• Smite Good (Su): Once during the skin’s duration, you can attempt a normal melee attack to deal an extra 15 points of damage against a good foe. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not good, or if your smite attack misses, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
• Spell resistance 25.

A skin of fiendish embrace functions once per day. At the end of its duration, it falls dormant until the following dawn.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, infernal transformation or planar embrace {CP 94}.

Cost to Create: 12,000 gp, 960 XP, 24 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 170.

Skin of Fiery Response

Once donned, this skin pulses with occasional bursts of energy the color of flame.

A skin of fiery response answers the first melee or ranged attack made against you in each round with a targeted blast against the attacker. The blast of fire emits from the skin at the start of your next turn, making a ranged touch attack against the attacker if within line of sight and line of effect (up to a maximum distance of 40 feet). You must also be able to identify the source of the attack. For instance, if the attack comes from a foe that is hiding or invisible, the attacker cannot be identified and is not targeted by the effect. The ranged touch attack uses your base attack bonus plus either your Dexterity modifier or the key ability modifier of your highest-level spellcasting class (your choice) and deals 4d6+4 points of fire damage.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, scorching ray or energy retort {XPH 137}.

Cost to Create: 30,000 gp, 2,400 XP, 60 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 171.

Skin of the Hero

This skin gives your body a silvery hue.

This skin continually grants its wearer a +3 deflection bonus to Armor Class, a +3 resistance bonus on saving throws, and a +3 enhancement bonus on attack rolls.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, limited wish or bend reality {XPH 80}.

Cost to Create: 38,500 gp, 3,080 XP, 77 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 171.

Skin of Iron

Your body turns a uniform gray color while this skin is worn and active.

When activated, this skin grants you the benefit of the iron body spell with a duration of 15 minutes. At the end of its duration, it falls dormant until the following dawn.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, iron body.

Cost to Create: 20,000 gp, 1,600 XP, 40 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 171.

Skin of Nimbleness

This skin is supportive and slightly tacky.

This skin continually grants you a +10 competence bonus on Tumble checks.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Tumble 10 ranks.

Cost to Create: 7,500 gp, 600 XP, 15 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 171.

Skin of Power Damping

Your body has a faint blue cast while you wear this translucent skin.

This skin provides no benefits while worn unless it is activated. When it is activated, all numeric effects of any spell, spelllike ability, power, or psi-like ability that affects you (whether harmful or beneficial) are minimized for you (but not for any other creatures affected by the spell, power, or ability) for 1 round. For example, if you were struck by a lightning bolt from a 5th-level wizard, you would take only 5 points of damage (or 2 points if you successfully save).

A skin of power damping functions three times per day. At the end of its duration, it falls dormant until the following dawn.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, antimagic field or damp power {CP 82}.

Cost to Create: 5,000 gp, 400 XP, 10 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 171.

Skin of the Psion

This psychoactive skin glows pale blue with power when active.

This skin grants you 7 additional power points per day and spell resistance 21.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, spell resistance or power resistance {XPH 124}.

Cost to Create: 45,000 gp, 3,600 XP, 90 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 172.

Skin of the Spider

This midnight-blue skin is highlighted with a red spiderweb pattern and large black-rimmed white eyes.

This skin grants you a +10 competence bonus on Climb checks. The skin also automatically adjusts your body’s equilibrium to correspond with any solid or liquid upon which you stand. This allows you to move (but not run) across water, quicksand, or even a spider’s web at your normal speed. These are continuous effects and require no activation.

Three times per day, you can fire a glob of goo at a Medium or smaller target within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. If successful, the target is entangled for 5 rounds (Strength DC 20 or Escape Artist DC 20 to escape).

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, water walk or body equilibrium {XPH 124}, web or entangling ectoplasm {XPH 104}, Climb 10 ranks.

Cost to Create: 20,000 gp, 1,600 XP, 40 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 172.

Skin of the Troll

Your body appears rough, cracked, and covered with blemishes as long as you wear this skin.

This skin heals you of 5 points of damage per minute. This benefit is not effective against damage from starvation, thirst, or suffocation. The skin also regrows lost portions of your body and allows you to reattach severed limbs.

If you don’t have a Constitution score, a skin of the troll has no effect on you.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, regenerate or true metabolism {XPH 124}.

Cost to Create: 30,500 gp, 2,440 XP, 61 days.

Source: Magic Item Compendium, page 172.