Mutagen Pit (3.5e Location)

 

Mutagen Pit
The origin of the mutagen pit is debated. Some claim it is the toxic remains of an advance technological civilization whose power source overloaded and released the blight into the world. Others claim biological experiments by aberrations such as the illithids of Thoon. And still others claim it is an open sore in the natural world, a place where the far realm bleeds in via the form of the glowing mutagen. Regardless of the origins, the location of the mutagen pit is one of danger and threat to nearly all life which comes near, but those that survive can come back stronger.

Lore
The mutagen pit is the center of an area of scorched dead earth. Its origins are one of mystery, but evidence shows it sits in the heart of ruins of a former civilization, within a large but crumbled building which many believe to have been some manner of power plant or lab. The mutagen pit gives off a deadly miasma which kills most normal life around it for 1 mile, and yet near the center abberant and twisted life blooms and grows like a thick jungle. These are the species changed by the mutagen, and this is their oasis in a world they do not belong in.

Description
The mutagen pit itself is a sinkhole in the center of these forbidden ruins. The ruins themselves are covered with patches of glowing ooze-like matter, and its source seems to be the pit which actively boils with the substance deep within the bottom of the sinkhole. It gives off a sickly light which is poisonous to most normal life and troubling in its own right, for while it is usually spoken as "a pale sickly green" it is done only by analogy, for the light it emits does not fall within the range of anything known on any spectrum of light. Aberrations do not show such symptoms, and things associated with the Far Realm have even gone to the point of calling the light "comforting". Creatures and objects exposed to the mutagen, those that survive, take on a faint pale green hue and are said to glow faintly in the darkness. In addition upon death they crumble into gray powder.

Prerequisite
While any creature can attempt to make the journey, creatures with less than 3 HD immediately perish if they enter the ooze at the center of the pit. In addition, aberrations and creatures from the far realm cannot benefit from the pit.

In order to recieve any benefit, the creature cannot be immune to ability damage. They may be resistant, and they are free to remove the ability damage as they see fit.

Location Activation
Creatures which approach the danger zone must endure the blight of its radioactive light. Within 1 mile creatures must make a DC 15 Fort save or take 1d4 Con damage every hour. Those within 1000 ft must make the saves every minute, and those within 100 ft take 1d4 Con damage without a save every round. At that point, one either will die there or reach the pit and entomb themselves within the ooze. They are save from additional saves when submerged in the ooze, but face other threats. Those which die to the Con damage crumble into gray dust.

Once within the ooze, the creature's biology is halted and they no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. They are treated to a warped vision as the ooze alters their body, a process which takes 3d4 hours. For every hour they must make a DC 15 Will save or take 1d4 Wisdom damage. Those that reach 0 Wisdom don't go into a coma. Instead they are immediately ejected from the ooze at 1 Wisdom and are insane (as per the spell) with no other benefits, but likely left to die from Con drain. Because they are effectively in stasis, they can't take actions while in the ooze.

If the creature survives the ordeal, at the end of the duration they are ejected with new augmentations and a faint pale glow to their bodies. They no longer take damage from the radioactive miasma, and subsequently can only benefit from the transformation once.

Recharge
Any number can try the mutagen pit challenge. Those that have obtained benefit from the mutagen pit cannot activate it a second time.

Special Ability
You obtain a bonus feat selected from the following list. The ability gained is permanent. Choose from the following: DeepspawnLoM, Hidden TalentXPH, StarspawnLoM, WaterspawnLoM, or any Deformity feat. You may ignore the requirements of Aberration BloodLoM, Willing DeformityBoVD, alignment, and the need for additional non-specific Aberration or Vile feats (such as "requires at least one other aberration feat" and similar wording) with the exception of Inhuman ReachLoM, which still requires Aberration Blood.

You give off a pale glow, resulting in a -4 penalty in Hide checks, and a -4 penalty on Handle Animal checks. If you die, you crumble into a gray dust which may make normal revival attempts difficult. They may count as an aberration for the purposes of feats, abilities, and other effects when beneficial.

Duration
Permanent.

Ability Value
6,000 gp.