View source for Soul Gem (3.5e Equipment)

{{author
|author_name=Sulacu
|date_created=March 24, 2011
|status=Complete
|editing=
}}

== Soul gem ==

{{#set:Summary=These illustrious stones radiate dormant magic, and can trap a creature's soul upon its death.}} 

These illustrious stones radiate dormant magic, and can trap a creature's soul upon its death. When a creature under the effects of soul trapping magic is slain, its spirit energy can be imprinted within a carried soul gem, creating a powerful source of magical energy. The energy of a filled soul gem can be used for various purposes including the recharging of charge-based magic items. This however does not capture the creature's actual soul, contrary to popular belief, but instead harnasses the energy that is released when a soul is freed from its body in death, or (in the case of [[SRD:Elemental Type|elementals]] and [[SRD:Outsider Type|outsiders]]) when the creature is forced back to its native plane or destroyed. The amount of energy released differs depending on the creature's level of power. [[SRD:Summoning Subschool|Summoned]] creatures cannot be trapped in a soul gem, but [[SRD:Calling Subschool|called]] creatures can. Even a creature that technically survives its defeat, like outsiders, will be weakened tremendously by the essence lost to the soul gem, and won't be able to reform on their native planes for 1 week per point of CR it possesses.

Soul gems come in five qualities, each with a different maximum capacity for the souls it can capture; ''least'' soul gems (CR 3), ''lesser'' soul gems (CR 6), ''common'' soul gems (CR 10), ''greater'' soul gems (CR 15), and ''grand'' soul gems (CR 20).

=== Soul Gems and Crafting Magic Items ===

Soul gems filled with the essence of specific or powerful creatures (especially [[SRD:Outsider Type|outsiders]]) are in high demand on the magical market, for they also contain an imprint of the [[SRD:Spell-Like Ability|spell-like abilities]] the creature held in life, as well as any racial qualities it may have held. As such, a filled soul gem can provide any number of [[SRD:Spell-Like Ability|spell-like abilities]] contained within for the purpose of creating a magic item. For example, a soul gem filled with the essense of a [[SRD:Night Hag|night hag]] can be used to supply the ''[[SRD:Detect Chaos|detect chaos]]'', ''[[SRD:Detect Evil|detect evil]]'', ''[[SRD:Detect Good|detect good]]'', ''[[SRD:Detect Law|detect law]]'' and ''[[SRD:Detect Magic|detect magic]]'' spells required in the creation of a [[SRD:Rod of Alertness|rod of alertness]]. Multiple soul gems can be used to create the same magic item, but a soul gem cannot make multiple magic items. The act of magic item creation consumes the soul gem as it would any other spell cast in its creation.

=== Recharging Magic Items ===

A filled soul gem can be used to restore charges to a charge-based magic item, like a [[SRD:Wands|wand]] or [[SRD:Staffs|staff]]. The formula for the number of charges restored to a magic item is the following, depending on the highest spell level contained;

Charges restored = (creature CR – item [[SRD:Caster Level|caster level]] + 5) × charge cost of highest level spell

provided the result is positive, and 0 otherwise. A soul gem cannot restore more charges than an item can hold, and cannot restore any charges to an item with a [[SRD:Caster Level|caster level]] that is 5 or more points greater than the soul gem's strength.

Using a soul gem to recharge a magic item requires 1 minute of time and cannot be done in combat situations. When a soul gem is used to recharge a magic item, it is destroyed.

=== Creating Soul Gems ===

Soul gems aren't created through magical ritual, but rather found in naturally occurring crystal formations. They are effectively mundane, save for their unique ability to store great magical power. Crystalline structures capable of large amounts of energy retention are mined and then sharpened to create an inward focusing lattice, allowing for magical energy to be trapped inside without escaping. When a gem is used, the magical energies are extracted forcibly, resulting in the gem's destruction over the course of the creation or recharging process. Creating a soul gem from suitable crystal ore requires both [[SRD:Spellcraft Skill|Spellcraft]] and [[SRD:Craft Skill|Craft]] (gemcutting) checks at DC 18 (least), 21 (lesser), 25 (common), 30 (greater) or 35 (grand) respectively.

'''Price:''' 135 gp (least), 540 gp (lesser), 1,500 gp (common), 3,375 gp (greater), 6,000 gp (grand).
 

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{{3.5e Jewelry and Accessories Breadcrumb}}
[[Category:3.5e]]
[[Category:User]]
[[Category:Equipment]]
[[Category:Mundane]]
[[Category:Jewelry]]
Author	Sulacu +
Cost	Varies +
Identifier	3.5e Equipment +
Rating	Unrated +
Summary	These illustrious stones radiate dormant magic, and can trap a creature's soul upon its death. +
Title	Soul Gem +