Luz Solare

Overview

The Legendary bow Luz Solare is a mighty composite longbow crafted by the elven cleric ranger Pandarial, in preparation for the battle with the Warlord, Shinn the Sorcerer.

Luz Solare is currently wielded by Perrin Forester, the Bloodhound of Crustan.

The Story of Pandarial

Check required: Knowledge (history) DC 15 The bow known as Luz Solare was created as a point of light in a growing darkness. In the days before the Scarlet War, Pandarial, an elven undead hunter, was granted a vision of time to come, and what he saw chilled his heart: legions of undead, marching across a pastoral land, turning it to wasteland with their every step. When he awoke from his vision, Pandarial set about creating a weapon that could be used to combat the coming darkness.

When the dark days came at last, and Shinn the Sorcerer called forth his legions of the dead, Pandarial stood beside Carline Bright-Eyes, surrounded by the greatest heroes of their time, and held forth Luz Solare, the Beacon of Light. His arrows lit the battlefield, and kindled fear in the unbeating hearts of those who drew no breath.

Check required: Knowledge (history) DC 20 Slain, at the last, by Nyctophobos, the sword of Simone Delcius, his bow was lost to the forces of Pelor, and Luz Solare disappeared from mortal knowledge, seemingly forever. One thing, however, is known – the bow would never let itself be carried by a foul creature from beyond the grave, for Pandarial had crafted it with a purpose and a great measure of his holy power.

Check required: Knowledge (history) DC 25 Legend has it that after the fall of Shinn’s forces, a common member of the army, who didn’t realize what they had at hand, retrieved the bow. It’s possible that Luz Solare has been passed down from father to son, for generations, a common ‘war trophy’, with none the wiser. The Beacon of Light, it seems, waited for a wielder to come along worthy of the full measure of its power - Perrin Forester.

Requirements

To wield Luz Solare as its scion, a character must fulfill the following criteria:

Alignment

Any Non-evil

Base Attack Bonus

+5

Base Save Bonus

Fort +4

Skills

Knowledge (Religion): 4 ranks, Survival: 7 ranks,

Feats

Precise Shot, Far Shot, Rapid Shot

Special

Scar of Unlife: The character must have lost one level or had an ability score point drained by an undead creature. Even if the loss is later offset by magic, this is the scar of unlife that the Scion of Light carries. Once the wielder knows what he carries, a successful Knowledge (Religion) Check (DC 15) reveals this requirement.

Special

To become the scion of Luz Solare, the wielder must have the favored enemy class ability and have undead as one of his favored enemies.

Restrictions

A scion of the Luz Solare who becomes evil immediately loses all special abilities granted by this prestige class. He regains these abilities as soon as he converts to a good alignment again.

Maintenance

Luz Solare is attuned to the dawning sun, and must bathe in its rays from time to time. If the bow spends more than 24 hours in the dark, it functions as though its wielder were one level lower as a scion than he actually is (minimum level 0, which is equivalent to a wielder who fulfills the requirements for the prestige class but has not yet taken a level in it). For example, if Luz Solare’s wielder were a 5th level ranger/3rd level scion, and he took the legendary bow into a maze of caverns for more than 24 hours, Luz Solare’s enhancement bonus would drop to +2. A successful Knowledge (history) check (DC 20) reveals this requirement.

Abilities granted by Luz Solare

Following is a list of the powers of Luz Solare, in the hands of a full scion.

Attributes

Luz Solare has the following attributes.

• Hardness/Hit Points: 20/55
• Value: To any character other than its scion, Luz Solare appears to be worth as much as a Masterwork Composite Longbow (0 Str). (400 gp)

Special Abilities

Scion Level	Ability Gained	Related Caster Level
none	masterwork	0
qualified	+2 Enhancement Bonus	6
qualified	Detect Undead	3
qualified	Light	3
qualified	Class Skills	--
1	Favored Enemy Bonus: Undead	6
2	Undead Bane	8
3	+3 Enhancement Bonus	9
4	Hide from Undead	3
5	Ghost Touch	9
6	+4 Enhancement Bonus	12
7	Holy	7
8	Death Ward	9
9	+5 Enhancement Bonus	15
10	True Death	13

Luz Solare provides the following special abilities to its wielder, depending upon the character’s level in the scion prestige class (See Table 2-1: Abilities granted by Luz Solare)

Initial Abilities

When first acquired, Luz Solare functions as a masterwork composite longbow with no bonus for great strength. Anyone who wields it benefits from this ability.

Enhancement Bonus

Luz Solare’s enhancement bonus increases to +2 when the scion meets all requirements for the prestige class. It increases to +3 at 3rd level (+5 vs. undead because of the undead bane effect, see below), +4 at 6th level (+6 vs. undead), and to +5 at 9th level (+7 vs. undead). Anyone who wields it and meets all requirements for the prestige class also benefits from the detect undead, light, and Class Skill abilities (see below).

Detect Undead (Sp)

As long as they meet the requirements for the scion prestige class, the wielder of Luz Solare may use the spell detect undead at will, as a cleric of their class level.

Light (Sp)

As long as they meet the requirements for the scion prestige class, any arrows fired by the wielder of Luz Solare shed light for the duration of their flight, equivalent to the light of a torch. They are extinguished on impact. The wielder may suppress this effect at will.

Class Skills

Survival (Wis) is a class skill for the scion of Luz Solare.

Favored Enemy Bonus (Undead) (Ex)

Beginning at 1st level, the scion of Luz Solare is more effective than normal against undead. His favored enemy bonus is increased by +2 whenever the target is undead.

Undead Bane (Su)

When Luz Solare is wielded against undead by its scion, its enhancement bonus increases by +2 (to +5 for a 3rd level scion, to +6 for a 6th level scion, and to +7 for a 9th level scion). Furthermore, it deals +2d6 points of bonus damage against undead targets. This effect brings the damage dice of the weapon to 1d8 + 2d6 against undead. This total includes the weapon’s base damage of 1d8, +2d6 for the bane effect.

Hide from Undead (Sp)

At 4th level, the wielder of Luz Solare may hide from undead at will. The effect is identical to the spell, as a cleric of their class level, except only applies to the scion.

Ghost Touch (Su)

Once the scion of Luz Solare reaches 5th level, the bow takes on the ghost touch property. A ghost touch weapon deals damage normally against incorporeal creatures, regardless of its bonus. (An incorporeal creature's 50% chance to avoid damage does not apply to attacks with ghost touch weapons.) The weapon can be picked up and moved by an incorporeal creature at any time. A manifesting ghost can wield the weapon against corporeal foes. Essentially, a ghost touch weapon counts as either corporeal or incorporeal at any given time; whichever is more beneficial to the wielder.

Holy (Su)

Once the scion of Luz Solare reaches 7th level, the bow takes on the holy property. A holy weapon is imbued with holy power. This power makes the weapon good aligned and thus bypasses the corresponding damage reduction. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against all of evil alignment. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the holy power upon their ammunition.

Death Ward (Sp)

When its scion reaches 8th level or higher in the prestige class, Luz Solare protects him with an effect identical to that of a death ward spell, wreathing him in a gentle pearly light. This effect activates when the bow is readied and lasts for as long as the character holds it.

True Death (Su)

Undead slain by a 10th level scion of Luz Solare can never rise again as undead. They are forever destroyed.

Creation Notes

Pandarial created this artifact using the Word of Creation, the reward granted by the OverLord to the priest for the completion of the Ceremony of Union.