Mace of Terror

• Category: Weapon (Mace)
• Rarity: Rare (Requires Attunement)

This magic weapon has 3 charges and regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. While holding the weapon, you can take a Magic action and expend 1 charge to release a wave of terror from it. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute. While Frightened in this way, a creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't make Opportunity Attacks. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If it has nowhere it can move, the creature can take the Dodge action. At the end of each of its turns, a creature repeats the save, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Tactical Applications

Combat Strategy: +1 weapon that can cast fear effects on enemies, providing crowd control and psychological warfare capabilities. Excellent for intimidation builds and battlefield control.

Class Synergies:

• Any Class: Universal utility for fear effects and crowd control
• Intimidation Specialists: Perfect for characters building around fear and psychological warfare
• Crowd Controllers: Essential for characters requiring reliable enemy debuffing
• Psychological Warriors: Excellent for characters using mental effects and morale attacks

Build Considerations: Combines weapon damage with fear effects for versatile combat options. Most valuable for characters wanting both offense and crowd control capabilities.

Acquisition Methods

Crafting Requirements: Requires fear magic, intimidation enchantments, and terror-inducing materials. Creation cost 10,000-18,000 gp and takes 10 weeks.

Common Sources:

• Military organizations specializing in psychological warfare
• Treasure hoards of fear specialists and intimidation experts
• Commission from enchanters focusing on emotion magic
• Found in the collections of psychological warfare specialists
• Rewards from grateful organizations requiring crowd control capabilities

Alternative Acquisition: Sometimes discovered in abandoned military installations or obtained from fear creature encounters.

Value & Trade

Estimated Value: 14,000-22,000 gp, with higher demand among characters requiring fear effects and crowd control.

Trade Considerations: Popular among intimidation specialists, crowd controllers, and military psychological warfare units.

Character Integration

Roleplay Elements: Suggests experience with psychological warfare, intimidation tactics, or professional roles requiring fear-based control.

Character Concepts:

• Psychological warrior specializing in fear effects and intimidation
• Military officer with crowd control and morale warfare training
• Character with extensive experience in psychological combat
• Intimidation specialist using fear as a primary tactical tool

Adventure Hooks

The Morale Warfare: Military campaigns where fear effects provide psychological advantages over enemies.

The Crowd Control Crisis: Riot scenarios where intimidation prevents violence and maintains order.

The Terror Campaign: Adventures against fear-immune enemies where psychological tactics must be adapted.

The Intimidation Mission: Social encounters where fear effects enable negotiation and conflict resolution.

Variants & Customization

Greater Mace of Terror (Very Rare): Enhanced fear effects and ability to affect larger groups of enemies.

Mace of Absolute Terror (Rare): Includes panic effects and more powerful psychological warfare capabilities.

Commander's Terror Mace (Rare): Optimized for military leadership with morale warfare features.

Specialized Variants:

• Crowd Controller's Mace: Enhanced for riot control with area fear effects
• Intimidator's Mace: Includes social intimidation bonuses and negotiation advantages
• Psychological Warfare Mace: Optimized for military psychological operations

Lore & History

Origins: Developed by ancient military commanders who needed reliable methods for psychological warfare and crowd control.

Historical Significance: These maces enabled crucial victories through morale warfare and fear-based tactical advantages.

Cultural Impact: Represent the evolution of psychological warfare and the weaponization of fear in combat.

Magical Craft: Demonstrates mastery of emotion magic and the complex enchantments required for fear effects.

Balancing Notes

Introduction Timing: Appropriate for levels 5-11 when crowd control becomes important and fear effects are valuable.

Campaign Impact: Provides versatile combat options combining weapon damage with psychological warfare.

Fear Immunity: Less effective against fear-immune creatures, requiring tactical adaptation and alternative approaches.

Encounter Design

Recommended Challenges:

• Combat scenarios where fear effects provide crowd control advantages
• Social encounters where intimidation enables negotiation and conflict resolution
• Military operations requiring psychological warfare and morale attacks
• Crowd control situations where fear prevents violence and maintains order

Tactical Adjustments: Encounters may include opportunities for psychological warfare and intimidation tactics.

Related Items

Fear Items: Other weapons and items that provide fear effects and psychological warfare capabilities.

Intimidation Equipment:

• Items that enhance intimidation checks and social fear effects
• Equipment for psychological warfare and crowd control operations
• Tools for professional intimidation and morale warfare

Complementary Equipment: Items that enhance Charisma-based abilities or provide additional crowd control options.

Roleplay Opportunities

Psychological Mastery: Characters develop expertise in fear-based tactics and psychological warfare techniques.

Intimidation Reputation: Fear effects create reputation for psychological dominance and crowd control capabilities.

Military Leadership: Psychological warfare abilities enable advancement in military organizations and tactical command roles.