The RPG Blog Carnival for November has a theme of “Gunpowder, Treason, and Plots”. I will be attempting to post content appropriate to this theme as I come up with it. For starters, here’s a nice little magic item of great use to anyone plotting treason, whether or not it involves gunpowder. The problem with “Undetectable Alignment” spells is that they’re a lot like pleading the Fifth… you look guilty. Can’t find the Chaotic Evil ranger in the room, but there’s one guy holding up a lead sheet? Gee, that’s not suspicious at all! This mask neatly solves that problem.

Mask Of Infinite Alignment

Aura moderate illusion and transformation; CL 5th
Slot head; Price 16,000 gp; Weight 3 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

When first found, this mask shows an ever-changing pattern of images and symbols of the nine alignments, along with changes in its composition and tone to reflect this — a perfectly symmetrical mask of mithral when lawful good symbols are dominant, or a malformed mask of cracked iron for chaotic evil. When worn, it takes on a shape consistent with the alignment of the wearer, but at a thought, it fades from view.

So long as the mask is worn, the wearer may appear, to detection magic, to be of any alignment desired. Changing the seeming alignment is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The mask grants a +10 competence bonus to any Bluff checks to evade non-magical detection. When magical detection is used, the caster must make a Sense Motive check against the wearer’s unmodified Bluff check; if this check fails, the alignment of the mask is detected. If the check succeeds, the caster of the detection spell senses the mask’s supposed alignment, but knows it to be false.

Three times per day, the wearer of the mask may cast align weapon, as a fifth level caster, on any weapon they are holding, using the mask’s alignment instead of their own.

5% of these masks are known to be cursed, so that each time they are used, there is a 10% chance of the alignment change becoming permanent. If this happens, the curse will not affect the same wearer a second time. For that person, the mask becomes a normal, uncursed mask. The curse will still affect other wearers of the mask.

True Seeing will allow any alignment-detecting spell to instantly penetrate the mask.

Construction Requirements

Craft Wondrous Item, Undetectable Alignment, Align Weapon Cost 8,000 gp.