Some powers and psionic items can protect or affect an area, yet there are those who seek to enhance locations more than these temporary effects can. Instead, those masters of their psionic might augment their very surroundings, creating places where fantastic effects are common. Imbued sites are not created overnight. Many take months or even years to develop into their full potential.
Imbued Constructions:
This sub-group of imbued sites encompasses those facilities where an individual or group purposely created a structure and then imbued it with psionic power. Such sites include fortresses, homes, keeps, dungeons, and the like. Typically, these constructions are at least partially made of crystal or other items that resonate with psionic power, such as ferroplasm, although standard buildings have been imbued. Imbued constructions have a wide variety of abilities as set during construction. There is no set pattern or benefit, although it is typical that such sites grant the defenders bonuses to their Armor Class or concealment.
The crafting of such locations varies based upon the specific site and the abilities imbued into the site. As a general rule, use standard rules for creating strongholds and calculate the cost of special features of the site as magical items with a slotless multiplier (x2). These locations can possess an aura ranging from moderate to strong power. A Psicraft check (DC 20) reveals the effects of an imbued construction when using detect psionics.
Crystal Keep of Phanos:
Built entirely of crystal, this keep was created by a host of shapers. During its construction, the shapers pooled their psionic power into the crystalline structure itself, granting it powers of its own. The keep has four crystalline towers on each corner; veins of different colored crystal make each tower appear as a kaleidoscope when sunlight touches its walls, the rays refracting to almost make the keep appear as if its walls are shifting. Although it appears to be fragile, being made of crystal, the keep is as strong as granite due to the enhancements placed upon it.
Special Qualities: The Crystal Keep of Phanos has many special qualities, including built-in defenses against attackers. Persistent ectoplasmic servants reside within the keep, handling the more menial activities required of the upkeep of such a
structure. If under siege, the defenders of the keep may awaken dormant guardian constructs, bringing forth three 9th level Astral Constructs and a dozen 4th level Astral Constructs. If these constructs are destroyed, they may be rebuilt by a manifester of the appropriate level with access to the astral construct power.
In addition, the keep’s ultimate defenses may be activated if dire circumstances call for such an act. When a pair of levers deep in the keep is pulled simultaneously, the walls of the keep become covered in razor-sharp spikes, cutting through any ropes on the exterior of the walls and causing 1d6 damage to any creatures that touch the surface.
Imbued Natural Site:
Groups who tend to revere natural environments might instead desire to enhance a natural site by infusing it with psionic power. Instead of crafting a site to meet their needs, these individuals take a pre-existing location and make small changes to it. Examples of this would be a naturally-formed copse of trees with branches entwining, making a natural platform on which to stand. Psionic creatures could imbue this copse of trees with powers, making only minor alterations to the naturally formed platform, creating a pseudo-building out of the trees. It is important to note the difference between imbued constructions and imbued natural sites, as the two are not the same. A natural site preserves the natural formations in place before any activity by those who would create the site, while an imbued construction is instead a radical shift from the natural site, such as a castle, fort, hollowed-out mountain, or the like.
As with imbued construction, imbued natural sites vary in their ability depending upon the site and the powers imbued within. Most often, the abilities of the site draw upon the natural tendency of the area: a pocket of deep crystal might be imbued to resonate psionic energy or a vein of ferroplasm might be enhanced to create a defender for those who live nearby. These locations can possess an aura ranging from moderate to strong power. A Psicraft check (DC 20) reveals the effects of an imbued natural site when using detect psionics.
Reflecting Pool of Destiny:
This pond was found by a small band of seers and augurs who thought the terrain was beautiful and decided to make it their home. The seers knew that their powers were greater than the augurs who journeyed with them and as they shared the beauty and tranquility of the pond, they wished to share their powers with the augurs. They imbued the pool together as a work of art, allowing anyone, no matter their psychic potential a glimpse of the future - but to prevent misuse by those who couldn’t appreciate beauty the pool requires a sacrifice of something beautiful.
Usually this sacrifice is a gem or small statue, but anything considered beautiful and worth at least 25 gp opens the pools abilities. Using their combined talent, they imbued the pond itself with their gifts of clairsentience and foresight, allowing visitors to glimpse into the pool to see the past, present, or future.
Benefit: Any who journey to the Reflecting Pool of Destiny and toss in a gem worth at least 25 gp are able to see a single event upon which they concentrate. The event may be of the past, present, or future, although the guardians of the pool caution that the visions of the future are never guaranteed and are only some of the possibilities. An individual may only see one event in the pool per year, so the guardians of the site typically caution pilgrims to choose their event carefully.
Lost Veins of Murin:
Legend has it that a band of duergar chanced upon veins of deep crystal so rich that it was easy to find pristine shards larger than a man in size. Although many adventurers have gone seeking these mythic veins, none have been successful. Yet, the veins are real and are still guarded by one of the clans of duergar that initially found them.
Over the years that the duergar have possessed these veins, which they named after the founder, Murin, they have discovered that simply by being present in the area, the veins filter the duergars’ latent psionic power into the crystalline veins, creating a gigantic cognizance crystal capable of storing more psionic power than any other known to exist. During times of need, the duergar have discovered they are able to tap into the psionic power stored within the veins and use the well of psionic energy to manifest psionic powers.
Benefit: Any within the immediate vicinity, within 30 ft. of these veins of deep crystal who successfully make a DC 15 Psicraft check are able to tap into the psionic power stored within the crystal, granting them access to a virtually unlimited power point pool. On a typical day, the veins house over three hundred power points. However, the pool is very slow to recharge and only regenerates one power point per psionic creature that spends at least eight hours within the vicinity of the veins.
