Warding Bell

When this enormous bell is rung (requiring a standard action), it immediately activates a guards and wards spell. The warding bell must be somewhere in the area to be warded.

The fog and web effects work normally. The arcane lock effect allows the stronghold’s owner to open the doors normally, but no one else.

The confusion part affects all intruders—as defined by the stronghold’s owner at the time of the creation of the warding bell. This means that the owner must list the people who would not be considered an intruder. The longer and less specific the criteria are, the more easily this portion of the warding bell’s security can be breached.

Up to 12 doors can be “lost.” These doors must be specified at the creation of the device. Similarly, the other extra effect granted by the guards and wards spell must be chosen at item creation. Any locations or programming required for these effects must be defined at that time as well.

Some stronghold owners place a warding bell at the stronghold’s front gate. In this way, the guards at the gate can activate the security system at a moment’s notice.

A single warding bell can protect up to six contiguous stronghold spaces, although the warded area is up to 20 feet high. This means that a cunning creator could cover up to twelve stronghold spaces (six apiece on two levels). To protect larger strongholds, you must include multiple warding bells (each within the area they protect).

The warding bell only functions once per day, and the effects last 24 hours or until the stronghold owner voluntarily dismisses them (you can’t dismiss individual effects, only the whole spell).

Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, guards and wards; Market Price: 7,200 gp.