Usable by all fighters and clerics. Helms are one class of headgear in the PrinceCon system. Helms and caps are both considered armor; helms are used with chain and plate, and caps are used with leather and robes. Only one piece of headgear, including helm, caps, and hats, may be worn at a time.
Headgear applies all normal rules for armor. Since chain or plate armor is assumed to include protection for the head, a character in such armor suffers -1 AC penalty if he wears a cap or hat (or nothing) instead. As with plate and chain, mages and scouts (and some clerics) cannot wear helms without losing their abilities.
Level 2. This helm provides the user with a continual supply of fresh air. It thus protects him from inhaled poisons, suffocation, and drowning. It does not protect him from other effects such as vacuum or crushing.
Level 2. Cursed-16. This helm causes the wearer to dance whenever he is awake. He may sit down, but his feet continue to tap away. His feet produce a great deal of noise as if he were wearing taps on his boots. The wearer may not fight or cast spells while dancing. The boots may only be removed by a Remove Curse as versus a 16th level.
Level 2. The wearer of this helm has 360 degree vision. This does not interfere with his normal vision at all. It also makes the wearer immune to ambush or surprise. No attacker receives bonuses for attacking the wearer from the rear, including backstab.
Level 4. A Helm of Fire is often set with rubies or fire opals that glow when the helm's powers are active. The wearer is constantly protected by the clerical prayer Resist Fire. The wearer has +2 to his charisma roll when dealing with fire-based creatures, but all cold-based creatures are always hostile to him. With a burnout check, the wearer can create a Wall of Fire around himself, as per the mage spell with the hemispherical shape at range 0. He can command any nonmagical weapon he wields to act as a Weapon +1/+3 vs. Cold-based Creatures for 12 rounds, as per the generic magical weapon, with a burnout check. Burnout of either function, suggested at 10%, renders the helm nonmagical.
Level 4. A Helm of Frost is similar to a Helm of Fire, but it is cold-based rather than fire-based. It is often set with emeralds or diamonds. The wearer is protected by Resist Cold. With a burnout check, the wearer can create a hemispherical Wall of Frost around himself, or command a nonmagical weapon to act as a Weapon +1/+3 vs. Fire-based Creatures.
Level 2. This helm increases the wearer's effective charisma when he is dealing with people of lower level, and decreases it when he is dealing with people of higher level. The increase/decrease is one point of effective charisma per level of difference. Effective charisma can never be more than 20 or less than 1.
Level 1. The wearer of this helm is affected by Ice Storm spells as if he had a shield overhead (i.e., he only takes one-half the usual damage).
Level 1. The wearer of this helm is better able to hear faint sounds. Add +30% to rolls to hear noise.
Level 1. Cursed-9. The wearer of this helm can distinguish between all types of metals and can determine the value of gems. This helm appears golden and studded with gems when worn. The wearer considers the helm his most valued possession. Others seeing the helm desire it greatly.
Level 3. Although anyone can use this item, it is considered sacred to Leos. Before a combat, the user can sacrifice up to his level in his own hit points to the helm. He then receives a Fight Like a Lion n/2 (rounded down), where n is the number of hit points sacrificed. This effect lasts one battle, as per the clerical prayer Fight like a Lion.
Level 2. Cursed-12. When this helm is first put on, it casts Mind Blast at the wearer. After that, it acts as a -1 Helm.
Level 3. While worn, this helm gives a +30% to save and +3 on level-vs-level for all forms of mental attack, including Telepathy, Pain, Mind Link, Mind Blast, ESP, etc., as per the mage spell Mind Shield.
Level 2. When the moon is shining on this helm at night, the wearer acts as if he had +2 to each of his requisites. The helm does not function during the day. If the GM does not keep track of the phases of the moon, then at a random moment, during a random night, there is a 50% chance that the moon is in the sky. The GM should also take into account whether it is cloudy, whether the moon is behind a mountain, etc. In those worlds with more than one moon, it is suggested that the helm be aligned with the brightest of these moons.
Level 1. Cursed-16. When faced with a choice, the wearer of this helm takes one melee round to decide what to do (e.g., to run or fight, choosing a target, etc.) Once he has made up his mind, he functions as usual until it is time to make his next decision. (Gamemaster discretion is needed to decide what constitutes a decision. The wearer may make up his mind well in advance as to what he will do, but then the GM must hold him to that decision.)
Level 2. The wearer of this helm is able to read all standard languages, including magical writing, obscure languages, and nonhuman languages. The helm does not enable the wearer to read codes, ciphers, artificial languages, or any language used exclusively by extremely magical beings, such as demons, dragons, or gods.
Level 2. Cursed-12. Although this item appears to be a Helm of Hearing, it causes the wearer to sweat profusely. This sweating causes the helm to slip and makes it very difficult to see out of. Every combat round, there is a 50% chance that the wearer's vision is impeded. He must spend an item phase fixing it, or suffer a penalty of -20% to hit and -2 to his AC until he does so.
Level 4. This helm lets the wearer use the mage spell Telepathy as often as desired, but once a target makes or fails a saving throw, he will continue to do so for the next day.
Last Modified on September 25,1995.
ammulder@princeton.edu