The curse of the stone guardian is a popular legend that has been passed down through generations. According to the story, there was once a powerful kingdom ruled by a wise and just king. The kingdom was guarded by a stone statue, known as the stone guardian. The stone guardian was said to have magical powers and could protect the kingdom from any harm. It was believed that the statue was inhabited by the spirit of a powerful ancient warrior who had sworn to protect the kingdom and its people. However, the stone guardian came with a curse.
Starting at 3rd level, whenever you infuse a metal armor, a melee weapon or a shield, or when you attune to a magical metal armor, melee weapon or shield, you can choose to transform it into a sturdy stone version of itself.
Starting at 3rd level, whenever you infuse a metal armor, a melee weapon or a shield, or when you attune to a magical metal armor, melee weapon or shield, you can choose to transform it into a sturdy stone version of itself. Each creature in a 30-foot cone in front of you must make a Strength saving throw, taking 2d12 bludgeoning damage and falling prone on a fail, or taking half damage without falling prone on a success.
However, the stone guardian came with a curse. Legend has it that anyone who dared to touch the stone guardian would be cursed with misfortune. The curse was said to bring bad luck and tragedy to anyone who came into contact with the statue.
The curse of the stone guardian
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the mason tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with an other artisan's tool of your choice.
Stone Guardian Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Stone Guardian Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
| Artificer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Magic Stone (cantrip), Earth Tremor |
| 5th | Maximillian's Earthen Grasp, Warding Bond |
| 9th | Erupting Earth, Meld into Stone |
| 13th | Summon Construct (stone only), Stone Skin |
| 17th | Transmute Rock, Wall of Stone |
In addition, when you throw a stone that has been transmuted by the Magic Stone cantrip, you can choose to enlarge it. When you do so, you can also make a range attack against a second creature that is within 5 feet of your initial target with that same stone. When you reach 9th level in this class, you can then choose to make an attack against all the creatures that are within 5 feet of your initial target instead.
Art Credit :
Bronze Golem by Gaidenlight
If you already know the Magic Stone cantrip, you can learn an other cantrip of your choice from the artificer's spell list.
Stone Craft
Starting at 3rd level, whenever you infuse a metal armor, a melee weapon or a shield, or when you attune to a magical metal armor, melee weapon or shield, you can choose to transform it into a sturdy stone version of itself.
You can't have more than half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) items transmuted into stone at the same time. If you transmute one more, the first one returns back to its normal material.
While transmuted into stone, the item's weight is doubled. In addition, when you or an other Stone Guardian wear or wield the stone item, it gains one of the following sets of properties according to its type :
- Stone Armor. You gain proficiency in the stone armor and you ignore any strength requirement it has. Additionally, your carry capacity is doubled and you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Strength modifier when you roll a strength saving throw or a strength check.
- Stone Weapon. The weapon gains the Heavy property or loose the Light property if it had it, and its damage dice are increased by one size category (1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 > 2d8). In addition, you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Strength modifier for both attack and damage rolls with this weapon.
- Stone Shield. The shield can now be used as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells. Additionally, you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Strength modifier when attempting to shove an opponent, or when you make an attack or damage roll using the shield as an improvised weapon. You can also, as a bonus action, create a second stone shield in your other hand. This second shield doesn't increases your AC, but you gain half cover against all attacks and effects and you provide three-quarter cover to allies behind you against all range attacks and effects. You can dismiss your second shield as a bonus action.
The item goes back to its normal material and looses those properties if you are not wearing, wielding or carrying it for at least 10 minutes.
Superior Construction
Beginning at 5th level, when you finish a long rest, you can choose one of the items you transformed into stone thanks to your Stone Craft feature to enhance it into a superior construction. According to the type of the item, you gain one of the following benefits until you use this feature again on an other object.
- Stone armor. You gain resistance to non magical slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage.
- Stone weapon. you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. At least one of this two attacks must be made with the stone weapon.
- Stone shield. When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your artificer level (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a stone shield to use this reaction.
Stone Expert
At 9th level, you gain an additional power according to the type of your Superior Construction :
- Stone armor. As an action, you can conjure 3 protective stones that start turning around a creature you can see within 30 feet. The target's AC is increased by 1 as long as it has at least 1 stone turning around it. Every time a creature attacks the one protected by the stones, one of the stones is destroyed, and if the attacker is within 5 feet of its target, it takes 1d8 + your intelligence modifier bludgeoning damage.
- Stone weapon. As an action, you can hit the ground with all the strength of your stone weapon, causing a powerful earthquake in front of you. Each creature in a 30-foot cone in front of you must make a Strength saving throw, taking 2d12 bludgeoning damage and falling prone on a fail, or taking half damage without falling prone on a success. Each uncarried object in the cone takes 3d12 bludgeoning damage.
- Stone shield. As an action, you can cast the Wall of stone spell without expending a spell slot. You can only place up to 3 panels of wall within the range of the spell instead of 10 when you cast the spell this way, but they don't have to be contiguous.
Once you have used the power of this feature once, you must finish a short or a long rest before you can use it again.
Living Temple
At 15th level, you learn how to focus all your power to create a giant stone armor around you. For 1 minute you gain the following benefits :
- You become Huge alongside every item you are carrying or wearing
- Your reach is increased by 5 feet
- You deal one extra damage die when you hit a creature with a weapon attack
- You roll strength checks with advantage
- When you shove a creature away, you can shove it 10 feet further
- You gain temporary hit points equal to your artificer level + your intelligence modifier
Once you have used this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
While transmuted into stone, the item's weight is doubled. In addition, when you or an other Stone Guardian wear or wield the stone item, it gains one of the following sets of properties according to its type :
Despite the curse, many people were drawn to the stone guardian. Some sought its protection, while others were curious to test the curse. Over the years, countless individuals tried their luck, thinking that the curse was simply a myth. But as the stories go, tragedy soon befell those who dared to touch the stone guardian. Families lost their loved ones, crops failed, and diseases spread. The curse seemed to have a never-ending effect, causing suffering and despair among the people. As the kingdom suffered, many began to believe that the curse of the stone guardian was real. They became fearful and started to avoid the statue at all costs. It became a symbol of fear and superstition, with locals warning their children to stay away from the stone guardian. Today, the stone guardian stands alone in the outskirts of the abandoned kingdom, a silent reminder of the curse that befell its people. Locals still speak of the legend, cautioning others to never touch the statue and to respect its power. Whether the curse of the stone guardian is real or not, the legend continues to fascinate and intrigue. It serves as a reminder that our actions can have consequences and that power comes with a price. The curse of the stone guardian serves as a cautionary tale, warning us to think twice before we test the boundaries of the unknown..
Reviews for "The Curse's Origins: Discovering the Stone Guardian's Dark Past"
1. John - 2 stars - The Curse of the Stone Guardian was a huge disappointment for me. The storyline was predictable and lacked any originality. The characters were flat and lacked depth, making it impossible for me to connect with any of them. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making the interactions between the characters feel awkward. Overall, the book failed to hold my interest and I found myself struggling to finish it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and well-written fantasy novel.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I really struggled to get through The Curse of the Stone Guardian. The pacing was incredibly slow, making it hard for me to stay engaged with the story. The plot felt disjointed and the world-building was lacking. I found myself questioning the character's motives and actions, as they often didn't make sense within the context of the story. The writing style was lackluster, with repetitive phrases and cliches. Unfortunately, this book just didn't meet my expectations and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
3. Emily - 2 stars - The Curse of the Stone Guardian fell flat for me. The concept had so much potential, but the execution was lackluster. The writing style was uninspiring and the descriptions fell short, making it hard for me to fully imagine the world and characters. The pacing was inconsistent, with moments of action followed by long stretches of nothing happening. The plot twist at the end felt forced and came out of nowhere, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, I was left wanting more from this book and wouldn't recommend it to others looking for a captivating fantasy read.