Direguard

I was having a little trouble finding Direguard info. The Monster Index showed it was in the Lost Empires of Faerûn book (so many books!). Luckily in my googling, I found a web listing that reminded me that direguards were mentioned in the 2E Forgotten Realms box set. I was confused for a bit, but in reading the MC page for Baneguard I remembered that Direguards are a 7th level priest spell created undead.

I scanned the baneguard info and made the changes called for in the create direguard description, but added a few minor improvements of my own. In my world, direguards have an innate chill touch ability in addition to magic missile. I also gave them an innate aura of fear for a five foot radius, which continues as an effect even after the creature is destroyed.

I suppose this would mean that each bone of a direguard has a 5 foot fear radius, so you could use these bones to create an ersatz wall of fear around a perimeter of a camp by sticking the bones into the ground at 5 foot intervals. Carrying them around would require some sort of protection from fear, though.

Does tossing items with area effects into a bag of holding protect people from the effect while the item is in the bag? I suppose it would. Since it is not a magical effect, but inherent in the creature due to its evil taint, I don't think putting it in a lead box would negate the effect while the box is closed.

Hmmmm. Playing D&D gives one a real respect for God's intelligent designing. I wonder who his beta testers were. I guess the angels. That's why he created us in his second edition.