Scarab of Protection: 12 neg energy charges - automatic, or can you refrain?

[ksbsnowowl]

Scarab of Protection
This device appears to be a silver medallion in the shape of a beetle. If it is held for 1 round, an inscription appears on its surface letting the holder know that it is a protective device.

The scarab’s possessor gains spell resistance 20. The scarab can also absorb energy-draining attacks, death effects, and negative energy effects. Upon absorbing twelve such attacks, the scarab turns to powder and is destroyed.

Strong abjuration and necromancy; CL 18th; Craft Wondrous Item, death ward, spell resistance; Price 38,000 gp.

One of my players is wanting to know if the 12 charges aspect of a Scarab of Protection happens automatically, or if he can decide not to have the protection against energy-draining attacks activate.

In large part this is because he wants to use the rules in MIC to add the properties of an Amulet of Health to the Scarab, but if the protection happens automatically, then that would eventually be a very wasteful use of gold, as after 12 such attacks, the amulet would be destroyed.

I'm leaning toward it happens automatically, and there's nothing you can do to stop it from absorbing the attack while the scarab is worn.

Thoughts?

[kitep]

I've always played it happens automatically.  I remember wanting this device but without the SR.

Probably the best way to go is to let him pay a little extra gold to have the option for it not to happen automatically, or for it not to crumble into dust when the 12 charges are used.

[ketaro]

Or for an extra 18k, you can just have an item of permanent Death Ward (112k market, 56k craft using custom item price rules from DMG pg. 285). Easily enough to bring that down with cost reduction modifiers from that craft cost reduction handbook.

[NunoM]

As it is, it's automatic.
Maybe changing the item to require an immediate action to activate could work. I don't know how much that costs, though.

Otherwise, i can see the merged item becoming a simple amulet of health after the 12 charges are expended.
Is it worth it? I don't know... it depends on how many energy-draining attacks, death effects and negative energy effects happen in your campaign.

[phaedrusxy]

If you combine it with an Amulet of Health, then it is no longer just a Scarab of Protection. The Scarab of Protection might "crumble into dust", but the Amulet of Health is still just fine, because he paid for an Amulet of Health...

So yeah, I think nothing would happen when the charges were used up, except that it would be come a normal Amulet of Protection... which might happen to look like a Scarab of Protection.