Saving the world on a Sunday afternoon
Creating a magic item requires two steps.
Talismans/Holy Symbols & Ritual Focuses cannot be used as magic items.
The quality of the item determines the type of effects and how many effects that can be embedded into it. Higher quality items can contain higher level and a greater number of effects than lower level ones. Each base item can contain 1 magic or miraculous effect. For each level of quality in excess of the base quality requirement, one extra effect can be added. (See the Quick Reference Table for details).
Example: Aniseed decides she wants to make a potion of Heal Wounds 9. This requires ubiquitous components to make and can hold a single dose of Heal Wounds 9. Following a patrol she decides she wants to make a potion containing Heal Wounds 9 and Heal Life 9. This requires common components and can hold a one dose of Heal Wounds 9 and one dose of Heal Life 9.
The following table specifies the maximum level for an effect based on an items quality and the type of effect:
| Type | Quality | ||||
| Ubiquitous | Normal | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary | |
| Potion | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-19 | 20+ |
| Scroll | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-20 | 20+ |
| Single Use | - | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15+ |
| Charged | - | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15+ |
| Daily | - | - | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10+ |
| Permanent | - | - | - | 0-4 | 5+ |
A Potion must contan a set of ingredients of the correct quality.
Example: A level 2 potion requires Ubiquitous ingredients.
Example: A level 6 potion requires Superior ingredients.
Scrolls require both paper and ink, which must both be of the correct quality. Creating an ink involves the same process as creating a Potion. Scrolls may only contain 1 effect.
Example: A level 3 scroll requires Ubiquitous paper and Ubiquitous ink.
Example: A level 7 scroll requires Superior paper and Superior ink.
Once an item has been acquired, a spell or miracle can be embedded. This requires
Any interruption in the embedding of the spell/miracle causes the embedding to fail, though the attempt can be restarted from the beginning.
The amount of time required to perform the embedding depends on the level of the spell/miracle.
For non-Scroll items, more than one character can be involved in embedding the effect, though all must have the required skills. A character must be nominated as the lead emded (which would be the lead ritualist if the item is being created based on a ritual).
For periods involving days, embedding requires at least 8 consecutive hours and the character(s) cannot perform any other activity beyond the basics of living. For periods involving weeks, embedding requires 7 consecutive days of at least 8 consecutive hours, and the character(s) cannot perform any other activity beyond the basics of living.
The amount of time taken is equal to
(level + 1) / No. of Participants days
rounded up to the nearest day.
For non-Scroll items, embedding a spell or miracle also requires Mana or Standing, which will not be regained until the magic item is either discharged or destroyed. If more than one character is involved in embedding the spell or miracle, the Mana/Standing can be divided amongst them. The amount of Mana/Standing lost depends on the type of effect, and is described below.
Where the Mana/Standing is a fraction, such as the two-thirds for a daily item, the amount lost is rounded up. However, any existing extra Mana/Standing within the item can be used.
An item can only have spells or miracles embedded, not both.
For an item to accept spells must be enchanted to a School using the Enchant Item skill. An item can be enchanted to a number of Schools, but can never be enchanted to accept one of its opposites. Each time the item is enchanted for another school, it must be embedded again.
Example: If an item was first enchanted to Fire, it can never be enchanted to Water. If it is later enchanted to hold Earth as well, it can never be enchanted to Air. It it is later enchanted to hold Dark as well, it can never be enchanted to Light.
For an item to accept miracles must be consecrated to a Path using the Consecrate Item skill. An item can only be consecrated to one Path (Life, Death, Chaos, Order, Balance, Justice, Freedom, Might, Anarchy or Nature).
If an item is consecrated to a Path with multiple Principles, then it can hold miracles of any of those Principles.
Example: If an item is consecrated to Justice, it can hold miracles of Life, Order and Justice.
If an item is consecrated to Nature, it can hold miracles from the Sect(s) it is consecrated to, up to its capacity, as for Magic.
Creating a Potion requires embedding the spell/miracle into the Base items. If multiple effects are being placed into the Potion, the process must be repeated from the beginning for each one (embedding multiple miracles also has other constraints, see Notes below). Potions can have multiple uses of the same effect or several different effects, and this determines how the potion is used.
Potions always effect the drinker, so it’s common to embed spells/miracles that effect character’s and are beneficial. However, it is possible to embed other types of spells/miracle and they will either harm the character (e.g. Fire Dart 4 Potion) or have no effect at all (e.g. Strengthen 0).
See Location Specific Effects for Potions which contain effects that target a specific location (e.g. Heal Wounds 4, Drain Wounds 14).
The Mana/Standing used to embed the spell/miracle is half (rounded up) of that required to cast. Mana/Standing can be recovered when the spell/miracle is used.
Example: Kemis has Common ingredients. To embed Fire Skin 4 into the potion requires 5 days and 3 Mana. To embed a second Fire Skin 4 into the potion requires another 5 days and 3 Mana.
Creating a Scroll only requires using the paper and ink to inscribe the spell/miracle using the appropriate School/Path Runes skill and Enchant/Consecrate skill. The creator does not use any Mana/Standing in the process, and thus does not lose any.
Example: Flake has the paper and ink to hold a spell from the School of Earth up to level 4. He uses this to inscribe the Strength spell (level 2), which requires 3 days and no Mana loss.
Any low level (up to 4) spell can be written in General Runes or its specific School Runes. But any high level spell must be written in its corresponding School Runes.
Any miracle must be written in its Path Runes.
Example: A Justice priest would write the Bless miracle in Justice Runes.
A Life priest would write the Bless miracle in Life Runes.
Example: A Tree druid would write the Trip miracle in Tree Runes.
Creating a Single Use item requires embedding the spell/miracle into the item using Enchant/Consecrate Item.
The Mana/Standing used to embed the spell/miracle is half (rounded up) of that required to cast. Mana/Standing can be recovered when the spell/miracle is used.
Example: Murphy has a small stone and decides to embed Blade Sharp 1. This takes 1 day and 1 Mana.
Creating a Charged item requires embedding the item to hold a number of castings of a particular spell or miracle, using the Enchant Item or Consecrate Item skill.
The Mana/Standing used is rounded up (half * that required to cast the spell/miracle * by the number of uses in the item). This Mana/Standing can be recovered when the item is destroyed. The maximum number of charges that an item can hold depends on its quality.
| Quality | Charges |
| Normal | 5 |
| Superior | 10 |
| Masterwork | 20 |
| Legendary | 40 |
Note that you do not have to embed the maximum number of charges, you can embed anywhere from 1 up to the maximum number of charges. The time taken to embed the spell/miracle is the same regardless of the number of charges.
Example: Olrien has a Common item. He decides to embed this item with ability to hold 4 charges of Death Curse 4, which requires 1 day and 2 Standing.
If there are multiple Charged spells/miracles in a single item, then the total of all charges cannot exceed the maximum number of charges.
Example: Olrien decides to improve his Common item and additionally embeds it with the ability to hold 1 charge (the maximum it can hold, as 4 charges have already been used on the Death Curse) of Protection, which requires 1 day and 1 Standing.
When created, a Charged Item contains no charges. To charge an item requires knowledge of the spell/miracle and the Enchant/Consecrate Item skill to at least the same level as the spell/miracle. Recharging an item requires (Level + 1) minutes per charge and uses half (round up) the usual amount of Mana/Standing, which is regained as the item is used. In order to charge an item, the user must Concentrate. If Concentration is lost during the charging process, the power is lost and the process must be restarted from the beginning. A character may end charging early without charging and retain the power by concentrating for 1 minute.
Example: After creating the item, Olrien hands it to his superior, who then spends 4 minutes and 2 Standing to add 4 uses of Death Curse 4.
Example: Typera is charging a Heal Wounds 9 item when she is attacked by a Custard Elemental, taking damage. This breaks her concentration and she loses the 1 standing required.
Example: Knight Artificer Johnson is charging the Death Ray of Pharaoh Ozimandias, a charged item of Drain Life 32, which takes 6 minutes per charge. Just after beginning, his secretary says he has an urgent visitor. Knight Artificer Johnson spends 1 minute ending the charging process early. No charges are gained but he loses no standing.
Note you do not have to recharge the item fully, you can recharge any number of empty charges at a time.
Creating a Daily item requires embedding the spell/miracle into the item using Enchant/Consecrate Item.
The Mana/Standing used to embed the spell/miracle is equal to two-thirds (rounded up) of that required to cast. Mana/Standing can be recovered when the item is destroyed.
Example: Caffrey has a Common Staff. He then spends 3 consecutive days embedding a Daily Heal Wounds 14, losing 2 Standing in the process.
Example: Marble has an Amulet of Superior Quality. He then spends
2 consecutive days embedding a Daily Radiate (self), losing (2×2/3=) 2 Mana (with an extra 2/3 still available).A little while later, he spends 1 days to embed a Daily Ignite into the item. This costs 2/3 Mana, which is already available in the item, so Marble loses no further Mana.
Creating a Permanent item requires embedding the spell/miracle into the item using Enchant/Consecrate Item. Only spells or miracles with a duration of 15 minutes can be embedded permanently into an item. Embedded effects that target a character effect the wearer/holder of the item. Effects that target an item must be embedded in an appropriate item and effect the item, thus a permanent Ice Blade cannot be embedded in an item that is not a weapon.
The Mana/Standing used to embed the spell/miracle is equal to 4 times that required to cast. Mana/Standing can be recovered when the item is destroyed.
Example: Lomax has a Superior leather glove (which is considered to be an Uncommon item). He then spends 2 consecutive days embedding a Permanent Dexterity 1, losing 8 Standing in the process.
Characters can create items with additional properties, each of which increases the level of Enchant Item/Consecrate Item required.
| Property | Adjustment | Types |
| Hidden | varies | Potions, Single Use, Charged, Daily, Permanent |
| Keyed | +1 | Single Use, Charged, Daily, Permanent |
| Bound | +2 | Single Use, Daily, Permanent |
| Attaching | +2 | Single Use, Charged, Daily, Permanent |
A Hidden spell/miracle is harder to detect and identify. Only characters with sufficient Enchant Item or Consecrate Item skill can successfully detect the spell/miracle. The level added to the enchantment determines the level of Enchant Item or Consecrate Item skill required. The level of Enchant or Consecrate does not have to be in the same Path/School as the item being identified. Scrolls cannot have the hidden feature.
A Bound item cannot be attuned to another character whilst its current owner is still alive. When a Bound item is attuned to a character, it attaches itself to the character and cannot be removed, thus this option is only available for wearable items (rings, amulets, necklaces, …). If the owner is killed and resurrected before another character attunes to it, it will immediately return to its owner.
This option can be used for all items, but is most common on ‘cursed’ items.
Example: Just is given an Amulet by a friendly maiden and told that it contains a permanent Bless 1. Foolishly he claims the item and puts it on before identifying it, and 24 hours later he attunes to the item only to discover it is really a Bound Amulet of Demoralise 2.
For a Bound item ALL spells/miracles contained within it must be Bound.
An Attaching item automatically starts attuning to its holder even if he has not claimed the item. If an attaching, wearable item successfully attunes it will appear on the character. This option can be used for all items, but is most common on ‘cursed’ items.
Example: Werlak finds a copper ring on the floor of a Goblin’s gave, picks it up, puts it in his pocket and forgets about it. 24 hours later the Bound Attaching Ring of Weakness appears on one of his fingers and Werlak collapses to the floor.
For an Attaching item ALL spells/miracles contained within it must be Attaching.
Mana/Standing Recovery: When the Mana/Standing invested in an item becomes available again, the character(s) regain the lost points when they next rest or sleep. In order to regain the mana/standing from a magic item you must discharge (for potions, single use) or destroy (for charged, daily, permanent) the item. When a magic item is destroyed, its mana/standing won’t be returned to you until after the Degradation Time Interval has expired. Note that the mana/standing is still returned to the creator even if the magic item is not in their possession when it is destroyed.
Consecrated Items: An item consecrated to a Path must maintain equilibrium between miracles from the allowed Principles. That is, after a miracle from one Principle has been embedded the item cannot have a miracle from the same Principle embedded until it has miracles from all other allowed Principles embedded.
Example: An item consecrated to Justice with a Life miracle embedded must have an Order miracle embedded before a further Life miracle can be embedded.
You can make items with Multicast/Combined Prayer in them. For the purpose of item creation, treat the Multicast/Combined Prayer as a single spell/miracle with a level equal to the sum of the levels in the Multicast/Combined Prayer.
You cannot make items with Magic Adepts in them.
You cannot make items with downcast spells/miracles in them.
You cannot make items with spell primed spells in them (you can have Spell Prime in an item).
You can make items with spell/miracles of greater than level 10 in them.
You can put an extended spell/miracle in an item, but this counts as embedding two effects, one for the spell/miracle and the other for the Extend/Extension and so requires a higher quality item. You can then also cast them together or separately (N.B. if you cast them separately, the Extend/Extension obeys the standard rules for different caster etc. and can only be used for spells/miracles cast on the magic item itself).
Mana/Standing put into items does count towards your threshold.
Example: A Human Mage with 42 mana and 20 mana in items who has normally been buying mana at 1 CP, would buy his next point of mana at 2 CPs.
Ubiquitous Scrolls do not last long without the protection of mana or standing within them. A consecrator or enchanter can have a number of casting levels equal to their consecrate/enchantment skill. If they have multiple skills, this is per path/school.
Example: Tinker has Enchant Item (Earth) 2. She can own a Strength scroll, a Shattering Blow 1 scroll and a Mend (T) scroll. She could also choose to have 6 Endurance 3 scrolls instead.
Example: Jury has Consecrate Item (Order) 5. This allows him to own up to 21 casting levels of ubiqutitous scrolls (6+5+4+3+2+1=21). He choses to have 1 Heal Wounds 20 Scroll (4), two Mass Heal Wounds 4 Scrolls (6+6=12) and a Double Strength Scroll (5) for a total of 21 casting levels.
Example: Winterlight has Enchant Item (General) 1 and Enchant Item (Light) 0. She can own a Spell Immunity 1 scroll and a Light (S) scroll, or 3 Detect Magic Scrolls and a Dazzle 1 Scroll. She CANNOT own 4 Detect Magic Scrolls.
Example: Murphy has his small rock, and immediately spends the next day enchanting it as a Single Use Endurance 3.
Example: Lorken starts embedding the Level 2 Tree Druid miracle Tree Heal 15 (S). The embedding will take 3 days, however on the second day he is once more called away, which causes the process to fail. Fortunately, he is able to immediately restart the embedding on the following day and this time remains uninterrupted so that after 3 days he has a branch with a consecrated branch with a one shot Tree Heal 15 (S).
Single Use, Charged, Daily and Permanent items can be upgraded (increasing the level of a spell/miracle or adding an option). Only the lead embedder can upgrade an item (with the help of his team if wanted).
No items can be downgraded (lowering the level of a spell/miracle or removing an option). You would need to destroy the item, wait the appropriate degradation interval, mend the item and start again.
Items can be upgraded by repeating the process, but the new Mana/Standing loss is the difference between the new effect and the previous effect. In addition, if an item has been prepared to a higher level than the contained effect, then the effect can be upgraded without having to re-prepare the item. However, the time taken to upgrade an item is the same as starting the process from the beginning.
Example: Caffrey has a Staff containing a Daily Heal Wounds 8, which he wants to upgrade to a Daily Heal Wounds 14. He can then upgrade the Heal Wounds 8 to Heal Wounds 14, which will take 3 days, but only require a loss of 2 Standing.
If an item is destroyed and its Degradation Interval has elapsed, such that it is now just a mundane item. When it is repaired, it will need to be Embedded again. It can even be embedded to a different school to that which it was prepared originally e.g. an item that was originally embedded with the School of Fire can now be embedded with the School of Water.
Items degrade at 1 day per level.
| Level | Total Degredation Interval |
| 0 | 1 Days |
| 1 | 2 Days |
| 2 | 3 Days |
| 3 | 4 Days |
| 4 | 5 Days |
| 5 | 6 Days |
| 6 | 7 Days |
| 7 | 8 Days |
| 8 | 9 Days |
| 9 | 10 Days |
| 10 | 11 Days |
What item quality do I need for what level and number of effects?
| Quality/Type | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
| Scrolls | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scroll | 1 Level 0-4 | 1 Level 0-9 | 1 Level 0-14 | 1 Level 0-20 | 1 Level 20+ |
| Potions | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
| Potion | 1 Level 0-4 | 2 Level 0-4 | 3 Level 0-4 | 4 Level 0-4 | 5 Level 0-4 |
| 1 Level 0-9 | 2 Level 0-9 | 3 Level 0-9 | 4 Level 0-9 | ||
| 1 Level 0-14 | 2 Level 0-14 | 3 Level 0-14 | |||
| 1 Level 0-19 | 2 Level 0-19 | ||||
| 1 Level 20+ | |||||
| One Shot | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
| One Shot | N/A | 1 Level 0-4 | 2 Level 0-4 | 3 Level 0-4 | 4 Level 0-4 |
| 1 Level 0-9 | 2 Level 0-9 | 3 Level 0-9 | |||
| 1 Level 0-14 | 2 Level 0-14 | ||||
| 1 Level 15+ | |||||
| Charged | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
| Charged1 | N/A | 1 Level 0-4 | 2 Level 0-4 | 3 Level 0-4 | 4 Level 0-4 |
| 1 Level 0-9 | 2 Level 0-9 | 3 Level 0-9 | |||
| 1 Level 0-14 | 2 Level 0-14 | ||||
| 1 Level 15+ | |||||
| Daily | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
| Daily | N/A | N/A | 1 Level 0-4 | 2 Level 0-4 | 3 Level 0-4 |
| 1 Level 0-9 | 2 Level 0-9 | ||||
| 1 Level 10+ | |||||
| Permanent | Ubiquitous | Common | Superior | Masterwork | Legendary |
| Permanent | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 Level 0-4 | 2 Level 0-4 |
| 1 Level 5+ |
1 The total number of charges a charged item can have is the same no matter how many different effects it has embedded in it, and is set by the base item quality.