Fabrication of Magic Items

[BelDragos]

What system do you plan on using for creating magic items? Alchemy will probably become a skill that can be used in the manufacture of the various potions but would it apply to creating a +5 Backscratcher Of Acuracy? This is where the use of specific componants can result in adventuring to collect the parts needed.

[Slitherrr]

For one thing, there would be no such thing as a "+5 Backscratcher of Accuracy." Magical items will not raise ability to use a weapon any more than marginally, the main determining factor will be the skill of the wielder as to the weapon's effectiveness, ergo, a master swordsman will take out an apprentice even if the apprentice has the best in quality equipment and the master carries a rusty sword.

As for the other question, enchantment of items is going to be complicated, and probably require the efforts of multiple people to be effective, such as a master blacksmith to forge a quality weapon while the master mage casts the various spells and the master alchemist annoints the sword with alchemical substance... Or, a powerful mage could simply learn to blacksmith and alchemize on his own, and create his or her own magical weapons (of probably lesser quality, considering his skills alone will only be more than the combined skills of the trio if he is a LOT more generally powerful than they).

[Slitherrr]

Speaking only from what seems to make sense (this hasn't been covered officially), it seems that at least one of the mages would have to be a master to discover the process and direct the general channeling of energy into the artifact... Of course, less powerful artifacts require less channeling, meaning the process is less complicated and strenuous, and can therefore be taken on by a less skilled mage than a powerful artifact. Multiple mages might be able to join their efforts in the actual energy channeling though. But, like I said, this is only speaking from what seems logical.

[BelDragos]

The +5 Backscratcher came from a cartoon in the 1st edition AD&D DMs Guide and I used it as an example.

Could multiple mages work together if they lacked the masters level to enspell an item?

[BelDragos]

Is there a date that you are going to officially post the rules to creation of items or are you planning on the characters having to search the process out themselves?

[fredrick]

It would be awsome if the power of the enchantment was determined by:

flawlessness of product being enchanted
(A flawed item might still become enchanted, but not
nearly as powerfuly)
ability of caster in whatever spell is being imparted to the weapon
(A druid would probably not be the best for making the
sword flaming)
ability of the caster to channel magic.
(i.e. not through himself, but rather into other stuff.)
quality of the alchemical solution used to cement the enchantment

skill of the person who applied the alchemical solution

time during which the enchantment is cast.
(Can we say wait for the full moon? And then of course
the equinox would rock)
time between making of the weapon, casting, and alchemy
(a weapon might gain it's own traits over time, and
be harder to change to something else. Similarly, if
the alchemical solution holds in the magic of the
enchantment, the magic will fade with time. Maybe if
you're a caster but not an alchemist, you can just keep
casting on your weapon to keep giving it those stats?
Where the weapon is enchanted.
(Maybe there are areas which highten certain types of
magical abilities? Beware of the creatures who live there
who's abilities were also heightened!)
And of course, the power of the alchemical soluton.
(Make sure everything's gathered in the right hours of
the day.. maybe have a gather herb skill... if you
suck, you tend to damage the roots pulling them out?)


I think maybe I have too many suggestions :) Take them with a grain of salt... something's bound to be useful.
(Really, I'd love to work with a game design team... any openings for a volunteer? ;)

[Rolfe]

Don't misunderstand Slitherrr's post about magic items increasing skills. They will increase your stats and possibly your skills. When he says marginally, he means that you won't be able to tweak your character so that you can take on a master swordsman at level 1. That's not to say that magic items will be like EQ where they really don't make a difference. I'd say that with some really good strength items, you could potentially hit for twice as much damage or even MORE. But your swordsmanship skills will still be level one, so what good is hitting twice as hard if you can't parry against a master? And that's the point that Slitherrr was making I believe.

We may just put in a backscratcher +5 accuracy just to spite Slitherrr if we can slide it by him. he he.

Beldragos mentioned something interesting, multiple mages casting a powerful spell together. We actually already have thought of that and it IS on the priority list. Multiple mages WILL be able to pool their powers and cast very powerful spells. This will likely be a skill of some sort. We originally thought it could be a spell, but that wouldn't make much sense.

[fredrick]

How very very cool! :-) I would LOVE to see magic users pool their power. I can't really think of any spell it wouldn't be appropriate for (some it might not be useful for.. but that's not the same as appropriate. I'm sure it doesn't take 2 mages to teleport... though maybe for a group teleport... unless teleporting longer distances takes more mental discipline. That would make more sense than EQ's method)

Maybe some rituals could even require different spells being cast in unison? (It would be cool to have true rituals in this game.. rent a room and set it up for the ritual.)

It would cost you a fortune to get them to do it, but you could get a REALLY nice sword if you got like 6 or 7 real powerful enchanters to team up to enchant it.

AFA weapons that make you do twice as much damage, I suspect that might get to be overkill at some point.
Scratch that... you just have to have magic armor to counter it. But it does put mage types (those not as strong or skilled) at a notable disadvantage. That would actualy be better though if you augmented their casting ability to compensate.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Interesting idea guys, sounds like it would be a feasible way of making a great sword or piece of armor. It would just cost a fortune to get that many enchanters together to do it for you.

[BelDragos]

And where would you look for them? At the Mage Guild.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Chuckles

[Wrentia]

Get back to your own thread! :)

-Wrentia

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

He does seem to keep poping up everywhere.

[BelDragos]

Good ideas seem to be universal, besides this is another of my related threads.

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Bump

[Kintoun]

Now now Kymeri, we know that Wrentia dosn't like bumps remember? =)

[Wrentia]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

-Wrentia

PS I hate posts that just say bump and add nothing to the thread.....:)

[Kymeri mac An Iolar]

Sorry Sis, it took me forever to find it and just didn't want to loose it again

[Jeff Walters]

Multiple mages WILL be able to pool their powers and cast very powerful spells

Excellent idea, this kind of thing will really encourage mages to band together in guilds instead of staying solo :)

[BelDragos]

That is why I am starting The Citadel of Magic. A guild for ALL spellcasters.

We can work together to learn everything the DEVs will let us discover.

[Kintoun]

Then again don't forget about the Doomguard...

If your planning on being a fighter-mage I WANT YA!

If your planning on being a rogue/assassin MORTE WANTS YA!

So join the Doomguard.. where "we want YOU!"

(dumb advertisement ploy, heh)

[Jouk]

All this for the low price of your Soul in Eternal Damnation? Right? :p

[Talka]

I plan on joining the Doomguard (already told Kintoun). And what is wrong with eternal damnation? And Kintoun, I think that bribes would be a bit better way of getting people to join. Oh, and you said to visit the site below, but there was no below...

--Talka

[vilk]

Click on the little blue button that says "Website" below Kintoun's post, Talka.

Awesome page, Kintoun. I really like.

[Neville]

Rolemaster has a "Channeling" skill whereby Mages can send power to each other... But it does not have a listed system for having Mages work together that I recall offhand. Instead it allows a Mage to cast a spell beyond his direct ability, with a chance of catastrophic failure that grows the higher above his skill the spell is.

On the other hand, the old Ars Magica game had a spell called "Wizards Communion" that allowed as many Wizards who knew the spell to cast it, and thereby link themselves together mystically for working rituals. One of the group who at least knew the spell desired would then lead the group, and it was his "roll" that determined the outcome. The extra folks tagging along linked to him all simply "supported" him, some of them doing nothing more than adding their "will" to the general spell in order to add impetus, and others who had more skill or perhaps even knew the spell themselves could echo the lead caster, and add even stronger support through that reinforcement.

In short: there is no reason why pooling your resources should not be able to achieved by a spell as well as by a skill. Whichever works for you, or perhaps even both?

Neville
Advocate of Reason

[Dyson]

Iàd like to see it implemented as a skill; perhaps it could tie in to the wizardly "power bar" discussed earlier. BTW, where is that thread? It had some good stuff on it...

[Jouk]

... I like that pooling idea, lots.

It would give Magic-user guilds a whole new dimension... ;)