Enchanting Items

While most magical Effects are fleeting manifestations of power, skilled and knowledgeable practitioners may undertake complex rituals to bind certain Effects permanently into objects, creating true magic items. This process, often referred to as enchanting, is far more involved than simply casting an Effect; it demands significant skill, rare resources, considerable time, and potentially a direct sacrifice of the caster’s own magical potential. It is not an undertaking for novices.

Prerequisites for Enchanting

Before attempting to permanently enchant an item, the caster must typically meet several demanding requirements (the GM has the final say on specifics):

• Effect Knowledge: You must know the specific Effect you intend to make permanent, having already learned it via the standard discovery and 5 XP cost method.
• Skill Mastery: High proficiency in relevant skills is usually required. Minimums are suggested here, but GMs should set requirements appropriate for their campaign:
  • Magic: Typically 60%+, representing the control needed to weave and bind energies sustainably.
  • Crafting (Relevant Specialty): Typically 60%+ in the skill related to the item being enchanted (e.g., Weaponsmithing, Gemcutting, Weaving) is needed to properly prepare the object to receive and hold the enchantment.
  • Arcana or Lore (Optional): May be required by the GM (perhaps at 50%+) for researching the specific ritual protocols, rare materials, or arcane bindings needed, especially for complex or powerful enchantments.
• Tools and Workspace: Appropriate high-quality Crafting Tools for the item type are necessary. Complex enchantments almost always require a dedicated, stable workspace (a forge, laboratory, consecrated shrine, etc.) free from significant interruption for the duration of the ritual.

The Enchanting Ritual

The process of binding magic permanently is generally a lengthy, difficult, and resource-intensive ritual:

• Time: Enchanting takes significant, largely uninterrupted time. A simple, low-power Effect (like Infused Light) might take a full day (8-10 hours) of focused work. More complex or powerful Effects can take days, weeks, or even longer, requiring multiple work sessions.
• Materials: In addition to the base item being enchanted (which should usually be of masterwork quality), the ritual typically consumes special, often rare and expensive, material components (powdered gemstones, rare metals, magical creature parts, resonant herbs, etc.). The cost is determined by the GM based on the Effect’s power and setting, but should be substantial.
  (GM Guideline for Material Cost: As a rough starting point, material cost in GP might be estimated as (Base MP Cost of Effect)² * 5 GP, or perhaps Base MP Cost * 50 GP. Choose a method that fits your economy.)
• Energy Cost (Permanent MP Sacrifice): This is often the most significant cost. Upon successful completion, the caster permanently reduces their Maximum Mana Point pool by an amount equal to the Base MP Cost of the Effect. This loss is unrecoverable through normal means and represents the energy sustaining the enchantment. This sacrifice must typically be made willingly at the ritual’s climax.
• Skill Checks (Extended Task): The ritual involves Extended Skill Checks. The GM calls for multiple challenging skill rolls (usually alternating Magic and relevant Crafting) over the ritual’s duration.
  • Difficulty: Base difficulty is typically Hard (-20%) or Very Hard (-30%).
  • Number of Successes: Depends on Effect complexity (GM determines, e.g., 3 simple, 5-7+ complex).
  • Check Interval: Each check might represent several hours or a full day’s work.

Consequences of Failure

Failure during the demanding enchanting ritual is often costly:

• Failed Skill Check: Usually wastes time and potentially some materials for that segment. The ritual often continues but requires additional successful checks.
• Multiple Failures / Botching: Accumulating too many failures (GM discretion) might cause the entire ritual to fail, losing all time and consuming all expensive materials.
• Critical Failure (00 Roll): Usually disastrous. Automatic failure, loss of materials, and potential backlash (item destroyed, caster damage/negative effect, uncontrolled magic – GM discretion).
• MP Sacrifice Note: The Permanent MP Sacrifice is generally only made upon successful completion, unless a critical failure causes unique permanent consequences (GM fiat).

Limitations on Enchanting

Not all Effects can be easily bound into items permanently:

• Effect Type: Generally only Effects with durations longer than “Instantaneous” that provide ongoing benefits, wards, or utility. Direct damage/healing Effects usually cannot be made permanent for repeated use (single-use charges might differ). Summoning Effects usually remain temporary.
• Item Capacity: Most mundane items can hold only one permanent enchantment. Exceptional items or rare materials might allow more (GM discretion, harder ritual). Adding enchantments to existing magic items is typically exponentially harder or impossible.
• Rarity: The combined prerequisites ensure creating permanent magic items is a significant achievement, making them generally rare and valuable finds or creations of experienced specialists.

Example: Permanent Infused Light Gem

• Goal: Make the Infused Light Effect permanent on a quartz crystal (Base MP cost 1 MP).
• Prerequisites (Example): Magic 60%+, Crafting (Gemcutting) 60%+, knowledge of Infused Light, Gemcutting tools, quiet workspace.
• Time: Approx. 8-10 hours.
• Materials: Quartz crystal + special materials costing approx. 5 GP (GM sets final based on chosen guideline).
• Energy Cost: Caster permanently reduces Max MP by 1 upon success.
• Checks: GM requires 3 successful checks (alternating Magic, Crafting) at Hard (-20%) difficulty.
• Outcome: Success = permanently glowing gem, Max MP reduced by 1. Critical Failure = shattered crystal, lost materials, no MP loss.

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File Created: 05/07/2025
Last Modified: 05/07/2025