[MEG - PR] Artificer's Handbook - sample magic item

Been working my butt off over the last few days polishing up the last final details of the Artificer's Handbook. This book has a completely new system for magic item creation, that is totally versatile. And while initially may seem complicated, I've worked with it enough, that I'm totally in love with it now. And I'll never, ever, ever go back to the core system.

Doug and Hal don't know I'm doing this, but I feel like being a rebel! HAHAHA!!


I just wanted to post a sample magic item that we've got from the book. The rules blurb at the bottom is an indication of how the new magic system works. The book is anticipated at 96 pages, but right now, without art, there are ~101 pages, so we may go to 112. And the sample magic items is only 1.5 pages - the rest is pure crunch.


Jaron’s everful sack of roses
Jaron Evermere, a famous Elven Bard and ladies’ man of some renown was known for always having a rose for the ladies. Jaron would kiss their hand, and then from his coat pocket, he would produce a single red rose of the finest quality. Speculation abounded as to where Jaron was acquiring these gifts, which could be produced even out of season. It wasn’t until he was slain by a jealous boyfriend that the true secret was learned. Jaron possessed a sack that could always produce a rose. He never ran out of roses, just luck.
The sack can produce 1 long-stemmed thornless rose up to a rate of 1 per hour; the roses last seven days.
SS: Slots: 5 4th level spell slots (+11 unlimited-use 1 hour/level spell (minor creation), -2 per time-frame limitation, -8 extremely low utility, +4 two levels of increased duration); Market Price: 3,840gp, Creation Cost: 1,920gp


p.s., I had originally misplaced this in House rules, and since the moderators hadn't moved it, I decided to repost it here.

Curtis-Rebel without a clue!!!!

I think folks are really going to love the system developed to replace XP use for creation of magic items. We hope this becomes the staple of d20 for the alternate magic item creation system to the one presented in 3E.

I personally have no problem with the current system of burning XP to create items, etc. but I know many folks want an option. Here it is.

We are trying to present some truly innovative alternates to magic for d20. We don't want to simply explore the current magic system but create true alternatives and additions that have not been seen before with d20.

Blight Magic, while not entirely originaly in concept, was certainly new to d20 and very functional within the d20 system. I get lots of email about how folks are using Blight Magic in their worlds.

Tarot Magic and Artificer's Handbook are going to blow people away with the amount of "crunchy stuff" in them. This stuff is for both players and GMs alike and well balanced to work within the "standard" magic levels of D20 fantasy campaigns. We do give options on low and higher magic world though.

In addition, Tarot Magic will be entireyl OGC (with some obvious exceptions like art and logos) as was Blight Magic. We will probably do the same with Artificer's as well though we have not decided.

Thanks for the preview Curtis!

Man and I thought I was in charge of PR!!!!
Well here is the Artificer's Handbook info page. So check it out and enjoy, well have to go put Curtis back in "the MEG hole" for getting fiesty, have to make sure these guys stay in line.

So any release date on this? Looks good. I've never been happy with the core rules item creation system, and I have high hopes for this!

Ascending Crane said:

So any release date on this? Looks good. I've never been happy with the core rules item creation system, and I have high hopes for this!

Click to expand...

I am thinking March/April 2003. trying to make sure everything looks great before we take it to print.

These sound pretty cool Hal, practical magic, d20 needs more opf it

die_kluge said:

Jaron’s everful sack of roses
Jaron possessed a sack that could always produce a rose. He never ran out of roses, just luck.
The sack can produce 1 long-stemmed thornless rose up to a rate of 1 per hour; the roses last seven days.
SS: Slots: 5 4th level spell slots (+11 unlimited-use 1 hour/level spell (minor creation), -2 per time-frame limitation, -8 extremely low utility, +4 two levels of increased duration); Market Price: 3,840gp, Creation Cost: 1,920gp

Click to expand...

Without giving too much away, could you deconstruct or expand on this just a bit? I see that Minor Creation is a 4th level spell, and that by adding up the modifiers (+11 -2 -8 +4 = 5) it's been determined that the creation of this item is somehow the power equivalent of five such spells.

I don't know what "five 4th level slots" means in this context, though. Obviously, I can't create the item if I don't have access to 4th level spells. If I know the Minor Creation spell but can only cast a 4th level spell once per day, can I still make the item, just taking longer to finish it?

I can't tell from the above example how -- or whether -- the price can be derived directly from that determination; how does one get from "five 4th level slots" to "3840gp"?

Also, what range of modifiers is possible in each...what, category?...+11 is pretty big, but it covers unlimited use, so it may be the highest possible modifier under the heading of "how often/how many times can I use it?"

No doubt all this is clearly explained in the Handbook, I just wanted to get a better sense of it now.

As of today, I have edited, reviewed, and completed all 103 pages of text (no art). It may yet go through some more edits and reviews, but at this point, it's 99% complete, except for art.

So, I'm excited at least!

Damon, certainly.

Now, this is going to look complicated, but once you do a few of them, and read through the numerous examples in the book (the appendix includes several pages of Wondrous items (amulet of health to Cubic gate) broken out in detailed explanation.

To determine the cost, the equation is this:

ngp * (spell level * caster level -1) * (number of spell slots used)^2

The n for gold pieces is customizable. 5gp for low magic, 10gp for moderate (the default for all examples used), and 15gp for high magic settings. We'll use 10gp for this example.

Since 4th level spells have a caster level of 7, and we know the number of spell slots required, we can determine the cost.
10gp(4+7-1) * (5)^2
100gp *25 = 2,500
*it is at this point that die_kluge realizes that he has made a grevious error, and his math is wrong.*

Ok, I'm a moron, and can't add. Apparently, I'm *not* done with the book. The cost should be 2,500gp, not 1,920. The market value is 2 * creation cost, which should be 5,000.

Basically, the system works off spell slots. A certain number of spell slots are required based on the kind of item. There are numerous kinds of items, from wands, which are multi-charge items, to unlimited-use items (amulet of the planes) or bonus items (+1 swords, +4 cloak of charisma), to single-charge items (potions, scrolls).

The book breaks all these down into their base components, so that if you wanted to create an item that can cast mirror image 2 x per day, gives a +1 to your AC, and has 25 charges of blur, you could create it easily.

For the example item, you would have to cast 5 4th level spells. But, you can cast 4th level spells using 5th level or above spell slots. And, intelligence bonus comes into play as well, so smarter spellcasters have an edge over dumber ones when it comes to item creation.

The things like use, level modifers, etc, are just that - modifiers. The most expensive magic items are continuous items, which have a constant effect such as Amulets of proof against detection and location. Another class of items, which are like continuous items are called unlimited-use items, and are things like amulets of the planes, which can cast an effect over and over again (and have no charges). To make a spell permanent costs more the shorter the duration of the spell. So, an amulet of the planes is horrendously expensive because the spell used to create them (plane shift) is "instantaneous", so that would be an example on the extreme end of expensive. (19 5th level spell slots, for those keeping score at home, in this case).

The book also has rules for :

piecemeal armor
gestalt magic sets
socketed items
rechargeable magic items
artifacts
magic item instability
and much more.

Hope I've not confused you more. Now, excuse me while I go double-check my math!

*grumble* *grumble*

While I do *not* like the caster having to spend XP to create magic items, it is good as a 'checks and balance' type thing against casters sitting in a tower, creating magic item after magic item and doing nothing else.

Is there anything in this supplement that addresses that concern?

You've stated that it requires x amount of spell slots - but surely that can't be the only thing that holds a wizard back from making items?

I can see it now....

DM: "Ok, you're back in town. The next two weeks are unexciting, and --"

Mage Player: "Hold on there, Tex. Two weeks? Excellent. In that time, I can create 3 Long Swords +1, two rings of sustenance, and a dozen pairs of Boots of Speed!"