D&D General Which school of magic is responsible for things such as Weapon & Armor enhancements and Magic Items?

[Slit518]

Which school of magic is responsible for Magic Items, Weapon enhancements (+1, +2, etc), Armor enhancements (+1, +2, etc)?

I always thought it was Enchantment magic, but, after reading its description, that doesn't seem right to me!

I've talked to some pros in the field, and they had some varying answers to this questions.

So, what are your thoughts?

And, should a 9th school of magic be introduced just for this purpose, the school of magic that deals in creating magical items? Alteration magic, perhaps?
Or maybe Imbuement Magic?

 

[Yaarel]

The Wizard schools are inconsistent. Some are purpose, some are means, some are process. I find the schools less helpful to meaningfully organize spells.


Abjuration is a purpose − protect (shield, dispel, restore, etcetera). Healing seems like it should be a form of Abjuration. Abjuration might magically enhance Armor to defend.

Conjuration is a process − makes something out of nothing or relocates. Could make magic items suddenly appear. Could make constructs and force fields like Shield, etcetera.

Divination can foresee the future, thus make armor avoid attacks, weapons strike unerringly, also attack from a remote location, and so on.

Enchantment is a means − the mind. Could make items terrifying to debuff hostiles, or distract targets to attack them more easily.

Evocation is a means − elemental energies, could make various weapons and armor, such Frostbrand, Fireshield, etcetera.

Illusion is weird − it is a means, also the mind like enchantment, but sometimes is quasi-real like conjuration − could make quasi-real armor, blur effect, invisibility, phantasmal weapons, etcetera.

Necromancy is a theme − could be ghostly weapons and armor, necrotic weapons, becoming incorporeal, etcetera.

Transmutation is a process − and can mean anything and everything. Anything that "changes" including every spell, is transmuting. In the sense of transmuting elemental substances (like soil and metal) can fabricate weapons and armor, and enhance their material strength, modify their properties, and in the sense of shapeshifting can form natural armor, claws, and so on.

 

[Alzrius]

Well, given that spells like magic weapon have been presented as being Transmutation spells in 3rd Edition and 5th Edition, I'd say Transmutation.

 

[Steampunkette]

It -literally- depends on the item.

Vorpal Blade? Necromancy.

Shield of Protection from Arrows? Abjuration.

Elementally Resistant Armor? Abjuration.

Helm of Fireballs? Evocation.

 

[cbwjm]

Back when you needed the enchant item and permanency spells it was enchantment which was the half of the enchantment/charm school of magic that dealt with enchanting items, spells of other schools would be used for particular enhancements.

Now those spells aren't needed to make magical items so the closest in 5e would be transmutation which has taken the spells which enchant items like magic weapon and elemental weapon (though holy weapon is an evocation).

 

[R_J_K75]

I agree it depends on the item, etcetera... From what I remember from AD&D to add a plus or negative to an item was evocation. Nowadays who knows? Im still confounded that theres no permanency spell anymore.

 

[NotAYakk]

If you treat schools as "types of understanding" instead of "types of magic", then recognizing which school becomes akin to knowing the style of a painting school, instead of the material used to build the painting.

Using that, how a magic item gets its magic depends on the approach of the enchanter often, or even the researcher who worked out the fromula. Some will be biased; flaming weapons tend to be evocation.

 

[Charlaquin]

Well, given that spells like magic weapon have been presented as being Transmutation spells in 3rd Edition and 5th Edition, I'd say Transmutation.

This.

 

[Maxperson]

Which school of magic is responsible for Magic Items, Weapon enhancements (+1, +2, etc), Armor enhancements (+1, +2, etc)?

I always thought it was Enchantment magic, but, after reading its description, that doesn't seem right to me!

I've talked to some pros in the field, and they had some varying answers to this questions.

So, what are your thoughts?

And, should a 9th school of magic be introduced just for this purpose, the school of magic that deals in creating magical items? Alteration magic, perhaps?
Or maybe Imbuement Magic?

Enchantment is needed to make the items, but the school(s) involved in what it does are also involved. For instance, you cannot make a wand of fireballs with evocation magic alone. All you can do is blow stuff up. However, with enchantment magic you can place the evocation magic into a vessel and make the wand.

 

[see]

I note, looking at that last poll option, the pre-3e name of the school of Transmutation was Alteration.