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*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Item Creation Rituals - several points
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<blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 4680139" data-attributes="member: 99"><p>Cool thread. I'll make a few observations about the RAW and also a couple house rules:</p><p></p><p>One thing I think is absolutely KEY to remember is that you don't spend gold to enchant items. You spend ritual components. Now granted, one way to get those ritual components is to buy them. But that doesn't mean that they must be available in unlimited quantities in every little hamlet or thorp the PC's pass through.</p><p></p><p>As a result of this the GM has absolute control over how many magic items the players can make. No ritual components, no items. Although I'll grant that there would be nothing stopping the PC's from disenchanting items they already have (except lack of access to the disenchant ritual) and turning the residuum into magic items. But at a 20% exchange rate that's pretty steep.</p><p></p><p>Now I don't say this as a way for GMs to be iron fisted dictators, only letting the smallest drabs of magic slip through their grip. I bring it up because it dispels the notion that the game MUST allow near limitless magic item creation. Personally I intend to use this as a way to guide the game a bit and keep things interesting.</p><p></p><p>Notably I give out ritual ingredients as treasure on a pretty regular basis. I break this down by type so that Alchemical Reagents are distinct from Sanctified Incense, etc. But I further distinguish ingredients that are particularly useful for certain rituals. For example I might have them find some magical birdseed that is worth 50gp of Rare Herbs but also counts double toward the casting of Animal Messenger. Or give them some Siren Tongues that are worth 100gp of Alchemical Reagents but are worth double that for casting Magic Mouth. Yes this increases bookeeping somewhat but I also think it adds interest to the game. Furthermore it's a bonus so the player can ignore it if they want. If they want to throw the Siren Tongues in the pile of Alchemical Reagents and never even note the Magic Mouth benefit then they are welcome to do so.</p><p></p><p>One thing I'll note from WAY upthread about the magical resizing of armor is that I'd probably require that the person it's being sized to take part in the ritual as allowed on p299 of the PHB. I still wouldn't let it result in huge suits of armor being broken down for materials, even if you get a Hill Giant to help you out with the ritual. But I think it's flavorful to require that the wearer participate.</p><p></p><p>Now into House Rules territory:</p><p></p><p>I was mildly bothered by the "one size fits all" nature of the Enchant Magic Item ritual. I considered a few ways to tweak this without adding a whole lot of work for me or the players. What I finally arrived at was this:</p><p></p><p>You can make any item normally allowed with the Enchant Magic Item ritual but it costs 150% of the listed cost. BUT you can also find rituals to make specific types of magic items and using these rituals you can create the item for 75% of listed cost.</p><p></p><p>This means that the PC's are more likely to craft some items than others and gives me a way to allow the Warlock to get his Rod of Corruption without me having to put one in the lair of the Evil Dwarves who I don't think would have a Rod of Corruption. I can toss him the Enchant Rod of Corruption Ritual in an earlier game and make sure that he gets the necessary components from the Dwarven Artificers during the course of that adventure. Again, this takes more planning but it helps me bring the world alive and I view that as part of my job as the GM.</p><p></p><p>This also can make the rituals themselves be part of the adventure. Maybe the Dwarf PC in the party is specifically going after this clan of Evil Dwarves because rumor has it that they still have the lost art of crafting Dwarven Armor. Finding that ritual and bringing it back to the smiths of his clan might be the whole reason he became an adventurer in the first place. And of course this also lets you set up a Skill Challenge where the PC's try to research the ritual to craft a Dragonslayer Sword to slay the Red Dragon plaguing the town if they don't have the money to make one at 150% cost.</p><p></p><p>Finally I didn't realize they'd included it in AV (I don't own that book) but I allow the spontaneous enchantment of items during the course of the adventure. Sometimes I plan this and sometimes it just seems right. But if the PC's didn't manage to make a Dragonslayer Sword to kill the Red Dragon but they managed anyway, perhaps the Fighter will find after the battle that the heartblood of the dragon has stained his sword permanently and NOW it's a Dragonslayer.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rel, post: 4680139, member: 99"] Cool thread. I'll make a few observations about the RAW and also a couple house rules: One thing I think is absolutely KEY to remember is that you don't spend gold to enchant items. You spend ritual components. Now granted, one way to get those ritual components is to buy them. But that doesn't mean that they must be available in unlimited quantities in every little hamlet or thorp the PC's pass through. As a result of this the GM has absolute control over how many magic items the players can make. No ritual components, no items. Although I'll grant that there would be nothing stopping the PC's from disenchanting items they already have (except lack of access to the disenchant ritual) and turning the residuum into magic items. But at a 20% exchange rate that's pretty steep. Now I don't say this as a way for GMs to be iron fisted dictators, only letting the smallest drabs of magic slip through their grip. I bring it up because it dispels the notion that the game MUST allow near limitless magic item creation. Personally I intend to use this as a way to guide the game a bit and keep things interesting. Notably I give out ritual ingredients as treasure on a pretty regular basis. I break this down by type so that Alchemical Reagents are distinct from Sanctified Incense, etc. But I further distinguish ingredients that are particularly useful for certain rituals. For example I might have them find some magical birdseed that is worth 50gp of Rare Herbs but also counts double toward the casting of Animal Messenger. Or give them some Siren Tongues that are worth 100gp of Alchemical Reagents but are worth double that for casting Magic Mouth. Yes this increases bookeeping somewhat but I also think it adds interest to the game. Furthermore it's a bonus so the player can ignore it if they want. If they want to throw the Siren Tongues in the pile of Alchemical Reagents and never even note the Magic Mouth benefit then they are welcome to do so. One thing I'll note from WAY upthread about the magical resizing of armor is that I'd probably require that the person it's being sized to take part in the ritual as allowed on p299 of the PHB. I still wouldn't let it result in huge suits of armor being broken down for materials, even if you get a Hill Giant to help you out with the ritual. But I think it's flavorful to require that the wearer participate. Now into House Rules territory: I was mildly bothered by the "one size fits all" nature of the Enchant Magic Item ritual. I considered a few ways to tweak this without adding a whole lot of work for me or the players. What I finally arrived at was this: You can make any item normally allowed with the Enchant Magic Item ritual but it costs 150% of the listed cost. BUT you can also find rituals to make specific types of magic items and using these rituals you can create the item for 75% of listed cost. This means that the PC's are more likely to craft some items than others and gives me a way to allow the Warlock to get his Rod of Corruption without me having to put one in the lair of the Evil Dwarves who I don't think would have a Rod of Corruption. I can toss him the Enchant Rod of Corruption Ritual in an earlier game and make sure that he gets the necessary components from the Dwarven Artificers during the course of that adventure. Again, this takes more planning but it helps me bring the world alive and I view that as part of my job as the GM. This also can make the rituals themselves be part of the adventure. Maybe the Dwarf PC in the party is specifically going after this clan of Evil Dwarves because rumor has it that they still have the lost art of crafting Dwarven Armor. Finding that ritual and bringing it back to the smiths of his clan might be the whole reason he became an adventurer in the first place. And of course this also lets you set up a Skill Challenge where the PC's try to research the ritual to craft a Dragonslayer Sword to slay the Red Dragon plaguing the town if they don't have the money to make one at 150% cost. Finally I didn't realize they'd included it in AV (I don't own that book) but I allow the spontaneous enchantment of items during the course of the adventure. Sometimes I plan this and sometimes it just seems right. But if the PC's didn't manage to make a Dragonslayer Sword to kill the Red Dragon but they managed anyway, perhaps the Fighter will find after the battle that the heartblood of the dragon has stained his sword permanently and NOW it's a Dragonslayer. [/QUOTE]
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