Looking for Thoughts: Magical Items

[vulcan_idic]

I just had a random thought for a couple of magic items and I thought I'd bounce them off the forum for thoughts. I don't think they're all that powerful, but we'll see.

1) Book of General Knowledge. Written at a childs level, thus likely containing little new information, and no information of import, but enchanted with the ability to inspire the reader with the desire and aptitude to learn. Game effect grants the reader the ability to always consider a few skills class skills. It gives no bonus to them, just the ability to learn them as though they were class skills should the reader wish to improve them. I hadn't thought out the game effect too much, so part of what I'd like is smarter people than I's take on the exact number of skills etc. would be good. Got the idea from remembering a set of childrens encyclopaedias I always used to read when I was younger and how it effected my education, and thus my skills, later.

2) A small brooch or clasp shaped like a four-pointed star - the center has a pearl in it, and each of the four rays has a small ruby, emerald, sapphire, and diamond in a gold setting. The brooch bestows upon the wearer elemental resistance 1 or 2 or something (not sure what, just like the idea of minor resistance) for the five primary elements and also a 0-level spell usable at will associated with each element (a la Finger of Fire for fire). Mostly I'm thinking of it as a little magical sort of Gerber/Leatherman/Swiss Army Knife with minor protection involved as well. This one I'm thinking of as sort of a kind of family heirloom/lucky charm, with the wearer not neccesarily even aware that there is protection involved, and perhaps stumbling upon the other abilities somehow... initially they would most likely even be unaware it's magical due to the nature of the campaign.

 

[Darren Ravenshaw]

For the book you could either have it be a set number(2-6) depending on how powerful you want it. Or you could have the number of skills based on the readers Intelligence(0-2 +INT Modifier[min. 1]). You could even have a lesser book(2 skills or 0 +INT), a normal book(4 skills or 1 +INT), and a greater book(6 skills or 2 +INT).

I like the brooch/clasp. For a heirloom/lucky charm I would make each resistance 1. It allows the wearer to project a Ray of (insert specific element) but drains the items ability to protect from that element for 1 hour. Thus it can be used up to 5 times a hour once for each element, but would loss it protection for an hour.

 

[Ferret]

Why not have different skills by different books, like your encyclopedia?

 

[vulcan_idic]

Why not have different skills by different books, like your encyclopedia?

Actually this particular "encyclopedia" was only one volume... it didn't give any in depth information, but touched on a lot of stuff - like a small set of words (hello, goodbye, how are you) translated into about 100 different languages - not something really helpful, but something that gets someone interested in learning more.

For the book you could either have it be a set number(2-6) depending on how powerful you want it. Or you could have the number of skills based on the readers Intelligence(0-2 +INT Modifier[min. 1]). You could even have a lesser book(2 skills or 0 +INT), a normal book(4 skills or 1 +INT), and a greater book(6 skills or 2 +INT).

I'll have to give it some more thought... Isn't there a feat it kind of compares to that I could use for somparison? Education, I think, it only applies to knowledge skills, but I think it's the same idea... or maybe Cosmopolitan from FRCS... how does the power of a feat usually compare with that endowed by a magic item... I guess it's comparable to the whole ability point improvement/Manual of Gainful Exercise variety of item...

I like the brooch/clasp. For a heirloom/lucky charm I would make each resistance 1. It allows the wearer to project a Ray of (insert specific element) but drains the items ability to protect from that element for 1 hour. Thus it can be used up to 5 times a hour once for each element, but would loss it protection for an hour.

I kind of like the draining effect of using the ability... I don't really like the ray idea though. On the fire end I was thinking of enabling them to create a little 1-2 inch flame from a finger - a la a cigarette lighter. The others I wanted to be along those lines as well, not really a combat thing, more a utility item - for starting campfires etc. Maybe for Sonic a spell like Message. Not really sure what the others might be, but basically useful in game, but not combat useful (generally... they might be useful in combat with creative uses by the player, but not inherently so) I'll think some more on the draining though... I'm not sure about the hour time... anyway, thanks for the input!