Has anyone ever used the the lvl 20 guideline for Intellego Terram “Learn the magical properties of an object” (p. 153)?
It sounds a lot like it circumvents the normal lab activity to investigate an enchantment (p. 100), but I can’t find it used anywhere.
I believe that is for things like examining spell-like vis and similar stuff, though InVi should work there, too.
It lets you learn the Magical Properties (as the lower levels work for Mundane or Natural Properties). That an object has enchantments is a Magical Property (it has an instilled matrix of Vis), but not what the enchantments are or how to activate them. Magical Properties will be the capability of an Item of Virtue, Item of Quality, any Unnatural Properties (common in magically created material), and the like. Magi create (or temporarily instill) objects with Magical Properties all the time.
Any Creo Form create item (or Muto Form while the effect is active) with an Unnatural property will not reveal those properties to a spell using one of the lower level guidelines. If you gave an object immunity to fire, the ability to float in water (when it should sink), or gave it a supernatural sense (a stone that can see or hear) for example then the Base 20 guideline would be required to tell you those properties.
An object can also gain Magical Properties when it becomes Warped.
The only spell that might use this guideline in the published works is 'Listen to the Bells' (HP, p.83) and that is only because it is the only one of the Level 20 guidelines it might be since the other two are inappropriate.
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