items for a new covenant: ROLL CALL

Hi there!

After the success of the roll call for the library (still sorting stuff up, thanks guys!) I am making another one for magic items for a starting covenant. I am deciding on what items Iusto Foedere should have, so it is interesting to know what other people use and find useful as the "basic toolset" as well :slight_smile: Iusto Foedere will have 80-100 points of magic items (that is 160-200 effective levels, counting uses/day, penetration and other modifiers)

For us, these are the things seen in most sagas:

MY TOP 5 FOR A STARTING COVENANT

  1. Infirmary item (CrCo)
  2. Conjure logs (CrHe)
  3. Unseen porter gloves (ReTe)
  4. Freezer, creo ice (ReAq) or well (reAq). If well already exists, the freezer takes precedence
  5. Illumination: CrIg torches of smokeless fire.

What would be yours? :slight_smile:

By ReAq to create (non-magical) water, you mean teleporting them from the nearby lake or something like that ?
And I can't see how CrHe creates (non-magical) wood, although it would be fun to build a castle with wood that has an Until duration...

Another basic item to consider is a Metalward Shield (ReTe). Protects the shield grog, and hence the magus, from nearly all attacks by mundanes.

All of those are good/useful items and already cover most of the basic ideas.
One thing you need to decide (if you haven't already done so, possibly somewhere I've missed) is if the covenant is 'apparently mundane' to visitors or obviously magical?

A 'mundane' place would have to avoid anything visible to visitors, so no smokeless torches or magical heating/cooling effects, etc. And nothing that the grogs/their families/friends would talk about to strangers. (High loyalty value? Somewhat dependent on the blatantness or otherwise of the magis' gifts.)

I could see a 'healing room' having its beneficial powers credited to a saint, but that might lead to the local bishop trying to take over the place!

Stuff that a (very magical and obvious, but 4th ed so some effects might be hard to replicate) covenant had that I played in included:

An alarm bell that rang when anything magical entered the aegis, audible in several places. A different sound for any humans entering.
A moat that had crocodiles in (not actually magical, but made by magic which also dumped the earth/stone from it into a heap making a motte).
A flying, invisible boat crewed by vikings to carry out retributive strikes (and who tended to go pillaging whenever they felt like it, but far away from our covenant - after a bit of an argument about just why we were being blamed for stuff we knew nothing about...).
Animated broomstick servants who did the basic tidying/cleaning/etc.
A teleportation circle, linked to another one (acting as a cheaper Hermes Portal) under a mountain many miles away as an escape route.
A circle of iron around the fields, to keep minor faeries away from the crops/village. A non-magical, traditional ward, but Creo'd so it was strong and big enough and didn't rust. This could also be used for circle/ring spells when needed.

The CrHe effect is to create logs. Logs that you use for firewood basically :slight_smile: A covenant or castle uses A LOT of firewood, specially in winter, so Creo-ing the stuff saves a lot of supplies and manpower. No problem with it being magical since it is likely to be used during the week, anyway :slight_smile: Moon duration to be sure. You only need some logs to keep the fires going during the Moon cycle change.

Iusto Foedere is supposed to be known to be the home of magicians, but what that means is somewhat fuzzy and not well understood by most people. No blatant magic used around. The healing room is credited to be miraculous and is claimed by the local bishop. or more appropriately, he knows about the power of the OoH and commissioned the structure as part of the agreement between him and the magi: they get the land to build the covenant in exchange for that, controlling a ford against raiders and some other favors (undefined hook). the idea is that the chapel will also cause a good reputation for the covenant in the area.

The ReAq, yes, it is to siphon water from a nearby source. the Dee river, in this case.

Other stuff, like smokeless torches and the like will not be present in the common areas of the covenant. my idea was to place them in the sanctums, library and other similar reserved spaces. Same for the freezer, that would be in a not widely used area for non-grogs.

So, what are your top ones? :slight_smile: Do you favour more stuff like bind wound or mentem items? They are also useful for sure :slight_smile: I note the shield one. However, for a starting covenant maybe it would be too much. We only have 200 levels or so to spend, after all!

CrAq can create a spring (it would require vis to be permenant, but not much). On the other hand from what I read (between the lines a bit) you should be able to use ReAq to desalinate sea water ( this can be done by freezing water and melting ice into a different container, or boiling and condensing- since each step can be accomplished through rego aqum I would presume the finished result could also be accomplished, though skipping the middle step may include a terram requisite.)

I've been adding items that I typically lump into a 'Veriditan treasure trove'. Essentially a few Items of Quality from their Inner Mystery. Generally it's been 2 swords, 2 shields, 2 suits of half-chain and maybe a set of bandages. They're not overtly magical, can penetrate MR, and offer a good bonus and cost only 2 BPs per item I think. I go with half-chain, because even wizards might be able to wear it without too much difficulty (depending on the magus). You can go with a bunch more of these depending on your needs. If you have a travelling covenant, something to steer the ship or coach maybe.

From there an item to scry within your own aegis. This can cause problems with the Tribunal, many accept that you're not supposed to scry on magi, but within your own home that should be less of an issue. Make it without Penetration and you can possibly avoid accusations.

A bag of holding. Numerous ways to skin this cat. Since it's the Mythic Paradigm, shrinking something also reduces its weight. So an item that shrinks things small enough to fit in the bag. Or an item that changes the items desired into small, light things (feathers or leaves). The one that I like is an item that is a connection to a room or chamber in the covenant. Things you put into the room can be grabbed by reaching into the bag and pulling them out. All of these would require Requisites so you can affect a wide array of things.

The walking tower. A small carved piece of stone (looking like a rook chess piece maybe), when activated it turns into a fortified tower for the night (or longer). It would likely need an extra magnitude or two for a special effect, to allow it to anchor itself in any ground.

The magi's saddle. A saddle that creates a horse using CrAn. The horse is magical so it will carry the wizard regardless of the Gift. Wizards have numerous ways of travelling quickly, but if they need to look more mundane, then this could help a lot. The question is, could this therhetically create a horse permanently? It uses the CrAn spell, 2 uses per day and has an environment al trigger (sun). Another option would be Rego Animal item to calm it down enough to allow a wizard to ride, then it can be used on any horse.

Ok, i ended up with 240 item levels. That is 96BP. Higher than originally intended, bu I guess we can accomodate. I am on my phone now (no internet a home) so the list on monday, but it nded up being fairly thorough. No items of quality since I am des:gning the whole thing as "core book only" product, even if i am adding features for further reference in Covenants and the like. As usual, suggestions will be welcome :slight_smile:

Sent from my HUAWEI G510-0200 using Tapatalk

OK, here they come :slight_smile: Suggestions welcome, as usual.

Cross of the Triad CrCo31
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Room; 2 uses/day
This cross activates a Room +12 recovery effect. It needs a prayer to activate at sunset and sunrise. The cross is in a healing house that is not part of the covenant proper, but located in the nearby village and administered by covenant servants. This healing house was created as part of the agreement between the covenant and the local bishop for the covenant to get the lands, and the healing house must attend the nearby villages and the nobility of the area if they ask for it. The recovery bonus has proved extremely popular among women giving birth, and has caused the covenant to gain a positive reputation at level 3 in the area as wise men and pious healers. The cross presiding over the sick bay is not detected to be a hermetic artifact, but the strong association of the healing house with the church is something that has not gone unnoticed.
(B5, +1 touch +2 Sun, +2 Room; 2 uses/day +1)

Carving Knife (covenants, p52) ReTe15
R: Touch, D: mom, T: Part; unlimited uses
This carving chisel is responsible for the extremely delicate stonework around the covenant. Its enchantment allows it to cut stone easily. being one of the oldest items of the covenant, it was used used in the construction of the covenant, to dress stone and perform most of the delicate carvings, since it allows carving stone as if it was soft wood. it was used again to construct the healing house in the village. Since it is so easy to use, the covenant carpenter is the one that tends to use it.
(Base 2, +1 touch, +1 part; unlimited uses +10)

The Strong Man’s Hands (ReTe16)
R: Touch, D: Conc. T: Individual; 50 uses/day
This pair of gloves allows the wearer (generally a grog) to manipulate big and heavy items easily. Teamsters find these items extremely useful, both for hauling merchandise and for transporting heavy stuff. Foresters and hunters also appreciate them, so these items tend to be on high demand at the covenant and the autocrat needs to assign them carefully. (Based on The Unseen Porter).
(B2, +1 touch, +1 concentration, +1 size; Item maintains concentration +5, 50 uses/day +6). From Covenants, page 52

The Strong Man’s Hands (ReTe16)
R: Touch, D: Conc. T: Individual; 50 uses/day
The high demand of the previous item has caused the magi of the covenant to create a second and third pair of these items. One of the pairs was destroyed in an accident, so there are only two pairs remaining. This is the second one
(Same parameters as above). From Covenants, page 52

Hanging Hood Against the Rain (ReAq10)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual; 24 uses/day
This hooded cloak inscribed with the sign of the Order of Hermes in the clasp, hangs from a peg by the side of the covenant’s door. The covenfolk touch the clasp and say “Iusto Foedere” before going out if it is raining. When they do, the effect activates and makes the water run around them instead of soaking them. They still use hooded cloaks when going out of the covenant's grounds to avoid attracting too much attention towards this unnatural phenomenon. This means that the members of the covenant are much less likely to catch a cold than most inhabitants of the Stonehenge tribunal. The item could be moved, but generally hangs there to be used by all members of the covenant.
(Based on cloak of duck feathers).
(B1, +1 Touch, +2 sun, +1 slightly unnatural; 24 uses/day +5)

Travelling Hood Against the Rain (ReAq10)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual; 24 uses/day
This cloak is identical to the one that hangs by the door of Iusto Foedere. It is used by travelling parties from the covenant. The extra uses allow a party to remain dry even if they have to be outdoors after sunset (normal while camping outside). When travelling, one of the companions or grogs uses this hooded cloak. By touching the other party members and activating the effect he can prevent them from getting soaked in the frequent English and Welsh rain. He cannot cast it on magi since it has a zero penetration, though.
(B1, +1 Touch, +2 sun, +1 slightly unnatural; 24 uses/day +5)

Pendant for Power (InVi18 + ReVi17)
R: Touch, D: Conc., T: Vision; 6 uses/day
R: Touch, D: Mom., T: Individual, 3 uses/day
This enchanted pendant contains a holed stone with 2 mystical effects. The first one allows the user to see concentrations of vis when looking through the stone’s hole. The second effect allows the vis to be gathered in a concentrated form that the grogs can gather and transport (like a fang of a creature, or a small bottle of water) when the stone is placed in contact with the item and the recipient in contact with the stone. This item is extremely useful for grogs to detect and gather vis when no magi are present. Generally this item is in the hands of the foresters of the covenant.
(First effect “detect vis”: B1, +1 touch, +1 concentration, +4 Vision; 6 uses/day +3)
(Second effect “gather vis” B10, +1 touch, 3 uses/day +2)

Touch of Winter (ReAq14)
R: Touch, D: Circle, T: Ring; 12 uses/day
This spell freezes the water present in a circle at the time of casting. Generally this is done by putting something in a barrel of water and casting the spell around it to keep stuff frozen. Ice is a natural state of water, so the magic ends when the ring is broken, but the water does not revert to liquid form immediately. The ice is used to freeze foodstuffs, but also to chill wine and other beverages during the summer months by placing the mugs and bottles on ice. This item is controlled by the cook of the covenant.
(B3, +1 touch, +2 circle; 12 uses/day +4)

The Motivated Plow (ReTe15)
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Part; unlimited uses
This plow loosens the earth in a path across, leaving it well plowed and ready for sowing. It is a very popular item among the grogs charged with tiling the soil of the fields belonging to the covenant. Sometimes the grogs have started to lend it to the local farmers more “in the know” about the magics of the covenant, but the magi are unaware of it and are likely to be upset if they find out.
(B2, +1 touch, +1 part; unlimited uses/day +10). From Covenants, page 52

Fireless Light (CrIg16)
R: Touch, D: Circle, T: Ring; 50 uses/day
This small candle wick tied to a stick can be used to light items. By tracing a circle on a surface that already contains an engraved circle, or by drawing a circle on a soft surface (so that it stays) it generates a source of light equivalent to torchlight. There is no fire in the spell, though, only light. Is useful while on expeditions, since it can be used underwater without the light source disappearing, but it is less useful in the covenant since it cannot be used in the public places. The private areas of the covenant, like the council chamber library and the labs and rooms of the magi are illuminated using this item, though. A second Fireless light stick disappeared with the missing founder, when he went to explore an underground river in Wales.
(B3, +1 touch, +2 circle; 50 uses/day +6)

The Obedient Horse (ReAn24)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: individual; unlimited uses
This is a stick that appears to be a carrot on a cursory explanation. When you touch a horse with it (or a horse tries to bite it) the horse is calmed and becomes docile. A horse enchanted like this will allow a magus to ride it, so it tends to be used for the magi when they go on expeditions. Up to 12 horses can be calmed (or 6 horses twice per day, at sunrise and sunset), so the item can make the whole party’s horses be unafraid of the magi, something useful since horses tend to be edgy when magi are nearby. A horse enchanted like this will also be way less scared of combat, allowing palfreys and courses to be ridden in battle without much fuss.
(B4, +1 touch, +2 sun, +1 size; 12 uses/day +4)

Field Chirurgeon
This coil of bandages is enchanted with two effects that help a party after they have suffered damage, generally as a consequence of battle (but can also due to accidents and magical botches). The first one stops the bleeding and the second one holds the patient’s wounds stable so it can move without his wounds becoming critical. Movement while wounded is a bad idea, so this item is a good way to keep a party active either going on or (preferably) returning to the covenant for proper treatment.

Bind Wound (CrCo15)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: individual; 24 uses
Prevents bleeding for Sun duration.
(B3, +1 touch, +2 sun; 24 uses/day +5)

Touch of Asclepius (CrCo15)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: individual; 24 uses
Grants a +6 recovery bonus for Sun duration. Movement while wounded causes Recovery checks to see if you get worse, so a bonus to these checks is important if you have wounded members in the party (likely after an engagement)
(B3, +1 touch, +2 sun; 24 uses/day +5)

Hearth Axe (CrHe10)
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Part; unlimited uses
This enchanted axe creates a Moon duration oak tree trunk about a foot wide by 10 feet long when it is wielded towards the ground. The head hits the recently created trunk. The trunk needs to be chopped to pieces afterwards to create logs usable in a fireplace. This item saves a lot of resources to the covenant in terms of lumber and the effort that needs to be done to heat the covenant in winter. Only a fraction of normal wood needs to be kept around to keep the fires going when the new moon rises and the spell effect ends. On emergencies it can be used to erect a temporary wooden barricade, but nobody has needed to do that so far.
(B1, +1 touch, +3 Moon; unlimited uses/day +10)

As you can see there are no charged items, and most stuff are minor items I think it is fitting, but would gladly accept suggestions for charged items to change some of the items around or present them as alternatives.