Let's make apprentice created enchantments

Yes, but that was before the modern era, where everyone still on the forums is a complete madman.

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Flambeau's Bloody Greeting

Muto Herbam (Terram) 8 (Base 4, R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, +3 Restricted Trigger)

Two dozen cherry stones in a sackcloth pouch, collectively enchanted as a charged item. When any person or animal which does not live in the enchanter's covenant steps upon the stones, each seed simultaneously transforms into a rough iron caltrop for a brief moment. Trespassers with soft shoes must pass an Athletics+Quickness stress test of 12, or take +4 damage. A horse who is wounded by caltrops may be frightened and routed without an experienced rider's help. The lab text for this item includes the cherry's bonus to causing bloodshed, though it has not realized its full potential. To the surprise of the young enchanter, they managed to invest two charges into what they assumed would be a single-use trap.

Originally named Flambeau's Christmas Greeting, the apprentice's parens took umbrage at the casual blasphemy and spanked the boy for the rest of the night. Quite unfortunately, his shield-grogs liked the original name better. This started a long tradition of threatening enemies by sending them dried fruit for Christmas, to the confusion of every other covenant in the area.

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Mark of the Mundane
CrIm, final effect 14.

This enchanted ring causes the image of very brief mark to appear on someone's knee for just a fraction of a second. The main utility of this item is the instances where it doesn't work. It is designed with no penetration, at a target the magus suspects has magic resistance. If the wearer sees a brief image flicker on the target's knee, the target has no magic resistance. If nothing appears, then for some reason, magic resistance is in play. Admittedly, the target will know a spell was cast against them and fail, but will not immediately know what kind of effect or who did it. The momentary duration and innocuous location will help make sure that most casual observers won't notice anything happening, if the target is indeed a mundane.

Base 1, +3 Sight, +10 for uses per day

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I've been trying to be too clever. I think it's time for something... simple. Something obvious. Something an apprentice would think of when asked to make an enchantment. Something like a sweet magic sword.

Consummate Sword of Fire

Creo Ignem (Rego) 15 (Base 5, R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Individual, +1 Rego modifier, +-0 Once per day)

An iron longsword with a soft leather wrap over the hilt, and a pommel of basalt imported from the Mediterranean. The blade has a single chopping edge, more common in barrow artifacts than modern weapons. When the bearer recites the first line of the Lord's Prayer, the blade is wreathed in fire for one diameter. This flame doubles the weapon damage score for the blade (or adds +5, whichever is greater), and can start fires as well. The Rego requisite prevents the flames from damaging either the sword or the bearer's hand. The lab text for this item includes the material bonus for basalt's Ignem sympathy.

The Consummate Sword of Fire was smithed at a covenant deep in the Rhine. When the covenant drove the local highway robbers out of the area, continued rumors of banditry attracted faeries who took on the same role. A clever Merinita spread stories of monsters who were afraid of bright light, and the faeries were honor-bound to follow the rule. Of course, a flaming sword will dissuade human robbers as well.

Gladius Plus Ultra

Rego Terram 15 (Base 3, +2 metal manipulation, R: Personal, D: Concentration [+5 holds concentration], T: Individual)

A bronze shortsword, simple and solid in construction, with a hilt wrapped in gold wire. The name Gladius Plus Ultra is engraved along the flat of the blade. The enchantment on this sword causes it to repair itself to the best of its ability whenever it is damaged; it reshapes itself when bent or dented, and sheds rust the moment it forms. The Gladius appears largely the same as it was when first forged, with only a small amount of bronze worn away like a bar of soap. The lab text for this item is either lost or buried in a library somewhere.

This sword was a product of House Verditus' third generation of apprentices, in a more innocent time when an "indestructible sword" was a novel idea. The Houses' early internal vendettas eventually saw this sword fall into the Mediterranean Sea, where it rested under the seafloor until it was dredged up recently. The value of this centuries-old artifact is mostly sentimental.

Not sure on the Gladius Plus Ultra, as 1) there is a published CrTe 15 guideline to repair items in MoH (pg 31, example use on page 32), 2) the ReTe box says great precision may require extra magnitudes and 3) the enchantment skips a finesse roll on what is arguably a Rego Craft Magic spell.

Okay, let's try a slightly more appropriate enchantment.

Gladius Plus Ultra

Rego Terram 15 (Base 3, +2 metal manipulation, R: Personal, D: Concentration [+5 holds concentration], T: Individual)

A bronze shortsword, simple and solid in construction, with a hilt wrapped in gold wire. The name Gladius Plus Ultra is engraved along the flat of the blade. When the sword is wielded, it is inexorably bound to the wielder's hand until they willingly drop it. Any mundane attempt to disarm the sword results in it returning to the wielder's hand the very next turn. Due to its sigil, the Gladius is followed by the low rumble of thunder as it swings. The lab text includes the +3 bonus to Terram magic which bronze offers; copies of this text are available upon request to any Verditus magi.

This sword was a product of House Verditus' third generation of apprentices and their vendettas. Two apprentices sent champions to duel with magic swords, victory decided by disarm or surrender. The Gladius Plus Ultra is currently on display at Verdi, with a mummified severed arm still holding the hilt in a death grip.

Now for a themed set which was bouncing around in my skull all afternoon.

Pastilles of Winter

Perdo Corpus 13 (Base 5, R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, +3 targeted effect) charged item

An ash wood box of sour cherry and honey medicinal lozenges, with the covenant's crest moulded on top of each. Biting down on a lozenge renders any woman temporarily infertile, an effect which heals as a Light Wound. As a side effect, women using a Pastille of Winter skip their mensural cycle while infertile. Folk Witches using this medicine are still ravaged by the Blood Moon, but the damage is internal and leaves no tell-tale marks. The lab text for this item offers a +3 bonus for cherries' sympathy with bloodshed, which could be higher if the apprentice worked on it further.

These lozenges were a side project by a young Tremere apprentice, destined to be a great healer. Part of his medical training was to cook up inert sugar pills for practice, but he eventually grew bored and wanted to make something the covenants' grogs would appreciate.

Pastilles of Summer

Rego Corpus 15 (Base 4, R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual) charged item

A white pine box of dried fig and honey lozenges, spiced with cumin and asafoetida resin. Biting down on a lozenge makes a person's body sexually aroused until the next sunrise or sunset, even if they were previously unable. The person's will is unaffected and the choice to make coitus is their own. The lab text includes a +3 bonus from the fig's sympathy with fertility.

Another early creation by the young Tremere healer. He famously warned his patients to take the Pastille only a few hours after midday, and that an arousal lasting more than four hours may cause harm (not entirely incorrect; this effect causes the loss of a Fatigue level if it lasts more than Sun duration). Even more famously, one of the lozenges fell into the hands of an elderly couple unaffiliated with the covenant, who bore a child while past the age of 60.

Pastilles of Autumn

Creo Corpus 15 (Base 4, R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual) charged item

A hastily repurposed white pine box of birch syrup and honey lozenges, wrapped in sweet basil leaves. Biting down on a lozenge affords an expecting mother +3 to Childbirth rolls until the next sunrise or sunset. Because of how long giving birth can take, multiple doses might be required. The lab text includes the +3 bonus towards childbirth granted by the birch tree.

The young Tremere healer found himself in dire straits after his parens heard about the miracle conception he indirectly caused. Under very close supervision, the apprentice was ordered to do everything in his power to clean up the mess he created, including making sure the elderly mother-to-be survived.

Pastilles of Spring

Perdo Vim 15 (base 5, R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, +5 for Penetration 10) charged item

A rounded tin canister filled with lozenges of frankincense, honey and a pinch of hot paprika. Biting down on a lozenge triggers a Demon's Eternal Oblivion effect, stripping 5 points of Might from any demon which happens to be possessing the target. This is enough to slay a demon of Childbed Fever or drive them away, unless the demon is both very powerful and very petty. The lab text grants the +3 bonus frankincense provides to Perdo Vim effects in particular.

As a final precaution, the young Tremere's parens had them practice their anti-magic talents for a season. This medicine never had to be used on the elderly mother, but the potion became common in the Transylvanian Tribunal regardless.

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Those pastilles are clever!

Thank you! I figured not every potion would be a literal glass bottle of syrup. Glass is EXPENSIVE, everyone! Though, come to think of it...

Oil of Glass Fingertips

Rego Aquam 13 (base 1, R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part, +1 slightly unnatural control, +3 for Penetration 6) charged item

Despite the name, this green glass bottle contains doses of a thick, gritty ointment of ground clam shells which barely resembles oil at all. Rather, it is named for its effect; rubbing this ointment on a person or object causes liquids to bead and slide off like rain on a seabird's back until the next sunrise or sunset. Acids and other malign liquids only cause damage on the first round of contact or partial immersion, with full immersion regrettably breaking the ointment's effect. The Oil of Glass Fingertips does not prevent the user from drinking water unless it is ingested orally, a foul idea unlikely to happen by accident. The lab text for this item provides a bonus of +2 from the clam shell's protection sympathy; copies of this text are spread across the north shore of the Mediterranean and are simple to find.

In an unsurprising case of divergent evolution, nearly identical versions of this potion were developed in both Rome and Athens before either city's tribunal had begun sharing correspondence with each other. In the Theban Tribunal, it is easy to spot a Hermetic apprentice because they are perpetually covered in lumpy gray paste. The slight penetration also allows said apprentices to fetch pharmaceuticals from the local village without accidental self-poisoning.

Oil of Rain Dancing

Rego Auram 15 (base 4, R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual) charged item

A waterskin made from a sealed sheep's stomach, filled with the oil from pressed acorns. When the oil is rubbed onto a person's forehead, falling rain cannot touch them until the next sunset or sunrise. Wind may still chill and lightning may still threaten, but clothes and hair remain dry. The lab text for the Oil of Rain Dancing provides a +3 bonus; oak's protection from storms is far stronger than that, but the thoroughly researched version of this text tends to be buried far back in any given covenant's library.

Apprentices who are regularly sent to harvest vis in the wilderness will eventually cook up a similar potion if they have any sense of self-preservation. Those living too far south to find oak trees are stuck with the Oil of Glass Fingertips instead, much to their chagrin. Covenants producing this potion tend to leave behind astounding amounts of dry acorn mash, which either attracts birds or makes the grogs angry at the dinner table.

As an aside, assuming this is probably based on Blade of Virulent Flame, the spell says the blade gets hot enough to melt after about half an hour of fiery use, however since this only activates once a day for 2 minutes, you could probably get rid of that rego requisite, perhaps even trading it in for extra uses if the apprentice can manage that level of skill.

Doylist answer; the apprentice was so excited about "doing it better" that they didn't think that they didn't need it.

Watsonian answer; well... the part where the fire doesn't damage the user appealed to me. I imagined the apprentice passing this sword off to a turb captain who wouldn't have any Magic Resistance of his own, who would appreciate the protection. I don't know what else I'd change about it if I removed the Rego. Penetration might be fun given that it's meant to fight faeries.

You could also assume the apprentice made the sword before he actually got all the way up to a lab total of 30, and instead made it at lab total 24, and thus has only two uses on his awesome doom sword of flaming manliness. :wink: My home covenant has a lot of lab texts in the library that 'waste' potential because they were made a little before maximum efficiency was obtained.

Incense of emotive awareness.

InMe, final level 15
An apprentice prone to impulsive decisions decided to craft this item as a means of making wiser choices. When breathing incense lit in the center, he gains a very clear understanding of the emotions driving him to action. He still feels the emotions as strongly, but the self knowledge gained often helps him make a more appropriate decision.
This was inspired by effects that strip emotion from the target, but the apprentice in question has a deficiency with perdo.
Base 10, +1 touch.

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Note that items from this thread must be Level 15 or less.
My favourite option with such a "flaming sword" item would probably be to drop the Rego requisite and make it Level 10, which costs just 1 pawn instead of 2, can be recreated from a Lab text even by very green apprentices (MT 1 (+1 S&M), Int +1, Aura +3, and a bare 4 points in the relative Arts), or invented from scratch by more mature ones (MT 2 +2 S&M, Int +2, Aura +3, 11 points in the relative Arts).

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What's the opposite of oil? Hmm.

Demeter's Tears

Perdo Ignem 10 (Base 4, R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Single) charged item

A small vellum pouch of marble dust, with glittering mica and white gypsum powder stirred in. By throwing a handful of dust while shouting "Keep out!", the person or beast the dust coats will be filled with a dire chill for one diameter. This cold is enough to remove a Fatigue level for each turn of exposure. If the target does not seek sanctuary immediately, they are likely to fall unconscious from exposure. Common sigils for this item will cause the dust to cling long after the effect ends, or leave the affected person's skin ashen for the rest of the day. The lab text for this item includes the +3 bonus marble gives to cold and chills.

A common tool used by the Colombae of House Ex Miscellanea. Though they may specialize in wards and boundaries, and they may suffer a reputation as "pigeons" among other magi, Colombae who wish you to keep out of their space have more than one method of making you remain outside their space.

Threatening Meridian Sands

Creo Imaginem 15 (Base 2, R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group, +1 complex animation) charged item

A collection of linen pouches with wax seals, containing powdered cinnamon mixed with crushed rose petals and red cinquefoil dye. Scattering a pouch of powder on the floor while speaking the phrase "covered in scorpions" causes dozens of images of tiny black scorpions to appear in the affected area for one diameter. These images create a persistent clicking and skittering sound as they swarm and rush over each other. Because the images cannot react to or interact with anything, they are only useful as a deterrent to intruders who are already cautious. The lab text for this item includes a +3 bonus to Imaginem from the cinnamon. A person familiar with Magic Lore or Magic Theory is likely to recognize the Threatening Meridian Sands as an illusion if they smell cinnamon...

Another Colombae creation, less famous than its imitators elsewhere in the Order of Hermes. One popular variant is a Creo Mentem formula which merely convinces a target they are covered in scorpions.

Comfy Socks
CrIg 4
(Base:2, +2 Day)
Socks that stay warm all night. The socks are a pair and only work when worn together. One use per day.

Moon Stone
CrIg 3
(Base:1, +2 day)
Moonlight trapped in a crystal will indirectly illuminate it’s surroundings. One use per day.

Basin Warmer
CrIg 5
(Base: 3, +2 day)
Brass bead sits in a water basin keeping it warm. One use per day.

Boots of Stability
MuCo 5
(Base: 2, +1 Touch, +2 for 3 uses per day)
Muto Corpus effect grants the wearer the minor virtue “perfect balance” for a moment, trigger by the exclamation of an expletive is common.

Mr. Rex, this is an occasion where someone disagreeing with you will work in your favor!

Muto Corpus base 2 cannot grant a Virtue. In fact, Hermetic magic doesn't grant Virtues at all, just as Eyes of the Cat does not grant an animal Quality of night vision. Hermetic magic grants open ended effects which can mimic those things without specific rules for them, partially because the core rules existed before those things, and partially because it lets other magic traditions feel strange and exotic. When Methods and Powers grant Virtues or when Amazons inflict Personality traits on people, that's something CLOSE to what Hermetics can do but there's a definite difference.

What these boots do is change a person so they are well-balanced for a brief moment... without actually being the Perfect Balance Virtue. This is good for you because it might stack with the Virtue. Different effect.

The Herb's Savior

Creo Herbam 10 (Base 1, Touch, Concentration [+ 5 maintains concentration], Group)

This clay vase with a single tiny sapphire set on its face ensures that every plant growing within always grows tall, strong and bountiful. Plants raised in The Herb's Savior are often cycled out of the vase after a single harvest, to keep them from Warping into something less desirable. When young Salvia of Bjornaer enchanted this device, her sigil caused plants to grow with thin stems and leaves much like her namesake herb.

I felt like doing something foolish.

Salamander's Eye

Creo Ignem 15 (Base 4, R; Personal, D: Momentary, T: Individual, +1 Size, +2 three uses per day)

A brass pendant on a chain, with a small quartz crystal set in prongs. Salamandra of Flambeau has engraved her signature on the backside of the pendant. When the wearer of this necklace lets out a scornful laugh, their body lets out a burst of fire which deals +5 damage, in a radius large enough to engulf a horse. The Salamander's Eye may be used up to three times a day, but unleashing all three flames within the same hour will melt the pendant into useless slag. The lab text for this item includes the +3 bonus for fiery brass, though Salamandra's incomprehensible style buries the idea under vain rambling.

Young Salamandra of Flambeau was born with a magical immunity to fire and flame, a trait which the apprentice insisted on showing off at every opportunity. After Salamandra terrorized a small Theban village into storming her parens' covenant, a magus Bonisagus quietly demanded the parens trade custody of the little hellion. The Flambeau cheerfully agreed, and Salamandra eventually grew up to be a much less violent maga Trianoma. The Salamander's Eye still remains, as a painful reminder of her past.

Menhir of Door Locking
CrTe 13
R: Touch, T: Ind. D: Sun
This rounded granite pebble is a lesser enchanted device. When it is activated it creates a rectangular prism of granite approximately a pace and a quarter high, half a pace wide, and a pace deep. This block of stone will last until the next sunup or sundown.
While the original purpose of the device was to effectively bar a door from opening by putting several hundred pounds of rock behind it, it is probably used more frequently to destroy things, by putting several hundred pounds of rock on them. The lab text takes advantage of a +3 material bonus for Granite.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 levels 6 uses per day)

Yes I added another device, but the big thing that I want you all so see is that I just spent a very long time updating all of the links in the first post so they'll work. The addresses had all changed with the new forum software and did not work. Now they do.

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