Magic Items to improve a poor covenant

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Hi all,

As I'm prep'ing to run a game, and my players will have no income to begin with, I'm been coming up with a few magic items that they could make to help themselves out. These are my first attempts at enchanted devices so any and all comments are a great help :slight_smile:

Barrel of Fresh Waters [Lesser Enchanted Device]
CrAq 9
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +0 Ind)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Trigger (sunrise/sunset)

Base 2: Prevent Liquid from Spoiling - CrCo guidelines

1 pawn of Vis required.
[Covenants: +1 Health to Lab]

Fresh water that is stored in this barrel will not spoil. The barrel only stores water, it can not create water. If water is left in the barrel for half a year or more, it gains a warping point for each year it remains untouched, which the water inflicts on any whom then drink it.
A Seeker of Flambeau discovered such a barrel in a lost cavern deep in the Levant tribunal. Slaking his first on the iridescent water, he fell into twilight. Once he emerged, he forever more felt thirsty and no drink would slake his thirst. He spent the reminder of his days searching for the fountain of youth, hoping its magical waters would satisfy him.

Basket of Fresh Fruits [Lesser Enchanted Device]
CrHe 9
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +0 Circle)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Trigger (sunrise/sunset)

Base 2: Prevent plant matter from decaying - CrCo guidelines

1 pawn of Vis required
[Covenants: +1 Health to Lab]

These small baskets keep fruit within them fresh indefinitely. However, if individual pieces are left within the basket for more than half a year, they gain a warping point for each year left within the basket. Anyone who then eats the fruit is inflicted with those accumulated warping points.

Flambeau’s Fireplace [Lesser Enchanted Device]
CrIg 19
(Base 5, +0 Personal, +2 Sun, +0 Ind)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Trigger (sunrise/sunset)

2 Pawns of Vis required.
[Covenants: Grants superior heating]
[Covenants: Saves 3 pounds of silver per year]

These common devices, usually crafted from hearths, heat a room day and night, and give the room a warm glow.

Sail of Good Winds [Lesser Enchanted Device]
Cr(Re)Au 30
(Base 5, +0 Personal, +1 Conc, +0 Ind, +1 Re requisite)
+5 Item maintains conc, +10 unlimited use

3 Pawns of Vis required.
[Covenants: Improving a Sea Trade income source with this item would likely count as an expansion or boom modification]

This main sail generates its own winds on command, making its ship both very fast and very manoeuvrable. Merchant vessels lucky enough to have such sails can expect to greatly increase their profits. Many such sails, when not owned by a covenant directly are limited to 7 or 70 years, however some old examples of these sails are permanent enchantments.

Lamp of Continual Day [Lesser Enchanted Device]
CrIg 14
(Base 4, +0 Personal, +2 Sun, +0 Ind)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental trigger (sunrise/sunset)

2 Pawns of Vis required
[Covenants: Grants the superior lighting virtue for a lab]
[Covenants: Saves 2 pounds of silver per year]

These lamps are a common sight within many covenants, maintaining good light throughout the day and night. Though its not necessary to craft them out of lamps, doing so makes the enchantment process very easy.

Forge Basin [Lesser Enchanted Device]
CrAq 10
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +0 Ind)
+5 Item maintains conc, +1 Frequency 2/day

1 Pawn of Vis required
[Covenants: Grants +1 Item specialisation bonus to the lab]

This iron-shod barrel is used to assist craftsmen at their forges. Twice per day, it can be commanded to fill itself with pure clean water, which a smith can use to help him work his metals. A second command makes the water disappear again.

Cleaning Lamp [Lesser Enchanted Device]
PeTe 14
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +0 Mom, +2 Room)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Triiger (midday/midnight)

2 Pawns of Vis
[Covenants: Grants spotless virtue]
[Covenants: Saves 2 pounds of silver per year]

Twice per day, once at midday and once at midnight, this device cleans the entire room of all dirt, dust and grime, leaving the outfittings perfectly clean. Many magi that use these devices make sure to stop for lunch just before midday so the devices cleaning effect does not interrupt them.

Larder Salts [Lesser Enchanted Device]
CrAn(He) 24
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Room, +2 Sun, +1 He requisite )
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Trigger (sunrise/sunset)

Base 2: Prevent decay and spoiling of foodstuffs –CrCo guidelines

3 Pawns of Vis
[Covenants: Saves 4 pounds of silver per year]

This small basket of salts, when placed within a larder or small room keeps the food stored in the room fresh. However, if any food is kept within the room for more than half a year, it gains a warping point for each year it remains in the room. Anyone who then consumes the food is inflicted with the accumulated warping points. Cappadocian salts are the preferred salts for devices of this kind.

A variant of these devices are crafted with T:Structure, and are sometimes used on merchant ships transporting large quantities of fresh fruits or meats. Unfortunately, crews that man such ships accumulate warping points, as do covenants or inns that use them, so they are less popular than the weaker version.

Figurine of the Muse [Lesser Enchanted Device]
MuIm 15
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 Room)
+5 Item Maintains Conc, +5 Frequency 24/day

2 Pawns of Vis
[Covenants: Improving an Inn income source with this item would likely count as an expansion boom modification]

This device, usually a small figurine or piece of art is enchanted to make a room the perfect stage for a musician. It causes all sounds within the room, particularly music, to be especially clear and sonorous. The notes are clearer, sharper and more distinct. Its enchanted to allow its effects to be activated or deactivated many times a day, to insure its properties don’t raise the suspicions of guests when no performance is being given.

Weightless Armour [Lesser Enchanted Device]
PeTe 29
(Base 5, +0 Personal, +2 Sun, +0 Ind, +2 Affect Metal)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Trigger (sunrise/sunset) +3

3 Pawns of Vis

These rare suits of armour, favoured by warrior mages, significantly reduce the burden of the armour. Enchanted into metal-reinforced leather, metal scale or chain mail, they reduce the armour’s Partial Load to 1, or its Full Load to 2.

The oldest of these suits were crafted by Verdugo, filus of Verditus himself. Before the suits had any enchantments added to them, Verdugo masterfully crafted each of them, drawing out the armour’s inherent magical properties of protection. Only then did he add these powerful enchantments. Such armours add +7 to their protection value. Obviously, the suits created by Verdugo himself were either metal-reinforced leather or metal scale, as chain mail had not yet been devised.

(A slight alteration on how an item of quality works, as no die is rolled for soak values, but it seems logical enough).

I've included the items effects with Covenants as we'll be making use of that (probably one of my favorite books).

Again, any comments more than weclome :slight_smile:

Kal

1 Like
2

Nifty stuff! I found no faults, and they seem very appropriate.

I'm also SG for a saga with a poor covenant (they just established themselves), so these kind of thing is very useful for me. So, if you or your players come up with more such items, please post 'em!

3

Thanks Sol :smiley:

Kal

4

Little mistake: the spell is not the level you put : that level is the final effect's one :wink:

5

ExarKun, I'm a little confused by your reply, can you explain it abit more?

Kal

6

I'll do an example, understand with that :wink:

its:

Barrel of Fresh Waters [Lesser Enchanted Device]
spell CrAq 5 (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +0 Ind)
+1 Frequency 2/day, +3 Environmental Trigger (sunrise/sunset)
= final effect 9

7

Ah, ok, i get it.

When I first wrote them up, I did seperate the spell and final effect levels, but to make the forum post more consice, I just condensed it down to TeFo and final effect (I used a post from the LAB thread for example layout). I didnt think it would make much of a difference, especially as within the game, only the final effect is important for lab totals etc...i think...

Kal

8

You'd need the base levels of the spells for dispelling and such, though.

9

I totally disagree. The condensed version is better. It is not a spell, it is an enchantment. The enchantment parameters (uses/tigger/etceteras) affect the level of the effect just as much as any other parameter (range, duration, target, etceteras). These all affect the level needed to dispell or disenchant and etceteras.

10

Marko no:

the effect is a number of time/the triggers/the penetration of a spell.

The spell is the spell.

11

On page 100 of RAW, 3rd column, end of the first paragraph, it states

That is to do with investigating enchantments, but I assume it would apply across the board to enchantment effects???

Kal

12

A spell is a spell, not an enchantment. They look similar for convenience. But you are not investing spells in an item, you are investing enchantments. Apples and oranges my friend :smiley:

13

Yeah, you catch my meaning :smiley:
It applies accross the board. The level of the enchantment is calculater in a similar fashion to a spell, but all of the effect modifications are applied directly to the level. Thus a wand enchantment that allows Unlimited Use Pilium of Fire is a level 30 effect. Other spells or effects intended to dispel/deflect/detect/mask this effect have to be gaugued at level 30, not at level 20.

14

Cool cool. Makes life easier for typing these things up.

Added Figurine of the Muse and also added a second paragraph to Larder Salts.

Kal

15

Added Weightless Armour - not quite an item for a poor covenant, but a useful item for a warrior mage none the less and just wanted to run it by folks here...

Kal

16

Note to remember when talking about weightless items, make sure the SG has chosen how to handle weight AND mass and how they´re different(or if the SG so chooses, how they´re one and the same) before it eventually comes up during play(if the SG didnt think about it, it ALWAYS pops up one way or another).

17

The enchantment is based off the spell in HoH:S - which describes the spells functions as removing the weight, but the 1 or 2 load remaining representing the armours bulk - hopefully that would be good enough for an SG...

Kal

18

Until someone falls onto the deck of a boat with it on them, or maybe rides a horse at speed and slams into something... When weight no longer matters, but mass becomes an extremely important consideration.
Ie, does the mass count for figuring out if the wearer smashes through the oat he fell on, does the mass count when he crashes into whatever stopped him, or not.
Dont forget that if you disregard mass as part of removing weight, then a weightless sword becomes quite useless as well.

19

In GotF, items are designed in the way i say... where is it said that the level of a item effect is the level of the spell + mods?

20

On page 100 of 5th ed core.

Kal