Thirty(ish) Verditius items for November

Games Discussion Ars Magica
21

The Redcap's saddle is a really good one, even though 6 pawns is probably too steep a price.

As for the "Gift dampening effect" I wonder if base 2 ("plant a single suggestion in the mind of an animal) should be enough... After all, if you can make a bear think you don't smell like food, you can probably make a horse think the Gift is ok. There's a problem though: the in order to get the saddle onto the horse, you need help, for until it's saddled it will refuse getting saddled by a Gifted individual...

22

The high cost is because to get the full +7 bonus, it takes someone with the minor mystery virtue Items of Quality and a Philosophiae score of at least 7, so it requires a moderate amount of specialisation. So for 1 pawn of Vim vis plus one season of quite specialist labour, I thought 5 or 6 would be appropriate, and rounded up. Large shape & material bonuses on useful items make room for interesting but cheap to make items.

23

I'm slightly behind, but while we're on Items of Quality here's ideas for yesterday and today.

warning - modest rules abuse taking place - your saga probably should vary

A wand of pebbles - First, take a wand, which for a wizard is surely as much a tool as a sceptre is for a king or an abacus for an exchequer (see Items of Quality text on HoH:MC p 124). Inscribe it as an item of quality - argue with your storyguide as to whether +3 project bolt or other missile (definitely relevant) or +4 destroy things at a distance is more relevant. It now has a bonus to rolls using this. Now enchant Invisible sling of Vilano from HoH:S (flambeau section), ReTe 10, +10 levels for infinite uses, total level 20. You now have a wand that projects slingstones at enemies, can fire for as often as you have stones available, and it bypasses Magic Resistance as it requires aiming. You have the item of quality bonus to your aiming roll (as these bonuses only apply to rolls made with the item)

Likewise, a wand of quality with The Unseen Porter enchanted into it would get a +4 bonus to finesse rolls for careful handling.

Other items of quality with fat bonuses - a swan's feather cloak is surely a fine item of clothing. Using the +7 turn into appropriate animal bonus, a Verditius with Items of Quality can make the rolls of a companion with Shapechange trivial.
Panpipes - in the hands of someone with Enchanting Music, would you choose the +3 affect emotions, the +5 revelry, or +6 affect faerie emotions bonus? So many choices.
Shield Grog's Helmet - +6 affect sight could really help those Awareness rolls while your grog is on watch, or scouting ahead for your travelling group.

As far as I read it, the crucial thing is the object must be vaguely relevant to an occupation and can only affect rolls (which avoids totals without a roll, so preventing "lab tool of quality" to boost magi, "Quill of quality" for +7 to writing totals, using tools of quality to get more labour points if using the rules from City & Guilds, etc.)

24

Basically, it seems to me that you are saying this. Suppose I enchant an item to produce a magical effect, and that the item sports a S&M bonus relevant to the magic. Since you are using the item to produce the magic, you claim that the item qualifies as an Item of Quality to gain the S&M bonus to appropriate rolls. It's clever. But I'd probably disallow it -- I'd require the item to be relevant to an appropriate mundane activity. Still, it's not that far fetched, and I could see it other troupes allowing it.

25

The wand of molten doom - A wand of basalt that, when activated, rains molten lead on a nearby target. This is built by one of the rare Verditius Elementalists. The damage is quite excruciating if it penetrates Parma Magica - this lesser version is only a threat to the newly-gauntleted, but a greater version could be made.

(CrTe(Ig) - combining CrIg 10 heat an object enough to melt lead with CrTe 5 create base metal. The individual size for Ignem is up to a large hearth so should cover several cubic feet, so the CrTe 5 needs +1 size to cover the full volume allowed by base Ignem size. +2 magnitudes for voice - total 20 for an elementalist, 25 for a non-elementalist as extra magnitude for requisite required. The lesser version for sale includes +3 for 6 charges/day, +7 for penetration +14, so total level is 30 and costs a mere 9 pawns of vis, comparable to an Incendior Homines from Covenants.

Damage - +9 for molten lead, depending on SG may be tripled for covering half the body or quadrupled for full immersion depending on what they feel 10 cubic feet of molten lead could cover, for total +27 or +36)

Edit: Item invented to show that Elemental Magic has some uses - being able to add extra elemental requisites for free is useful if you intend to heat up things you are creating or chill things you are damaging, or ignite oil you create.

26

Keep it up darkwing! Yes I know dealing with the corrupt monks of Bury kept you busy tonight, but I'm enjoying these items. :slight_smile:

cj x

27

Items for the 10th and 11th: items useful for gathering arcane connections...or pranks.

The excellent epilator - a wand tipped with bone that removes the target's hair. Cost is a mere 6 pawns for ensuring a silky smooth magus.
The tidying bag - targets loose human hair and teleports it into the bag for cleanliness.

(Epilator - PeCo 3 do superficial damage to a body for example remove its hair, +2 magnitudes voice for a total of 5. Add +3 for 6 charges/day, and +22 for penetration +44 for a total of PeCo 30. Lesser item, lab text includes both +4 wand "destroy at a distance" and human bone +3 destroy human body (as it's a PeCo effect) bonuses)

(bag - ReCo 15 transport "human material" (the loose hair) up to 50 paces, +2 magnitudes voice for total 25, add +3 for 6 charges a day for total 28. Has a slightly lower total as only +3 move things into shape bonus in text. Penetration not needed for hair that's already separated from the body and fallen to the ground)

Of course, you could combine the two but the base for the teleport effect is 15 at 50 paces, you'd add a Perdo requisite to remove the hair, AND you'd need penetration so if you wanted a decent penetration this rapidly gets out of the realm of lesser items and into greater items.

A more subtle one would use target:part to remove a single hair from the target at a mere 5 levels higher, but would of course not be useful for pranks where you make people bald.

An animal version for hunting furry magical beasts is also possible.

28

That's a great magic item. Combined with a good finesse ability a must for quick shaves, and ideal for The Seven Hermetic Hairdressers of Diedne! :smiley:

cj x

29

On the twelfth day of Verdi, the venditor sold me, an impressive looking entry...

The gorgeous gateway - a huge brass door that, when the command word is said, warps itself into a much smaller size permitting entry, but will twist back once someone has passed through. A mere 6 pawns of vis to make your sanctum impressive.

(MuTe base 4 to shrink to one-eighth of volume, range personal, +1 magnitude size as more than 1 cubic foot of brass, +1 concentration, +5 levels item maintains concentration, +10 levels unlimited uses/day, total 25. As a cosmetic effect, the method in which the doorway warps to allow entry can vary according to the constructor's sigil)

30

To bring us up to date, several items dealing with invisibility - two experimental, the rest merely dubious:

The first cloak of stealth: a regular invisibility cloak has the unfortunate effect that one is still audible, so unless a magus is stealthy he still risks being caught when spying. This cloak, made via experimentation by Lucien, covers four senses. Unfortunately it magnifies taste so much that if you accidentally brush past someone's lips or mouth, they will feel like they've just eaten something incredibly hot and spicy.
(The next level of PeIm past "destroy an object's ability to affect sight" is PeIm 5 destroy an object's ability to affect four senses, so this cloak is PeIm 5 +1 touch +1 concentration for total 15 +5 levels maintains concentration +5 levels 24 uses/day for total 25. Roll on experiment table gave a minor flaw, so it magnifies the sense it doesn't cover.)

The second cloak of stealth: Lucien tried to make a better version - this one removes the previous flaw, but weakens the effect on hearing species to make it slightly more useful as you can still use words when spellcasting.
(same as before, but the experimentation roll gave a minor benefit. Inaudibility is weakened, so you can cast in a quiet voice for a -5 penalty. You gain a +3 to stealth rolls when trying to move quietly as you are quiet but not silent).

Cost: normally 9 pawns for an invisibility cloak - Lucien sells the first one for a mere 8 pawns, the second one for 10 pawns.

The Emperor's new clothes: you can't see them, and they are so silky smooth you can't feel them, but they will keep you warm like regular clothes.
(PeIm 5, range personal, +2 sun, +4 levels to keep continuously on for total PeIm 19. You need someone with second sight to dress you or to wash them).

Story seed: A local noble has indeed paid good money for these (or a similar version sold by a faerie trickster), and is delighted by them. One morning, his usual valet (who has second sight) falls ill and there is no-one who can dress the noble in them. A servant has pretended to dress him, and the noble is wondering why he feels so chilly. Can anyone find the clothes (lost in the wash if the usual washerwoman with second sight isn't available) and stop the noble catching his death from cold? Can anyone persuade the peasants he is actually wearing clothes and hasn't gone mad?

The coquette's clothing - with a muttered phrase, these clothes become invisible allowing people to see the physique underneath. Currently popular in brothels frequented by redcaps. Cost a mere two pawns!
(PeIm base 4, +1 concentration, +5 levels 24 uses/day - PeIm 10. Made with an expires after 70 years so the Verditius can sell them to mundanes and make them faster)

31

Oh dear... i can see these being made in our game now.
As an aside, item expiry doesn't make them faster, just easier, and after you have the lab text its not that bad anyway.
But you are right, we can't sell permanent items to mundanes (IIRC due to a tribunal ruling? Anyone remember the reason?)
K.

32

HoH:MC page 111 says Verditius can't sell directly to mundanes as a result of a 1061 ruling. I think the duration thing is in the peripheral code in some tribunal I've played in, as a way of making sure you don't get censured for interfering with mundanes. In the Ars 5 main rulebook P.11 under nobility says "The peripheral code has tended to rule that deals with nobles that don't involve service or permanent magical aid are not a violation of the clause against interfering with mundanes" and then goes on to explain this is only a tendency. Therefore, putting expiry on an item is more likely to be ruled legal than a permanent one sold to a noble.

33

You just get round it by using Venditores or other agents to make the actual sale as I understand it? So if for example Aliester, a companion, sells King Richard an enchanted suit of armour, that does not breach the ruling, even if Colt receives the payment and rewards Aleister in some way for his troubles? :slight_smile: This sounds like a breach of the Code, but is as afr as I can see the exact purpose of Venditores, but such transactions are by n means limited to them. £rd edition had precise limits on the number of items you cold sell to different social status groups as I recall, but not later editions?

cj x

34

Looking in my copy of HOH:MC page 114,
"Since a given venditor only negotiates the sale of one item per year..."
I read that as being that a venditor's sale counts towards the sales a magus may make. It does however free up the magus from having to do the negotiations etc. Also prevents accusations of interference.

K.

35

OK, I'm a few items short of November's total with only 4 days to go!

The Inexorable Planchette
a small pointer made of bone with a hollow in it for you to place an arcane connection upon. If placed upon a map, with an arcane connection in its hollow, and the command word is spoken, it will slowly move over the map and a good while later come to rest upon the location of the person the arcane connection is linked to. Cost 6 pawns.

(As per The Inexorable Search ArM5 page 131 - level 20, +5 levels for item maintains concentration, +3 levels for 6 uses/day, total 28. The item moving itself over the map while it does the concentrating for you is a cosmetic effect)

The revealing mask
An ornate mask, when worn it will see through most disguises worn by those without magic resistance. A greater enchanted version with decent penetration is due to be researched soon. Costs 8 pawns.

(Sight of the true form - ArM5 page 130 - level 15 covers the minimum to see through mundane disguises AND disguise of the new visage AND disguise of the transformed image. Level 15 spell, +1 touch range, +1 concentration for total 25, +5 levels for item maintains concentration, +1 2 uses/day- total 31. Depending on how broad your SG allows shape bonuses, lab text may only include +2 affects wearer's sight or may include +7 disguise )

36

Two items advertised by Fulminata, a maga who specialises in Auram magics:

The student's cloak: this cloak carefully guides any wind, no matter how strong, around the wearer so they may travel freely. She made one herself as a young mage so she could study the inside of storms more easily, but House Mercere liked the idea and so when she became skilled enough to turn them out as lesser items they commissioned her to make a few and supply them with a lab text. A mere 8 pawns of vis

(ReAu 10 to ward against very severe weather - up to hurricane force winds, +1 touch, +2 sun, +1 2 uses/day, +3 environmental sunrise/set trigger so it's always on - total 29. Lab text uses the shape bonus of clothing +4 protect self)

The oaken amulet: A small carved piece of oak that protects the bearer, and those it touches, against lightning. It has enough charges per day to protect a couple of magi and their traveling companions if they are concerned about rivals with Incantation of lightning. Cost is 9 pawns of vis as is it is of slightly more military use than the former.

(ReAu 10 again, this time the very severe phenomenon is lightning, +1 touch, +2 sun so total 25 so it does not count as a high power effect. +5 for 24 uses/day, total 30. Lab text uses Oak +7 protection against storms so still well within Fulminata's ability to make as a lesser item)

37

As we reach the end of November, time for one that relies on what's not said in the text on Holy Magic (Realms of Power:The Divine - I'm using the revised edition)

The Pilgrim's badge: Philemon, a magus who underwent a pilgrimage and has since become almost incomprehensible to other magi, offers these items. As a good Verditius, he can't bring himself to sell these at anything but the normal price in Vis, but he insists on only selling to the worthy. Therefore, a purchaser must bring along a pilgrimage badge they earnt the hard way, and then commission one. He will reward them with a badge of his own - one which is infused with Divine power to thwart evil magics. 9 pawns of vis gets you a simple one, he may be persuaded to make a greater version for those who wish to face legendary infernal perils.

(As per "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil, Rop:D page 50 - grants level 25 magic resistance, always on. ReVi base 10 +1 touch +2 sun for total 25, +1 level 2 uses/day and +3 for environmental sunrise/set trigger for total 29. The Holy Magus has Invocation and Blessing to allow them to use this effect, and uses Divine Vis extracted from a divine aura as per RoP:D page 69. Nowhere in that section does it say if you can or can't enchant Holy effects into items, so I'm taking it as possible and something missed by playtesters - which includes me, whoops! - so I'm taking it as you can. For those who wish to argue precedence, in HoH:MC it's explicitly stated that Bjornaer Sensory magics can't be enchanted so you can argue that if it truly wasn't meant to be enchanted, someone would have said.
Overall, for other versions this is a ReVi with +4 levels to maintain constantly on, so is quite simple)