Question, designing an item to protect the user from arrows. It's based off of Shriek of the Impending Shafts, and then a linked trigger of Repel the Wooden Shafts. My thinking so far:
Hearing for the Item InIm
Causes an item to be able to hear and thus trigger effects that have a Target of Hearing.
Base 1 (Use 1 sense at a Distance) R: Personal D: Concentration T: Individual Level 2, +5 Item Concentrates total level 7 1 pawn of Vis
This was loosely based off the example effect for linked trigger in the magic items section of the main book, where the effect constantly detects the surface thoughts of the wearer or whoever is touching it.
Then:
Shriek of the Impending Shafts InHe
Base 2 +2 Sun, +3 Hearing level 15, +1 2 uses per day, +3 for Environmental Trigger, total level 19, 2 pawns of vis
Repel the Wooden Shafts ReHe
Base 4 +2 Voice, +2 Group, +3 Linked Trigger (Shriek of Impending Shafts) +10 Unlimited uses total level 33. 4 pawns of vis. And might need to add 1 more to Target so it can effect enough arrows, but it would still be only 4 pawns.
Yes, there is an extremely similar effect in Magi of Hermes. Ranulf's staff incinerates arrows using shreik of the impending shafts and a linked trigger.
My initial idea was I could just put on Shriek, but the target was throwing me off. Then I figured make it like Shriek but target is Group, but again that wouldn't work, as the magic couldn't 'sense' the arrows. Thanks.
The tricky part was the range for the incineration effect. It can't be voice because the staff doesn't talk. It can't be touch because the arrows would presumably touch Ranulf rather than the staff and that would (IMHO) be too late anyway. I ended up using a special range and describing something akin to the fourth(?) edition reach range.
I can't recall if the first effect would require a hearing target or not. However, I would not require the item to be able to hear to use the sense targets. For the later spells.
Secondly, items have trouble with ranges although I do believe that it could steal the wielders sight or voice. Either way you'll want to make the range sight. (If the item can't use the wielders range you'll want to up the target of both effects to sight as well.) I your storyguide is nice Erik's non-standard range works even better.
In summary, drop the first effect, and add a magnitude on range to the third.
IMO, it would be infinitely simpler to create a slowing ward that keeps wood from approaching too quickly, or a ward that can be used selectively. A storyguide may not approve of it.
This has been been discussed before and the consensus was with Lamach. There was an argument made that things like the spell Converse with plant and tree and the Crimaon mystery virtue of the station of vivid memories from objects indicate that the items have senses already. I don't see a flaw with it but it does feel like the tail wagging the dog. For me the big deal with allowing items to have senses makes the game a great deal cleaner. The plan of "give the item a magical sense so it can use a magical sense effect" is a way to put a big purposeless, no magic is more annoying than that! in front of your players and I suspect makes the game less fun.
I should note that my range was not easier than range sight, with a magnitude penalty for not being a standard range it was the same level as sight. It was just more appropriate. Magi are allowed to use nonstandard spell parameters, just not with spontaneous magic.