Artificer and Magic Item Creation¶
Rules system: D&D 3.5-based homebrew (the 2014 archive, March and April 2014). Legacy design material, not canon for play.
Lore page: Artificers.
The archive's rules for making magic items, with the Artificer, a non-casting class that builds magic from components. Creating Magic Items (S391, April 2014) defines three kinds of creation (alchemical, inscribed and spellforged, with runemastery alongside), the feat trees of the Alchemist and Arcane Tinker, the energy cost of an effect, a draft of formularies, and rules for interacting magical effects; working notes are left in. The March 2014 class draft it grew from (S363), which speaks of Components rather than Reagents, is summarized at the end. That artificers are common because "the casting talent is very rare among the mortal races", and that runemastery is nearly extinct, are lore for Artificers and Rune Magic.
Alchemical creations¶
An alchemical creation combines at least three classes of material:
- Alchemical Reagent: parts of a creature with magical origins or abilities. "The knowledge of how to manipulate Mithis into creating magical effects is built into these reagents"; combining reagents can produce unique effects.
- Alchemical Medium: a fundamental preparation of wood, metal or liquid. By power use it is a Conductive Medium (joins reagents and a power source), a Holding Medium (holds power for a time, not rechargeable) or a Rechargeable Holding Medium. Its trigger is the condition that starts conduction; permanent effects need none. Triggers take their own knowledge and sometimes Catalyst Reagents. Examples: Impact (forceful impact), Ingestion (submersion in an acidic solution), Phrase (a spoken phrase), Primer (a tiny burst of the holder's magical energy).
- Power Source: a Mithis-based material giving off magical energy on a renewable basis, used to create a medium, charge a holding medium, or power a simple medium.
The alchemist (1) prepares the reagents, rolling to identify effects where applicable; (2) creates, engraves or imbues the medium, rolling for its maximum power; (3) prepares the power source or empowers a holding medium, rolling to choose an effect where applicable.
Arcane Inscription¶
Arcane Alchemy purifies reagents and mediums into inks and liquids and inscribes "complex equations which interconnect to create effects". It is related to Runemastery, except that runemasters are channelers who empower their own holding mediums and can magically alter their ink without specific components. Arcane inscribers compose primary and modifying reagents into equations. The inscriptionist (1) prepares the inks, often with a lab, oven or distillery; (2) inscribes an item with Power, Modifier and Medium inks in a formula; (3) attaches the power sources.
Spellforged creations¶
A spellforged item has a single part, a Mithis material. Brought to a stress point (molten in forging, or bathed in a Mithis energy stream), it takes a single spell imprinted by a caster; "with additional skill and some control magic, additional spells and triggers can also be embedded".
Runemastery¶
Runes contain a magically altered ink that includes an alchemical medium but no reagents. The runemaster is a channeler who empowers their own runes and alters the ink's structure to produce the effect, as in spellforging. The archive's rune classes are on Runecaster.
The Artificer¶
The Artificer "is a special class that is NOT a caster"; with no ability to cast directly, artificers combine magical components and often rely on stealth, bluff, sleight of hand and trickery to pass as casters.
- Rogue class template for hit points, base combat and skills, without the Rogue feats.
- Wizard spell tables only to determine spell level mastery.
- 3 feats at first level and 3 per level. Feats labeled I to V come one tier per 2 levels: I at 1st, II at 3rd, III at 5th, IV at 7th, V at 9th.
Alchemist¶
The Alchemist is "a master of magical components", working with Components, Matrices and Power Sources. Components are as reagents above and may be used up or rendered inert. A matrix joins components and a power source and needs a powerful Mithis source to create (not to maintain); a power matrix only joins, a holding matrix also holds energy for a time.
{Creature Class} Component Mastery I-V (separate for magical beasts, magical plants, dragonkin, faeries, undead, elementals and outsiders): test components to learn and steer their effects. EL is the effect level.
| Mastery | Id effects | Choose effects | Max choose level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100% − EL×15 | 60% − EL×10 | 0-2 |
| 2 | 140% − EL×15 | 100% − EL×15 | 3-4 |
| 3 | 180% − EL×20 | 140% − EL×15 | 5-6 |
| 4 | 220% − EL×20 | 180% − EL×20 | 7-8 |
| 5 | 300% − EL×25 | 250% − EL×20 | 9 |
{Item Class} Create Power Matrix I-V (separate for potions; metals; wood and bone; skin, leather and cloth; gemstones and minerals): a matrix binding a power source and a component, made with a power matrix component, most commonly a magical creature's blood. It is mixed into leather and cloth in dyeing, into potions in solution, and etched into metal, wood, bone, gems and minerals as runes or carvings with a solder-like mixture; the whole object becomes the matrix. Maximum matrix power = Create Matrix skill × Blood Power Factor (0.1-10.0) × 1d20.
{Item Class} Create Holding Matrix I-V: as a power matrix, but its component is found in the blood of spell-casting creatures ("dragons, unicorns, wizards, elves, etc."), and it can draw power from a charged Mithis source and hold it. Maximum holding hours = Create Matrix skill × Blood Power Factor × 1d10; maximum power as above.
Arcane Tinker¶
The Arcane Tinker is "a master of magical circuitry": "The outcomes are known beforehand, it is just a matter of time and skill." The tinker works with Schematics ("to Arcane Tinkers as Spells are to Wizards", researched, traded or reverse engineered), Crafts (the medium, usually a few specialties such as metalworking, woodworking, masonry) and Power Sources (embedded Mithis). To create, the tinker builds the object with a crafting check at +3 × spell effect level difficulty from a schematic; each quality level above average adds 10% power output.
{Creature Class} Component Extraction I-V and {Focus} Enchantment Extraction I-V extract schematics from components or from enchanted items (including other tinkers'), in a laboratory, slowly and with a fairly low success rate:
| Mastery | Id effects | Get schematic (component) | Get schematic (enchantment) | Max schematic level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100% − EL×15 | 25% − EL×10 | 35% − EL×10 | 0-2 |
| 2 | 140% − EL×15 | 45% − EL×10 | 55% − EL×10 | 3-4 |
| 3 | 180% − EL×20 | 65% − EL×10 | 75% − EL×10 | 5-6 |
| 4 | 220% − EL×20 | 85% − EL×10 | 95% − EL×10 | 7-8 |
| 5 | 300% − EL×25 | 105% − EL×10 | 115% − EL×10 | 9 |
Other tinker feats:
| Feat | Effect |
|---|---|
| {Crafting} Specialization I-V | each raises the crafting skill cap by 2 above the normal level + 3 (skill points still spent separately) |
| Create Charged Power Source I-V | a charged source taking 1 in 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 less Mithis than an N/day source; cannot power permanent effects; recharged only by one full dose from a source able to output the full requirement |
| Enhancement: Duration | +20% duration per +25% power |
| Enhancement: Range | +20% range per +25% power, up to +100% |
| Enhancement: Area | +1 area size per +100% power, up to double |
| Enhancement: Strength | +25% strength per +50% power, up to double |
Power calculations¶
Energy requirement = LE × EF × UF.
| Term | Values |
|---|---|
| LE (Level Energy) | "Level!" (the triangular sum): 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, 28, 36, 45 for levels 0-9 |
| EF (Effect Factor) | 0.5 long-duration (over 20 rounds) passive; 1.0 passive; 1.5 active with duration over 1; 2.0 instant |
| UF (Usage Factor) | N/day = N + 1; N/week = (N + 1) / 5; permanent = 7200 / duration in rounds, or 12 / duration in hours, never below 2 |
Working notes¶
Three kinds of creation¶
A TODO block restates the design: every creation needs a Binding, a Matrix and Power. Alchemical creations use separate materials for each, with bindings "limited by crude mixtures". Inscribed creations build a Binding from generalized components (two focuses, the intersection choosing a sphere), the power usually separate. Spellforged creations make Matrix and Power the same, with the Binding forged in.
Formularies¶
A draft classification of the bindings, with the closing question "Does focus need a selector? or should we ditch focus?". Requirements: Focus or Sphere + Adaptive + optional Aspect, Catalytic and Conditional.
| Formulary | Levels | Purpose and entries |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | I-IX | attunement to a focus: Life, Ethereal, Energy, Matter, Elemental, Material, Planar, Shadow, Positive Divine, Negative Divine |
| Sphere | I-IX | attunement to a sphere: the 32 spheres of the table below |
| Adaptive | highlights portions of a sphere, with fire examples: Order (Control Fire), Chaos (Wildfire), Reveal (Infravision), Obscure (Smoke), Projection (Fire Lance), Dispersion (Heat), Encompass (Fire Shield), Slow (Slow Fire), Quicken (Intensify Fire, Burning Hands), Hold (Fire Wall), Exclude (Fire Ward), Contain (Fireball), Reduce (Fire Resistance), Amplify (Fire Susceptibility) | |
| Aspect | highlights portions of a focus or sphere: Creative (Cauterize Wounds), Destructive (Explosion), Thought (Dancing Flames), Primal, Control, Loose, Guard, Grant | |
| Catalytic | I-IX | how components interact: Juxtaposition (a focus and sphere safely mixed), Convergence (two spheres, e.g. Fiery Rain), Harmony (two Adaptation components), ?? (several conditional formularies) |
| Conditional | I-IX | Binding (binds a being or class of beings, often increasing potency), Reactive (most chemical reactions trigger it), Psychoreactive (concentration), Ethereal (an Ethereal keyphrase), Shock (physical shock), ?? Channeling |
Matrices and energy sources¶
A matrix has a maximum conductivity (max power), a maximum number of formularies, and triggering properties (potions vs enchantments). Elf blood: max power 10-20, max formularies 3-4. Wizard blood: max power 5 × level, max formularies 2 + level/5. An energy source "must be a mithis infused material, or a temporary holding element".
The document repeats the April 2014 sphere table (see Spellcasting), with Enchantment and Control Magic (Binder, Spellbinder) and Evocation and Light (Arcanist, Lightbinder) in the Material row. Among its spheres are Abyssal Magic, Void Magic, Shadow Magic, Blood Magic and Null Magic. Notes beneath it: "Animation is an area of study more than a sphere", with a suggested three tiers of focus, sphere and area of study, and "Being able to manage certain levels of power requires skill and improved components."
Magical interactions¶
Effects within a 5 ft area (for example, on one person):
| Same focus | Different focus | |
|---|---|---|
| Same effect | the higher power effect overrides | the weaker stacks on the higher at 50% strength |
| Opposite effect | effects combine or subtract | effects combine or subtract |
A player may carry only one triggered device per Use Magical Object skill; each device not safely packed away within the area adds a cumulative 10% chance of backfire.
Earlier draft: Artificer / Alchemist / Inscriptionist¶
The March 2014 draft (S363) has the same class frame (Rogue template, Wizard tables for mastery, 3 feats at first and per level, tiers every 2 levels) under the heading Artifactory, with an Artificer working with Components, Mediums and Power Sources. Its differences:
- Components are divided into Power components ("the recipe(s) for magical effects") and Modifier components.
- Mediums are what S391 calls matrices: Create Power Medium I-V (every 2 levels) and Create Holding Medium I-V (every 3 levels), with the same formulas.
- Component Mastery also lets the artificer identify known components used in items.
- {Creature Class} Component Mixology I-V (every 2 levels) combines power and modifier components and keeps effects separate on one object:
| Mastery | Powers | Modifiers | Max effects per object |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1d2 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 1d4 |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | 2d3 |
| 4 | 2 | 4 | 2d4 |
| 5 | 3 | 5 | 3d4 |
- {Creature Class} Component Purification I-V (every 3 levels) makes components smaller and more potent, 5% energy savings per feat level.
- {Magical Focus} Arcane Inscription I-IX (every 2 levels; requires Component Purification I in a creature class) inscribes equations "equivalent to Wizard spells", each level allowing spells of that level.
- No Arcane Tinker, charged power sources or extraction feats; the Crafting Specialization, four Enhancement feats and the power calculation are the same.