C&S Spell Research & Magic Item Creation v3.0

These rules are intended to work with the revised point-based method of character advancement. They involve more bookkeeping from month-to-month in downtime, but should hopefully create a more balanced yet still rewarding method for these effects. The first step is to clarify and expand upon the meanings of various feats, as well as to add a couple new ones:

Scribe Scroll – This feat continues to work in the same way, allowing the user to create scrolls of any spell level.

Brew Potion – This feat continues to work in the same way, allowing the user to brew potions of up to 3^rd level.

Craft Wondrous Item – This feat now also allows the creation of rings, staves, wands, and rods. However, items made with this feat cannot exceed a general bonus of +5 (or skill bonus of +10), can contain up to 5^th level spells, and can only contain one major effect (lesser, supporting effects, may be allowed if thematically appropriate to the item).

Craft Magic Arms & Armor – This feat continues to work in the same way, allowing the user to put any affordable level of effect into a weapon or armor, in a way that will be used in combat. Imbuing an armament to have a non-combat related function (judged case by case in areas of uncertainty) is considered a separate enchantment of Craft Wondrous Item.

Craft Wand – This now allows wands to contain any level of spell, but each wand can only contain one spell.

Craft Rod – This allows the creation of rods. Rods can be used by any character and may possess a hybrid of effects from Craft Wondrous Item and Craft Magic Arms & Armor. Rods may also contain miscellaneous functions in the ways described in the sample rods, with others defined on an as-needed basis.

Craft Staff – This allows the creation of staves, which may contain any level of spells, may be enchanted as magic quarterstaves at a discounted rate, and may contain multiple effects (unlike wands).

Forge Ring – This allows the creation of rings, which may generally be used by anyone. A ring may replicate any kind of effect that could be accomplished by Craft Wondrous Item, only in ring form. Additionally, a ring may contain a single power of any level of effect, as long as that effect will only affect the bearer (either in a perpetual or activated fashion). Forge Ring also allows the creation of greater amulets.

New Feats

Brew Essence – Prereq: Caster level 7+, Brew Potion – This feat enables the user to create potions that contain spells of 4^th level and higher. These effects remain one-shot effects on the imbiber.

Forge Lesser Construct – Prereq: Caster level 9+ – This feat allows the user to prepare items to move under magical power. It also conveys the knowledge necessary to summon and bind elementals into this construct, if no other spiritual force can be found. Constructs made with this feat may contain elementals of the first three ranks or the equivalent sentience. Additionally, constructs created by this feat cannot have an effective CR (even though it means very little) of greater than 9.

Forge Greater Construct – Prereq: Caster level 14+, Forge Lesser Construct – This feat allows the user to create constructs with a challenge rating greater than 9, and gives the knowledge necessary to prepare a construct to contain the power of any level of elemental or other method of sentience.

Imbue Sentience – Prereq: Caster level 14+ – This allows the user to shift essence and platonic ideals and such to give inanimate objects a permanent, if limited, sentience. In this way, the user can create intelligent items, as in the DMG, and may also create Constructs that are not dependent on less-than-reliable elementals. In general, sentient items will be half as intelligent as the creator, but may be adjusted slightly up and down depending on effort and desires.

Craft Relic – Prereq: Caster level 18+, any other item feats appropriate to attempted relics – This allows the user to take an item that has legendary potential and add powers to it at a much-reduced cost. Legendary potential involves being used by an epically-known individual, being touched by the gods, being affected by bizarre events, or other factors, and usually a combination of these.

Now, with the feats redefined, it becomes time to specify a few of the bookkeeping issues that are involved. None of these includes any bonus gained from magic, unless the character can explain why he is wearing the item 24/8. An exception exists in monthly checks, which are considered active research and therefore do gain a magic bonus.:

Spellcraft – Each month, a character gets a number of Spellcraft points equal to Spellcraft modifier. These points may be spent on scroll creation or on spell research, as detailed below. A month spent checking Spellcraft grants, instead, two rolls of Spellcraft with the total points being recorded (essentially a month with a double result + 2d20).

Alchemy/Herbalism – Each month, a character gets a number of Alchemy points equal to the higher of Alchemy or Herbalism modifiers. These points may be spent on Potion or Essence creation as detailed below. A month spent checking either skill grants, instead of the passive bonus, two rolls of the skill with total points being recorded.

Metal Crafts – Each month, a character gets a number of Metalwork points equal to the character’s highest modifier of Armorsmith, Blacksmith/Metalwork, or Weaponsmith. These points may be spent on primarily metal Wondrous Items, Arms and Armor, Rods, Rings, or Metal Constructs.

Miscellaneous Crafts – Each month, a character gets a number of Craft points equal to the character’s highest Craft modifier (excluding metal crafts). These points may be spent on Wondrous Item, Wands, Rods, Staves, or non-metal Constructs as detailed below. A month spent checking any craft skill that could conceivably result in something useful in item creation instead gains two rolls of the skill, with total points being recorded.

Knowledges – Each month, a character gets a number of Component points equal to Knowledge: Arcana, Nature, or Religion (depending on what type of spellcaster the character is). These represent snapping up generically useful items when they are recognized in day-to-day wanderings. Each point of components can be used to replace a gp in the cost of a component for a spell that requires a monetary component. A month spent gaining a check works as with the other skills.

Systems

Spell Research

There are two systems for researching spells available to arcane casters. The first makes use of the Spellcraft points defined above. At any point during downtime a character may spend a number of Spellcraft points equal to [Spell Level Squared x 2] to learn a new spell from the basic lists (i.e., not an invented spell). This represents the accumulation and crystallization of knowledge that a skilled character develops over periodic study. Learning a spell by this method takes no extra time, as it represents studies done in unrushed periods.

The second method is active research. This method requires a research location (like a great library) and active time spent, but can result in high-level spells faster than the first method. In addition, this method is the only way to research and then invent new arcane spells. A character going this route spends one week for each level of the spell to be learned in research. At the end of the period he makes a Spellcraft check against a DC of [10 + Spell level x4]. If the roll succeeds, the character has learned the spell. If the roll fails, the character may roll again for every extra week spent on the project, or the character may spend Spellcraft points to make up the difference. This can be done as part of gaining a Spellcraft check for a month.

Copying spells from another spellbook verbatim is much easier. This requires only a Spellcraft check against DC [15 + spell level] and one hour’s work per spell level copied. Copying from a scroll is only slightly harder, with the DC base being 20 rather than 15, though the scroll is exhausted afterwards. (The wizard may copy from a scroll at a DC of 30 + level in order to not expend the scroll.) During downtime the character may take 10 on attempts to copy from an existing scroll or spellbook.

Item Creation

Item creation now divides items into ten relative power levels, with specific rules under the individual categories. Note that for all of these steps the item creator must have the appropriate spell(s) cast at least once for each individual item, and at least once for each day of construction (e.g. an item taking 5 days to create must have all the requisite spells cast 5 times total). These spells may be cast by the maker or by anyone else that’s willing to hang around the workshop waiting for it to become spellcasting time each day. Crafting requires constant work, broken by only short meals. Should an item require multiple days to craft, then 8 hour breaks to sleep are allowed without ruining the creation, though most crafters will sleep near the work tables in case the enchantment should need a pick-me-up during the sleep period. Remember that the feat listings above contain other information applicable to the following list, detailing the limits of each feat. Any unmentioned rule is probably the same as the DMG. Ask if unsure.

Party Favors

Description: These are one-shot items of limited utility but easy creation. This item type includes scrolls, potions, and other one-shot items containing levels 0 or 1 spells or effects of a similar power level.

Creation: Party favors require four hours of work for the first item, and then an additional hour of work for each additional item of the same type. The cost of these items is 4 points of the appropriate type (Spellcraft for scrolls, Alchemy for potions, or Craft for one-shot wondrous items) per item, representing the accumulation of appropriate materials for enchantment. It is possible to buy components, rather than creating them, if a character does not have access to accumulated item points (e.g. is on an adventure away from home) or otherwise prefers. To buy components a character takes time to gather the stuff (ranging from a few hours in large cities to days in smaller places that might have to wait on a shipment), and buys enough for the intended items. In general, enough components for one party favor costs 50 gp (with availability and haggling potentially adjusting this). Then the hours-to-product ratio remains the same.

The caster level for these items is the minimum to cast the spell. The CL can be increased by spending 1 extra point or 10 extra gp per caster level increase. (e.g. a Cure Light potion at caster level 5 would cost 8 points or 90 gp).

Least Items

Description: These items allow only slightly more versatility than party favors, but only cost slightly more as well. A least item can contain a one-shot effect of up to 3^rd level or a charged effect (wondrous item, wand, etc.) of up to 1^st level.

Creation: Least item one shots require six hours for the first item and three hours for each additional item, meaning that four items may be created in a full day. Charged least items require one day for every 10 charges, or 3 hours + number of charges for items with less than 10 charges. The items cost 7 points of the appropriate type for one-shots or 5 points per day of work for charged items. As above, a character may gather up components for gold, with a price tag of 80 gp for a one-shot or 60 gp / day of work for charged items. The rules for caster level and the cost for increasing it are the same as for party favors.

Petty Items

Description: These items are more powerful limited-use items as well as low-powered perpetual items. This level of item includes one-shots of up to 5^th level spells, charged items of up to 3^rd level, and perpetual items of up to 1^st level spells or +1 bonus (+2 skills).

Creation: Petty item one-shots require a full day for each item. Charged petty items require a full day for every 6 charges, or an 8-day week for 50. Perpetual petty items require a week’s work, but may be completed in as little as a day if the maker is not concerned that the items may not last forever. One-shots cost 10 points or 120 gp. Charged items cost 10 points or 90 gp for each day of work. Perpetual items cost 60 points or 1000 gp, but do not require any experience to make at this level. A character can make fewer perpetual items than charged/one-shot items in a year of gathered components, but they have more lasting and often more useful effects.

As far as caster level goes, the base caster level is, again, the minimum required to cast the spells involved in the creation of the item. Further caster levels can be bought 1 point or 10 gp for 1 for one shots, 2 points or 30 gp for 1 for charged items, and 5 points or 100 gp for 1 for perpetual items. Monkeys are not included in this cost, and must be added as extra options.

Minor Items

Description: These are the first set of items that can involve experience loss or mythic components. This category includes one-shot items of up to 7^th level, charged items of up to 5^th level, and perpetual items of up to 2^nd level spells or +2 bonus (+4 skills).

Creation: Minor one-shot items require two days for each item, though the spell involved needs only one casting (As an exception to the general rule). Minor charged items require a full day for every 4 charges, or 12 days for 50. Minor perpetual items require two weeks to create. One-shots cost 15 points or 200 gp. Charged items cost 13 points or 120 gp for each day of work. Perpetual items cost 60 points or 1000 gp, and requires the use of experience or mythic components to bind the power into an enduring item. Appropriate mythic components at this level involve resonant monster bits, divine favor, odd events, or the like. If exp is used instead, minor items cost [ 11 - (Caster level/2) ] to make perpetual.

Caster level increases cost 2 points or 30 gp for one-shots, 4 points or 80 gp for charged items, and 10 points or 300 gp for perpetual items. Again, monkeys are not standard.

Medium Items

Description: This category includes one-shot items of up to 9^th level, charged items of up to 7^th level, and perpetual items of up to 4^th level spells or +4 bonus (+8 skills).

Creation: Medium one-shot items require two days for each item, again only needing one casting. Medium charged items require a full day for every 3 charges, or two 8-day weeks for 50. Medium perpetual items require two weeks to create. One-shots cost 20 points or 400 gp. Charged items cost 18 points or 200 gp for each day of work. Perpetual items cost 80 points or 2000 gp, and require experience or mythic components. Appropriate mythic components at this level involve more rare versions of the components listed above. If exp is used instead, medium items cost five times the amount that a minor item would cost which is equal to [ 55 – (Caster level x 2.5) ].

Caster level increases cost 3 points or 50 gp for one-shots, 6 points or 120 gp for charged items, and 20 points or 1000 gp for perpetual items. This includes a 10% discount on any related monkey purchases.

Strong Items

Description: This category includes charged items of up to 9^th level and perpetual items of up to 6^th level spells or +6 bonus (+12 skills). It also includes Lesser Constructs.

Creation: Strong charged items require one day for every 2 charges, or three weeks for 50 to complete. Strong perpetual items require three weeks to create. Charged items cost 30 points or 500 gp for each day of work. Perpetual items cost 120 points or 5000 gp, and exp or mythic components. Appropriate mythic components are similar to medium items, only moreso. If exp is used instead, strong items cost [ 110 – (Caster level x 5) ] exp.

Caster level increases cost 10 points or 300 gp for charged items and 30 points or 2000 gp for perpetual items. Constructs cost the same, relatively, as perpetual items but also require the summoning of most elementals to be played out. There are no monkeys, only elementals.

Major Items

Description: This category includes perpetual items of up to 7^th level spells or +8 bonus (+16 skills).

Creation: Major perpetual items require a month to create. They cost 160 points or 10000 gp, as well as mythic components and exp. Appropriate mythic components are no more rare than for strong items, but are added to the exp cost. The cost in exp is [ 140 – (Caster level x 5) ] exp. Caster level increases cost 40 points or 3000 gp per level.

Greater Items

Description: This category includes perpetual items of up to 8^th level spells or +10 bonus (+20 skills). It also includes the creation of Greater Constructs.

Creation: Greater perpetual items require two months to create. They cost 180 points or 15000 gp, as well as mythic components and exp. Appropriate mythic components may include bits of legendary monsters, the direct aid of a deity, or items used in epics by the greatest of heroes. The cost in exp is [ 160 – (Caster level x 5) ] exp. Caster level increases cost 50 points or 5000 gp per level.

Greatest Items

Description: This category includes the most powerful items, weapons, constructs, and devices available to most mortals. The greatest perpetual items can include spells of up to 9^th level and bonuses of +12 (+24 skills).

Creation: Greatest perpetual items require half a year to create. They cost 200 points or 20000 gp, as well as mythic components and exp. Appropriate mythic components may include bits of archetypal monsters, the actual essence of a deity, or a quest of epic proportions all its own. The cost in exp is [ 180 – (Caster level x5) ] exp. Caster level increases cost 60 points or 8000 gp per level.

Artifacts

Description: Beyond even the greatest of items, artifacts are often the work of the gods themselves. Mortals with the ability to craft relics may make the least of artifacts, still more powerful than the greatest items, at great cost in terms of both quest and experience. The process must be discovered in play by any with the desire to create such an item.

Notes on Perpetual Charges

By default, a perpetual item that casts a spell is assumed to have one charge per day. If this spell has a duration, that item may be activated and deactivated any number of times before the duration is used up. If a creator wants an item with multiple charges per day, that item can either be bought as many times as there are charges, with a steady decrease in required working time, or it may be crafted as one Item Power Level higher for each extra charge, at the creator’s decision.

Notes on Multiple Effects

Some items, such as rods and staves, can have multiple effects in them. There should be one primary effect and each additional effect is added at a reduced cost as if enchanting a different item.

Gold Alchemy

If using gold instead of points to create an item, the cost can be tripled to use the raw essence of gold rather than buying appropriate components

Item Creation Chart