A question regarding infusions [Archive] - Wizards Community

A question regarding infusions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dr. Awkward
08-19-04, 12:51 PM Okay, let's say I infuse your underwear with Bull's Strength. Now you have a +4 Strength item that functions like a Belt of Giant Strength. Now, does it take up the belt slot? Or does it just make a new "underwear" slot and not affect your other, permanent magic items?

If the answer is the former, won't this run into problems in high-level play when you want to put infusions on your party who already have most or all of their slots filled with items? For that matter, can't you just infuse the Monk's Belt that the figher is wearing with Bull's Strength so that it functions as a Monk's Belt of Giant Strength? I don't see any indication that this couldn't be done. However, I also don't see any info to tell me whether artificer infusions do or do not require or fill magic item slots.

If the answer is the latter, then why bother to mention it at all? Just say that infusions are cast on items when they affect the item (eg. Suppress Requirement) and are cast on creatures when they affect the creature (eg. Bull's Strength). This would solve the problem of "what am I infusing with Wall of Stone?" Certainly the flavour of the class is "item enhancement," but it seems a bit superfluous if you can infuse a person's left shoe with Cat's Grace and their right shoe with Shield of Faith. If item slots aren't a limitation, why bother making it an issue?

Of course, an artificer will never run out of pieces of clothing to infuse if everyone dresses the way the humans are pictured...with as many garments as they can stack on top of each other. Is it very cold in Eberron or something? They all look so angry. I'd be angry too if I had to dress like that every day. I mean...the HEELS! For god's sake!
GryMor
08-19-04, 03:32 PM They don't burn slots (and can even be applied to existing sloted items).

As to why?
.
.
.
.
Flavor.
Haer'dalis
09-29-04, 11:18 AM This would solve the problem of "what am I infusing with Wall of Stone?"

As I couldn't find an answer on that, I'll ask here. What do you infuse with Wall of Stone ?
Doctor X
09-29-04, 12:17 PM As I couldn't find an answer on that, I'll ask here. What do you infuse with Wall of Stone ?

You kinda infuse the stone that you're making the wall from, and then the infusion manipulates it.

Note that the spell requires the wall to be merge with and be solidly supported by EXISTING stone. When I imagine the spell, I see stone from the sides of a cave wall morphing around and eventually forming together into a new wall... instead of the wall simply appearing from nowhere.
fizzbang
09-29-04, 02:37 PM Okay, let's say I infuse your underwear with Bull's Strength. Now you have a +4 Strength item that functions like a Belt of Giant Strength. Now, does it take up the belt slot? Or does it just make a new "underwear" slot and not affect your other, permanent magic items?

The answer is the latter: they don't take up slots, but an artificer does require some sort of item to work with. Keith clarified it in the Ask Keith thread: I can't find it right now, but it should be in the FAQ.

If the answer is the latter, then why bother to mention it at all? Just say that infusions are cast on items when they affect the item (eg. Suppress Requirement) and are cast on creatures when they affect the creature (eg. Bull's Strength). This would solve the problem of "what am I infusing with Wall of Stone?" Certainly the flavour of the class is "item enhancement," but it seems a bit superfluous if you can infuse a person's left shoe with Cat's Grace and their right shoe with Shield of Faith. If item slots aren't a limitation, why bother making it an issue?

It's just a matter of the style and flavor of the class, the same way that things work with other classes. Artificers work with objects and tools, just like
Clerics pray to dieties for their magic. If you really wanted to, you could have your campaign see Artificers just slapping the spells onto a person, or have Clerics gain spells through introspective meditation, and it wouldn't throw off the mechanical balance of the game, but it wouldn't have the same thematic feel.

Obviously, some infusions make more sense than others in this regard: with Repair infusions, the item used can easily be some repair tool or simply the item (or Warforged) itself, with others you could slap together a magical bangle that "increases the user's confidence" (Eagle's Splendour), or a rock that grows into a complete stone wall.

But no matter what, the idea is that the Artificer uses his magical skill with objects to briefly charge an item with a magical effect.

(Our artificer is fond of casting the skill-increasing infusion on a "lucky coin" and lending it to a character who needs it.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dr. Awkward 08-19-04, 12:51 PM	Okay, let's say I infuse your underwear with Bull's Strength. Now you have a +4 Strength item that functions like a Belt of Giant Strength. Now, does it take up the belt slot? Or does it just make a new "underwear" slot and not affect your other, permanent magic items? If the answer is the former, won't this run into problems in high-level play when you want to put infusions on your party who already have most or all of their slots filled with items? For that matter, can't you just infuse the Monk's Belt that the figher is wearing with Bull's Strength so that it functions as a Monk's Belt of Giant Strength? I don't see any indication that this couldn't be done. However, I also don't see any info to tell me whether artificer infusions do or do not require or fill magic item slots. If the answer is the latter, then why bother to mention it at all? Just say that infusions are cast on items when they affect the item (eg. Suppress Requirement) and are cast on creatures when they affect the creature (eg. Bull's Strength). This would solve the problem of "what am I infusing with Wall of Stone?" Certainly the flavour of the class is "item enhancement," but it seems a bit superfluous if you can infuse a person's left shoe with Cat's Grace and their right shoe with Shield of Faith. If item slots aren't a limitation, why bother making it an issue? Of course, an artificer will never run out of pieces of clothing to infuse if everyone dresses the way the humans are pictured...with as many garments as they can stack on top of each other. Is it very cold in Eberron or something? They all look so angry. I'd be angry too if I had to dress like that every day. I mean...the HEELS! For god's sake!
GryMor 08-19-04, 03:32 PM	They don't burn slots (and can even be applied to existing sloted items). As to why? . . . . Flavor.
Haer'dalis 09-29-04, 11:18 AM	This would solve the problem of "what am I infusing with Wall of Stone?" As I couldn't find an answer on that, I'll ask here. What do you infuse with Wall of Stone ?
Doctor X 09-29-04, 12:17 PM	As I couldn't find an answer on that, I'll ask here. What do you infuse with Wall of Stone ? You kinda infuse the stone that you're making the wall from, and then the infusion manipulates it. Note that the spell requires the wall to be merge with and be solidly supported by EXISTING stone. When I imagine the spell, I see stone from the sides of a cave wall morphing around and eventually forming together into a new wall... instead of the wall simply appearing from nowhere.
fizzbang 09-29-04, 02:37 PM	Okay, let's say I infuse your underwear with Bull's Strength. Now you have a +4 Strength item that functions like a Belt of Giant Strength. Now, does it take up the belt slot? Or does it just make a new "underwear" slot and not affect your other, permanent magic items? The answer is the latter: they don't take up slots, but an artificer does require some sort of item to work with. Keith clarified it in the Ask Keith thread: I can't find it right now, but it should be in the FAQ. If the answer is the latter, then why bother to mention it at all? Just say that infusions are cast on items when they affect the item (eg. Suppress Requirement) and are cast on creatures when they affect the creature (eg. Bull's Strength). This would solve the problem of "what am I infusing with Wall of Stone?" Certainly the flavour of the class is "item enhancement," but it seems a bit superfluous if you can infuse a person's left shoe with Cat's Grace and their right shoe with Shield of Faith. If item slots aren't a limitation, why bother making it an issue? It's just a matter of the style and flavor of the class, the same way that things work with other classes. Artificers work with objects and tools, just like Clerics pray to dieties for their magic. If you really wanted to, you could have your campaign see Artificers just slapping the spells onto a person, or have Clerics gain spells through introspective meditation, and it wouldn't throw off the mechanical balance of the game, but it wouldn't have the same thematic feel. Obviously, some infusions make more sense than others in this regard: with Repair infusions, the item used can easily be some repair tool or simply the item (or Warforged) itself, with others you could slap together a magical bangle that "increases the user's confidence" (Eagle's Splendour), or a rock that grows into a complete stone wall. But no matter what, the idea is that the Artificer uses his magical skill with objects to briefly charge an item with a magical effect. (Our artificer is fond of casting the skill-increasing infusion on a "lucky coin" and lending it to a character who needs it.)