Magical Auras on +1, +2 items [Archive] - Wizards Community

Magical Auras on +1, +2 items [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Oaklock
10-19-06, 09:45 AM What does a Detect Magic Spell reveal regarding Auras on just simple magic items, such a s a +1 or +2 Magic Armor, Shield or Weapon?

Thanks,

Fred
pedr
10-19-06, 12:28 PM It reveals the strength (in the third round of concentration). This is dependent on the Caster Level of the item (see the Detect Magic spell description). The Caster Level for a standard magic weapon or piece of armour which only has an enhancement bonus and no additional magical abilities is three-times the enhancement bonus (i.e. a +1 greatsword has a CL of 3, +2 full plate has a CL of 6). Mapping this onto the chart in the Detect Magic spell description you get:

+1 enhancement bonus = faint aura
+2 or +3 enhancement bonus = moderate aura
+4 or +5 enhancement bonus = strong aura

What isn't clear from the SRD when I just checked it is the school of the aura where there is no additional ability. I haven't been able to track down a reference to which spell(s) are required to create magical arms and armour with only an enhancement bonus. I'd assume Magic Weapon for a magic weapon and Mage Armour for magic armour but that could simply be me making things up. Anyone else have a reference?
kenobi65
10-19-06, 01:06 PM What isn't clear from the SRD when I just checked it is the school of the aura where there is no additional ability. I haven't been able to track down a reference to which spell(s) are required to create magical arms and armour with only an enhancement bonus. I'd assume Magic Weapon for a magic weapon and Mage Armour for magic armour but that could simply be me making things up. Anyone else have a reference?

Reading through the section on magic item creation in the DMG, it doesn't appear that there *are* spells required to create "basic" arms and armor (i.e., those with only enhancement bonuses, and no other special abilities); the only prereqs are the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat, and the caster level.

It would make sense for the school to be Transmutation for a weapon (from Magic Weapon). Armor is harder... yes, Mage Armor is Conjuration, but that's because it's bringing the "armor" field into existance -- Shield and related spells are Abjuration, and that school seems to make more sense to me for the effect of armor.
Oaklock
10-19-06, 01:44 PM Thanks,

Fred
Japangirl
10-19-06, 02:10 PM There is also a "Universal" school of magic, I'd argue that in the absence of another magical aura all random enhancement bonuses to AC are that. But it doesn't really matter all that much, in general.
Arvagor
10-19-06, 03:04 PM I've always looked for the simplest possible spell when trying to determine such things. Meaning, for example, creation of a ring of protection, regardless of the "+", requires only shield of faith, a 1st level cleric spell; a cloak of resistance merely requires resistance a 0(!)-level spell.

Magic weapon works well for weapons, and it's from the transmutation school (which makes sense, as the magic would be changing the inherent nature of the item). Unfortunately, the closest spell I've ever found to use for armor is magic vestment (also transmutation), as it grants nothing more than an enhancement bonus to armor, but the bonus it grants doesn't scale as quickly as the generic (CLx3) requirement for crafting.

Regardless, I agree with the others that no spell is, in fact, required to make simple magic arms and armor, but based on the above spells, I still generally state that they radiate transmutation magic. (In the PHB,the 'Universal' school has a very short list of spells -- arcane mark, limited wish, permanency, prestidigitation, wish -- and none of them see very appropriate to low-level enhancements to arms and armor ;) )
solbergb
10-19-06, 04:57 PM GMW and Magic Vestment are both transmutations that grant an enhancement bonus to armor, shield or weapon. So I treat the + bonuses as transmutation, with strength based on the minimum caster level required to create the item as specified in DMG.
Japangirl
10-20-06, 12:56 AM Well, the reason I think of it as "universal" is that since you don't have to be able to cast any certain spells to upgrade armor, the creator simply imbues it with magical energy of varying force (not a lot for +1, a whole lot for +5). Again though, doesn't really matter and if most people think of it as transmutation, I'll tell my players that that's what it dings as to their detect magics.
Madfox11
10-20-06, 04:21 AM Actually, in the generic description of magic items it states that weapons have an Evocation aura and armor an Abjuration aura. The SRD:

"If more than one spell is given as a prerequisite, use the highest-level spell. If no spells are included in the prerequisites, use the following default guidelines.

Item Nature School
*Armor* and protection items - Abjuration
*Weapons* or offensive items - Evocation
Bonus to ability score, on skill check, etc. - Transmutation "
kenobi65
10-20-06, 11:27 AM Actually, in the generic description of magic items it states that weapons have an Evocation aura and armor an Abjuration aura. The SRD:

"If more than one spell is given as a prerequisite, use the highest-level spell. If no spells are included in the prerequisites, use the following default guidelines.

Item Nature School
*Armor* and protection items - Abjuration
*Weapons* or offensive items - Evocation
Bonus to ability score, on skill check, etc. - Transmutation "

Heh...how did I miss that? :)
pedr
10-20-06, 12:36 PM Perhaps the same way I did - by reading the 'auras' section of the SRD on d20srd.com and not noticing 'Magic Items and Detect Magic' at the top of the Magic Items section!

Thanks Madfox11!
Oaklock
10-22-06, 09:00 PM What is the SRD and where can one find it?

Fred
clik_ml
10-22-06, 09:57 PM SRD stands for System Reference Document. Basically a compilation of all the free-open source rules for d20 DnD.

There are many incarnations, but my personal favorite for ease of use is:
http://www.d20srd.org
(not ".com" as pedr referred to it... though I suppose that does point back to the ".org" site)
pedr
10-22-06, 11:29 PM A technical word of caution though: while in the main the SRD is simply a word-for-word copy of the contents of the PH, DMG and MM (with some omissions, and some extra bits), it isn't officially a rules-source for Living Greyhawk. So it's always worth checking what you quote from there with the actual printed rules - particularly now that LG doesn't follow all of the published errata, which might be incorporated into the SRD.

Also note that the content of www.srd.org is compiled by the owner of that site. The official SRD is available directly from WotC here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35
solbergb
10-23-06, 01:52 PM yeah, the d20SRD is actually much more often wrong than the official one.

Go to the source. All it tends to be missing is the examples.
clik_ml
10-23-06, 03:53 PM yeah, the d20SRD is actually much more often wrong than the official one.

Go to the source. All it tends to be missing is the examples.

I'll grant that it leaves out the examples, but wrong? If there are errors found then there is a convenient board where one can post them for the owner to fix them. To my recollection, errors get fixed quite readily. If you know of any outright errors remaining in it, I'd like to know so I could post them for him to correct 'em. Thanks.

I just did a lemme-see check on the official SRD and it contains errors that the d20srd does not.

The reason for this is that the d20srd has the erratas applied to it, whereas the official SRD doesn't. Example, monster:dinosaur/deinonychus is listed as a medium critter in the errata and d20srd, and as a large critter in the official SRD.

So given that, I would advise using the http://d20srd.org because not only is it much easier to search through than a bunch of unlinked text files, it is actually more accurate than the official tripe. :-) I still look forward to hearing what errors remain in the d20srd so that I can assist the owner in fixing them. I have a vested interest in keeping in good function the tool that I prefer to use.
Arvagor
10-23-06, 04:13 PM The reason for this is that the d20srd has the erratas applied to it, whereas the official SRD doesn't. Example, monster:dinosaur/deinonychus is listed as a medium critter in the errata and d20srd, and as a large critter in the official SRD.The "official" SRD is what it is; whether the PHB, DMG, or whatever errata apply to it is a completely different debate...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Oaklock 10-19-06, 09:45 AM	What does a Detect Magic Spell reveal regarding Auras on just simple magic items, such a s a +1 or +2 Magic Armor, Shield or Weapon? Thanks, Fred
pedr 10-19-06, 12:28 PM	It reveals the strength (in the third round of concentration). This is dependent on the Caster Level of the item (see the Detect Magic spell description). The Caster Level for a standard magic weapon or piece of armour which only has an enhancement bonus and no additional magical abilities is three-times the enhancement bonus (i.e. a +1 greatsword has a CL of 3, +2 full plate has a CL of 6). Mapping this onto the chart in the Detect Magic spell description you get: +1 enhancement bonus = faint aura +2 or +3 enhancement bonus = moderate aura +4 or +5 enhancement bonus = strong aura What isn't clear from the SRD when I just checked it is the school of the aura where there is no additional ability. I haven't been able to track down a reference to which spell(s) are required to create magical arms and armour with only an enhancement bonus. I'd assume Magic Weapon for a magic weapon and Mage Armour for magic armour but that could simply be me making things up. Anyone else have a reference?
kenobi65 10-19-06, 01:06 PM	What isn't clear from the SRD when I just checked it is the school of the aura where there is no additional ability. I haven't been able to track down a reference to which spell(s) are required to create magical arms and armour with only an enhancement bonus. I'd assume Magic Weapon for a magic weapon and Mage Armour for magic armour but that could simply be me making things up. Anyone else have a reference? Reading through the section on magic item creation in the DMG, it doesn't appear that there are spells required to create "basic" arms and armor (i.e., those with only enhancement bonuses, and no other special abilities); the only prereqs are the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat, and the caster level. It would make sense for the school to be Transmutation for a weapon (from Magic Weapon). Armor is harder... yes, Mage Armor is Conjuration, but that's because it's bringing the "armor" field into existance -- Shield and related spells are Abjuration, and that school seems to make more sense to me for the effect of armor.
Oaklock 10-19-06, 01:44 PM	Thanks, Fred
Japangirl 10-19-06, 02:10 PM	There is also a "Universal" school of magic, I'd argue that in the absence of another magical aura all random enhancement bonuses to AC are that. But it doesn't really matter all that much, in general.
Arvagor 10-19-06, 03:04 PM	I've always looked for the simplest possible spell when trying to determine such things. Meaning, for example, creation of a ring of protection, regardless of the "+", requires only shield of faith, a 1st level cleric spell; a cloak of resistance merely requires resistance a 0(!)-level spell. Magic weapon works well for weapons, and it's from the transmutation school (which makes sense, as the magic would be changing the inherent nature of the item). Unfortunately, the closest spell I've ever found to use for armor is magic vestment (also transmutation), as it grants nothing more than an enhancement bonus to armor, but the bonus it grants doesn't scale as quickly as the generic (CLx3) requirement for crafting. Regardless, I agree with the others that no spell is, in fact, required to make simple magic arms and armor, but based on the above spells, I still generally state that they radiate transmutation magic. (In the PHB,the 'Universal' school has a very short list of spells -- arcane mark, limited wish, permanency, prestidigitation, wish -- and none of them see very appropriate to low-level enhancements to arms and armor ;) )
solbergb 10-19-06, 04:57 PM	GMW and Magic Vestment are both transmutations that grant an enhancement bonus to armor, shield or weapon. So I treat the + bonuses as transmutation, with strength based on the minimum caster level required to create the item as specified in DMG.
Japangirl 10-20-06, 12:56 AM	Well, the reason I think of it as "universal" is that since you don't have to be able to cast any certain spells to upgrade armor, the creator simply imbues it with magical energy of varying force (not a lot for +1, a whole lot for +5). Again though, doesn't really matter and if most people think of it as transmutation, I'll tell my players that that's what it dings as to their detect magics.
Madfox11 10-20-06, 04:21 AM	Actually, in the generic description of magic items it states that weapons have an Evocation aura and armor an Abjuration aura. The SRD: "If more than one spell is given as a prerequisite, use the highest-level spell. If no spells are included in the prerequisites, use the following default guidelines. Item Nature School Armor and protection items - Abjuration Weapons or offensive items - Evocation Bonus to ability score, on skill check, etc. - Transmutation "
kenobi65 10-20-06, 11:27 AM	Actually, in the generic description of magic items it states that weapons have an Evocation aura and armor an Abjuration aura. The SRD: "If more than one spell is given as a prerequisite, use the highest-level spell. If no spells are included in the prerequisites, use the following default guidelines. Item Nature School Armor and protection items - Abjuration Weapons or offensive items - Evocation Bonus to ability score, on skill check, etc. - Transmutation " Heh...how did I miss that? :)
pedr 10-20-06, 12:36 PM	Perhaps the same way I did - by reading the 'auras' section of the SRD on d20srd.com and not noticing 'Magic Items and Detect Magic' at the top of the Magic Items section! Thanks Madfox11!
Oaklock 10-22-06, 09:00 PM	What is the SRD and where can one find it? Fred
clik_ml 10-22-06, 09:57 PM	SRD stands for System Reference Document. Basically a compilation of all the free-open source rules for d20 DnD. There are many incarnations, but my personal favorite for ease of use is: http://www.d20srd.org (not ".com" as pedr referred to it... though I suppose that does point back to the ".org" site)
pedr 10-22-06, 11:29 PM	A technical word of caution though: while in the main the SRD is simply a word-for-word copy of the contents of the PH, DMG and MM (with some omissions, and some extra bits), it isn't officially a rules-source for Living Greyhawk. So it's always worth checking what you quote from there with the actual printed rules - particularly now that LG doesn't follow all of the published errata, which might be incorporated into the SRD. Also note that the content of www.srd.org is compiled by the owner of that site. The official SRD is available directly from WotC here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35
solbergb 10-23-06, 01:52 PM	yeah, the d20SRD is actually much more often wrong than the official one. Go to the source. All it tends to be missing is the examples.
clik_ml 10-23-06, 03:53 PM	yeah, the d20SRD is actually much more often wrong than the official one. Go to the source. All it tends to be missing is the examples. I'll grant that it leaves out the examples, but wrong? If there are errors found then there is a convenient board where one can post them for the owner to fix them. To my recollection, errors get fixed quite readily. If you know of any outright errors remaining in it, I'd like to know so I could post them for him to correct 'em. Thanks. I just did a lemme-see check on the official SRD and it contains errors that the d20srd does not. The reason for this is that the d20srd has the erratas applied to it, whereas the official SRD doesn't. Example, monster:dinosaur/deinonychus is listed as a medium critter in the errata and d20srd, and as a large critter in the official SRD. So given that, I would advise using the http://d20srd.org because not only is it much easier to search through than a bunch of unlinked text files, it is actually more accurate than the official tripe. :-) I still look forward to hearing what errors remain in the d20srd so that I can assist the owner in fixing them. I have a vested interest in keeping in good function the tool that I prefer to use.
Arvagor 10-23-06, 04:13 PM	The reason for this is that the d20srd has the erratas applied to it, whereas the official SRD doesn't. Example, monster:dinosaur/deinonychus is listed as a medium critter in the errata and d20srd, and as a large critter in the official SRD.The "official" SRD is what it is; whether the PHB, DMG, or whatever errata apply to it is a completely different debate...