An Artifact [Archive] - Wizards Community

An Artifact [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
RoninFrosty
10-09-06, 09:26 PM I don't have my books on me, so this is at the moment just an idea...but this is based on the Spellpool idea put forth in one of the books.

Malrain's Altar
This is basically an altar that would hold spell levels that you could expend to it. Think, if you expended a level 9 spell, it would gain 9 levels or whatever...but it would be able to hold lots of levels, like...1000 or so.

The point of this is in the campaign world I'm developing, magic functions a lot as technology, an in using this with the Create feats, you could use so many spell levels to infuse say, the shell of an airship with multiple castings of telekinesis, so that it would be able to fly...

Also, I like the idea of using it in Churches, for healing spells, in Smithies, for enchanting weapons/armor, and cults of necromancers would be able to use them for creating mass amounts of undead.

Could someone perhaps stat/balance this? I dunno if this'd be something that could be mass produced, or what...maybe it's too powerful, I'm not sure, but it'll be a bit before I get my books to work out the kinks. And sorry for the "all over the place" manner in which I laid this out...wanted to get it out before I lose it.
Seeker95
10-10-06, 09:17 AM It is an artifact. If it serves a specific purpose in your campaign, it is balanced. If it does not, it is broken.
RoninFrosty
10-10-06, 10:38 AM Eh, well, I used the word Artifact...but I'm thinking about making it a major magic item instead, so that it could be mass produced...

...the problem gets to be, if the PCs get a hold of one, we're talking possible brokenness of wealth/power.
User5127
10-10-06, 12:41 PM add limits to it, for example: give several kinds of the Malrain's Altars. a lesser, normal, superior, greater, and 2 artifact level versions.

each version only being able to give off specific spell levels.

so the lesser version would be the most common one and it would hold spell points that can only be used for up to 2nd level spells. it would hold only 80 points at a time.

normal versions would hold up to 4th level spells. it would hold 160 points at max.

superior versions would go up to 6th level spells. it would hold 320 points at max.

greater versions would go up to 8th level spells and would hold 500 points at max.

the artifact level version would be a minor artifact (CL17th) and would only be able to cast up to 9th level spells, it would hold 750 points at max.

a greater aftifact version may also exist for epic level play, it would have all the abilities of the minor version plus the ability to lower spellcraft DC cost for casting epic spells (up to a point). it would hold 1000 points. and for every 10 points spent it can lower the cost to cast a single epic level spell by 1 DC.

now instead of letting the item cast spells, give it the ability to drop XP cost for magic items. Each item can only use exp needed for the specific level of spells, meaning that if the magic item has 3rd level spells used in it then you would need to get at the very least a normal version since the lesser version would be to weak to provide xp for any 3rd level spells.

exp would be given at a point for point basis with the item? (i don't know if thats to powerful or not, but its an idea) and to recharge the item you have to "discharge" spell slots into it, the level of the spell is equal to the points recharged in the item. any one can cast spells into the item, but it has to be a voluntary act. and a spell can't exceed the highest spell level of the item (ie: spells cast into a lesser version can only be up to 2nd level spells.

this would allow any body with the ability to create magic items to do so in the safety of their own home with out having to burn off themselves into the items they create. thus magic items and magic itself would be more common in your world. all the item's creator would need now to create the item is the feats, spells, and gold/materials to create it.

If the pcs get a hold of it they don't really gain very much from it. since to create a mgaic item it costs half the cost to buy it flat out new and to sell you only can sell for half the listed gp price. the players would be grid locked at making 0 profit for selling the items.

anyways thats my two copper, mabye if you like that idea you can work bugs out of it to get it to work, or some one else on the board can do the same thing.
RoninFrosty
10-10-06, 03:21 PM I've toyed with the idea of making it scaled, and I like the system you've layed out. Maybe I'll work it out or something from that.

My main purpose for the whole thing isn't to cast spells, though...as far as in the sense of like, fireball or chain lightning...

I was basically considering a few different types of altars:

-One type for use with the Craft Wondrous Item feat, which would hold enough spell levels to "infuse" the target item with said spell, such as the earlier example of an airship and telekinesis (just a thought that could be used for the spell)

-One type that would be used for the Craft Magic Arms/Armor feat, which would allow the caster to cast say, Fireball into the altar, and that would provide the basis for the Fiery enchantment. I dunno if one casting would be enough, or if it'd take several, but I'd work that out.

The above two I've thought about using as a stationary alternative to actually having to take the respective feats...but I dunno.

-One type that would be used in Chapels and the like. It could store multiple castings of Heal Major Wounds, resurrection and whatnot...I dunno if it's too broken to allow the Altar to Eschew the material components for Resurrection (isn't it like 10K GP worth?), but maybe if that particular spell component was used in the creation of the altar...?

-One type that could be like a bastard child of the Altars, and be used by necromancers and death cults to hold enough spell levels to cast multiple instances of the Animate Dead spells. This one's kinda tricky, though, because with Animate Dead, aren't the dead tied to the spellcaster? If you saved enough spell levels to create 1000 HD worth of Undead, who could control them?

Ultimately, I dunno if I really like the specific spell idea, or what...it's certainly an infant idea that I think would require quiiiiite a bit of tuning...but I'd really appreciate some feedback.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RoninFrosty 10-09-06, 09:26 PM	I don't have my books on me, so this is at the moment just an idea...but this is based on the Spellpool idea put forth in one of the books. Malrain's Altar This is basically an altar that would hold spell levels that you could expend to it. Think, if you expended a level 9 spell, it would gain 9 levels or whatever...but it would be able to hold lots of levels, like...1000 or so. The point of this is in the campaign world I'm developing, magic functions a lot as technology, an in using this with the Create feats, you could use so many spell levels to infuse say, the shell of an airship with multiple castings of telekinesis, so that it would be able to fly... Also, I like the idea of using it in Churches, for healing spells, in Smithies, for enchanting weapons/armor, and cults of necromancers would be able to use them for creating mass amounts of undead. Could someone perhaps stat/balance this? I dunno if this'd be something that could be mass produced, or what...maybe it's too powerful, I'm not sure, but it'll be a bit before I get my books to work out the kinks. And sorry for the "all over the place" manner in which I laid this out...wanted to get it out before I lose it.
Seeker95 10-10-06, 09:17 AM	It is an artifact. If it serves a specific purpose in your campaign, it is balanced. If it does not, it is broken.
RoninFrosty 10-10-06, 10:38 AM	Eh, well, I used the word Artifact...but I'm thinking about making it a major magic item instead, so that it could be mass produced... ...the problem gets to be, if the PCs get a hold of one, we're talking possible brokenness of wealth/power.
User5127 10-10-06, 12:41 PM	add limits to it, for example: give several kinds of the Malrain's Altars. a lesser, normal, superior, greater, and 2 artifact level versions. each version only being able to give off specific spell levels. so the lesser version would be the most common one and it would hold spell points that can only be used for up to 2nd level spells. it would hold only 80 points at a time. normal versions would hold up to 4th level spells. it would hold 160 points at max. superior versions would go up to 6th level spells. it would hold 320 points at max. greater versions would go up to 8th level spells and would hold 500 points at max. the artifact level version would be a minor artifact (CL17th) and would only be able to cast up to 9th level spells, it would hold 750 points at max. a greater aftifact version may also exist for epic level play, it would have all the abilities of the minor version plus the ability to lower spellcraft DC cost for casting epic spells (up to a point). it would hold 1000 points. and for every 10 points spent it can lower the cost to cast a single epic level spell by 1 DC. now instead of letting the item cast spells, give it the ability to drop XP cost for magic items. Each item can only use exp needed for the specific level of spells, meaning that if the magic item has 3rd level spells used in it then you would need to get at the very least a normal version since the lesser version would be to weak to provide xp for any 3rd level spells. exp would be given at a point for point basis with the item? (i don't know if thats to powerful or not, but its an idea) and to recharge the item you have to "discharge" spell slots into it, the level of the spell is equal to the points recharged in the item. any one can cast spells into the item, but it has to be a voluntary act. and a spell can't exceed the highest spell level of the item (ie: spells cast into a lesser version can only be up to 2nd level spells. this would allow any body with the ability to create magic items to do so in the safety of their own home with out having to burn off themselves into the items they create. thus magic items and magic itself would be more common in your world. all the item's creator would need now to create the item is the feats, spells, and gold/materials to create it. If the pcs get a hold of it they don't really gain very much from it. since to create a mgaic item it costs half the cost to buy it flat out new and to sell you only can sell for half the listed gp price. the players would be grid locked at making 0 profit for selling the items. anyways thats my two copper, mabye if you like that idea you can work bugs out of it to get it to work, or some one else on the board can do the same thing.
RoninFrosty 10-10-06, 03:21 PM	I've toyed with the idea of making it scaled, and I like the system you've layed out. Maybe I'll work it out or something from that. My main purpose for the whole thing isn't to cast spells, though...as far as in the sense of like, fireball or chain lightning... I was basically considering a few different types of altars: -One type for use with the Craft Wondrous Item feat, which would hold enough spell levels to "infuse" the target item with said spell, such as the earlier example of an airship and telekinesis (just a thought that could be used for the spell) -One type that would be used for the Craft Magic Arms/Armor feat, which would allow the caster to cast say, Fireball into the altar, and that would provide the basis for the Fiery enchantment. I dunno if one casting would be enough, or if it'd take several, but I'd work that out. The above two I've thought about using as a stationary alternative to actually having to take the respective feats...but I dunno. -One type that would be used in Chapels and the like. It could store multiple castings of Heal Major Wounds, resurrection and whatnot...I dunno if it's too broken to allow the Altar to Eschew the material components for Resurrection (isn't it like 10K GP worth?), but maybe if that particular spell component was used in the creation of the altar...? -One type that could be like a bastard child of the Altars, and be used by necromancers and death cults to hold enough spell levels to cast multiple instances of the Animate Dead spells. This one's kinda tricky, though, because with Animate Dead, aren't the dead tied to the spellcaster? If you saved enough spell levels to create 1000 HD worth of Undead, who could control them? Ultimately, I dunno if I really like the specific spell idea, or what...it's certainly an infant idea that I think would require quiiiiite a bit of tuning...but I'd really appreciate some feedback.