Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Baron Phylos 03-02-04, 04:13 PM	Could this work as a variant to having to pick up the various craft magic item feats? I never really understood the fact that a character needed to pick up specific feats to craft each types of items. And the fact that without the feat, the character has no idea how to make those items. (i.e. a wizard with craft wondrous items can't make rings... even though rings and wondrous items are virtually identical.) Also, there's the crafting time which doesn't always work with adventurers. The craft point variant in UA can help with that, but it's hard to imagine craft points in-game without metagame thinking. And then there's the ol' "Bruennor forged Drizzt's magical mithral chainmail." thing and similar events that the 3e craft feats cannot allow. Incantations could. Now, there is an official "pseudo" precendent for incantations creating magical items. In d20 modern's urban arcana, there is the "create golem" incantation. Golems skirt the line between magic item and creature, requiring no less than three craft feats in 3.5e. From the d20M Urban Arcana SRD: Create Golem Conjuration (Creation) Skill Check: Knowledge (arcane lore) DC 32, 7 successes; Failure: Two consecutive failed skill checks; Components: V, S, M, XP; Casting Time: 7 hours (minimum); Range: Touch; Target: One corpse; Duration: Instantaneous; Saving Throw: None; Spell Resistance: No This incantation fuses an elemental spirit with a patchwork collection of body parts knitted into a single bipedal form. Create golem brings a flesh golem to life under your command. The golem can follow simple instructions. It does not speak. Options: If you want to create a gear golem rather than a flesh golem, increase the DC of the Knowledge (arcane lore) check by +8 and increase the experience point cost to 700 XP. If you want to create an advanced golem, increase the DC of the Knowledge (arcane lore) check by +2 for each additional Hit Die. Material Component: The body of the golem must be made to exacting eldritch specifications, with rare ingredients and unusual components (purchase DC 25). Experience Point Cost: 400 XP. Failure: Attack. The golem immediately goes berserk, attacking everyone and everything. Game balance can be maintained by the fact that incantations to create items could still have expensive material components, xp costs and other backlashes. And if the DM oversees all incantations, it ensures that players don't abuse the system by creating their own incantations with far too favorable casting conditions. Cursed items would be the result of failures, back up casters could add to the ritualistic flavor, Simple magic items like potions and such become easier to make(not cheaper) to explain how there's so many lying around. Researching incantations can become adventure hooks and there's just something that's just too cool about a warrior who forges and enchant his own weapon then brings it into battle. Of course there's some foreseeable problems like the nightmare of creating specific incantations for each possible magic items as well as taking into account all the possible variants.(i.e. flametongue solo caster, flametongue 23 backup casters, flametongue 1d6 backlash + old red dragon's tongue component. etc.) Opinions?
strenoth 03-02-04, 04:23 PM	you don't have to come up with them ahead of time.. come up with them when they say the start researching the thing they want to make via incantations. then make sure they pay just as much gold & Xp as the normal item, PLUS having to go get materials etc themselves quite often.