Magical Crafting System
Created: 14 January 2016 Modified:It is important that crafting doesn’t simply become a matter of procedure. To this end we would want an element of chance and an element of roleplaying to be integral to the process. Since we are using the Dungeons and Dragons 5e system we will keep that system in mind. My hope is that we will be able to make one generic enough that it is easily portable to other system
For assessing magical components and creating magical items the Arcana skill will be paramount. This skill will be used along with a random die role to determine how successful your item creation attempt. Based on your Arcana skill alone you have the possiblity of creating magical items from mundane materials. Special and magical materials come in because they enhance your Arcana skill. For example trying to create a magical sword would be more dificult using iron and carbon than it would be using a Predator’s Spirit, Adamantium and and a Tiger’s Eye Gem.
Magical abilities should be divided into categories: Minor, Enhanced, Major, Supreme and Legendary. Two Minor equal an enhanced. Two Enhanced equal a major etc.
The opposite side of this coin is that what you are trying to create will add to the difficulty. So a +1 weapon will add some minor difficulty to magically enhancing a weapon. A +5 weapon will greatly increase the difficulty in crafting a weapon. Below is a list of bonuses and negatives.
The goal is to roll 100 or greater using d100 dice with your bonuses added and subtracted. All materials used in magic item creation are lost on a failure. Rolling a 01 is an automatic failure. Rolling a 100 results in an enhancement to the magic item to be determined by the DM.
- You must have a spell of the correct type of a level matching the enchantement category.
- Minor enchantment is cantrip or higher.
- Enhanced enchantment is 1st level spell or higher.
- Major enchantment is 2nd level spell or higher.
- Supreme enchantment is 3rd level spell or higher.
- Legendary enchantment is 4th level spell or higher
- Twice your proficiency bonus
- Add your Wisdom and Intelligence bonus.
- Add twice your Druid, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock class levels.
- Add your Wisdom and Intelligence ability scores.
- Add 20 points if you are proficient in Arcana.
- Add spirit points you have stored in a gem or piece of art.
- Add 15 points if the item is made of admantium.
- Add 10 points if the item is made of mithril.
- Add 5 points if the item is made of silver.
- Add 5 points if the item is made of darksteel.
- Add 15 points if the item is made of Duskwood wood.
- Add 10 points if the item is made of Zalantar wood.
- Add 5 points if the item is made of Shederran wood.
- Add 15 points if the item is made of Dragon Hide.
- Add 10 points if the item is made of Wyvern Hide.
- Add 10 points if the item is made of Umber Hulk Hide.
- Add 5 points if the item is made of Were creature Hide.
- Subtract 10 times the attack bonus of the sword, or defence bonus of armor.
- Subtract 10 points for each minor affect.
- Subtract 20 points for each Enhanced affect.
- Subtract 30 points for each Major Affect.
- Subtract 40 points for each Supreme Affect.
- Subtract 50 points for each Legendary Affect.
- Subtract points for each existing enchantment on an item. Points equalling existing level of enchantment. Multiple new enchantments do not count for this.
Example (Low Level Item)
Mikey is a 5th level Wizard with intelligence 18 and a wisdom of 16. He as a normal steel sword. He has a 50 GP gem with 5 points of essence stored in it. Additionally he has a 100 GP Painting with 7 points of essence stored in it. Mikey is trying to enchant a +1 sword of light. He gets the following.
| Wisdom Bonus | +2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intelligence Bonus | +4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisdom Ability Score | +16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intelligence Ability Score | +18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Proficient in Arcana | +20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th level Wizard | +10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th level Proficiency bonus | +6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 50 GP gem with 5 points of essence | +5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100 GP Painting with 7 points of essence | +7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| +1 attack bonus | -10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minor magical effect (Light) | -10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resulting Modifier</td> | +68 | </tr> </tbody></table> Meaning that the player will need to roll 32 or better to successfully create the magic item. If the player rolls 31 or less the sword, gems and painting are horribly mangled and become useless. The sword partially melts and becomes twisted. The painting catches on fire and is consumed. The gem is shattered into tiny bits. The tiny bits might be useful as polishing grit. ### Example (High Level Item) Mikey is a 10th level Wizard with intelligence 18 and a wisdom of 16. He has a steel sword +1 of light. He has a 50 GP gem with 5 points of essence stored in it. Additionally he has a 100 GP Painting with 9 points of essence stored in it. Mikey is trying to enchant a +5 sword of Flying. He gets the following.
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| Wisdom Bonus | +2 |
| Intelligence Bonus | +4 |
| Wisdom Ability Score | +16 |
| Intelligence Ability Score | +18 |
| Proficient in Arcana | +20 |
| 10th level Wizard | +20 |
| 10th level proficiency bonus | +8 |
| 50 GP gem with 5 points of essence | +5 |
| 100 GP Painting with 9 points of essence | +7 |
| +5 attack bonus | -25 |
| Existing +1 attack bonus | -10 |
| +5 attack bonus | -50 |
| Major magical effect (Flight) | -30 |
| Resulting Modifier</td> | +4 | </tr> </tbody></table> Meaning that the player will need to roll 88 or better to successfully create the magic item. If the player rolls 87 or less the sword, gems and painting are horribly mangled and become useless. The sword partially melts and becomes twisted. The painting catches on fire and is consumed. The gem is shattered into tiny bits. The tiny bits might be useful as polishing grit. If it succeeds the character has a +5 sword which emits light and allows them to fly 400 lbs 50 feet per round. ### Time Enchanting is a ritual and takes the standard ten minutes. Withdrawing essence from a corpse is a ritual and takes 10 minutes as well as a DC 15 arcana check. ### Magic Ingredients Spirit essence can be removed from defeated foes within 1 hour for each level of the creature. A monster of CR 17 once killed could be drained of essence up to 17 hours after its death. Spirit essence can only be stored in items of beauty and artistic value. The greater the beauty and/or artistry the greater the capacity for storage. Each point of essence requires a storage object of 10 GP. So 2 points of essence would requre a storage object of 20 GP value or greater. If you have a 30 GP Painting you can store the spirit essence from 6 different rats with a creature rating of 1/2. Spirit storage can happen over time. The essence once stored does not dissipate and multiple spirits can be stored in one item. For example if you have a 100 GP gem you can store a 5 CR Bugbear essence on Tuesday the 12th. On Friday the 28th you could store a 2 CR Dire Wolf essence in the morning and in the afternoon store a 3 CR Troll essence in the afternoon. It takes 10 minutes to remove the essence from a dead creature. The essence points equals to the creature's rating. In practice this means a lion who has a CR of 2 has the potential to provide two points of essence. To get this essence requires a successful Arcana check with a DC of 15. If a storage item is destroyed all essences stored in the item are released and lost to the character. ### Moral Implications You are not stealing a creatures "soul". You are merely retrieving residual life essence. Essence which would dissipate over time naturally.
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