Enchanting a Weapon vs. Target X

[Skarg]

The more I think about discounts, and the idea of trying to affect the work needed to enchant something by how "common" the target is, the more I think I'm happy with there being no such spell other than Limiting, because those things don't make much sense to me.

Limiting does makes sense to me, but I think it should be possible to make a Limiting enchantment that is intertwined with the enchantment it limits, such that the Limit cannot (or is very hard/unlikely to) be dispelled without also dispelling the limited enchantment.

[larsdangly]

The magic item creation process in TFT is exceptionally concrete and specific; this is good in that it helps players craft items as a campaign goal, but it is also a pretty complicated part of the game, and if you really go down the rat hole of financial and ST costs it can be gamed in irritating ways. I feel like the correct responses are 1) don't add a bunch of house rules that make it even more complex and tortuous; 2) make players sort out the pre-requisites on their own (i.e., if you want to make an item, you better know the relevant spells, obtain the necessary material components, and find and recruit all the assistants you'll need, because the game world won't just hand that stuff to you in exchange for some cash). I find principle #2 shuts down all schemes to defraud the universe with some campaign breaking magic item.

[hcobb]

Make your Dragon Slayer spear a unique artifact that the WG wants to study, but hasn't found how to replicate.

Guided by sages and mages you go on a quest for the dingus, use it once, then hand it in for the payoff.

[FireHorse]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Make your Dragon Slayer spear a unique artifact that the WG wants to study, but hasn't found how to replicate.

Guided by sages and mages you go on a quest for the dingus, use it once, then hand it in for the payoff.

That's exactly what I decided to do. The 'limiting' rule would work, if I wanted to do it that way, but as has been mentioned, that's just insane. (Bonus against everything gets reduced to bonus against one thing? Why would anyone do that?)

So since the Rules don't provide any rational way to accomplish what I want, I'm just not going to bother explaining it at all. It just IS.

Plus, it's not a Dragonslayer weapon — I mentioned that only as an example — and the intended target is also an original creation, just like the weapon, so it's guaranteed not to appear in any other TFT adventure (unless people like my race and borrow it). Which means the weapon is literally a one-off.

Unless, of course, I make a sequel adventure. In that case the Player(s) may regret it if they sold that weapon off for spare cash, thinking they'd never need it again. ;)

But I suppose that means I still need to figure out how much the thing is worth…

[hcobb]

Ghost slayer amulet: Hero died on a quest to recover his grandmother's $10 trinket. Find the amulet and toss it at his ghost and he'll vanish in a puff of logic.

[larsdangly]

Certainly the best way to control the 'flow' of magical abilities and items in a campaign is to simply make them unavailable for automatic-access training and purchace from the wizard's guild.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

The magic item creation process in TFT is exceptionally concrete and specific; this is good in that it helps players craft items as a campaign goal, but it is also a pretty complicated part of the game, and if you really go down the rat hole of financial and ST costs it can be gamed in irritating ways. I feel like the correct responses are 1) don't add a bunch of house rules that make it even more complex and tortuous

I don't know about "complex and tortuous", but house rules can plug the "can be gamed in irritating ways" parts. (e.g. "No using Charms to avoid enchanting risks" and/or "there are no Charms")

Originally Posted by larsdangly

2) make players sort out the pre-requisites on their own (i.e., if you want to make an item, you better know the relevant spells, obtain the necessary material components, and find and recruit all the assistants you'll need, because the game world won't just hand that stuff to you in exchange for some cash). I find principle #2 shuts down all schemes to defraud the universe with some campaign breaking magic item.

Originally Posted by larsdangly

Certainly the best way to control the 'flow' of magical abilities and items in a campaign is to simply make them unavailable for automatic-access training and purchace from the wizard's guild.

Yes, I think "magic items are just available at list price" makes for magic items dominating a campaign.

Originally Posted by FireHorse

The 'limiting' rule would work, if I wanted to do it that way, but as has been mentioned, that's just insane. (Bonus against everything gets reduced to bonus against one thing? Why would anyone do that?)

Dwarf makes magic item - only works against orcs and dragons, or simply doesn't work against dwarves.

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by Skarg

Dwarf makes magic item - only works against orcs and dragons, or simply doesn't work against dwarves.

This seems to me that a weapon that doesn't work against a select group might actually cost more. "HA HA! My weapons doesn't get any bonuses against ME!"

I always call objects 'artifacts' when the effect or ability doesn't quite fit in with the magic item creation rules and it's likely to be a unique item, right up there with the solar powered flashlight.

[hcobb]

Perhaps a sample list of unique legendary artifacts of Cidri could be provided to spark GM creative juices?

The article could also cover such things as what Spellsniffer or Master Armourer could determine about the items.

[KevinJ]

Here is a bit from the Artifact document I made for my world of Goranth.

"Magic items from other worlds might work on principles not know to the people of Goranth, but they still work. And once you understand how to make a magic artifact function, you can use it until it breaks or its magic runs out.

Enter magic items from other worlds and crossovers from other game systems. A wand that shoots 5d6 fireballs with no FT cost sounds awesome, but what if you can only use it 22 times? Or a ring of invisibility that stops working if you take certain actions? Of armor that makes you harder to hit instead of stopping extra damage? Any of these would be artifacts because they do not follow the know laws of magic and science of Goranth."

Here are a few of the "magic Artifact" types from the list:
Anything: this rare melee weapon form can change into any other melee weapon. If a warrior is wielding an Anything broadsword and is confronted by a charging elephant, he can change the Anything broadsword into an Anything Pike, which will inflict greater damage on the charging elephant.
No time is required for the change. However, if you wish to set for a charge or hold your action for later, you must have initiative; then you may change the weapon and act as appropriate.
Buoyant: this type of armor or clothing does not sink. If thrown into water it will float on the surface. It is not buoyant enough to stop the wearer from drowning, but it will not hinder his ability to swim. When in water, do not count the armor’s weight against the swimmers skill.
Charges: Some magic items function a limited number of times in a given time period; this could be per day, per week, per month, or in the items lifetime. A healing wand that works once a day is nice, since it never ‘wears out.’ A healing wand that will work 27 times and then be just a fancy stick is also nice, but not for as long. Any enchantment could be charged, but some wouldn’t be very practical.
Deflection: this is an armor bonus that makes you harder to hit. Add 1pt to your opponents die roll for each +1 of the armor or shield. In this case your enemy’s weapon seems to just hit, but it slides off instead of penetrating the armor.
Distance Cutting: allows the wielder to make melee attacks from up to 3-hexes distance from the target. Damage is calculated and inflicted normally.
Weightlessness: The armor, clothing, shield, or weapon does not count against your weight limit. This could be complete weightlessness (doesn’t count as encumbrance, even when in your backpack or on your belt) or partial (weighs a % of normal weight).

Here are a couple of specific items from the list:
Tenser’s Floating Disk: This is a blue/green crystalline, slightly bowl shaped, disk with a gold rim. The rim is inscribed with arcane symbols, some of which have been translated to “Tenser’s floating disk.”
The disk floats 2ft off the ground and can be loaded with people and/or gear weighing up to 400lb. The disk moves by the mental control of the owner with an MA 14 or less. The disk chooses its new owner (normally the first sentient being to touch it) when the old owner dies or has been out of physical contact for more than 1 year.
Magic Timekeeper: Not a mechanical watch, but a magical one. It keeps time for the world it is on, speeding up and slowing down to suit the length of the day and dividing it into 24 hours. It is a 3in round medallion with 2 moving hands behind a clear crystal lens. It can be work on a chain or carried in a pocket.

Most of the stuff was taken from other fantasy RPGs, one of which is pretty obvious, while others are my own creations.