Magic Items in the Green Coast

The art of enchantment is a highly respected and sought after skill in the Green Coast, yet at the same time many view its higher ranked disciplines with a large measure of caution and wariness. Nearly six centuries ago, scholars devised a ranking system based on the strength of the enchantments within the item, how long the enchantments would last, and how hard the enchantments are to dispel. Taking the names from an almost extinct language, the ranks from least to greatest are: pramos, dwoteros, trijos, quethrtos, and pentos.

Pramos

The most basic of magical items, items in this category tend to be such things as potions, scrolls, and other limited use items. The means of applying the enchantments into Pramos rank items varies slightly item to item, but a few general rules can be applied based on the item’s category.

     Potions rely on a combination of the symbolic properties of the reagents and the brewer’s ability to draw those properties to the surface. This has resulted in occasions where small village hedge brewers have used ingredients for healing draughts that elsewhere are used to create the deadliest of poisons. The difference being the regional symbolism of the given ingredient.

     Spell-scrolls are fashioned with alchemically treated parchment or paper that enables it to hold magic as well as ink. This particular feature was much more difficult than one would assume, as early attempts at developing spell-scrolls resulted in either a page like is in a spellbook or a pile of ash. In addition to alchemically treated parchment, the ink used must have magic folded into it as it is being made.

     Wands and staves are fashioned out of two kinds of wood, an inner core and outer shell. The inner core is soaked in an alchemical solution as the spell or spells desired are cast into the solution to be absorbed by the wood.

Dwoteros

Most enchanted items with effectively permanent enchantments fall into this category. Though if not renewed the magic will eventually unravel, the only recorded cases of this happening took nearly eight hundred years. Most magic items of this level are enchanted in the same way: a spell matrix is formed and tethered to the object that serves as the anchor.

     In game terms, every minor magic item that is not of limited use (be it a one-shot item or with limited charges) is a dwoteros.

Tritjos

It is at this level that the various enchantments woven into items, combined with the ambient magic in the world around them, begin to take on a life of their own. These are the items that make many cautious, for items of this level of enchantment begin to have thoughts, feelings, and desires of their own. In order to prevent the item from gaining an intellect, the spell matrix must be specifically designed to repel ambient magic.

     The process for laying the enchantments is basically the same as with dwoteros items, but frequently some sort of magically potent reagent is required. The exact reagent depends on the enchantments being applied, a magically sensitive lava rock can be used to add a fire enchantment to a weapon for example.

     In game terms, most medium magic items that do not possess limited charges have an Intelligence score between 3 and 9.

Quethrtos

Rare and powerful, these items are almost always intelligent. However at this level designing the spell matrix to prevent the item from developing an intellect becomes extremely difficult if not impossible. The minds of quethrtos items range from average to slightly above average intelligence, and nearly all have criteria for their potential users. Whether this is undergoing a quest, belonging to a particular faith, being a member of a particular bloodline, the criteria varies from item to item.

     In game terms, by default major items are intelligent items that have an Intelligence score between 10 and 13.

Pentos

The strongest of magic items, the majority of items that fall into this category are either one of a kind items or the method of their creation has been lost to history. Colloquially referred to as “artifacts,” these items are virtually indestructible and every single one possesses a keen and powerful intellect.

     In game terms, every artifact in the Green Coast and beyond is an intelligent item with a minimum Intelligence score of 14.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you like my work and want to support me, check out my homebrew race book here.