May 28, 2010

4E Ritual- Empower Magic Item

I like it when a magic item can grow with the character. Often a character can be defined by his magic item. Where would King Arthur be without Excalibur? Did he disenchant it into magic components when he got too high in level?  This ritual should allow a character the same attachment to a magic item as he levels, while still retaining a cost.

Empower Magic Item

The weapon shines with a new glow. What is old is new again.

Level: 8                        Component Cost: 120 gp, plus a magic item (see below)
Category: Creation       Market Price: 680 gp
Time: 1 hour                 Key Skill: Arcana (no check)
Duration: Permanent

Upon completion of this ritual, a magic item will gain the properties of a higher level version of the same item. Part of the component cost of the ritual is a magic item of equal or higher level to what the target item is being raised to. For example, an Elven Cloak level 7 could be changed into an Elven Cloak of level 12 and would require the sacrifice of a magic item of level 12 or higher. A magic item’s level can not be raised above the level of the ritual caster.

2 comments:

Swordgleam said...

I like the ritual, except the last line. Treasure parcels usually have magic items of party level +1 to around party level +3, so with this ritual, it's still less optimal to keep your father's +1 longsword (now a +3 flaming longsword) than to ditch it for the +4 icy longsword you just found in a random cave.

I'd let you raise it to as high a level as the item you're using in the cost, no matter your level. So if you find a lvl+3 item, you can raise it that high. If you find a lvl+10 item than your DM has done something screwy anyway, so it's not like there's a huge chance for abuse.

Though I think I'd require the magic item be in the same category (weapon, ring, neck slot, etc). It just makes more thematic sense to me ("I forge this sword taken from my slain enemy together with the sword of my ancestors into a new blade with the power of both" vs "I.. uh.. sacrifice this cloak to boost my sword?") and makes it less likely that there are zany loopholes.

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