Post by meribson on Nov 23, 2017 3:08:21 GMT
So in a dark fantasy setting that I'm working on, I've decided that magic items have a particular requirement in the process of making them. You can't take an item and apply an enchantment after it has been made. Well, you can, but you get short-term one-shot items like spell scrolls. To get magic items that keep their enchantments you need to have the magic worked into the item as it is being made.
In the case of weapons and armor, this means that while the metal is being forged, you have to include a few extra ingredients and have those ingredients worked into the metal. Basically forge-welding the magical ingredients. As anyone even remotely familiar with smithing can tell you; forge-welding metal is a difficult enough process on its own. Add in need to forge-weld things like dragon scales, demon bone, angel feathers, mind flayer face tentacles, or any other bit of magical creature makes it something that only a master smith can be expected to do.
This type of lore works exceptionally well for low-magic settings, mechanics-wise 5e or the ABP variant system for Pathfinder. The dark fantasy setting that I'm designing this for I'm placing in a sort of bronze-age trying to merge aspects of Mesoamerica, early China, and traditional fantasy Europe with a healthy dose of Diablo. It also provides ample story hooks for a party that wants a particular type of weapon. Your paladin wants a Holy Avenger, great! First, you need to hunt down the one smith in the kingdom that has the skill to make it. Then find out from him what magical ingredients he needs to make the Holy Avenger. Off on an adventure to get the reagents. After you return beaten and bruised with the reagents (provided they weren't stolen on the way back), now you need to pay for his services. Given his status as the best smith in the kingdom, that will be quite a pretty penny.
In the case of weapons and armor, this means that while the metal is being forged, you have to include a few extra ingredients and have those ingredients worked into the metal. Basically forge-welding the magical ingredients. As anyone even remotely familiar with smithing can tell you; forge-welding metal is a difficult enough process on its own. Add in need to forge-weld things like dragon scales, demon bone, angel feathers, mind flayer face tentacles, or any other bit of magical creature makes it something that only a master smith can be expected to do.
This type of lore works exceptionally well for low-magic settings, mechanics-wise 5e or the ABP variant system for Pathfinder. The dark fantasy setting that I'm designing this for I'm placing in a sort of bronze-age trying to merge aspects of Mesoamerica, early China, and traditional fantasy Europe with a healthy dose of Diablo. It also provides ample story hooks for a party that wants a particular type of weapon. Your paladin wants a Holy Avenger, great! First, you need to hunt down the one smith in the kingdom that has the skill to make it. Then find out from him what magical ingredients he needs to make the Holy Avenger. Off on an adventure to get the reagents. After you return beaten and bruised with the reagents (provided they weren't stolen on the way back), now you need to pay for his services. Given his status as the best smith in the kingdom, that will be quite a pretty penny.