Enchant an Item

(Enchantment, Invocation)

Range: Touch	Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special	Casting Time: Special
Area of Effect: 1 item	Saving Throw: Neg.

This is a spell that must be used by a wizard planning to create a magical item. The enchant an item spell prepares the object to accept the magic. The item must meet the following tests: 1) it must be in sound and undamaged condition; 2) the item must be the finest possible, considering its nature, i.e., crafted of the highest quality material and with the finest workmanship; and 3) its cost or value must reflect the second test, and in most cases the item must have a raw-materials cost in excess of 100 gp. With respect to requirement 3, it is not possible to apply this test to items such as ropes, leather goods, cloth, and pottery not normally embroidered, bejeweled, tooled, carved, or engraved. If such work or materials can be added to an item without weakening or harming its normal functions, however, these are required for the item to be enchanted.

The wizard must have access to a workshop or laboratory, properly equipped and from which contaminating magic can be screened. Any magical item not related to the fabrication process (such as most protective devices) and within 30 feet of the materials is a source of contaminating magic and will spoil the process.

The item to be prepared must be touched by the spellcaster. This touching must be constant and continual during the casting time, which is a base 16 hours plus an additional 8d8 hours (as the wizard may never work more than eight hours per day, and haste or any other spells will not alter the time required in any way, this effectively means that casting time for this spell is two days + 1d8 days). All work must be uninterrupted, and during rest periods the item being enchanted must never be more than 1 foot distant from the spellcaster; if it is, the whole spell is spoiled and must be begun again. (Note that during rest periods absolutely no other form of magic can be performed, and the wizard must remain quiet and in isolation or the enchantment is ruined.)

At the end of the spell, the caster will know that the item is ready for the final test. He will then pronounce the final magical syllable, and if the item makes a saving throw (which is exactly the same as that of the wizard) vs. spell, the spell is completed. The spellcaster's saving throw bonuses also apply to the item, up to +3. A result of 1 on the 1d20 roll always results in failure, regardless of modifications. Once the spell is finished, the wizard can begin to place the desired spell upon the item. The spell he plans to place must be cast within 24 hours or the preparatory spell fades, and the item must be enchanted again.

Each spell subsequently cast upon an object bearing an enchant an item spell requires 2d4 hours per spell level of the magic being cast. Again, during casting the item must be touched by the wizard, and during the rest periods it must always be within 1 foot of his person. This procedure holds true for any additional spells placed upon the item, and each successive spell must be begun within 24 hours of the last, even if the prior spell failed.

No magic placed on an item is permanent unless a permanency spell is used as a finishing touch. This always runs a 5% risk of draining 1 point of Constitution from the wizard casting the spell. Also, while it is possible to tell when the basic spell (enchant an item) succeeds, it is not possible to tell if successive castings actually work, for each must make the same sort of saving throw as the item itself made. Naturally, an item that is charged--a rod, staff, wand, javelin of lightning, ring of wishes, etc.--can never be made permanent. Magical devices cannot be used to enchant an item or cast magic upon an object so prepared, but scrolls can be used for this purpose.

The materials needed for this spell vary according to both the nature of the item being enchanted and the magic to be cast upon it. For example, a cloak of displacement might require the hides of one or more displacer beasts, a sword meant to slay dragons could require the blood and some other part of the type(s) of dragon(s) it will be effective against, and a ring of shooting stars might require pieces of meteorites and the horn of ki-rin. These specifics, as well as other information pertaining to this spell, are decided by the DM and must be discovered or researched in play.

Table of Contents