Creating Magical Items

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This is partly house rules, partly a summary of canon rules.

General

  • These are general limits that apply in addition to canon rules:
    • How many items can a character create and still get other things done?
    • How many items can a character use and not have anything backfire?
  • These apply to items that work permanently (until/unless somehow destroyed or otherwise ruined).
  • These do not apply to items that work only once (e.g. talens, alchemical products), nor items whose sole effect is to ICly justify an XP spend (e.g. Acute Vision).
  • Also, some items are not important enough to be worth tracking. Staff is not worried about every single tool in your toolshed, making your grandmother's favorite vase unbreakable, etc. If in doubt, ask.

For building/carrying limits, Occult may be interchanged with:

  • Rituals (typically shifters)
  • Gremayre (typically changelings)
  • Hypertech (typically Technocrats)
  • Science or Technology (Sorcerer-psychics using extraordinary science or techno-sorcery)
  • Crafts (Malefactor demons)

Types of items

  • Items must be spelled out in a book (e.g. a specific fetish) or emulate a specific power (or combination of powers)
  • Items may require conversion (e.g. if a gift costs Gnosis, then a treasure emulating that gift may cost Glamour instead)
  • To emulate a power from a different game line, the creator must have at least 3 dots in the relevant Lore (or Hypertech if relevant)
    • Emulating a power restricted to a subset of another race may be restricted at staff discretion

Level and genre

  • The level of an item emulating one or more powers is the sum of the levels of those powers
  • The genre of an item is based on its creator's race/subrace

Edge cases

  • Mage spheres can only be emulated by mage items (too broad otherwise).
    • Specific mage-created items (particularly fetishes/talens) may be emulated at staff discretion.
  • Possessed/bygone powers can't be emulated (don't follow usual 1-5 scale).
  • Changeling arts are still limited by user's or target's Banality (whichever is higher), making them nearly useless for other races.
  • If a level N power doesn't directly produce an effect, but only creates an item that produces an effect (e.g. Enchantment numina, Enchant Talisman), then it only contributes N-2 (minimum 1) to the item's level.
  • Multiple powers producing essentially same effect with different targets (e.g. Thaumaturgy wards) only contribute once (highest level), not multiple times.

Examples

  • A magical item that captures Potence:2 is a level 2 item.
  • A magical item that captures Celerity:1 and has Ward vs Ghouls (level 2) and Ward vs Kindred (level 4) on it is a level 3 item (1 for Celerity, 2 for Ward vs Kindred contributing 4-2=2).

Creation

  • Each creator gets (Occult * 2) tokens per month
  • Successfully creating an item uses a number of tokens equal to its level
    • Upgrading an item uses a number of tokens based on the upgrade, even if it partly overlaps with existing powers (e.g. mage spheres)
  • Tokens do not roll over from one month to the next
    • Exception: Creating a single item that would use up to two months worth of tokens
    • Exception: If staff takes several weeks to process a request, tokens may be taken from any month within that time, player's choice

Carrying/use

  • Characters are limited by how many multiple-use items they can use in a scene.
    • The limit is compared to the sum of the item levels.
    • Characters can have dumpsters full of magical items at home, and can use all of them in a scene there.
    • +equip does not track what you normally keep where. You may want to set a +note and ask staff to approve it.
  • To use an out-of-genre item, a character must have at least as many dots in Occult as the item's level.
    • You may substitute Rituals, Gremayre, or (if relevant to the item) Hypertech.
    • If the item requires spending something (e.g. Gnosis), then the character must also have that thing.
    • All items are considered out-of-genre for the 'Other' group below.
  • Receiving an item made by another PC does not require buying background dots.
Character Carrying limit Notes
Vampire (Highest discipline + Occult) x 2
Shifter (Rank + Rituals) x 2
Mage (Arete + Occult) x 2 Technocrats can use Hypertech instead of Occult for relevant items
Technocrats with Soulless flaw (cannot have Arete) use Hypertech x 4 instead
Sorcerer/Psychic (Highest Numina + Occult) x 2
Changeling (Highest Art + Gremayre) x 2
Wraith/Risen (Highest Arcanos + Occult) x 2
Demon (Faith, max 5 + Occult) x 2
Mummy (Balance + Occult) x 2
Other Occult x 2 Includes Mortal, Ghoul, Subrace:Kinfolk, Subrace:Kinain, Possessed, Bygone

Discrepancies

  • Need to decide on in-between limits for items that work for a fixed duration (e.g. one month) but are reusable within that time

Vampire

Not an exhaustive list. For methods found in canon but not listed here, please check with staff.

Entrap Ephemera (Thaumaturgy path: Spirit Manipulation 4)

  • Guide to the Camarilla 107
  • Requires relevant Lore (+rules magical items)
  • Creation: Willpower vs 7, must get at least as many successes as the level of the item to be created
    • Botching this roll reduces permanent Willpower by 1 (VtM 178)
  • Activation: Willpower vs (item's level + 3)
    • Botching this roll destroys the fetish and releases an angry spirit

Enchant Talisman (level 5 Thaumaturgy ritual)

  • Guide to the Camarilla 113-114
  • Requires 6 hours and 1 blood point per night for 1 month, starting and ending on the new moon
  • Roll Intelligence + Occult vs 8 four times and accumulate at least 20 successes

Splinter Servant (level 4 Thaumaturgy ritual)

  • Guide to the Camarilla 113
  • Roll Intelligence + Occult vs 7
  • Requires (12 - successes) hours to cast
  • Once released, lasts for (5 * successes) turns

Bind the Familiar (level 3 Thaumaturgy ritual)

  • Players Guide to Low Clans 171
  • Preparation starts at dusk and runs past midnight
  • Spend 5 blood, roll Intelligence + Occult vs (4 + intended level of familiar)
    • Botch = spirit is likely to possess or attack you; fail = just waste blood and time
  • Must be fed (level) blood per week, otherwise it dies within a night
    • House rule: This comes out of your '+rules dailies' supply unless you make other arrangements
  • House rule: Familiar's 'level' in canon is also its level for '+rules magical items' purposes, overriding the normal house rule for rituals that create items
  • House rule: Stats are per Character Generation/Mage Familiars
    • As per Bind the Familiar ritual only animal Familiars are available.
    • Bind the Familiar is based on Tremere's past history as mages
    • Weekly blood cost is same as a mage familiar's weekly Quint cost (and vitae is canonically Tass with heavy resonance)

Chanjelin Ward (Mytherceria 4)

  • Guide to the Sabbat 106
  • Roll Intelligence + Security vs (inanimate object: 7; living subject: subject's Willpower + 2)

Werewolf

Fetishes

Hammer and Klaive chapter 2 (pages 41-59)

Note: Some rites do not use the usual dice pool for their type (WtA 155, "Rites Chart" at upper right)

Step 1: Decide what your fetish will do

  • Must be in a book or emulate a power from a book
  • Level 1 to 5 (H+K 46-47)
  • Gnosis 4 to 8 (H+K 46)
    • House rule: Fetish emulating a gift generally has Gnosis = (gift level + 3)
    • House rule: Fetish emulating a charm can have any level, spirit's relevant pool to activate the charm equals 2 * level

Step 2: Optional modifiers to Rite of the Fetish difficulty

Activity Dice Roll Difficulty Modifier Notes
Research Mentor or Kinfolk vs 8, or Allies or Contacts vs 9 (requires justification) -1 per success Takes one week per die rolled (you can choose to roll only part of your pool)
Rite of Cleansing Charisma + Rituals vs 7 (6 if performed at dawn) (WtA 157) -1 per success over the fetish's level

Step 3: Decide what type of spirit to summon (WtA 298-301, Axis Mundi)

  • Some optional modifiers depend on the spirit's Willpower
  • Cite the book and page number to staff, not just the name of the type

Step 4: Perform Rite of Summoning (WtA 161)

  • Pierce or enter the Gauntlet (generally handwaved)
  • Summon a spirit (generally handwaved that you spend a couple hours working on it; roll your Gnosis, difficulty = 3)
    • If you get less than 3 successes, the spirit is initially hostile (+1 difficulty to Rite of the Fetish)

Step 5: More optional modifiers to Rite of the Fetish difficulty

Activity Dice Roll Difficulty Modifier Notes
Call to Duty gift (WtA 140) Charisma + Leadership vs spirit's Willpower -1 Requires spending 2 Gnosis or knowing a specific spirit's name
Clever persuasion Charisma + (Expression or Performance or Leadership) vs spirit's Willpower -1 if you get at least as many successes as the fetish level
Spend permanent Gnosis -2 per dot spent
Taboo -1 to -3
Direct threat Up to -4 or automatic failure
Indirect threat (Charisma or Manipulation) + Intimidation vs spirit's Willpower -1
Activated using Willpower instead of Gnosis +2 Allows fetish to be used by characters without Gnosis, e.g. kinfolk
Assistants above minimum -1 per 5
  • WtA 155, can't reduce difficulty below 3
  • WtA 155, 160: mystic rites are usually performed alone, most others require two assistants
  • House rule: only PCs with Rituals >= rite level count toward the bonus

Step 6: Perform Rite of the Fetish (WtA 161)

  • Wits + Rituals vs 10 (taking any optional modifiers into account)

Using a fetish (WtA 240-241)

Fetishes from Werewolf: the Wild West may be allowed at renown crew's discretion.

  • Attunement is generally handwaved
  • Counts as dedicated without using up a Rite of Talisman Dedication slot
  • Activation: Roll your Gnosis (difficulty = fetish's Gnosis), or spend a Gnosis

Multiple spirits per fetish (H+K 57)

  • Black Furies can perform Rite of Summoning multiple times, or use Call of Duty to attract multiple spirits
  • Glass Walkers can perform Rite of Summoning multiple times
  • Grand klaives and other fetishes with multiple effects (any tribe can attempt this):
    • Perform Rite of the Fetish an additional time for the additional effect; if it fails, stop and try again later
    • Roll the fetish's old Gnosis vs (new level * 2)
      • Success = existing spirit(s) get angry; fetish ruined, ritualist takes 1 (potentially soakable) agg per success
      • Number of dice can be reduced using same methods as reducing difficulty of Rite of the Fetish

Talens

  • Same as fetishes, except Rite of the Fetish is replaced with Rite of Binding
    • Spend 1 or more Gnosis
    • Roll Willpower vs (spirit's Gnosis - amount of Gnosis spent)
      • -1 if creator has created that type of talen before and performs Renewing the Talen
      • House rule: If level is not stated, use Gnosis - 3 (for things like Rite of Cleansing bonus); this also means that a talen emulating a gift will generally be Gnosis (gift level + 3)
    • 1 talen per success, plus 2 to 3 more if a greater spirit is bound

Rite of the Pain Dagger (Ratkin 70-71)

  • Limited to Ratkin Warriors
  • Spend 2 Gnosis
  • Roll Intelligence + Enigmas vs (local Gauntlet) to summon a spirit
  • Roll Wits + Rituals vs 7 to bind the spirit
  • Blade does Strength + 3 damage, agg to anyone except its owner
    • Costs a Gnosis each time it's unsheathed (unless you've run out, in which case it doesn't do agg that time)
  • May include one or more charms as listed in the book
    • Each one increases the item's level by its Power/Essence cost
    • Can only be used once each time it's drawn

Mage

Artifacts/Inventions

IMPORTANT:

  • Quickening is vulgar. (Exception: if you're in a relevant Sanctum. '+explain Sanctum' for details.)
  • See Mage Charts for details, especially increased difficulty after 10/20/30 successes.
  • See the mage ritual rules for more details, especially Stamina checks.
  • Spending Willpower for automatic successes must be declared before the relevant roll(s).
    • Spending Willpower after the fact only works once per ritual, and only changes it from 'botch' to 'lose one success'.
  • Difficulty can't go below (base - 3), but extra positive modifiers are useful to offset negative modifiers later on.
  • If the difficulty would otherwise go above 9, see the House_Rules/Mage#Thresholds threshold rules.
  • The mandatory Quintessence/Tass cost does not lower difficulty.
    • If you have extra Quintessence/Tass, it can be spent to lower difficulty as usual, but you can't pause your ritual to cast another effect to collect more.
  • Forged by Dragon's Fire 15-20, examples 20-25
  • Crafting
    • Artifacts: Dexterity + Crafts
    • Inventions: Intelligence + (Technology or Computer, or Hypertech but it's more prone to Paradox Earth-side)
    • One roll = one IC hour
    • Accumulate 30+ successes
  • Purification (optional)
    • Prime 2
    • Get 3 successful rolls in a row; if you do, Quickening is -2 difficulty
    • This is not an extended ritual (page 19: "using the Prime 2 Enchant Item Effect on it three times in a row")
  • Quickening
    • Prime 4 (3 with Tass with appropriate resonance, 4 lets you create your own Tass from Quintessence), vulgar
      • Living artifact: need Prime 5 (4 with appropriate Tass)
      • Paradox handling other than mitigating: need Prime 5
    • Must have sphere level(s) sufficient to create the desired effect
    • One roll = one IC hour
    • Item's point value equals sum of sphere levels to create its effect
      • Flaws can reduce point value by up to 3
      • Item is continuously active: double point value (however, this does not increase the item's level for '+rules magical items' purposes)
    • Accumulate 2 successes per point
      • Extent of item's power is limited to what you could do with same number of successes on a normal effect (without worrying about casting time or duration of effect)
      • Item is continuously active: half the successes are allocated to keeping it continuously active, other half determine how powerful it is
      • Point value may be increased to create a more powerful item
    • Spend 1 Quintessence/Tass per success required (does not reduce difficulty)
      • Cannot cast an effect mid-Quickening to gain more (because you can only cast one effect at a time)
  • Usage
    • Must activate each time: roll Arete vs (3 + highest sphere level emulated) and get at least one success
    • This does not apply if the item is continuously active

Charms/Gadgets

IMPORTANT: All the warnings under Artifacts/Inventions also apply here, though these are somewhat easier to create.

  • Forged by Dragon's Fire 25-28, examples 28-31
  • Single-use items
  • Crafting and purification works the same as artifacts/inventions
  • Quickening
    • Requires one less dot of Prime
    • Paradox handling is limited to mitigating
    • Point value is half the highest sphere level (round up) + 1 per additional sphere (regardless of levels)
    • Can create (Arete x 2) instances at once
  • Does not require an Arete roll to activate
  • Shelf life:
    • Default = 3 months
    • 1 extra success = 1 year
    • 2 extra successes = 5 years
    • 3 extra successes = 10 years
    • 4 extra successes = 25 years
    • 5 extra successes = 100 years
    • 6 extra successes = never goes bad

Fetishes

IMPORTANT: All the warnings under Artifacts/Inventions also apply to Binding here, except the part about being vulgar.

  • Forged by Dragon's Fire 31-36, examples 36-39
  • Preparation: Spirit must be coerced, beaten in combat, or given chiminage
  • Binding
    • Spirit 4
    • One roll = one IC hour
    • Point value is 1 to 5 at ST discretion
    • Accumulate four successes per point
    • Paradox handling is limited to mitigating or absorbing
  • Usage
    • Must attune once: roll Willpower vs fetish's Gnosis, fail = must placate spirit before trying again
    • Must activate each time: roll Willpower vs fetish's Gnosis and get at least one success

Talens

  • House rule: Spirit 3, accumulate two successes per instance, max (Arete x 2) instances per casting

Periapts

IMPORTANT: All the warnings under Artifacts/Inventions also apply here, except the part about being vulgar. 'Usable only by creator' is currently under review (existing items will be grandfathered if relevant).

  • Forged by Dragon's Fire 39-42, examples 42-43
  • Quickening
    • Usable only by creator: Prime 4 (5 if living)
    • Usable by anyone: Matter 5 (Life 5 if living)
    • Accumulate 2 successes per level
    • Spend 10 points of Tass per level (does not reduce difficulty)
    • Holds up to 5 points of Quintessence per level
    • Leave it full for (level) months to avoid flaws
  • Usage: transfer its Quintessence to yourself
    • Physical contact: auto-succeeds, but takes a full turn
    • Line of sight: Prime 2
    • Outside line of sight: Prime 2 Corr 2
  • Recharging: transfer Quintessence to it
    • Leave it at a node: (level) points per day
    • Prime 3: from a node, Tass, another periapt with same type of resonance (dynamic/static/entropic)
    • Prime 4: from an inanimate object, unweaving and possibly destroying it
    • Prime 5: from a living (or undead) creature
  • Fused periapts
    • Worn by mage or familiar continuously for (10 - level) weeks
      • If removed, it's reduced to a normal periapt until it has time to re-fuse
    • Can spend/recharge its Quintessence as if it was your own
    • Also increases your maximum possible Paradox

Talismans/Devices

IMPORTANT: All the warnings under Artifacts/Inventions also apply to Imbuing Arete and Imbuing Powers here (mostly the latter).

  • Forged by Dragon's Fire 45-51, examples 51-65
  • Has its own Arete
    • Mage and talisman can cast effects during same turn
    • Can be used by sleepers
  • Crafting works the same as artifacts/inventions
  • Imbue Arete (required, replaces purification)
    • Prime 3, vulgar
    • Spend one Tass per roll (does not reduce difficulty)
    • Successful roll: item gains one dot of Arete (regardless of number of successes)
    • Failure: take a one-point flaw and keep going, or accept the item's current Arete and go to Imbue Powers
    • Botch: item useless, if you already took flaws then take 1 aggravated damage per flaw
    • One roll = one IC hour
    • House rule: May exceed creator's Arete, but costs a second permanent Willpower, and is hard-capped at highest Arete from a canon Talisman/Device (highest we found was 7 from e.g. GttTech 222-223)
  • Imbue Powers (similar to Quickening)
    • Accumulate 1 success per point
    • Can include Quintessence storage (talisman is a periapt in addition to other effects, subject to all relevant requirements and restrictions)
    • Paradox handling can include nullification
  • Bind the Will: spend 1 permanent Willpower
  • Adding powers to an existing talisman:
    • Just perform the Imbue Powers step
    • Original creator is -2 difficulty, anyone else is +2 difficulty

Grimoires/Principiae

  • Forged by Dragon's Fire 65-71, examples 71-75

Creating Grimoire/Principia

  • If it teaches Arete, the wonder can only teach Arete up to two less than their own (e.g. a mage with Arete 4 can create a grimoire that teaches up to Arete 2).
    • Exception: Teaching Arete 1 is covered under 'Creating Primers' below.
  • If teaching a Sphere, the mage must have a Sphere rating of one higher than that being taught (e.g. a mage with Spirit 4 can create a grimoire that teaches up to Spirit 3).
  • Grimoire may teach both Arete and spheres in the same text (this increases the point value).
  • Grimoire generally come in the form of a bound book, but can take other forms at staff discretion (passive experiences like movies/TV are generally unsuitable). Grimoire are usually made from exquisite, sturdy materials with extra effects to increase durability or usefulness.
  • The mage must inscribe the text as part of an extended ritual. While this is being done, the mage can do nothing else but eat or sleep for 1 week per point level of the grimoire.
  • A grimoire's point rating = the Arete ranking it teaches + 1 for each additional sphere it facilitates (e.g. a grimoire that teaches Arete 2 and nothing else is a 2-point wonder; one that teaches Arete 2 plus Prime and Spirit is a 4-point wonder).
  • The mage must cast a Mind 3 / Prime 4 effect. (If they have Expression 4+, then this is reduced to Mind 2 / Prime 4.)
    • Minimum successes = (2 * level of Arete taught, if any) + (levels of spheres taught, if any).
    • Example: A grimoire that teaches Arete 2 + Forces 2 + Matter 2 would require 4+2+2 = 8 successes.
  • The mage must invest 1 permanent Willpower at the end of the writing process.
  • Does not require Tass or Quintessence.
  • Once created, it can be copied by anyone with Arete and spheres at least as high as what it teaches.
    • This requires as many weeks as it required successes to create, or days if the copier does nothing else but eat, sleep, etc.
    • This does not require additional rolls or spends.
    • It may be translated into another language known by the copier.

Creating Primers

  • These teach Arete 1 only and are designed to spark Awakening
  • Creator must have Arete 5+
  • Creation is similar to above but also requires:
    • Mind 5 / Prime 5 / Spirit 5
    • Success in a number of "writing and knowledge rolls" (5 assorted writing/knowledge rolls per day of preparation) that may involve Expression, Crafts, Linguistics, Technology, Cosmology, Enigmas, Performance, and/or Subterfuge at staff discretion.
  • Invest two points of permanent Willpower once completed.

Using Grimoire

  • Reader's paradigm must be compatible with author's paradigm (same Tradition/Convention or at staff discretion).
    • If a Primer, the reader must at least be somewhat open to being Awakened.
  • Reader must be fluent in the language it is written in.
  • Grimoire's creator may require other competencies to use (e.g. ability scores at a certain level, physical activities or states of mind, minimum intelligence score).
  • Reader must study for a number of weeks equal to its level, then gains one of the following benefits:
    • If it teaches a level of Arete, then the reader may subtract the Grimoire's level from the XP cost of that Arete level.
    • If it teaches a sphere level, then the reader may subtract the Grimoire's level from the XP cost of that sphere level.
    • The reader may instead gain temporary insight (perform a single effect as if they had received one of the above increases, with no XP cost).
  • Afterward, the reader may start a new study period with the same or a different grimoire.

Sorcerer

Enchantment/Alchemy

Enchantment and Alchemy (see these links for further details):

  • Determine level needed
  • Work out the ritual
    • Enchantment requires buying it (3 XP per dot)
    • Alchemy allows buying it (3 XP per dot) for faster and easier casting
  • Cast the ritual (can be reused)
    • Enchantment: Intelligence + (Occult / Science) vs (3 + level of ritual)
    • Alchemy: Intelligence + (Alchemy knowledge / Herbalism / Science) vs (3 + level of ritual)
  • Level of item created:
    • Enchantment 1-3 typically creates a level 1 item
    • Enchantment 4 typically creates a level 2 item
    • Enchantment 5 typically creates a level 3 item
    • Alchemy is similar, but typically creates a single-use item

Spirit Awakening

  • Dreamspeakers Revised, page 64
  • Preparation: Spirit must be convinced to agree or compelled via the Spirit Command Numina
    • Spirit Command may not be used by itself to create a Fetish/Talen
    • The latter option costs an additional 3 temp Willpower and 1 Tass per 10 points of the Spirit's Essence (Power)
  • May also be used to permanently Awaken the spirits within objects
  • All rolls use Intelligence + Spirit Awakening (Difficulty varies, see below)

Fetishes

  • Requires Spirit Awakening 4
  • Difficulty is 4 + the level of the Fetish, or 6 for awakening items
  • Binding
    • Requires one week of ritual casting
      • There is still enough time to eat and sleep, but not much else
    • Spend 1 pawn of Tass
      • Requirement waived at Spirit Awakening 5 with at least 3 successes on a Dexterity + Crafts roll to make the Fetish yourself
    • Spend 1 permanent Willpower

Talens

  • Requires Spirit Awakening 3
  • Difficulty is 3 + level of the Talen
  • Binding
    • Requires one day of ritual casting
    • Spend 1 pawn of Tass
      • Requirement waived at Spirit Awakening 5 with at least 3 successes on a Dexterity + Crafts roll to make the Talen yourself
    • Spend 1 temporary Willpower

Changeling

Reference: Dreams and Nightmares pages 119-122

How many chimera points do you need?

Item includes Chimera points required Notes
Item listed in canon 2 * level
Redes 1 per dot
Banes 1 or -1 per dot (staff discretion)
Effects based on an art 2 per dot Crafter must have that art at that level or higher
Item has its own Glamour pool 1 per dot
  • Only required if one of its effects requires spending Glamour
  • User cannot spend their own Glamour, it must come from the item itself
  • Item's Glamour pool is recharged the same way as a PC's pool, e.g. leave it in a freehold for a while
Item is a Treasure 5
  • Based on (but not identical to) Wyrd rede
  • If an item is listed in canon as a Treasure, then you can choose to include or omit this part
Armor with no special effects beyond 'is chimerical' 1 per soak level
  • Requires fewer successes to build
  • If you just want to buy such armor instead of having a PC build it, then you can use the Dross background to ICly justify buying the Chimera background (CtD 146, 288)
Weapons (non-firearms) with Str+N damage and no special effects beyond 'is chimerical' N+1
Firearms per Nockers page 61

For '+rules magical items', the item's level is calculated as follows:

  • If listed in canon, then it starts at that level
  • Includes (redes - banes)/2, rounded up
  • Includes art effects
  • Not affected by the size of its Glamour pool, or whether it's a Treasure

How much raw material do you need?

Object Example Amount in Near Dreaming
Synthetics Plastic 1
Common wood Pine 2
Uncommon wood American chestnut 2
Rare wood Treant-wood 4
Food / consumables Apple seeds 2
Beer, mead, wine 2
Other plant materials Hemp rope 2
Spring water 3
Ocean water 2
Magical water Waters of Lethe 4
Glass 2
Base metal Copper 2
Precious metal Gold 5
Clay / soil 1
Base stone Quartz 3
Semi-precious stone Onyx 5
Precious stone Ruby 7
Alchemical stone Philosopher's Stone 8
Animal parts Antelope hide 1
Unusual creature parts Centaur hooves 3
Legendary creature parts Dragon scale 6
Other (staff discretion) 3

Each dot in Dross background (+rules dross) lets you buy 4 chimera points worth of raw materials per month.

  • Cannot be stockpiled, except by declaring it up front for a specific item.

You can also harvest raw materials from the landscape:

  • Find an area of the Dreaming (or normalspace, if you have Infusion 1) with appropriate material.
  • Roll Dexterity + Kenning vs 7 (6 for nockers/boggans/nunnehi).
    • Success = Usually gain 1 chimera point per success, however staff will roll privately to check for motherlodes/etc. (see table below). You can't harvest that same type of material from that same location for the rest of the month.
    • Fail = You can't harvest that same type of material from that same location for the rest of the day. After that, you can try again with no penalty.
    • Botch = You can't harvest that same type of material from that same location for the rest of the month. After that, you can try again with no penalty.

Large items may require extra raw materials at staff discretion. Average 'volume' for 1 chimera point is about 12 pounds, but this varies by type of material.

Die Material
1 No Dreamstuff available (or turns out to be ineffective)
2-6 Usual amount of Dreamstuff available
7 Motherlode - 10x usual amount of Dreamstuff available
8-9 Usual amount of Dreamstuff available
10 Foolstuff (still usable, but staff adds a flaw to the item, revealed after you finish creating it)

How many successes do you need?

If you're just building armor or (non-firearms) weapons with no special effects beyond 'is chimerical':

  • Extended Dexterity + Crafting vs 7 (6 for nockers/boggans).
  • Accumulate 1 success per chimera point.

For all other items, you need to accumulate 3 successes per chimera point (minimum 6 successes, maximum 28 successes).

  • Phase 1: Dexterity + Crafts vs 7. Keep doing this until you accumulate at least 8 successes.
  • Phase 2: Stamina + Crafts vs 7. Keep doing this until you get within 3 successes of the goal. (If you're already there after phase 1, then skip this phase.)
  • Phase 3 (tempering): Dexterity + Kenning vs 8. The final success can only be acquired in this phase. Future owner (if not yourself) should be ICly present during this phase.

Finally, you need to test the item. Roll Intelligence + Enigmas vs (N/5), where N is the number of chimera points. (N is not capped at 28 here, but N/5 is capped at 9.)

Nockers

Forged chimera (CtD 219) can only be created by nockers, and are -2 diff to resist Banality. The simpler/vaguer roll mechanics from CtD 93 are superseded by house rules above.

Forging using a freehold's Balefire is +2 difficulty, but if successful, then the resulting item is -1 difficulty to resist Banality (stacks with Toughen) and +2 dice to its primary function (e.g. weapon's damage dice, armor's soak dice).


Infusion (Nockers 56-58, attribute: Intelligence, all levels are chimerical):

Level Name Effect Notes
1 Harden Spend +1 Glamour to make incidental chimera (what you find in normalspace) usable for crafting or forging.
  • 1 success: Must complete the crafting/forging within 1 hour
  • 2 successes: 1 day
  • 3 successes: 1 week
  • 4 successes: 1 month
  • 5 successes: no time limit
2 Toughen Every 2 successes gives +1 health level and -1 difficulty to resist Banality. Multiple castings don't stack.
3 FUBAR Generation Creates or summons a FUBAR (allows creating electromagnetic stuff) with 1 Glamour per success.
  • Always uses Fae realm at level 5 (Dweomer of Glamour).
  • Once created, roll Intelligence + Gematria vs FUBAR's Glamour to trap it in a metal hoop for one day per success.
  • Trapping a FUBAR without Infusion 3 requires extended (Intelligence + Crafts vs 7) and (Intelligence + Gematria vs 7) and (Intelligence + Science vs 7) and accumulate 5+ successes on each, lasting for one day per 5 successes from the lowest of the three totals.
  • FUBARs must be fed one Glamour per week (if they stick around that long).
4 Animantis Creates a golem with 7 chimera points per success (limited to physical/social attributes, abilities, redes).
  • Always uses Fae realm at level 5 (Dweomer of Glamour), and a FUBAR-powered generator.
  • Before cantrip, roll extended (Intelligence + Gematria vs 7) and (Intelligence + Crafts vs 7) and accumulate 10+ successes on each.
  • Limited to basic commands, but Infusion 5 (Gilgul) may change that.
  • Looks mechanical, but Legerdemain 5 (Phantom Shadows) may change that.
5 Gilgul Grants proper intelligence to a golem or other chimerical creature.
  • For golems, always uses Fae realm at level 5 (Dweomer of Glamour).
  • For other chimera, realm varies, but Fae 5 may be used as a secondary realm.
  • Also uses a rod of true silver and a delta-wave helmet.
  • After casting cantrip, roll Intelligence + Gematria vs 7:
    • Both succeed = gains one dot in mental attributes per Gematria success; friendly, loyal, learns fundamental skills quickly.
    • Cantrip succeeds, Gematria fails = mental attributes permanently stuck at 0; can't even follow basic commands, but alive and aware and loves its master like a half-witted dog.
    • Either botches = mentally unstable and antisocial, ST allocates Gematria successes if any.
  • Note that mages use the term 'Gilgul' for something very different.

Wraith

(to be filled out in more detail)

Creating Relics:

  • Inhabit 5 (Empower)
  • Outrage 5 (Obliviate)
  • Flux 1 (Rot) and 3 (Decay)
  • Usury 5 (Investment)

Creating minor Artifacts:

  • Inhabit 5 (Empower)
  • Usury 5 (Investment)

Creating major Artifacts:

  • Soulforging
    • Intelligence + Empathy vs 7, fail = can't use that soul
    • Extended Dexterity + Soulforging vs (house rule: soul's Stamina + 4), number of successes depends on scope of project (e.g. 2 for a wheel, 10 for a full wheel mount for a locomotive)
    • House rule: Costs 1 token out of '+rules magical items' creation limit
    • If you have Initiate Inhabit 2+ (Forge Affinity), then add Initiate Inhabit to your dice pool
    • Reference: Artificers 41, W20 174

Wraith20 329 has rules for an item's Corpus levels.

See also Book of Oblivion 15-21

Demon

Enhance Object (Forge 1)

Demon Player Guide 142-148

  • What can you enhance?
    • Must be manufactured (Crafts or Technology)
    • Must have a physical game mechanic
    • Must not have been previously modified with any level of Forge
  • Perception + Crafts
    • Base difficulty is 5 to 10, depending on size and complexity of item
    • Ravage thralls (DtF 251) for more dice (up to your Faith)
    • Spend Faith and/or Willpower for one automatic success each
    • Take extra time for more dice (up to 2)
    • Use resonant tools (DPG 68-71) for -1 difficulty
    • Apocalyptic form:
      • Reduced difficulty on Crafts applies
      • Reduced difficulty on Perception does not apply (DPG 143)
      • Increased Perception applies
    • +1 or +2 difficulty if unfamiliar with the item (can perform a separate Enhance Object evocation to become familiar)
  • Allocate successes:
    • Reduce a difficulty to use the item (-1 per success, minimum 3)
    • Increase a difficulty to bypass the item's defense/prevention (e.g. lock, security system) (+1 per success, maximum 10)
      • Can't increase the difficulty of hitting an armored target, that's covered under "increase soak dice" instead
    • Increase an effect of the item (e.g. damage dice, soak dice) (1 die per success, maximum double original)
      • For Strength-based damage dice, only the non-Strength part can be doubled
    • Increase the item's durability (1 health level per success, maximum double original)
    • Improve another factor of the item (e.g. car's top speed, pistol's range, computer's memory and speed) (20% per success, maximum double original)
  • Duration:
    • Lasts for the scene
    • Spend a Willpower to make it permanent
    • Gift it to a thrall and have them spend a permanent Willpower to make it permanent; they must then activate it per use in some fashion (e.g. succeed at Willpower vs 8, spend Willpower, take 1 unsoakable bashing)

Enchant Object (Forge 4)

Demon Player Guide 148-159

  • What can you enchant?
    • Can be mechanical, but not technological (unless broken)
    • Must not have been previously modified with any level of Forge
  • Need at least one dot in the Lore(s) to be emulated (or work with a collaborator who has it)
    • Can also emulate an aspect of the apocalyptic form associated with the Lore
  • If you create the item from raw materials:
    • (Dexterity or Wits or Intelligence) + (Crafts or Technology), extended (one roll per day)
    • Up to +2 difficulty if fine work or special tools are needed (e.g. intricate clockwork, engraving)
    • Successes are capped at 3 * background (e.g. Resources) used to get the raw materials
  • Performing the evocation:
    • Dexterity + Crafts, extended
    • If you created the item from raw materials:
      • Base difficulty = 6 (7 if working with one or more collaborators)
      • Successes are capped at the number of successes you got when creating the item
    • Otherwise:
      • Base difficulty = 8 (9 if working with one or more collaborators)
      • Successes are capped at 3 * background used to get the item
    • Optional modifiers to evocation:
      • Ravage thralls (DtF 251) for more dice (up to your Faith) (on one roll, affecting another roll requires ravaging again)
      • Spend Faith and/or Willpower for one automatic success each (on one roll, affecting another roll requires spending again)
      • Use resonant tools and/or enchant a resonant item for -1 difficulty (does not stack if you do both)
      • Make the item produce resonant side effects for -1 difficulty
      • Apocalyptic form: Bonuses to Crafts and/or Dexterity apply (and also to creating from raw materials)
  • Allocate successes:
    • Minimum = 2 * highest level of Lore emulated
      • +2 per collaborator
      • Up to -2 for requiring onerous/severe sacrifice to activate
      • Up to -2 for significant/drastic limitation (e.g. more limited target than usual)
      • Up to +2 for bonuses (e.g. longer range)
      • For aspects of an apocalyptic form, the 'level' is the aspect's point value
    • Power: Item's dice pool = creator's dice pool for the Lore being emulated; 1 success = 2 more dice
    • Frequency: One use per scene; 1 success = 1 more use per scene, or 5 successes = unlimited uses per scene
  • Spend Faith equal to highest Lore emulated (+1 or -1 at ST discretion, minimum 1)
    • This is increased from DtF 191 which just requires spending 1 Faith
  • Activating it (per use, not per scene):
    • Demons must roll Faith vs 6 or spend Faith (botch = lose 1 Faith)
    • Others must roll Willpower vs 8 or spend Willpower (botch = lose 1 Willpower)
    • If the creator evoked the high-torment version of Forge 4:
      • Demons must gain 1 Torment to activate
      • Others must spend Willpower to activate
      • Item botches more often (2s count as 1s)
    • Can attune yourself to an item:
      • Demons spend 1 permanent Faith
      • Others spend 1 permanent Willpower
      • This eliminates the requirement to roll/spend Faith/Willpower or gain Torment
      • If the relic has additional activation requirements, those are not eliminated
      • If the relic was created with high-torment Forge 4, it still botches more often
      • Multiple characters can be attuned to the same item

Demonic Relics

Demon Player Guide 159-166

(to be filled out)

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