In reference to Magic Items:
Further on:There is no such thing as a “generic” magic item. All magic items are unique. In a fantastic medieval society, there are no blueprints, no factories, no assembly lines, and no centralized repositories of knowledge. Libraries are rare and fantastic. Wizards are jealous and power-hungry, unused to sharing. Clerics serve gods with selfish goals, locked in the power games of the eternal struggle. When it comes to creating magic items, there is no incentive to share knowledge, no place to communicate that knowledge, no forum for learning, and no one to learn from.
The possibility of possessing a magic item is sufficient motivation to embark on a great quest, murder a great rival, or begin a great war. Creating a magic item requires great sacrifice on the part of a spellcaster. Many wizards die having never created a magic item; the few who do are true masters of their craft. The rest pursue legends, whispers, secrets, and lies in their attempt to possess magic artifacts.
The rare wizard who imbues an object with magical power succeeds in unpredictable ways. When forging a magical dagger, a dwarven magician may use iron from deep in the earth, while a human wizard might melt down the legendary steel sword of a deceased hero. Each ends up with a magic dagger, but the specific mixture of materials, properties, and location that contributes to each dagger—not to mention the immense physical exertion required—means that each of the daggers will have different properties.
And few are the magic items created by mortal hands. Demons and deities have a part in many magical creations. As such these magic items may serve their creators (and true masters) just as much as their current owners. Rare is the magic item without a story or a greater purpose.
In regards to Magical Swords:Most magic items have a greater purpose. This may be loyalty to a god, simple alignment, or a specific goal on Aéreth. Or the magic item could be intelligent with a complex set of objectives and the ego to override its wielder. Careful must the hand of a weapon be…
To ensure that magic items remain “special” in your campaign, we recommend that they never be given out as mere treasure. Magic items should always be deliberately distributed with great forethought. They should be the objects of quests or the possessions of great rivals.
Sword magic is the field of spells focused on the creation of magic swords. A sword is not merely enchanted, it is forged in places that trap spells within the folds of molten metal. Sword magic requires not only a wizard with magical proclivities, but one with strength and craftsmanship. Even then, the finest materials are a prerequisite, and the place of creation is key.
All magic swords share these properties:
- Each magic sword is unique. The same sword cannot be created twice; each combination of conditions ensures a new creation.
- Each magic sword is intelligent.
- Each magic sword has desires.
- Each magic sword has properties associated with the materials and conditions from which it was forged, the attributes of its creator, the place of its creation, and the cosmic circumstances at its point of completion. The greatest swords are crafted on a timetable associated with a specific astrological sign.
