Enlightened magic items

In a previous post I provided a brief overview of the types of magic items presented in Gamemaster’s Companion and Enlightened Magic. What follows is a more detailed conversion, revision, and unification of these rules. 

I divide magic items into several types: Least Artefacts, Minor Artefacts, Major Artefacts, Relics (Living Artefacts), and Masterpieces (Unique Artefacts). All of these objects are invested with some amount of Ka to provide their effects.

1. The Least Artefacts include magical tools and athanors enchanted to provide a bonus to corresponding magical workings. They are wholly passive and useless to non-magicians.
2. The Minor Artefacts include objects enchanted to contain a single sorcery spell and athanors enchanted to produce a single procedure. Sorcerous objects are only useful to those who already know Casual Magic, but enchanted athanors may be used even by non-magicians.
3. The Major Artefacts are objects made of special materials and enchanted with multiple spells and procedures from any occult sciences. These are only useful to magicians, but they can be very useful.
4. The Relics or Living Artefacts are similar to major artefacts, except that a nephilim's spirit was accidentally bound within it during its creation. These cast spells under their own power, making them extremely useful even to non-magicians.
5. The Masterpieces or Unique Artefacts produce unique magical effects under their own power and are wholly within the GM's purview. 

The sorcerous Minor and Major Artefacts are further classified into two distinct types: Talismans and Amulets. Talismans are imbued with any type of magic, active or protective, whereas Amulets are wholly protective (see Gamemaster's Companion p25).

Overview of the canonical items

There are a few different types of magic items and related items.

Enchanted Tools

Enchanted magical tools provide a bonus to Sorcery rituals based on the invested Ka. Each tool provides this bonus to spells and invocations of the tool’s corresponding element (see Liber Ka p52-3, Enlightened Magic p32).

The same tools used for sorcery may potentially apply the same bonus to Summoning. Liber Ka says these tools cannot be used for summoning rituals, but Enlightened Magic includes the Summoning spell (Third Circle Earth spell, p54) that enchanted tools may be used to boost.

Enchanted athanors provide this bonus to all procedures prepared with that athanor (see Enlightened Magic p69). I classify these under enchanted tools to prevent confusion with the other enchanted athanors (see below).

It might be possible to enchant the gold disk to provide a bonus to solar spells, but since there are no solar spells the value is purely novelty. No, the spells of the Black Star don't count... do they?

Sorcerous artifacts

An object may be enchanted with a single spell of Ritual Magic or High Magic, requiring the creator sacrifice POW (Ka). The spell’s POW is fixed at the moment of enchantment. Any sorcerer possessing the object may cast the enchanted spell by rolling Casual Magic, so long as they have the corresponding Ka-element and pay the power point cost. To distinguish these magic items from multi-spell artefacts (see below), I would label them lesser or minor artefacts. These didn’t exist in Nephilim, but were added by Enlightened Magic.

Artefacts weren’t revised for Enlightened Magic, and I’m not gonna update the whole thing in this post. I assume they work like enchanted items, holding spells with fixed POW cast as Casual Magic, but may contain any number of spells. They have their own magical skill chance allowing even non-sorcerers to cast these spells, though the user must still be enlightened (i.e. have the requisite Ka-elements). To distinguish them from single spell items, above, I would label them greater or major artefacts.

Artefacts are more difficult to create than single spell items, as they must be made of symbolic materials, be ritually purified, and be enchanted with High Magic in a plexus or nexus. But this allows them to contain any number of spells and allows even non-sorcerers to cast these spells. Although I might revise this limitation in the future for better consistency with the single spell items.

Theurgic artifacts

Summoning spells may potentially be enchanted in the same way as Sorcery. Enlightened Magic includes the Summoning spell (Third Circle Earth spell) that may be enchanted, which serves as an example. The means for enchanting single invocations have yet to be discovered, much less artefacts with multiple invocations, but the PCs may get lucky…

Alchemical artifacts

The Gamemaster's Companion teased that alchemical artifacts might be possible, but rules were never provided until Enlighted Magic. These alchemical artefacts work very differently than sorcerous ones due to alchemy's differing structure. Enchantments of Black Stone and White Stone are limited to one spell per object, like lesser artefacts. (So far Philosopher's Stone may only be inscribed, never enchanted.) The means for enchanting multiple procedures in one artefact have yet to be discovered, but the PCs might get lucky…

Athanors may be enchanted with a single Black Stone procedure, allowing anyone to prepare it with that athanor using the relevant Craft specialty even if they’re not an alchemist or unenlightened. However, the athanor becomes useless for preparing any other procedures. Confusingly, these are called enchanted athanors just like those enchanted with a bonus to preparation (see above).

Works of art created by White Stone may be enchanted to never lose their magic, continuing to affecting audiences who see or hear it. Physical artworks don't require a roll and work passively on viewers. Musical instruments must be played and plays or sheet music must be performed, (presumably) rolling the appropriate Performance specialty.

Relics

Relics, like major artefacts, may be enchanted with any number of Ritual Magic and High Magic spells. Since these possess their own Ka and Ch'awe, they may cast these spells themselves with their magical technique. 

Since it has a soul and can cast its own spells, it may be possible for Relics to enchant Philosopher’s Stone meditations and Summoning invocations. An athanor or work of art could be potentially become a relic too, though none have been observed and their nature would undoubtedly be stranger. Though the PCs may get lucky…

Under my symbiotic Nephilim perspective, relics don’t make sense to have sapience since they lack Solar-Ka. To address this, we may posit that the act of creating the original artefact enchanted it with some of the creators’ own Solar-Ka and this is what grants it sapience. The logic here is that since Nephilim are fusional beings, any sacrifice of their Ka value is necessarily a sacrifice of Solar-Ka. This is similar how the sacrifice of Solar-Ka at the burials of pharaohs was necessary to ensure they retained consciousness as mummies (see Nephilim rulebook p16, 55, 190, Gamemaster's Companion p11). Whether relics may reach Agartha or not is unknown...

Intentionally creating a relic is seemingly impossible. They always incarnate spontaneously and unpredictably, like Nephilim. Deliberate attempts and mistakes have only created the accidental relics, which are emotionally unstable and little better than elemental beasts (see "Accidental Relics" sidebar, Gamemaster's Companion p35).

Masterpieces

Masterpieces cast spells on their own. They're basically one of those cursed items you see on old TV shows like Friday the 13th: The Series or Warehouse 13.

All known masterpieces cast sorcery spells. The works of art created by alchemy are conceptually similar, albeit limited to single effects. Is there a connection between masterpieces and alchemical works of art? Are masterpieces more advanced versions of alchemy's artwork?

Table of Magic Items

I'm gonna summarize and compare these properties in a table for our convenience.

Type of Item	Occult Science	No. of Spells	Skill %	Ka	Ch'awe	Creation
Artefact	Sorcery	Any	Yes	Negl.	None	Complex
Relic	Sorcery	Any	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
Masterpiece	N/A	Special	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
Enchanted Item	Sorcery	One	None	Negl.	None	Simple
Enchanted Athanor	Black Stone	One	Special	Yes	N/A	Simple
Physical artwork	White Stone	One	N/A	Yes	N/A	Simple
Music instrument	White Stone	One	Special	Yes	N/A	Simple
Play, sheet music	White Stone	One	Special	Yes	N/A	Simple
Enchanted Tool	Any	None	Bonus	Bonus	N/A	Simple

Descriptors Format

• Type of Item: The type of magic item. Artefacts, relics and masterpieces are explained in the Gamemaster's Companion. Enchanted Items, Enchanted Athanors, Works of Art, and Enchanted Tools are explained in Enlightened Magic.
• Occult Science: The occult science or circle thereof used to create the item.
• No. of Spells: The number of spells the item contains.
• Skill %: Does the item have its own magical technique chance?
• Yes: The item's technique is rolled to cast the spell.
• None: The user's technique is rolled to cast the spell.
• Special: The user rolls the relevant Art/Craft specialty to produce the effect.
• N/A: The effect is constantly produced by the artwork without a roll.
• Bonus: The item instead provides a bonus to the user's technique chance.
• Ka: Does the item have its own Ka-element(s) to cast spells?
• Yes: The item casts spells using its own Ka.
• Negligible: The Ka-elements must be provided by the user.
• Bonus: The item instead provides a bonus to the user's Ka.
• Ch'awe: Does the item have its own Ch'awe to cast spells?
• Yes: The item spends its own ch'awe to cast spells.
• None: The ch'awe cost must be paid by the user.
• N/A: The spell doesn't cost ch'awe to cast.
• Creation: How difficult is it to create the item?
• Simple: The item may be created with a single enchantment ritual or procedure and a permanent investment of Ka.
• Complex: The item requires esoteric material components and favorable astrological circumstances.
• N/A: The item cannot be created by PCs and is solely the GM's purview.

Dark magic items

This section isn't canonical but inspired by Secret Societies and the canceled Selenim supplement.

Black Moon and Saturnian items do exist. 

The Fraternitas Saturni are known to employ plumbs and Black Stone athanors enchanted with Saturnian-Ka for their magic. As with the crude and weak nature of Saturnian magic in general, they haven't really produced much. However, even other secret societies have acquired a handful of athanors in the form of forges enchanted with Saturnian-Ka to better refine and forge Orichalc amulets and weapons.

The Selenim create their own enchanted magical tools like Ouija boards for Necromancy or musical instruments for Black Summoning, artefacts with one or more spells, mysterious items resembling alchemical works of art that influence emotions, the ancient shadow blades used to deliberately transform the caster into a Selenim, the ancient Sarcophagi that served as the basis for the Stasis items and Pyramids, perhaps there even exist Black Moon relics and masterpieces!

The Orichalcians, Selenim who study Orichalc, may very well have created far more advanced applications of Saturnian items...

I hope to explore such items in future posts…

Compared to the French

In the French version, artifacts and relics worked differently. Artifacts were divided into active and passive: passive artefacts worked as described above, while active artifacts cast spells using their own Ka values (but lacked personality). Relics instead contained memories stored within by its creator, though some developed limited goals based on the memories and would influence their bearer to follow said goals. 

The Black Moon artifacts introduced in the 1e/2e supplement The Black Book operated under their own logic. Instead of being enchanted with normal Selenim spells, they produced unique effects otherwise impossible to replicate. However, these artifacts had a limited black moon charge (equivalent to ch'awe) that naturally depleted over time until its magical properties vanished... though this process could take decades depending on the investment. The effects listed were: store a reserve of black moon points for the Selenim to draw later, induce specific emotions in humans in proximity, induce dreams or hallucinations in a human carrying the object or otherwise in close proximity for long periods, connect two objects to transmit sounds and/or images for communication or spying, create a receptacle to house a black summoning for an extended period, or a remotely detonated magical bomb that causes spontaneous decay in itself and surroundings. Examples of artefacts were "The Hand of Glory" (mummified hand that induced melancholy in owner), "The Van Rijerk Diamond" (a diamond necklace that induced suicidal despair), "The Siege Perilous" (a Voltaire armchair that was previously enchanted to cause hallucinations, but now will cause destruction if the key is ever spoken), "The Skull that Illuminates the Shadows" (a human skull fashioned into a cup, grants the owner sensitivity and insights into the Black Moon fields), "A Whip" (a leather whip that induces a mix of terror and ecstasy). These functioned more like the US version's masterpieces, having elaborate backgrounds and wreaking havoc as they passed through many hands.

In 3rd edition, all artefacts (including Black Moon ones) worked like the single spell items from Enlighted Magic but had their own Ka allowing anyone to cast these spells. Artefacts were useful because casting spells required a focus or inscription, whether the spell was elemental or black moon. Casting a spell was automatically successful, but depleted the artifact's Ka (basically Ch'awe, although that mechanic didn't exist in French). As long as 1 point remained it would regenerate at the rate of 1 point per day, unless charged from another source, but if reduced to 0 then it lost its magical properties forever. This passive regeneration even applied to Black Moon artefacts (contradicting and superseding The Black Book), making them particularly useful to Selenim who could only recharge their personal reserve (basically ch'awe) by draining human Solar-Ka. (Although one oddity was that Nephilim paid permanent Ka to enchant, but Selenim didn't. Instead, they paid the French's equivalent to Ch'awe.)

I note this here in case GMs are interested in using that, and I might do a post incorporating similar ideas myself...

Hope you enjoyed!