Magic Items

In Aspirant magic items should be unique, interesting and full of lore. There are very few ways to deal more damage or have more HP, so magic items should be more narrative and require creative thinking.

• A sword that glows blue in the presence of Orks.
• A monocle that gives X-ray vision.
• A torch that never goes out.

Binding

Enchanted and magical items need to be grounded to a Character to work. This process requires either:

• A successful Ascendancy Fixed Difficulty(0).
• An Expert Commission.

A Character can bind to a number of items up to their Affinity. You can bind to an item once per Downtime.

Categories

Magic items come in three categories based on their power.

Ephemeral

Magic items that are ephemeral are ubiquitous and barely magical. These items have been imbued with temporary magic that can be used only once, or only a few times. After that, the item ceases to be magic.

A sword that can be engulfed in flames for a fiery strike. A coin that lets you teleport home.

Harmonic

Magic items that have magic abilities that are related to the original function are considered harmonic. Harmonic items disrupt the physical world in ways still aligned with the item’s expected function, meaning they aren’t as difficult to create.

A sword that cuts peoples souls. A map that shows you where you are on it.

Discordant

Magic items that have magic abilities that are unrelated to the original function are considered discordant. Discordant items disrupt the physical world in ways that are unaligned with the item’s expected function, meaning they are harder to create. These items aren’t more powerful necessarily than Harmonic, but they are more erratic.

A backpack that expels large spews of fire. A shield that lets you speak any language.

Designing Magic Items

When you create a magic item, it should:

• Have a beneficial power or ability. This can be passive or require activation.
• Have some visual distinction for this power.
• Based on the power level of the benefit, it should have a Drawback or catch.

Drawback

Your item’s drawback shouldn’t be crippling, the item shouldn’t feel cursed. The drawback should add some flavour or maybe lead to interesting or problematic scenarios.

The drawback to Ephemeral items is usually that they can be exhausted.

Perhaps boots that give you the ability to jump massive distances make your feet smell like an ogres.

Player Crafted Magic Items

Should follow the same rules as above, but The Players and GM should collaborate to come up with a power and drawback.