Contents

(Index)

• Introduction
• Spells

   Introduction
   Spells
      Antidischarge
      Antidispell
      Archer's Item
      Assay
      Autocharge(F)
      Average Charge
      Bind Mana
      Blood Activation
      Blood Rune
      Cleave Item
      Coercive Item
      Conceal Branch(F)
      Control Item
      Drain Item(F)
      Discharge Item(F)
      Distributed Item
      Duplicate Item
      Emend Item(F)
      Erase Rune
      Ethereal Item
      Extend Charged Item
      Failure(F)
      Flying Item
      Guard Item
      Hand-to-Hand Item
      Heal Failure
      Integrate Mana Stone
      Item Block
      Item Insanity
      Item Lock
      Itemind
      Itemwill(F)
      Killmind
      Learn from Item
      Mark Item
      Mass Failure(F)
      Mindshelter
      Missile Item
      Move Item
      Nullvitalos
      Obliteration(F)
      Polyavatar
      Read Action Diagram(F)
      Recharging Hook
      Recharge Item
      Release(F)
      Rune of Power
      Rune of Recharge
      Rune of Spellthrowing
      Secure Item
      Servant of the
      Sheath Item
      Shell
      Silence Item
      Sleep Item
      Slow Item
      Slow Items
      Stealth Item
      Summon Item
      Template
      Teleporting Item
      Test Strip
      Toughen Item
      Trigger
      Vanish Rune
      Wake Item
      Xenogaurd Item

Introduction

Item Smiths are mages that know how to make magic items especially well. Typically they have the skill Item Maker and they share spells with several other areas in the school of Arcane Lore. Item smithy is a very bad first area for a player character - and also isn't that good a single area for an NPC. The trick is that item makers need some spells from other areas to make cool items. Their basic effect is to make it easier to modify items, to make items more complex, to make items more secure, and to analyze (or impede the analysis of) items. Many of their spells, e.g. Mark Item, Sheath Item, affect ``an item''. Unless otherwise stated there is no requirement that it be a magic item. Living, undead, and extraplanar creatures are not ``items''. Automata may be items depending on the referee's exact vision.

Spells

This spell can only be cast on items that contain mana. It requires 1 DP per three mana in the item (mana of any sort) and requires a rune be engraved on the item. It reduces any roll to discharge or drain any mana out of an item by 15, 5 more per +1 mana. Special failure mode one halves the protection. Special failure mode two causes the item to leak one mana per hour into the environment. Special failure mode three causes the item to gain a special circumstance which causes it to completely discharge its mana supply. The mana may then be recharged (if the mana is charged mana) or will recharge as a recharging item normally does (if recharging or permanent).

This spell can only be cast with another spell. It adds it's casting time and mana to the total needed to get the other spell off. The effect is to give Dispel Magic a -10 penalty against the spell in question, -10 more per +1 mana. The mana spent for this spell also counts against the -3 per mana involved for computing the chance of dispelling magic. Special failure modes are inherited. This spell also subtracts its minus from the probability that a Reverse Antimagic will work if it is cast with an Antimagic (see: Thaumaturgy for details).

This spell is cast with a spell whose range is ``targeting roll'' that is to be placed into a magic item, adding mana costs and taking the higher rank. This spell need not be put in the magic item itself, rather it modifies the spell in the magic item so that it uses bow bonus rather than spell bonus for targeting and may use Bsp rather than Csp. Typically this spell is used to create either and arrow with bizarre properties or a bow that fires a spell. The casting penalties associated with this spell make the magic item harder to make and a spell in an item treated with this spell may not use spell bonus. A parameter check decision (see the section on magic items) may be used to make the use of bow bonus optional. The spell is applied to other spells not whole items and so an item may have archer and non-archer spells in it. If a non-mage (person without even magic skill) is to use the item then it must also have the no concentration required property. This spell costs 4 DP, this time added into the time needed to make the magic item. This spell may be used with a Shell spell to create one-shot items. Special failure mode one causes the use of the worst of bow or spell hit bonus. Special failure mode two causes the spell to fizzle, leaving the item targeted with spell bonus only. Special failure mode three causes an additional failure roll for the spell being modified, combining effects with any other spell failures it may have required.

This spell allows the mage to tell how much mana is in a magic item with a magic skill roll. In addition, if the caster makes his roll with Item Smithy at minus 10 per rank of a spell in the item he may identify the area(s) of magic it is in. If he can cast a spell in the item, he gets +30 to this roll. If he cannot cast the spell but has the area of magic it is in, he gets a +15 bonus. The caster may add +2 to the roll per +1 mana spent. Multiple areas of magic in a single item are rolled separately for identification. Casting this spell after meditating more than (items complexity)x10 minutes allows the caster to get the rough outline of the items action diagram. A mind within the item may reduce assaying rolls by the amount it makes a stress save by. A successful roll in the mage's area of magic where he has Assay will detect the presence of a mind. Special failure mode one is a fizzle, mode two gives about 50% error in quantitative data obtained by the spell, special failure mode three causes the caster to get wildly false information.

This spell permits the caster to designate some part of his mana, up to half, for auto-charging of items. Each day that part of his mana assigned to autocharging transfers, divided evenly and losing fractional points, into any charged items on his person that are not fully charged. The caster's maximum mana is reduced by the autocharge amount and the autocharge mana does not come back until one day after the caster ends the spell (which he may do at any time). Special failure mode one costs the caster the mana set aside but does not permit autocharging. This effect is noticeable to a perception save, which the caster gets to make once per day. Special failure mode two causes all items on a caster's person to suddenly be fully charged but destroys the special focus of the Autocharge spell. Special failure mode three causes each item being autocharged to click off a charge, as with a Release spell, as it becomes fully charged.

After this spell is cast, the caster has a round to grasp two charged or two recharging magic items. The amount of mana in the items will be averaged so that each has half the total the two has between them. Odd points stay in the item they were in originally. Supercharges cause by an Average Charge spell bleeds away at a rate of one mana per minute. This spell will suffer spell failure if used to average the charge of a charged and a recharging item (but may work anyway depending on the failure roll). The spell casting roll is -5 for each item in which the caster does not know at least one spell, -10 for each item not having a spell in an area of magic the caster knows, and -15 per item not having a spell in a school of magic the caster knows. The worst of these penalties applies, separately for each item. A mind in either item may reduce the casting roll or increase the casting roll by the amount it makes its stress save by. A permanent item that has had its mana torn from it and which is recharging as a recharging item can be treated as a recharging item by this spell. For +1 mana the caster may touch +1 more item for the averaging. Special failure mode one causes half the total charge to go into the mage - with any supercharge bleeding away at a rate of one mana per minute. Special failure mode two discharges one of the items at random, acting normally on the other item. Special failure mode three discharges both the items.

This spell lets the mage put some of his own mana permanently into an object. It requires two DPs per mana embedded. The mana cost of this spell is the amount of mana bound. If the object is a magic item it can use that mana, otherwise using this spell is the equivalent of creating a mana stone. This means that any mage touching the object may use this mana as their own; it recharges as if it were a meditating mage. The magic casting roll for this spell is based on the total mana embedded in the item with this spell, together with any previously embedded AND any recharging or permanent magic in the object as a magic item, but not any charged charged mana. The mage may embed unspent experience as if they were mana at the usual rate of conversion, 1:1. The mage actually deducts the mana so embedded from his total of mana and unspent experience. This gives him the advantage of regaining mana more rapidly (especially if wounded) but it puts him at risk also since he can loose the item and hence the mana permanently. If mana is bound into a charged item then it goes into the item's reserve of charged mana and the amount bound recharges - the rest does not. The recharging mana is at the bottom - recharging happens only when total mana is less than bound mana. In a recharging item the bound mana represents and expansion of the items reserve. For permanent items this spell typically just adds a mana stone like function. Special failure mode one is a fizzle that leaves any mana or experience to be embedded in the mage's possession. Special failure mode two allows the spell to dump the mana but causes anyone that uses the mana to have to save versus unconsciousness. Special failure mode three causes the item to recharge at twice the normal rate by draining extra mana from nearby charged or recharging items (if available), at random, with a proximity bias.

The last step when making a magic item is to pour in the activation points. This can be a very costly process for a mage. This spell adds 3DP to the time needed to make a magic item and may remove the need to pour in activation points. When a simple trigger condition is satisfied the item emits magic damage equal to 40% of its intrinsic save (if it is activated) into the individual touching it. If several people are touching it when the trigger condition is met then it zaps the one with the highest innate mana. This strike may be increased by +2d6 per +1 mana. If this blast knocks the person in question unconscious and does at least one point of health damage then the activation points are taken from that person, first as mana then as unspent experience. If the points available are insufficient to activate the item then its mana reserve is simply reduced with spells that are under powered when they are activated undergoing automatic spell failure. Spells like Bind Mana can be used to bring the item up to snuff. This spell can be cast with Duplicate Item spell, but this requires the new physical focus and the original item be present and touching one another. Special failure mode one causes the item to try to use the caster of the Blood Activation to activate the item as the spell is cast, including the damage. Special failure mode two causes all spells in the item to undergo a spell failure roll at plus the stress save of the victim. Special failure mode three sucks the mind of the victim into the item as the item's mind. Modes two and three are inobvious to the caster until the item tries to activate and may or may not become obvious then.

This spell is cast on an item with runes (See: Spells with Runes in the mage's guide) that can be activated but have not been activated. If the item strikes a death blow by direct combat, as a weapon or source of a lethal spell, and the creature killed has sufficient natural mana (bought up or gained from spell failure but not granted by items or mana stones) to power the runes then the dying creatures mana will be permanently expended to activate these runes. The exact way the runes are to be powered must be both possible for the runes and visualized by the caster of the Blood Rune spell. If the dying creature does not have sufficient mana to power the spell then the rune(s) affected by the Blood Rune spell are erased. The caster of the Blood Rune spell need not be the creator of the runes. Special failure mode one causes the runes to need double mana to activate properly. Special failure mode two lets the spell work but causes the spirit of the departed creature to haunt the caster of the blood rune (or the wielder of the item) though this may not come to much. Special failure mode three sucks the victims mind into the item as the item's mind.

Normally if you break a magic item into pieces either it blows a save and ceases to be magic item (possibly with some violence) or the item makes a save and one of the pieces is still a magic item. The Cleave Item spell allows the caster to break an item into two pieces (up to 2x as many pieces per +1 mana). None of the pieces is a magic item by itself and all pieces radiate magic (reading the action diagram will produce fragments and gibberish). If the pieces are fit (glued, snapped, held with duct tape) back together the magic item can function again. For +3 mana the item will merge into an unbroken whole when all the pieces are assembled. The assembly can be initiated by mere juxtaposition of its pieces or can require a trigger condition. Likewise, if the +3 mana are spent, there may be a trigger condition (including a time limit) for the item to fall apart again. If there is a trigger condition to merge pieces of an item then the caster can decide to make activating the item by just holding (taping, gluing) the pieces together impossible. The time to cleave a magic item is 1 DP per point of complexity plus one per three mana spent on the Cleave Item spell. This may require tools or not depending on the nature of the pieces. Special failure mode one causes the item to split into +2d6 more pieces, +d6 more per added mana spent on extra pieces. Special failure mode two causes the item to require only some of its pieces (it the item is split in two, one of them becomes the whole magic item). Special failure mode three is a fizzle - but a stealth fizzle that lets the caster think the spell worked - which means the caster may well try to cleave the item with the usual problems.

This spell enlarges the mind of a magic item so that it may make competitive stress saves to take over someone who it trying to use it, talk to it, or use any of its abilities. There is no point casting this spell of an item that does not have a mind. This control has a duration as given on the following chart.

There is a new save at the end of the control duration. Getting the magic item out of contact with its victim will break the control unless it is somehow maintained in another fashion. Special failure mode one causes the item to have half its normal stress save for use in taking over someone. Special failure mode two lowers the control duration by one step on the above table. Special failure mode three lets the spell function normally but drives the item insane. Details are left to the referee as to what an insane item might be like.

This spell can be used to modify a magic item. It can conceal one decision and any part of the item's action diagram that follows from one outcome of that decision. The effect to create a barrier with a strength of thirty against detection of the branch. Any spell that is used to detect an item's action diagram, e.g. Assay or Read Action Diagram, must make its associated roll by at least the amount of the barrier or it will completely miss the branch concealed by the barrier. The barrier can be increased by +5 for +1 mana and a separate barrier may be placed at each branch of an item's action diagram. If multiple barriers are placed only the largest counts. A roll to discern an action diagram takes the barriers as cumulative minuses if one is on a branch inside the area concealed by another. This makes layered barriers the most efficient way to conceal a branch. The caster and referee should consult as to the new apparent action diagram if the barrier is missed. Note that the item still works normally. If a magic item has a concealed branch and then later gets a mind, that mind may notice the concealed branch with a perception save, repeated any time the branch is used, at +30 if the effect generated by a spell in the branch can be sensed by the mind. A branch cannot be concealed from a mind already in an item when the concealment is imposed. For +3 mana a conceal branch spell can conceal an item's mind. Special failure mode one conceals the wrong branch (or a wrong branch) of a diagram. Special failure mode two causes the barrier to be at half strength. Special failure mode three causes any spell in a concealed branch to undergo spell failure when or if it is triggered.

This spell increases the caster's stress save by +15, +5 more per +1 mana, but only for for competitive stress saves to control or use a magic item only. The duration may be doubled for +1 mana. Special failure mode one halves the bonus. Special failure mode two causes the duration to divide by 3d6, to a minimum of one round. Special failure mode three causes transforms the stress save bonus into a penalty.

This spell transfers the activation points from a magic item or mana points from a mana stone to the caster's mana reserve. The caster absorbs one mana per three points they made their casting roll by - any other mana bleeds away into the ether. Special failure mode one costs the caster a mana point. Special failure mode two gives the effect a radius of 2d3" - the absorption is per item. Special failure mode three causes the mana gained to bleed away at a rate of one per day.

This spell causes a magic item to leak its mana into the environment. A permanent or recharging item (or mana stone) may recharge its mana as if it were a recharging item. A charged item is just discharged. The caster of the Discharge Item spell may capture the escaping mana by making a stress save. One mana may be absorbed per three points the stress save way made by; this stress save is +10 per +1 mana. A mind in an item may reduce this save by the amount it makes its stress save by. Special failure mode one makes it impossible for the caster to absorb any of the discharged mana. Special failure mode one causes the caster to take one point of magic damage per mana discharged that escapes (is not absorbed) and d3 per mana absorbed. Special failure mode three causes the caster to take d3 per mana discharged and prevents any mana capture.

This spell causes a magic item to count as touching everything in a 1" radius. If the magic item has a mind it may choose what it is and isn't touching (save that it is touching things it would be touching if it were not for this spell). Duration is 2x per +1 mana, radius of touch is +1" per +1 mana. Special failure mode one causes the spell duration to be divided by 3d6. Special failure mode two causes the touch to work 4d6 times as far but only in a 1" wide path in a particular direction. Special failure mode three doubles the radius of the touch.

This spell duplicates a magic item, its spells, mana, and action diagram, in another physical object. The mana cost is equal to the activation points needed for the item, which the caster must expend permanently as mana or unspent experience, less mana for mana stones integrated into the new item and including any decrease or increase in activation points that result from using good materials (see the section on Campaign Color for instances where this happens). If this spell is used to duplicate items that do not require activation points, e.g. runes of combat, Bradley Marbles (see Examples of Magic Items in the Mage's guide) then a minimum of seven mana are required - but this mana is not permanently expended. This spell cannot duplicate scrolls. The caster may make a competitive stress save to avoid duplicating a mind in the item along with the item - otherwise the mind is duplicated. Special failure mode one causes small rearrangements of the action diagram or trigger conditions of the item. Special failure mode two causes the spell to be temporary with the activation points suddenly draining into someone touching the item after 3d6 days as unspent experience. Special failure mode three causes the item to have major modifications to its action diagram and/or causes special failure modes in spells within the item.

This spell allows the caster to emend (modified without adding any additional spells - spells may be removed) the action diagram of a magic item. The casting roll for emend item is modified by -3 per added or modified point of complexity and -1 per original complexity of the item. The caster may get +4 to this roll per +1 mana (but the added mana has the usual effect on the casting roll). It takes 2DP of meditation +1DP per 5 points of complexity in the final version of the item to cast an emend item spell. Modified complexity is created by replacing decisions with other decisions of by moving branches of the actions diagram. Emendation of an item with a mind requires either the mind's aquiessence or a competitive stress save. Special failure mode one causes the action diagram to be modified capriciously. Special failure mode two causes the some one spell in the item to acquire one of its own special failure modes, selected at random. Special failure mode three causes each spell to have a 50% chance of picking up one of its special failure modes and acts as mode one as well.

This spell obliterates a rune. If the rune does not have mana in it, either because it is unpowered (e.g. Rune of Combat) or does not need to be powered (e.g. Mark Item) then making the casting roll is enough to get rid of it. If the rune is powered then the casting roll must be made by at least 3 per point of mana in the rune. The mana in the rune is lost. Special failure mode one causes the wrong rune to be obliterated or simply lets the spell fail if there is no other rune. Special failure mode two permits the spell to work but costs the caster d3 health. Special failure mode three allows the spell to work, but forces the caster into a coma which requires 3d6 hours to recover from.

This spell permits the caster to create a knot in the fabric of the universe. This knot can be left where it is created or can be attached to the caster's spirit. In either case, the knot can be used as the ``physical'' focus of a magic item. This permits the creation of nonphysical magic items. A mage can feel such an item when it is on his person and can feel it when it is within a few inches of him, so long as it is not bonded to someone else's spirit. An ethereal item can be bonded or debonded from a spirit or passed from one spirit to another with a stress save made by someone with magic skill. If the person does not know what they are trying to do this save is at -30. KS: magic items may permit a character to know about this sort of thing. An ethereal item can only be used, activated, recharged, or worked on by a mage that has the item bonded to his spirit. The appearance on the ethereal item, on the spirit plane, is up to its creator, save that it tends not to be too large. Ethereal items are invisible or, if the caster wishes, are small glowing points with 1-3 colors chosen by the caster. Ethereal items are always visible on the spirit plane or to spirit or aura vision. Special failure mode one creates an immobile item. Special failure mode two creates an item that randomly jumps to a nearby spirit whenever it is activated. Special failure mode three creates an item that will drift off into the spirit plane after its first activation.

Normally a charged item is limited to a mana store of (mana for best spell)x(activation points), with said activation points limited to the creator's rank. This spell lets the caster put in additional activation points. Each casting of this spell puts in one additional activation point that is drawn from the caster's mana or unspent experience. The mana cost for this spell is three times the current number of activation points in the item. This spell requires an item have a spell in it that the caster knows. Special failure mode one simply discharges the charged item. Special failure mode two triggers one of its spell at random but permits the charge expansion to proceed. Special failure mode three gifts a spell in the item, at random, with spell failure.

This spell, cast on a magic item, causes it to undergo spell failure the next time it is triggered, with the spell failure roll at +2d10-10 per rank of the spell being triggered from the item. This roll is +d10 per +1 mana. If the modifier is negative then the item will not undergo failure (and the Failure spell is still used up). Careful examination, e.g. an Assay spell or better, will detect a Failure spell. A mind in an item will notice a failure spell automatically if it is not asleep (a perception save when it wakens). A mind in a magic item may reduce the failure roll by the amount it makes its stress save by. Casting this spell on a permanent item may have little effect - it only causes a spell to fail when it is being triggered to fail. The caster may get +1 more failure in the same item per +1 mana. Special failure modes are simple failures; the failure spell has no effect.

This spell is only useful if cast on an item with a mind. During the duration of the spell the item gains a flying movement of 6". The flight speed is +3" per +1 mana. The duration is also 2x per +1 mana. A stress save permits precision flight, e.g. a wand threading into someone's pouch. The flight happens using the item's mind's spirit speed with a delay of -3, or as normal movement with an action. This spell presumes an item with a weight of at most one kilo. Larger weights are possible with the max weight doubled for each +1 mana. Special failure modes one causes the duration to be divided by 3d6. Special failure mode two randomizes the direction of flight. Special failure mode three restricts the flight to within 1" of a solid surface. The magic item cannot take its owner with it unless the mass of the owner is at most 50% of the mass of the item..

This spell is like a Shell spell (read it now if you're not familiar with it) save that the spell cast inside the Guard Item is placed on a decision or branch of a magic item's action diagram. As with shell, mana adds and the largest rank is used. The embedded spell is triggered by use of the decision or branch of the magic item's action diagram. The embedded spell can be made to be targeted along with a targeted or ``touch'' based spell that the item emits, it can be made to back-blast on the item's user, or it can be made to go off at random. The latter option may be tied to a time delay of 2d6 rounds, 2x delay for +1 mana. Additional mana may be spent on a Guard Item as with Shell. If an item has a mind, it may trigger the embedded spell (but not select it's mode of action). A mind in an item may select the action mode of the embedded spell for +2 mana spent on the Guard Item.. Special failure mode one permits the guard item to work normally but moves the position in the action diagram that triggers the embedded spell. Special failure mode two causes the guard item to jump to the top of the action diagram of other, nearby magic items, seeking the item with the most mana. Special failure mode three causes the spell to have a 10% per day chance of going off completely at random.

This spell is cast with a spell whose range is ``targeting roll'' that is to be placed into a magic item, adding mana costs and taking the higher rank. This spell need not be put in the magic item itself, rather it modifies the spell in the magic item so that it uses to hit rather than spell bonus for targeting and may use Asp rather than Csp to be used. The magic item must score a hit as a hand-to-hand weapon (and may be a hand-to-hand weapon). The casting penalties associated with this spell make the magic item harder to make and a spell in an item treated with this spell may not use spell bonus for finding out if the magic item hit. This spell is applied to other spells, not whole items, and so an item may have hand-to-hand and non-hand-to-hand spells in it. A parameter check (see the section on items) may be used to optionally use the ``hand to hand'' quality. If a non-mage (person without even magic skill) is to use the item then it must also have the ``no concentration required'' property. This spell costs 2 DP, this time added into the time needed to make the magic item. This spell may be used with a Shell spell to create one-shot items. Special failure mode one causes the use of the worst of to hit or spell hit bonus. Special failure mode two causes the spell to fizzle, leaving the item targeted with spell bonus only. Special failure mode three causes an additional failure roll for the spell being modified, combining effects with any other spell failures it may have required.

This spell permits the caster to attempt to take a spell, in a magic item, with spell failure, and turn it into a normal spell. This requires a roll at minus five times the spells rank and twice its mana cost the most expensive way it can be cast. The roll is the mage's skill roll in the area of the spell if he has that area or his magic skill roll otherwise. This roll is +3 per +1 mana. This spell requires a number of DP equal to the complexity of the item being healed. Special failure mode one adds a second failure to the spell being healed, combining it with the first one in some fashion. Special failure mode two transfers 2d3 mana from the item to the caster. This may cause all sorts of problems. Special failure mode three lets the healing work but affects the item as a Obliteration spell.

This spell permits the caster to cause a mana stone, or other mana containing object that is not already a mana stone, to join its mana to an object. This requires that the mana stone be affixed to the object in some manner. The caster must expend 2DP per mana in the mana stone to perform the magical portion of the integration. The object then has access to the mana stone's mana and the mana stone no longer functions as a mana stone. If the object is a magic item the mana stone's mana is added to its reserve of charged or recharging mana (and the mana from the mana stone recharges as a recharging item - multiple stones do not recharge independently). If the item is later made into a magic item the maker may use the mana stone's mana as activation points; the mana in the stone recharges even in a charging item, but no more than was in the stone in the first place. Example: a five-mana mana stone can activate a five-charge charged item and that item will recharge five of its mana as a mana stone. The caster cannot use more than his highest rank in any area of magic of mana from a mana stone to activate a charged item, but the full recharge benefits accrue. For recharging and permanent items, all mana from the stone may be used as activation points. If the stone is physically detached then it will become a mana stone again and its points will be lost from the object it was integrated with. Special failure mode one causes the mana stone to de-integrate after 2d6 days. Special failure mode two causes any item made with or spells cast with the mana stone's mana to undergo spell failure unless the caster or activator makes a stress save. Special failure mode three destroys one mana from the stone but permits the stone to otherwise integrate normally.

This spell creates a barrier visible only on the spirit planes that prevents a magic item from regaining mana (recharging or being recharged). An item block can be removed by its caster at a range of touch. An item block cast by someone else can be removed by casting another item block and then canceling it - the blocks merge. Layered blocks are not possible. The barrier can be removed as if it were a welded suit of armor by the efforts of someone on the spirit plane or with spiritual awareness (20 H.P. generic defense 10). Notice that disassembling such a suit of armor is not something you would want to try with your bare hands - and so some source of spirit damage is required. A Dispel Magic (see: Thaumaturgy) can remove this spell in the way any spell could be removed. This spell is visible to an Assay, Read Action Diagram, or other similar spell. This spell gives the item +5 points of armor versus magical or spiritual damage and adds +10 to its intrinsic save. Special failure mode one causes the shield to be porous reducing the recharge rate by half instead of to zero (charging time is doubled). Special failure mode two causes a shield to form around any items on the caster's person as well. Special failure mode three causes the spell to fail and the caster to take 2d6 of magical damage (stamina first, vs. armor) per mana spent.

This spell forces the mind of a magic item to save versus insanity or go insane. This save is -3 per +1 mana. The insanity lasts for an amount of time dependent on the save. The base time is 10 minutes and the time doubles for each full five points the save is blown by. The behavior or effect of insanity in a magic item's mind is left to the referee. This spell has no effect on magic items without minds or on non-magic items. Special failure mode one causes the caster to also need an insanity save with the same effects if the save is not made. Special failure mode two is as one save that the item is in no danger. Special failure mode three causes the spell to fail and does d6 of spirit damage to the caster per mana in the spell.

This spell creates a barrier visible only on the spirit planes that prevents a magic item from discharging mana or affecting their possessor or target even if is already activated. It can be removed by the caster at a range of touch. The barrier can be removed as if it were a welded suit of armor by the efforts of someone on the spirit plane or with spiritual awareness (20 H.P. generic defense 10). Notice that disassembling such a suit of armor is not something you would want to try with your bare hands. Finally a Dispel Magic can remove this spell in the way any spell could be removed. This spell is visible to and Assay or other similar spell. This spell gives the item +5 points of armor versus magical or spiritual damage and adds +14 to its intrinsic save. Special failure mode one causes the shield to be porous causing spell failure when a triggered item is used and 50% effect on an item with effects already active. Special failure mode two causes a shield to form around any items on the caster's person as well. Special failure mode three causes the spell to fail and the caster to take 3d6 of magical damage (stamina first, vs. armor) per mana spent.

This spell makes a copy of the caster's mind in a magic item. See : Items with Minds in the Mage's guide for details. The item inherits the caster's wisdom, intelligence, charisma, willpower and luck and computes it's derived stats from these basic stats. The caster may place some all or none of his memories, attitudes, and opinions into the item. Putting in everything takes about 15 DP, putting in nothing takes about 3 DP. Editing and selecting, i.e. putting in some but not all, requires extensive expenditure of DPs, up to a couple hundred, as specified by the referee. A literal minded, unopinioned automaton utterly obedient to the will of the caster takes about 30DP. Attempting to place a mind in an item that already has one causes an automatic spell failure and no additional mind is placed in the item. Special failure mode one subtracts d3 from each basic stat. Special failure mode two adds 2d6-7 to each basic stat. Special failure mode three causes a mind from the spirit plane to enter the item with details left to the referee. Heh. Heh.

This spell adds +15 to the stress save of the mind of a magic item. If cast on an item without a mind or a non-magic item, spell failure will result. The caster may increase the save by +5 more per +1 mana and may extend the duration by 2x per +1 mana. For details of why this might matter, see the rules in the Mage's guide on Items with Minds. Special failure mode one exchanges the stress saves of the item and the caster of the Itemwill for the duration. Special failure mode two averages their stress saves, and special failure mode three causes the bonus to be a penalty. Special failure modes are rerolled if resulting from casting the spell on a mindless item.

This spell as no effect except on a magic item with a mind. To such a mind this spell does 12d6 of spiritual damage, +2d6 per +1 mana. This can, if sufficient damage is done, destroy the mind. It might also render the mind unconscious - see the rules on combat and spiritual combat for details of healing up. Special failure mode one causes the damage to be in d3's instead of d6's. Special failure mode two causes the damage to be one point per die. Special failure mode three causes the damage to accrue to the caster instead of the item.

This spell requires on DP of meditation and permits the caster to learn a spell from its instance in a magic item. The mana expended is that needed to cast the spell being learned in its simplest form plus two per rank of the spell, plus three if it is in an area not known by the caster, plus five (instead of not in addition to three) if it is in a school unknown to the caster. This avoids the need for the ``learn the spell'' skill roll and permits the caster to learn spells from outside any area they know without needing to expend an experience. On the other hand, their magic skill roll is used (see the skill description) to cast spells outside a known area. A resisting mind in a magic item can subtract the amount it makes a stress save by from the casting roll for a Learn from Item spell. Special failure modes result in a failure to learn the spell and there is not a +10 bonus as when learning a spell in the normal manner.

This spell requires that the caster spend one DP placing a rune with unique features onto an item. Once the rune is placed and the spell successfully cast the mage can know the direction and approximate distance to the item by visualizing the rune. An item maker may well keep a book of such runes. Three DP of practice with a written representation of the rune is enough for the caster of a Mark Item spell to teach another character to use the rune as a locater. Special failure mode one causes the signal to disappear at more than 5km range. Special failure mode two causes the spell to point 10-30 degrees left or right of the correct direction. Special failure mode three causes the effect to fade over a period of 5d6 days, slowly at first with a sudden increase in the rate of decline in the last couple of days.

This spell causes all magic items within its area of effect to be affected as if by a Failure spell. The roll of +2d10-10 per rank of the spell being triggered from the item is rolled separately for each item in the area of effect. Extra mana may be spent as with Failure and in addition the area of effect is +2" per +1 mana. Special failure mode one causes the spell to go off ground zero at the caster. Special failure mode two adds +5d6" to the radius. Special failure mode three is to roll on the next higher failure chart with the same modifier.

This spell grants +5 armor against spiritual or magic damage to the mind of a magic item, +2 per +3 mana. The duration is 2x per +1 mana. Special failure mode one divides the duration by 3d6. Special failure mode two causes the spell to fail after the first time it is useful. Special failure mode three forces the caster to save versus unconsciousness.

This spell is cast with a spell whose range is ``targeting roll'' that is to be placed into a magic item, adding mana costs and taking the higher rank. This spell need not be put in the magic item itself, rather it modifies the spell in the magic item so that it uses missile rather than spell bonus for targeting and may use Msp rather than Csp. The casting penalties associated with this spell make the magic item harder to make and a spell in an item treated with this spell may not use spell bonus. A parameter check decision (see the section on magic items) may be used to make the use of missile bonus optional. The spell is applied to other spells not whole items and so an item may have missile and non-missile spells in it. If a non-mage (person without even magic skill) is to use the item then it must also have the no concentration required property. This spell costs 3 DP, this time added into the time needed to make the magic item. This spell may be used with a Shell spell to create one-shot items. Special failure mode one causes the use of the worst of missile or spell hit bonus. Special failure mode two causes the spell to fizzle, leaving the item targeted with spell bonus only. Special failure mode three causes an additional failure roll for the spell being modified, combining effects with any other spell failures it may have required.

This spell allows the caster to move a magic item from one physical object to another. It requires 1 Dp per five complexity (minimum of one) to do this and the mana cost is the minimum of 4 or one-third the complexity of the item. A move item spell cannot pick and choose what is moved - and the mind of an item, if it has one, comes with the item. Special failure mode one causes the magic of the item to leak to yet another physical object that it touches within 3d6 days (it will stay in the intended item if it is kept away from any other item for this time - this is probably hard to do). Special failure mode two causes the item to distribute its spells and fragments of its action diagram between the two items. Special failure mode three causes the item to duplicate into the new item but one copy of each spell, selected at random, will acquire one of its special failure modes.

This spell is cast with another spell, adding mana costs and taking the highest rank involved. It permits a spell that normally affects its caster to affect the mind of a magic item. This opens up some possibility of healing, increasing saves, or otherwise enhancing the mind of a magic item. Special failure modes are inherited.

This spell gives a magic item final strike capability. Either a simple trigger condition can be included, the effect can be triggered by failure of an intrinsic save, or the final strike can be put under the control of an item's mind. A stress save by an item's mind can countermand a simple trigger but cannot trigger the strike unless the caster of the Obliteration specificly enabled it. The trigger condition can use any data available to the item's action diagram. This spell requires placement of a rune requiring 3DP of time and the item must be made the special focus of the spell, which requires a point of experience. Once this spell is successfully cast it causes the item to be able to do a blast of magic damage equal to 40% of its (unmodified) intrinsic save. This blast fills a radius of 1" per 2d6 and then drops off at a rate of d6/1" after that. If the blast is triggered it totally destroys the magic item. Special failure mode one causes the spell to fail, leaving the experience for the special focus in the caster. Mode two permits the spell to work but modifies the trigger condition some way. Special failure mode three releases the strike now. Advice: place final strike capability on a discharged item. It takes at least 1d6 of damage to destroy the item.

This spell requires five DP plus one DP per squared complexity of the item to cast. The time is spent meditating over the item and requires assembling the materials of a close match for one or more duplicates of the item's physical focus. If successfully cast this spell creates a duplicate of the item, +1 duplicate per +3 mana, with some odd limitations. The duplicates of the item are called avatars . If the item has a mind, then the mind is in all the copies simultaneously as if they were a single item. Likewise, the items share a single mana reserve. This has some beneficial side effects: one mage per copy can work on recharging the common mana store and recharging of the common reserve (if the item is recharging) is multiplied by the number of avatars, not counting avatars within 500" (1 km) of one another. For +3 mana the avatars can merge and part at the will of the caster or the mind of the item (one or the other, chosen when the spell is cast). Each avatar may cast or be used to cast a spell each round - this permits hyper-draw-down of the mana reserve. Special failure mode one causes the duplication of the physical focus of the item without other effect. Special failure mode two causes avatars to teleport to the location of another, randomly selected, avatar whenever they expend mana. Special failure mode three causes the copies to vanish. It is not possible to tell the original from the copies - save that the original must be the last one left.

This spell allows the mage to read out the exact action diagram of an item. This requires a stress save, modified as follows. For each spell in the item that the mage can cast, +3 x *(spell rank). For each spell that the mage cannot cast, -3 x (spell rank). Subtract 5 x (item complexity). Add +3 per school of magic the mage has that appears in the item. Finally, +3 per +1 mana. Other subtractions may accrue because of concealment spells and a mind within the item may subtract the amount it makes its stress save by from the stress save to read an item's action diagram. If the stress save is made then the exact action diagram is known. Blowing the save by 30 or less gives some modest information about the diagram. Blowing the save by more than 30 reveals nothing. Special failure mode one causes one branch of the action diagram to be missing. Mode two gives the topology of the item's action diagram but conceals the identities of the spells. Special failure mode three causes the caster to get wildly false information that they feel is entirely correct.

This spell permit the caster to place a recharging hook into a charged magic item. This permits anyone with magic skill to recharge the item as if they knew a spell in the item. This requires 3DP and the caster must spend one mana o unspent experience to create the recharging hook. Special failure mode one creates an inefficient hook that requires double meditation time per mana recharged. Special failure mode two creates a leaky hook that expends one mana per day from the item. Special failure mode three creates a very leaky recharging hook that leaks 1 mana per three hours (8/day).

This spell allows the caster to dump his own mana into a charged or recharging item. This spell does not allow the caster to put in more mana than the item can usually hold. The mana spent on the spell is multiplied by the mage's recharge factor and then placed into the item for charged items. The recharge rate for recharging items is 2:1 of the mana spent. Special failure mode one is a fizzle that wastes the mana spent. Special failure mode two triggers a random or appropriate effect from the item. Special failure mode three causes all the caster's mana to flow into the item and possibly be wasted as well as causing a triggering event, as in mode two.

This spell causes all charged or recharging magic items within its area of effect to release a single charge. Items will release a spell as near to the top of their action diagram as possible and will have spell failure if there is some reason being triggered from a distance and/or not by their owner is inappropriate. If top is ambiguous then pick randomly. Magic items with minds may avoid this effect by making a stress save at minus the amount the caster of the Release made their spell casting roll by. Special failure mode one causes the spell to go off ground zero at the caster. Special failure mode two adds +5d6" to the radius. Special failure mode three causes all triggered spells to also roll spell failure at +3d10.

This spell requires the mage to spend fifty or more determination points engraving the rune on an object. When he finishes the rune he may dump experience, even experience he has already spent, into the object. The abilities that experience represents are usable by some one person touching the item or, once the item has been used several times, keeping that item on their person. In addition any unspent experience dumped into the item may be applied to any of the wielder's abilities the first time he touches the item, which fixes their application with respect to that person. Another wielder may apply them differently. For each two unspent experience points put into the item the item gets one additional unspent experience point. Things that can only be bought with initial design points may not be dumped into a Rune of Power nor bought with its unspent experience points. The mana cost for this spell is half the number of experience points poured in.

For +3 mana, anyone other than the creator of the rune must save vs stress or become subject to the will of the creator of the rune. This stress save is made each time they use any power of the item, e.g. as with Sauron's ring. This will may be entirely general or focused on a single task. The casters will may be embodied/enabled with an Itemind spell in which case the rune of power acts as a Coercive Item. This save may be decreased by -5 per +1 added mana. This will-control effect is contagious to runes of power made with the help of a given rune, so long as they have fewer points dumped into them than the original rune. The creator of a rune of power may dump in knowledge, information, and emotions that do not cost experience. Emotional information is not lost to the creator when he does not have the ring. Knowledge is, e.g. if a mage dumped knowledge of spells into a ring then he would have to wear that ring to remember how to cast those spells. He could learn them again, and as if he had a tutor if he had intermittent access to the item with the rune of power. It requires one-tenth the DPs needed to learn knowledge not tied to experience to place such knowledge into a rune of power, in addition to the fifty required to make it in the first place.

Special failure mode one causes all the points invested in some one skill the caster did not wish to lose to get sucked into the item instead of the things he wanted to dump in. Special failure mode two forces the caster to save versus shock at minus the total points dumped into the item or die; if he saves the spell fizzles: if he dies the spell works (hurray?). Special failure mode three causes the caster to lose every added stam, hit, health, mana, mind, ego, and sanity above nominal. They go into the item instead of what he had intended.

This spell permits the character to place a rune on an object. Unless the item is a recharging magic item there is little point in doing this. If the item does recharge mana in some fashion the rune will increase the rate of recharge by +2 mana. This additional recharge can be increase by +1 more per hour for +2 mana, but no more additional recharge than the caster's rank with Item Smithy. If more than one rune of recharge is placed on an item the rate of recharge is increased by the amount the best rune increases it: the runes do not add. Special failure mode causes the rune to decrease the recharge rate by one mana per hour. Special failure mode two causes the rune to shield the item so that it does not recharge. Special failure mode three causes the rune to add the normal amount to the recharge but to pull the (extra) mana from other nearby magic items in a capricious fashion.

This spell require the mage to spend five DPs plus two DP per three mana he wishes to be able to expend into a weapon engraving a rune on a magic item. Once the rune is engraved the mage may give the item +5 spell targeting by dumping three mana into it. This is done as casting a spell with a delay of -3. Each two additional mana give the item +5 more to hit. The duration of the spell may be doubled for each +1 mana. Special failure mode one causes the rune to function backwards giving a minus to hit rather than a plus. Special failure mode two causes the item to require an agility save as for close combat when anyone is even in the vicinity of the intended target. Special failure mode three causes the item to become a backbiter: save versus stress or the item throws its sepll at the wielder.

This spell permits the caster to add and additional decision or trigger condition to the top (outside) of an item's action diagram. This condition or addition only lasts an hour (2x time per +1 mana). The added decision or condition cannot require more than one decision (+1 per +2 mana) and cannot use senses the caster does not have or require more than +2 complexity for sensory information (+1 additional sensory complexity permitted for +1 mana). Special failure mode one modifies the additional conditions needed to trigger a magic item in a minor way. Special failure mode two modifies the additional conditions needed to trigger a magic item in a major way. Special failure mode three fuses the additional conditions into the magic item permanently, making them part of the item's embedded action diagram.

This spell is cast, while holding a magic item and while in the presence of a creature that can be summoned (e.g. wraith, demon, elemental, spirit). The creature gets a save versus magic, at -5 per +1 mana. If it makes the save then it is none the worse for wear. If it blows the save then the creature is sucked into the item and the creature's mind becomes the item's mind. If the possessor of the item makes a competitive stress save it can force the creature to permit him to use one of the creature's innate powers, e.g. an elemental's damage aura, a demon's teleportation, a wraith's drain ability. This continues as long as the possessor maintains concentration. In addition, the creature can be compelled to appear by a trigger condition specified when the spell is cast. The creature must then obey one command, +1 command per +3 mana, of the possessor of the item, disappearing back into the ring when it has completed the command. Commands beyond the limit are ignored. The creature gets, at its own whim, a competitive stress save to disappear before obeying the command. If the creature is killed then the item ceases to have a mind and is restored to the state it had before the Servant of the spell was cast. Summoning the creature cannot be done more often than creature's design points/6 hours. Thus a 300 point demon could only be summoned once every 50 hours (more than two days). The divisor of 6 may be increased by +1 per +1 mana. Special failure mode one permits the creature to conduct spiritual combat with the possessor at its own whim. Special failure mode two allows the creature to use competitive stress saves as in the spell Coercive Item. Special failure mode three allows the creature to return to its point of origin or depart the item of its own volition but otherwise permits the item to function normally.

This spell requires a simple rune be placed on the item it is to affect, requiring one DP plus one DP per three mana that can be expended into the item for sheath effects, when the spell is first cast. The spell costs five mana or the maximum mana that can be dumped into the rune, whichever is larger. After this is done then the rune may be activated, for a day, by expending one mana with a delay of -3. The activation duration may be doubled for each +1 activation mana. While the rune is activated the item may be dismissed to a hyperspatial pocket by willing it to vanish, while touching it, and recalled from that pocket by visualizing the item and making a stress save. The stress save is +10 per +1 activation mana. Multiple items may be sheathed, each in its own pocket, and the sheath pocket(s) follow the person that willed the item to vanish. At the end of the duration the items reappear if they are not already visible. If similar items are sheathed there may be a need for a perception save to will the right item to appear. There is no limit to the number of times an item may be sheathed and unsheathed during the activation duration of the rune. This spell is a runic spell with special properties as described in the Mage's Guide. Sheathed items are limited to 5kg mass, 2x mass per +1 activation mana. An item with a mind may come out of the sheath by its own will by making a stress save. Special failure mode one causes the item to be visible on the near spirit plane when sheathed. Special failure mode two renders the hyperspatial pocket immobile - the item reappears when willed to do so at the location it vanished. Special failure mode three creates a 2d3" scatter in the location of the item's appearance, rolled each time the item is unsheathed.

This spell allows the mage to place a spell into a magical shell that releases it, as if it had just been cast, when some trigger condition occurs. This trigger condition cannot get information from inside another magic item's action diagram - use the spell Guard Item for this. The rank or the shell spell is 2 or the rank of the highest rank spell inside the shell, whichever is higher. The mana for figuring the magic skill roll is 3 plus the embedded spell's mana. Multiple spells may be embedded. The trigger condition may not be too complex. There is a penalty to the spell casting roll of -10 to embed Arcane Lore spells outside the area of Item Maker and -25 to embed spells from outside the school of Arcane Lore. For each +1 mana the caster may make a spell with a duration of instantaneous reusable once. Thus, a force spell (from Thaumaturgy) in a shell could go off three times total for +2 added mana. The trigger conditions must be re-fulfilled for reuse of the spell. A caster may not have any more Shell spells active than their rank in Item Making but a shell not on the caster's person loses its attachment to them after two days per rank of the embeded spell. Special failure mode one modifies the trigger condition. Special failure modes two and three cause the embedded spells to have special failure modes when they go off.

This spell deprives the mind of a magic item of the power of ``speech''. It can only communicate by moving the item (if it has movement powers) or by its ability to activate or control the item. The duration is 2x per +1 mana and the item gets a magic save to throw of the spell when it is first cast. Durations in excess of one year are considered to be permanent. The magic save to avoid silence is -10 per +1 mana. Special failure mode reflects the spell back on the caster, causing both physical and (if relevant) telepathic muteness. The caster can still write. Special failure mode two causes the item to get a new magic save every 2d3 hours. Special failure mode three divides the duration by 3d6.

This spell forces the mind of a magic item to go to sleep. If cast on a magic item without a mind then this spell has no effect. If cast on a magic item with a mind it causes the item to save versus magic or fall asleep for 2-12 hours. While the item's mind is asleep the item acts like a magic item without a mind. The save is -5 per +1 mana and the duration of the sleep is 2x per +1 mana. Durations in excess of one year an considered to instead be permanent. Special failure mode one causes the duration of sleep to be divided by 3d6. Special failure mode two causes any use of the item to awaken the mind. Special failure mode three causes the spell to reflect upon the caster - they must save versus magic (at any minus they have paid for) or sleep themselves for the full duration or until vigorously wakened.

This spell adds 2d3 to the delay needed to activate a magic item. The caster may increase the duration by 2x per +1 mana or may add +d3 added delay, to a maximum of 2d3 per rank the caster has with Item Smithy. Speed penalties are reduced at a rate of one per round. Special failure mode one forces a roll of ``1'' on each die of slow. Special failure mode two divides the duration by 3d6. Special failure mode three causes the slowness to accrue to the caster's CSP.

Save for its range, area of effect, and special failure modes this spell is like Slow Item. The caster can get +2" of radius for +1 mana. Special failure mode one causes the spell to ground zero the caster. Special failure mode two causes the radius to increase by 5d6". Special failure mode three causes the slowness to accrue to the caster's CSP, as with slow item; so radius.

This spell makes a magic item appear to be non-magical. It acts to produce a barrier, like that produced by a conceal branch spell, with a minus of 100, around the entire item. This minus can be increased by +20 for +1 mana. Triggering the item with the stealth in place requires a stress save at minus the barrier penalty in addition to any other requirements for triggering the item. Detecting the magic in the item also requires that the detection method make its roll at minus the barrier penalty. Any spell like Assay or Read Action Diagram takes the barrier penalty. The barrier may be lowered and/or raised again by a simple trigger condition, including but not limited to time delay, said trigger conditions determined when the Stealth Item spell is cast. Stealth item spells may be layered. Special failure mode one modifies (or creates) trigger conditions for raising and lowering the barrier. Special failure mode two causes the barrier to lose d6 points of strength per day. Special failure mode three causes the barrier to raise and lower capriciously.

This spell permits the caster to paint or engrave a rune, requiring 3DP, on a magic item. Once the rune is engraved then a snap of the fingers (or other trigger) together with the expenditure of one mana will summon the item with a CSP delay of -3. The spell is only cast when the rune is engraved; the summoning of the item counts as a magic item activation. For +3 mana on the original spell the summoning does not require concentration. The range of summoning is one kilometer, 2x distance for +1 mana. The summoning cannot normally cross the gap between worlds nor summon through steel, lead, or silver. The caster needs a distinct gesture for each summoning and may need perceptions saves or wisdom rolls to keep them from becoming confused. Special failure mode one causes the item to appear at a random location within 3d6". Special failure mode two causes the item to expend d6 mana to power the effect. Special failure mode three causes the item to discharge all its mana when summoned.

If this spell is used while making a magic item it renders each spell that it applies to a usable template. This allows another spell caster to throw his own mana through the item to power that spell. This counts as use of a magic item: delay is -3 and no casting roll is required. The total amount of mana poured into a spell is limited to what the spell can have casting it out of the magic item. The mana for the spell(s) templated and the template itself are added, the rank is the higher of the two ranks. Notice this forces spells that could be cast separately in making a magic item to be cast together if they are to be in the same template. In addition it takes 3 DPs per rank of the other spell(s) to set up the template. So, for example, a wand with a force spell template in it that has a five mana version of the spell could be used by any mage to throw a five mana force spell without drawing on the wand's mana and without needing a casting roll. If the template spell is used on spells that have trigger conditions then these conditions must be satisfied or an attempt to cast the spell through the item undergoes spell failure. The trigger condition ``possessor want's the spell thrown'' is typically safe. The mana for the template spell is not cast permanently into an item. The template spell allows charged, recharging, or permanent spells to be templated. If the magic item does not require concentration and its creator desires it then a non-mage may throw their mana through though it. This requires the non-mage have magic skill or spend 5DP learning how with the help of a mage. Special failure modes either 50% cause the spells inside the template to be failed spells or 50% cause the embedded spells to work okay but make any attempt to cast through the template to roll spell failure at +0/+25/+50 for modes one through three respectively.

This spell is only useful if cast on an item with a mind. During the duration of the spell the item may vanish and appear over a range of 3", once per round. The maximum range may be doubled for +1 mana. The duration is also 2x per +1 mana. A stress save permits precision teleporting, e.g. a ring teleporting onto someone's hand. The teleportation happens using spirit speed with a delay of -3 or as normal movement with an action. Special failure modes cause any teleportation to roll on the teleportation failure table at +0/+20/+40 for mode 1, 2, and 3. The magic item cannot take its owner with it.

This spell allows the caster to spend 2 DP bonding a strip or patch of a substance that has the ability to change color in some circumstance (e.g. sliver, which can tarnish) to a magic item. If the spell is successfully cast then the item's color change will indicate the fraction of charge left in the item. The caster has some leeway as to how this display will work, e.g. full/empty bar, color of whole patch indicates charge, etc. This spell isn't much use unless the item is a charged or recharging item (or piece of jewelry incorporating mana stones). Special failure modes cause modifications in the color changing so that it still depends on the fraction of charge but in an odd manner.

This spell requires 2 DP per mana to cast, this time spend meditating over, polishing, gluing, and generally reinforcing the item. It adds +10 to the item's intrinsic save as a magic item, +5 per +1 mana, but no more total mana than twice the caster's rank with Item Smithy. Special failure mode one generates a bonus that disappears after its first use. Special failure mode two generates a bonus that decreases by one point per day until gone. Special failure mode three reduces the item's intrinsic save by the amount it should have increased it by. For a description of the intrinsic save and it's uses see the mage's guide.

This spell allows the caster to activate a magic item that he doesn't know the trigger conditions for. The success rate is a magic roll as if the mage were casting the spell in the item (i.e. the basic magic roll if he doesn't have the area the spell is in). He may add 5 to the roll to trigger per +1 mana. Blowing the roll causes a simple failure to trigger. Blowing it by 30 or more causes a spell failure triggering of some effect in the item with the amount the trigger roll was blown by as a modifier. The spell triggered is either the one closest to the top of the action diagram or the one closest to having its trigger condition fulfilled. Special failure modes for this spell are inherited from the triggered spells.

This spell causes a rune to disappear from sight and be difficult to find or detect. In addition to looking like it's not there it is protected by a barrier of the sort described in the Conceal Branch spell, with a strength of 50, +5 per +1 mana. Special failure mode one deletes the visual protection, special failure mode two deletes the detection barrier. Special failure mode three causes the rune to become visible in one special circumstance selected ``at random'' by the referee.

This spell awakens and attracts the attention of the mind of a magic item, if it has one and if it is asleep or distracted. Special failure mode one deepens sleep. Special failure mode two permits the spell to work but annoys the item quite a lot. Special failure mode three awakens the item but has the effect of a discharge spell.

This spell adds +15 to the magic save of the mind of a magic item. If cast on an item without a mind or a non-magic item, spell failure will result. The caster may increase the save by +5 more per +1 mana and may extend the duration by 2x per +1 mana. For details of why this might matter, see the rules in the mage's guide on items with minds as well as the spells Sleep Item and Silence Item. Special failure mode one exchanges the magic saves of the item and the caster of the Xenogaurd Item for the duration. Special failure mode two averages their stress saves, and special failure mode three causes the bonus to be a penalty.