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Enchant an item

Edit

Enchant an item was a powerful spell, and a common alternative in the practice of item enchantment by wizards;[2] it was also useable to recharge some devices.[5]

Effects[]

Before beginning, the caster required a place of undisturbed quiet, where they remained no less than 30 feet (9.1 meters) away from any other magical item not specifically related to the process, including most defensive items, for the duration of the casting. The spell required an item to be enchanted, which had to remain in contact with the mage casting the spell throughout the casting. As on average it took an uninterrupted week to cast the spell, with some castings stretching up to a tenday, and interrupting the caster would force them to start over again, this spell was unlikely to be undertaken lightly.[2]

Once the initial stage was complete, the caster could employ other spells to add new properties to the item to be enchanted. Both the initial casting and those other spells had to be cast or read from a scroll, as magical items could not be used to add properties to new magical items.[2] This process of enspelling stretched for hours, if not days; the discovery of which spells would yield which property was more of an art than a science, to be researched for each item.[2][6][7][8] The caster's ability to manage and endure the magic without being overwhelmed would be tested throughout the process, with their performance changing what the process would yield. Less than perfect results were a possibility hard to discount even for the most experienced of enchanters; all but the most catastrophic failures still created something, often a cursed object, but not always.[9]

Charged items required no further processes, but permanent items required a permanency spell for finishing.[2] This last spell risked the caster's lifeforce, and there was a chance, however slim, that they permanently lost some of their vital essence.[10] Wish could be used as a substitute for permanency, in some cases.[7]

When used on an already enchanted, charged item, the enchant an item spell instead allowed for it to be recharged. However, it was a long process, calling for two or three hours between new charges.[5]

Components[]

The spell had verbal and somatic components. The item to be enchanted was considered a material component.[2] Weirwood could be used as an additional component to improve the odds.[11]

The nature of the object's preparation in order for it to be enchanted was a subject of much research, which could call for bizarre processes and esoteric, even intangible, components.[6][8][12][7] In all cases, it had to be of superlative make, in perfectly sound condition, and made of the finest materials.[2] Superior materials could yield better odds, but the cost soon turned exorbitant.[9] While generalization was extremely difficult, some sources clarified that the materials to be employed in the creation of the item also were to be fresh and as of yet untouched by any other magic, as well as of a nature relating to their intended function.[9]

History[]

The spell was already known by the time of Netheril, its invention not attributed to any of its arcanists. It was part of all three known schools then.[13] Wu jen employed the spell as well.[4]

The spell was known to be listed in the Scalamagdrion[14][15] and the Tome of Shaping Secrets.[16] The Scrolls of Ha Rahni, written by a wu jen from Kara-Tur, bore the spell as well.[17] The insane lichnee Druth Daern of Myth Drannor also had this spell in his working spellbook.[18]

By 1358 DR it had grown rare;[19] it was all but forgotten by the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, having been replaced by other, universally more accessible and far more reliable techniques.[20]

Trivia[]

The spell was needed for the focus of the versions of trap the soul available by 1357 DR.[21] The demiplane seed spell best known before 1372 DR required a focus prepared using enchant an item, rope trick, and distance distortion.[22] The spell was also required to prepare the material component of the triad gem spell.[23]

Lightning golems were made using this spell;[24] the hearts of stone guardians were also similarly made.[25] The phylacteries of dracoliches[26][27] and of regular liches called for enchant an item in their construction too.[28][29] Though doom guards were not made with this spell, the anvil of darkness used to create them was.[30]

Grey and death slaadi were known to possess this spell;[31] red slaadi could be enslaved for up to six tasks with a charm made of a pellet removed by wish, spiritwrack, and limited wish, using enchant an item.[32]

Albeit the spell could not ordinarily be cast out of a magical item,[2] the cloak of stars bypassed this restriction.[33]

The spell took ten times as long in the Ethereal plane,[34] and half as long in the Inner Planes.[35] It did not work at all in the Astral plane.[36]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (April 1995). Player's Handbook 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), pp. 223–224. ISBN 0-7869-0329-5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Mark Middleton et al (January 1998). Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), pp. 309–311. ISBN 978-0786906642.
  3. ↑ Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 83–84. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 74. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 David "Zeb" Cook (December 1993). Book of Artifacts. (TSR, Inc), pp. 131–133. ISBN 978-1560766728.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gary Gygax (1979). Dungeon Masters Guide 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 118. ISBN 0-9356-9602-4.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Skip Williams (1995-08-22). Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns. Edited by Jim Butler. (TSR, Inc), p. 95. ISBN 978-0786901685.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 David Cook (April 1995). Dungeon Master Guide 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), pp. 120–122. ISBN 978-0786903283.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Ed Greenwood, Steve Perrin (May 1988). The Magister. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 63–64. ISBN 0-88038-564-2.
  10. ↑ Gary Gygax (1979). Dungeon Masters Guide 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 45. ISBN 0-9356-9602-4.
  11. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), p. 64. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
  12. ↑ Richard Baker (1996). Player's Option: Spells & Magic. (TSR, Inc), pp. 107–110. ISBN 0-7869-0394-5.
  13. ↑ slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), pp. 121–122. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
  14. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Tim Beach (November 1995). Pages from the Mages. Edited by Jon Pickens. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 0-7869-0183-7.
  15. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “DM's Sourcebook of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), pp. 190–191. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
  16. ↑ Jennell Jaquays (February 1988). The Shattered Statue. Edited by Steve Perrin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 14. ISBN 0-88038-498-0.
  17. ↑ Mike Pondsmith, Jay Batista, Rick Swan, John Nephew, Deborah Christian (1988). Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (Volume I). (TSR, Inc), p. 63. ISBN 0-88038-608-8.
  18. ↑ Ed Greenwood (March 1993). “Campaign Guide to Myth Drannor”. In Newton H. Ewell ed. The Ruins of Myth Drannor (TSR, Inc.), p. 97. ISBN 1-5607-6569-0.
  19. ↑ Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 153. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  20. ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 92–93. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  21. ↑ Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  22. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (1998). A Guide to the Ethereal Plane. Edited by Michele Carter, Keith Francis Strohm. (TSR, Inc.), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-1205-7.
  23. ↑ Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 80. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
  24. ↑ David Cook (1991). Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (MC11). (TSR, Inc), p. 28. ISBN l-56076-111-3.
  25. ↑ Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 115. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
  26. ↑ Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 103. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
  27. ↑ Greenwood, Martin, Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), Monstrous Compendium. (TSR, Inc), p. Dracolich. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
  28. ↑ Mark Middleton et al (September 1998). Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Four. (TSR, Inc), pp. 1087–1088. ISBN 978-0786912094.
  29. ↑ Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 73–74. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  30. ↑ William W. Connors (1996). Monstrous Compendium - Ravenloft Appendices I & II. (TSR, Inc.), p. 17. ISBN 0786903929.
  31. ↑ Allen Varney, ed. (June 1994). Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 90–91. ISBN 978-1560768623.
  32. ↑ Don Turnbull (1981). Fiend Folio. (TSR Hobbies), pp. 81–82. ISBN 0-9356-9621-0.
  33. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Steve Perrin (May 1988). The Magister. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 36. ISBN 0-88038-564-2.
  34. ↑ Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), p. 18. ISBN 0880383992.
  35. ↑ Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), p. 28. ISBN 0880383992.
  36. ↑ Gary Gygax, Roger E. Moore (November 1982). “The Astral Plane”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #67 (TSR, Inc.), p. 35.
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