Magic is everywhere. It is a part of everything. It is, itself, a living, deeply personal thing. The work of the Primordials stems from this concept, and the return of the gem dragons has certainly reinforced it. The magic wielded by those who have been recognized as members of the Hero's Guild is consequently as wide and varied as they are, bearing physical reflections of who they are and what they've accomplished into battle as readily as a foot soldier carries a sword.
I refrain from using the word "special" here, but it is pretty cool in my opinion.
-Ingleheimer Smith, Primordial
Magic items are a relatively scarce power in many realms, but not so in Chromatia. Countless millennia of arcane progression and constant war with Outside powers has littered Chromatia with the wonders of magic incarnate throughout the ages, and never has it been more prevalent than in modern days. This is of course thanks in no small part to the presence of the Primordials Ingleheimer, Revali, Hekaton, and Karina and their legendary All-Forge, but other forces in play have contributed to magic's abundance in Chromatia.
The rarity of items is still of the same approximate scale, though it's worth noting that purchased items cannot have their prices bartered down if bought directly from the Primordials. The value in gold is consumed as part of the crafting process alongside whatever materials are needed. No, the Primordials refuse to explain this. The only exception to needing gold is
Resonance, explained later.
- Common and Uncommon items proliferate everywhere, and the materials to craft them are reliably if not always on hand. These items are simple enough to obtain with no further effort than its worth in coins.
- Rare items usually only appear in places of developed society where magic institutes such as the Scrollbinders’ College have established themselves. Materials to produce these items are moderately difficult to obtain, typically because they necessitate higher level understanding of magic and relevant principles to make.
- Very Rare items are reserved for the highest scholars in most societies, and are otherwise difficult to get a hold of. It is more likely to find these items in the lairs and hoards of powerful monsters than it is to find someone carrying one on their person or in a shop.
- Legendary items are, for all intents-and-purposes, effectively (if not literally) unique. The methods of crafting such items are largely lost to the world, though the art of Resonance has restored this to some extent. Often times the only way to reliably get a hold of one of these items is to complete an arduous quest, and even then, there is not necessarily any guarantee for success.
The Primordials, of course, can craft any and all of these items in the right circumstances, as can Resonance to some degree. For Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary items, simply ask a Primordial about what you wish to obtain, and if they believe you up to the task will grant you a mission to obtain something for them in exchange for the work - the spit of an ogre, the heart of a giant, etc. Be wary, though ... the Primordials are tricky people. They often speak in confusing riddles with double-meanings, so think carefully about what they say.
Magic Item Pricing
Magic items are priced in accordance to the below chart. Don't forget to check the
Restricted Items list when planning purchases. Don't forget that you're free to take certain liberties with the appearance of items purchased or exchanged in Chromatia - see
Item Stubstitutions for more information.
Compound Items
Compound items are any items that are simply enchanted versions of a base item, such as the
adamantine armor or
weapon of certain death. In addition to the item's rarity cost, you must include the item's base value in the total cost of the magic item.
For example, consider
adamantine armor.
Adamantine armor is an uncommon magic item compounded on any set of medium or heavy armor, excluding
hide armor. Scale Mail, a medium armor type, costs 50 gp. Plate armor, on the other hand, is a heavy armor type worth 1,500 gp. Uncommon magic items that don't require attunement are 250 gp.
Thus, a set of Adamantine Scale Mail costs 300 gp (250 + 50), whereas Adamantine Plate Armor is 1,750 gp (250 + 1,500).
