Vagueposting- Elements + The Three Elements

So I talked about elements before; if it be a sort of five elements thought experiment, elementally-challenged undead, or magic items often relating to the elements. I like elemental systems, in video games or tabletop settings. You can infer a lot about a fantasy world based on its elemental systems, if these elements be purely for a combat triangle just for game mechanics, or if they're actually a part of the world itself as the building blocks of everything.

Now most elemental systems fall either into the sort of “magical combat flavors” thing, at least in video games, or a sort of world and magical context thing. In a lot of games, elemental damage is pretty much exclusive to magic spells, which is the primary way that magical people or beings tend to fight. Other magic tends to be “typeless” or be like death damage or whatever, but elemental is usually its own set thing. In these types, elemental damage is usually just tied into specific skills, powers, or effects. In some every single elemental attack is almost identical, you start with a basic fire spell that is the same as the basic ice spell and they just deal different kinds of damage, or your weapons just deal different elemental types as bonus damage. This makes sense and adds granularity to a game's system, but it's kind of boring.

Then you have magic system which encompass all kinds of magic, trying to combine elemental basics into a wide-reaching magic system. Something like the game Magicka is a bit like this, or you can go for the obvious other example with the Avatar anime. In these examples, magic relating to the elements is more holistic, air magic can be used to fly or knock away projectiles, it doesn't just shoot lightning bolts or whatever. These systems can also include things like mixing two or more elements together to create sub-elements, which could theoretically do practically any magic effect you can think of. I tend to like these elemental systems, but moreso when they have that kind of magical realism or mythological feel; the magic of elemental fire isn't JUST fire, but also heat, light, maybe passion and rage somehow tied up in there a bit too. Ars Magica is a nice example of this, as is the Dominions game series; though both of these are not strictly all elemental magic systems.

Elemental Triangles/Quadrangles/Pentagnles

Fire, Frost, Lightning

So in a lot of games, Elder Scrolls and Path of Exile come to mind here, you have the three basic elemental types of Fire, Frost, and Lightning. I like this, it's simple and there is plenty of interplay. The issue here is they don't really have counters. Of course, they don't NEED to counter each other in a combat triangle, but a lot of media does this already and it works well for establishing a sort of basic, easy to understand system.

So for starters, you could say that Fire melts Ice, but Ice doesn't really “counter” lighting, unless it's in water form. Water as a magical element is more common in fantasy media like books and shows I feel, since in video game form it's harder to justify why splashing someone with water kills them. For this reason, I think ice is used as a stand in, though many settings put both under the same umbrella (or annoyingly, they are two separate categories.) Even if we say that Fire melts Ice, Ice absorbs Lightning, we're a bit stuck because Lightning doesn't beat Fire really. Unless you want to get really abstract and say that because Lightning creates fire, it's the master or creator of Fire. I could only see that working in something very hands off, more metaphysical then anything, not a spell or element based magic system- it just doesn't make enough gut-sense to work.

Then we could do it the opposite. Ice extinguishes Fire, but Fire doesn't really beat Lightning on its own, though the Ice/Water element makes sense to get beat by electricity. I think Pokemon starters may also be a good way to establish it; changing out lightning or electric for grass/plant/nature here could work really well. Fire burns grass, Grass drinks/absorbs Water, Water puts out Fire. Easy. The only problem here is you don't get evocative ice magic (unless once again, Water/Ice are the same element) and you lose out on lightning. Grass or Nature doesn't “feel” like blasty elemental magic in the same way as the other ones do.

Fire, Water, Earth, Air

The classic Greek elements. I like these. They're very common and everybody knows them, they shit inspiration. Characters can easily be tied to the elements, you can imagine a lot of useful utility spells and magical blasts based on these, the “bending” of these elements makes for great combat magic or just general flavor. These tend to fit under the second type of “system” that I described above; a sort of holistic magic system where all kinds of effects are made by these elements or by mixing them- pure Air or Water magic (just the element) tends not to lend itself to combat as well, and “Earth” magic as a combat school or class doesn't feel as satisfying since it tends to be “physical” damage and feels like the odd one out. Of course if this is the only way for mages to deal physical damage then it could be cool, but typically a magical wizard or elemental blaster guy should be doing some kind of specific elemental blasts against enemies that they are weak to.

Also I feel like mentioning here is most appropriate; I really like the concept of an “elementalist” conjuring or using all elements of nature. The term “elemental” here referring not to the vague, somewhat modern interpretations of the elements as abstract forces but rather as “the elements” as in the natural world, being outside, all that stuff. Ties in with nature magicky stuff a bit but this is one of my pet favorite interpretations that I see only extremely rarely. Stuff like making the sun beat down on the enemies or conjuring up mists to obscure vision not because you have power over abstract fire and abstract wind, but because those are the elements of nature that you can command. Also allows for more abstract elements that don't FEEL like cherrypicking as much as other elemental systems do; it feels less special-snowflake to have a magnetism wizard if they are channeling the magnetism as an “element” of the world, then if it was a side ability of a generic “metal elementalist”. This is an incredibly specific thing, I'm not giving any examples or explaining it well, but this is Vagueposting so you'll just have to deal with it lol

Fire, Frost, Lightning, Acid

This is a bit of a combination of a traditional four element systems, except with Earth replaced with Acidic or corrosion. Now pretty often you'll see this done but with Earth being “Poison” instead, a bit like Legend of Grimrock, but I have a few problems with it. First I think it works well in a video gamey sort of way, but it doesn't work on everything- you couldn't be much of a venom mage against things immune to venom like zombies, golems, and lots of other stuff that is common in fantasy. Secondly, being immune to venom is a lot more common then fire/ice/lighting at least in terms of average animals. Like there's no normal animal that is immune to fire, it would be something kind of rare like a demon or dragon, but most fantasy settings would have all snakes just conveniently immune to poison, or even entire races like snake/lizard people immune to it. Path of Exile sidesteps this by making their poison element “Chaos” which I kind of like, but it's a little vague in theme. As such, I think acid or corrosion works a little better. Also note I'm using poison and venom interchangeable, I know there's a difference, it's just the name the element is most commonly given.

However, one problem with Fire/Water/Air/Acid systems is that there's no easy or obvious triangle or what beats what. I do like using the more video game adaption for this, hence Fire, Frost, Lightning, and Acid all as damage types. I think this fits well since, as stated previously, “water” doesn't feel as aggressive as Frost and Earth is more physical damage then something like Acid would be, Acid or Corrosion or whatever you want to call it is pretty unique for that reason. However- what bets Acid? And what does Acid beat? One kind of minor interpretation is that Acid beats Fire and loses to Lightning. I personally like this because it implies that Acid could be in a liquid or smoke/dust form, which smothers the fire, but it's not a good fit. Even though there is no real reason this should be how it is, I have a sort of weird fascination with Lightning being the counter to Acid. Maybe in a fantasy world electricity or thunder just somehow gets rid of Acidic stuff. It fits the best in my mind; imagine dipping copper cables into a vat of acid and charging them up, the electrical shock causes the acidic stuff to change color, fizzle, suddenly losing its alkaline properties or even 'shocking' the acid back into pure water? 

I could see Lightning being the best element to kill slimes at least, which are commonly associated with corrosion. The electricity causes the slime to jiggle, sizzle, shrinking and size and hardened into useless left over minerals as the moisture was just boiled out of the poor thing. Why would that work better then an equally hot fire? Like I said, it's not a perfect fit but it is one I like.

The Fifth (Or Sixth) Element

This is a sub category of the above elemental system. The classic Fire, Water, Earth, and Air BUT with the fifth element. Typically, this element is Aether, Void, Prime, or some other ur-element, typically typecasted as “Arcane” damage or perhaps the divine alternative to the other elements. This usually has the rules of the fifth element being able to beat all the other elements, or does shit that none of the others can do, like messing with time, fate, magic iteslf, or the nature of souls. Under this category, we could also include the final element as being “Light”, sometimes with a “Darkness” counter. Sometimes one of them beats all the basic elements, but loses to the other weird element, which in turn loses to all the normal elements. The counter to the counter, if you will.

Eight Elements

Then, some people extrapolate the Four elements into 8, the combinations of each of the basic four into sub elements. Water + Earth = Mud element, Fire + Water could be steam or acid, you get the idea. I don't like this one as much as the other ones, mostly because there are to many elements and it feels a little too mathematical. I'm the type of guy who loves the idea of a “Mud” specialist wizard and would totally give them like magical healing sediments in holy mud they slather on people or summon mud golems and stuff, but sometimes the element is just the element, it's bending but a little less cool, playing a “Steam” wizard would just be lame unless you tied in technology and magitech into it to otherwise bulk up their boring moveset. (Pretty good idea for a GLOG Wizard class though.) Some people instead put in totally different elements into the Octagonal system- Lords of Magic with Order/Chaos and Life/Death along with the four elements is a good example.

Two Elements

This one is a bit of a wildcard. It's less common, most games aren't going to have two elements for something like a combat system, but a game setting or fantasy world might. This harkens back to stuff like the yin and yang, light and dark sides of the force, the light and dark worlds in Metroid or Zelda. It creates a duality. Once again, it's less for something you'd use in a game purely by itself, but in terms of a magic system that encompasses everything it works and is pretty inspired, though it can make a fantasy world feel a bit claustrophobic in a sense. I'm also intentionally avoiding very vague uses of this; you could argue that “man vs nature” or “technology vs magic” or “law vs chaos” could also count as two “elements” for our usage, but I'm keeping this to stuff that is usually conjured by magic or has a sort of chemical/physical/mathemagical properties in the world, less so vague elemental allegiances.

The Three Elements Idea (Background)

This is a concept of a three elemental system. My primary inspiration is coming from The Secret World- my favorite MMO. In that game, the basic materials you used to craft stuff were Metal, Fire, Water, and Dust- there were also glyphs and runes, but these enchanted items with specific effects and go beyond the scope of this essay. Metal was mostly just used for weapons and barrier potions though, the materials you used to craft your charms (equipped gear- since your clothes were all cosmetic in that game to fit with the modern theme), were the three elements of Fire, Water, and Dust. I'm going to extrapolate these into something greater then it was in the game.

Sidebar: I also just want to say I really liked that system for materials because it felt mystical and magical and occult in a way; perfect for that game an atmosphere. I love the high fantasy aesthetic with weird power crystals and I also love the mythological aesthetic of elemental energies being locked in objects that represent them, like still warm embers being infused with fire magic and the like. In TSW though, the materials went up in grades; Base, Imperfect, Normal, Sacred, and Pure. You had to combine 5 of a lower tier to get one of the next tier up. Most shitty enemies dropped Base and Imperfects of course, so it took a bit of grinding since each weapon or item took between 8 and 12 to fill an item in a slot, but it made sense since there wasn't a specific high end material you needed to craft these; you could just use any of the base materials anywhere.

I really like this crafting system and kind of wanted to use it in a game. Mostly because of how mystic it feels; for example you just have generic “Water” but with enough of it of a certain quality you can make magic charms that make people harder to kill. The “Fire” in your inventory never goes out, so is it like an ever burning cool flame or is it like an ember? Is it sealed away in an Orochi-Group container that somehow keeps it in perfect stasis until the time is right to use it? You obviously just can't pick up a handful of dust off the ground and use it for magical purposes; perhaps “base” dust means exactly that, the “base” element is just the stuff you'd find in the real world to some extent, and finding it on enemy drops and not having an unlimited amount of it is just a gaming abstraction.

But anyway this sidebar was just here to talk about how much I loved those tier names. It really gets a vibe going for me; even if you found PURE Water you'd hardly even know what it was, it would just look beautiful and entrancing, somehow cleaner then any other water you've seen, despite it just being water. Despite it just being a literal bit of dirt, the magical “Dust” you have is actually enchanted or infused with some kind of power somehow, and “Pure” Dust is extremely potent indeed. All of this is just very cool mental imagery.

I also like to imagine how the characters are actually purifying these; smashing them together with some sort of magical ability that destroys most of the matter to keep only the best stuff? Are they picking apart the best pieces or sifting through the elemental bits with greater and greater filters or magical methods to keep only the most pure pieces; slowly ascending in overall purity? Or is it some kind of magical combining ritual, where the parts are simply melded together and it reaches the next platonic ideal of its elemental type? Super cool.

The Three Elements

There are three elements that make up the cosmos. They were the first things; it was the three storms. The mighty typhon, the terrifying inferno, and the relentless dust-storm. Once these were calmed by the powers above, their distribute element was scattered and made into the world we know.

Fire burns Dust away, but is extinguished by Water.

Water chokes out Fire, but is lost to the Dust.

Dust absorbs and drains away the Water, but is burnt by Fire.

Fire represents all fire, celestial fire and worldly fire. It can be held in the form of a candle flame, a hot stove, a raging bonfire, and so on. It can also appear in gaseous forms like fumes or hot steam. It's pretty standard here, but is highly tied to things like aggression, offense, damage, and weaponry.

Water is water, obviously, both stagnant and flowing. The more pure water is, the more powerful it is in regards to elemental magic. Water can appear as mist, streams, or blasts as well as be magically potent just in its liquid form.

Dust is where things get interesting. It appears as a cloud, pile, or strewn about as a light covering. It tends to be very neutrally colored and easy to miss, but has magical powers all the same. When a Dust-user conjures Dust, it creates a cloud of swirling particles that may crackle and spark with electricity between them, or it could be blown outwards as a corrosive or blinding mist.

Dust is a quasi-element, a combination of Earth and Air in our normal four piece elemental system. Why? Because I think it fits better in our three element system, and here's why. For one, Fire needs to be beaten by Water in any elemental system, that's a given. It's easy enough to argue why Earth or Grass or Lightning beats water, as discussed above, but finding something that gets beat by fire that isn't a living thing is tough. Fire just likes to kill wood, basically, not much unliving fears the flames. However dust can kind of sort of be a mix of life elements; but with some more obvious offensive powers that don't dip into things like poisons or generic “physical” damage, though physical could also be used in the form of dust ball, dust wind, dust storm, throwing rocks around or getting hit with a tornado, etc.

Also the other reason I think Fire is a good fit for beating Dust here is things that are often considered dusty, like dusty furry creatures in the desert highlands or an ancient mummy, seem pretty flammable, even if that dustiness is just a side effect and not really the root cause of their counter.

Where is Air/Earth?

In this case, Dust IS Air, or rather a combination of Air and Earth. I really like this concept because, to me at least, I can see it in a video game or whatever. I can see the particle effects in my head; a swirling cloud of dust with electricity zapping between particles, just daring you to go inside. In my mind, I think a cloud of particles being able to be electrified makes sense enough, PLUS it makes enough sense that Fire burns it away. Of course realistically, dust or dirt isn't exactly super flammable, but it kind of fits in with that preteaching part of a human mind that knows that fire consumes things faster the smaller and more surface area they have. You could think of elemental dust a bit like a cloud of generic video-gamey dust particles, maybe made of saw dust or finely ground flour, which ignite or even explode very easily. Also; if you're on the fence about dust being tied in with electiricty, I've noticed a trend in games about having the desert level also be electrical themed for some odd reason. Maybe that's just my Breath of the Wild experience talking, but there's some kind of cultural spillover there.

You could also imagine the three elemental system as the “base” elements, with air being equivalent to the aether/void element in other games or worlds. Air is the element where all other elements came from, hence why I references it in the start of this blog post.

Why is 'Dust' so vague?

This is partially to cover up for the inadequacies of other elemental systems I have been writing about and, secondly, because it's kind of cool. Gives it a mystical edge. Water is already hyper varied and probably one of the most attractive choices for elemental magic stuff, Fire is strong but a bit straightforward. I will admit I am imagining this elemental system more in a video game context then a tabletop one, you can just imagine in a tabletop game “oh you conjure fire, ok whatever you want to do with it go ahead”. But in a video game things are more set and can be designed, discussed further down below. Another reason is to give it a wide angle to compete with both Fire and Water, which both have a lot of uses if a bit straightforward ones off the top of your head.

Second, I wanted Dust to be a combination because of how limited air magic tends to be. That may sound a bit crazy, but honestly it's true. The main powers of Air in most games or media is creating wind or air blasts, blocking arrows/air shields obviously, flight, and possibly controlling the weather; this is the capabilities of pure air with some thinking. Compared to fire which can cook food, work with metals, heat up cold people and many more air seems lackluster. Air is often tied in with lightning or storm, and while this is a good addition you'll notice that lightning is almost just as sparse. Beyond shooting enemies with it, lightning can only really be useful in a modern fantasy setting can make use of it, or often the lightning power has teleportation and/or telekinesis (magnetism usually) hooked into it somehow. Earth is a bit TOO all purpose since it's literally everywhere, but in this case we're limiting the earth-power of Dust to just dust, sand, that sort of thing.

How would you present the Elemental Attacks/Spells/Combat Moves(Video Games)?

You could imagine a bunch of different ranges, area of effects, damage upfront vs damage over time, and forms or appearances for Fire magic. Low level red and orange flames, shooting out in arcs or orbs. Higher level blue or white flames that are thrown as big fireballs or can raise walls and shields made of fire. The super endgame fire would be like bright yellow to gold or something- a type of hyper hot and powerful energy.

Water is a little trickier. As mentioned before, Water just splashes people and isn't really dangerous, and any magician or entity that can conjure a huge amount of water at once, enough to hurt or kill someone, could probably sweep away small buildings or flood big areas, making it very dangerous for lots of people or causing huge damage. Water's power doesn't really “scale down” well in an elemental system; Fire, Lightning, and Ice all can be imagined to be dangerous on an individual level, but Water? Not as much. Of course this is only counting the combat potential of these magic systems; water could be the worst in combat because it offers protection, healing, movement, or other various buffs or useful travel powers for people who master it.

Dust is the one I kind of made up for this article, though I will admit some inspirations of course. Wind and lightning attacks are of course closely related, as are generic “dust attacks” from things like Dwarf Fortress forgotten beasts, but usually these have to carry poison or something to make any kind of sense. It doesn't really have to make sense obviously, a video game boss could just flap a wing and deal damage if you're anywhere close to it and it makes enough sense and people accept it, it just isn't super satisfying or obvious the way the other elements are. I think a combination of the above works best; a character does an attack animation and lifts their arms, creating a cloud of smoke that flies at the player character. Maybe it deals damage or stun on a hit, or maybe it just passes through your harmlessly, but electrical energy will start to zap you if you move through it once its set up, or the magician swirls up a bunch of dust around them dramatically before unleashing a powerful chain lightning bolt, which leaves little particles in the air along its trail. It's pretty much the same as lightning as in every other game, but with some added utility.

Conclusion

This idea was mostly based on TSW and my desires to reinvent the wheel. Of course, I do think it's an interesting take on the subject, but I sort of would rather use this as a background for my fantasy setting instead of hard and fast rules. Instead of an elemental system, you are just told about the three ur-elements. But what do you know, a player steals some Sacred dust and is looking for more to find some pure; magical and spiritually cleansed dust they will no doubt use for some holy ritual... or perhaps for an unholy magical ceremony.

[Class] Build Crafter

Terraria @Re-Logic

Build Crafter

HD- N/A

Maximum AC- 22 / Minimum Starting Hit-Points- 6

The build-crafter is not a normal person. They appear in the world seemingly out of the aether, and have an obsession with building, mining, crafting, and other tasks to gain mastery over the land. Buildcrafters can technically roam anywhere, but most spend their time building fortresses and improving the quality of their gear. They almost never speak or sleep, rarely eat except on the move, and seem strangely unphased by the weather or attacks by monsters and wild animals. They rarely speak to anyone, but can communicate if needed.

Unlike other classes, the Build Crafter does not level up. Instead, their power is based entirely on their equipment. Give them a starting AC of 10 and a to-hit and damage bonus of +0. They gain no bonuses to saves, and begin only wearing basic clothing. With each full set of armor they craft and wear, their defensive power increases. With each weapon they craft and use, their offensive power increases along with it, regardless of the weapon's stats. Use the tier list below to determine what materials are worth what grades and levels. The To-Hit Bonus applies as magic, with the second bonus number only applying to damage when the materials get truly insane in quality.

Tier	To-Hit	AC	Material
0	0	10	None/improvised, or equipment made by others.
1	1	11	Wooden or bones.
2	2	12	Stone, obsidian, horn.
3	3	13	Basic bronze or improvised metals like tin and copper.
4	4	14	Basic Iron
5	5	15	Damascus Iron / Sacred Copper
6	6	16	Steel
7	7	17	Glowsteel / Meteorite Ore
8	8	18	Deep Iron / Magical Alloyed Steel
9	9	19	Mithril or Adamantine
10	10	20	Stone of the Firmament / Cloudstuff spun into bowstrings
11	10+1	21	Pure Elemental Essences / Forged Starlight
12	10+2	22	Divine Ores or Cosmic Energies shaped into steel and scale

The Build-Crafter is a skilled laborer with supernatural ability to shape the land and perform heavy work. They by default work as hard and fast as three men working on a single task for basic labor all by themselves, which is further increased by whatever tools they are using. This means a Build-Crafter with a basic iron shovel may be able to clear and level a field in a few hours what would take a team of men a full day. With a magical mithril pickaxe a Build-Crafter could hollow out a mountain with some time, gathering all the raw ore and gems needed for their projects. However- to gather a material, you must have a tool of the material's tier or one less at least.

The Build-Crafters hit points are determined by their largest fortress or home, which they do not need to be in just simply kept clear of invaders or monsters inhabiting it to gain its benefit. For each tier of home, the Build Crafter gains an additional +1d6 hit points. Use the average tier of their fortress, armor, weapon, and accessories put together to determine the build-crafters HD for the purposes of spell resistance and magic item egos.

Tier	HD	Description
0	1d6	No structure, or reliant on accommodations provided by others.
1	2d6	One room hut, or structure built into a natural cave.
2	3d6	Large one-room house or cabin or furnished small cave system.
3	4d6	Three room house made of at least wood.
4	5d6	Two story house made of at least wood.
5	6d6	Three room house made of at least stone.
6	7d6	Two story house made of stone or shale.
7	8d6	Wooden fortress w/moat or tower
8	9d6	Stone “box” castle or megastructure of wood.
9	10d6	Castle fortress with at least two towers, made of stone.
10	10d6+2	Three or more layers of walls and stone, or a small fort made of exotic material.
11	10d6+4	Castle fortress with adjoining forts and dungeon, or made with exotic material.
12	10d6+6	Multi-layered stone city with many buildings and towers.
13	10d6+8	Large castle made of supernatural material- never melting ice, hellrock, etc.
14	10d8	Flying Castle Island or Megatropolis

Finally; Build Crafters do not use equipment and tools built by others the vast majority of the time, they must create them themselves. The exception are other Build-Crafter beings, who will sometimes team up in wordless agreement to accomplish some huge project, or they may even kill each other to steal their equipment. Fights between build crafters can be terrifying for anyone else; they may take cover in a stone walled castle simply to have the other break through the side with a pickaxe, or create traps of explosive material to kill their foes and creating each holes in the ground.

The Curious Elf-Craft of Glint + 20 Glint Items

Glint is a special material. It has a dark gray color with a silvery sheen, and is both very strong and also almost totally insubstantial. Things made with glint have the same properties; very good for their intended purpose but also very fragile.

Only elves make Glint, though a few very queer sorcerers of other races may dabble in the practice. In order to craft Glint, the elf requires at least 4 of the 7 listed materials below. In order to craft a large item, it takes 5 of the 7 instead.

• Wings of a Dragonfly
• Silver Scales of a Still-Living Fish
• Maiden's Kiss
• Pinch of Powdery Snow
• Moonlight of a Full Moon
• Gossamer Spiderweb
• Baby Laughter

The ingredients have many peculiarities that Elf-Smiths know well to work their craft. Some are only available in certain biomes, and others only during certain parts of the year. There are also some substitutions that can be made using the ingredients. The Winds of a Dragonfly can be replaced with the beat of a hummingbird's wings, which requires a hummingbird be captured live and used during the glint making process; only professional glint makers bother capturing and raising pet hummingbirds for this purpose.

The Maiden's Kiss, blown with true intentions, must be “caught” invisibly in the air and held in the hand to be transferred to a bag, or if kissed in ink or makeup on a letter for example, could both be used in the glint making process. Mixing the kiss with a hair of a unicorn is said to greatly enhance the glint, making virgins who interact with the glint only have a 1 in 12 chance to break it.

The Pinch of Powdery Snow is a pretty easy one to collect, only requiring it to be the right time of year and very cold. However it can be hard to preserve snow out of season without magical or special storage techniques. The snow can also be replaced with a pinch of pixie dust- and while no elf would dream waste such a precious commodity on a simple Glint charm; any Glint item made with pixie dust has a golden sheen instead of silver and does not count towards encumbrance.

Moonlight is usually caught fresh during the crafting process; but in overcast places or in forests too dangerous to trek to a clearing on a full moon elves use bottled moonlight instead.

Finally; Baby laughter is easy enough to come by, either bottled or taken fresh (which is a tale as to why elves kidnap babies, besides replacing them with changelings), but items made with pure baby laughs are very childish and roll with a chance to break if they are insulted, if someone swears nearby, or not constantly given praise. As such, most glint makers add a bit of dust from the home of an elder (has to be stolen, elves don't get old) and some salt from the ocean (lets them tolerate swearing). Matured Glint is therefore much more prized and has a much better chance to actually be sold to humans and dwarves, who are very wary of poorly made Glint's temperament. Items gifted from elves are known to break or disappear just when needed most, further reducing other races trust in elf goods.

Glint Mechanics

Glint breaks easily. While for its primary purpose Glint is very strong, if not almost unbreakable, but using it in other ways or treating it poorly causes it to have a chance to break. For instance, a climbing cord made of glint will be long, ultrathin and almost invisible cord that can hold almost any amount of weight you could think, and grants a +2 to climbing checks. However, if you used the cord to tie up a prisoner it would have a chance to break when the prisoner struggles. Glint items like clothes also have a chance to break if washed incorrectly; most will only accept being washed in a natural stream where no human hands have touched, meaning washbuckets and soap will very likely destroy it.

Whenever a Glint item is stressed in this way; it has a 1 in 6 chance of breaking. Glint items that break turn into dust, dew on your fingers, and fall apart like a glimmer into shadow. Glint items made with all seven materials instead roll with a die one size larger. Glint items kept in a silver lined box at all times except when being used have a one size larger; Proper storage of Glint is very important for maintenance. Finally, a Glint item made by a true master elf-smith may have yet another die larger chance to break- but such craftsmen are only found in the greatest and most well protected elf cities. So a Glint item stored in a box and made by a master would have a 1 in 10 chance of breaking, where as a simple, neglected Glint item but made with all seven ingredients would have a 1 in 8 chance of breaking, and so on.

Glint Items Table – 1d20

Roll on this table to determine an item to craft or when you raid an elf's house, 1 in 3 chance they have an item made of Glint. Rich elves may have many more.

[1] Climbing Cord. Thin and silvery. +2 to climbing rolls and +2 to saves versus falls if you fall while climbing with it.

[2] Cape. This is a large project. Translucent, sparkling, barely weighs on the shoulders. Grants a point of magic resistance, or can block one 1^st level spell per day. Some Glint-Capes are made for outdoorsmen and are more sporty- these furred cloaks grant a +2 bonus to stealth and hiding in shadows in nature instead, and let the wearer blend into natural scenes.

[3] Bowstring. Invisible until an arrow is nocked. Add ½ your level to your damage rolls on sneak attacks. If you're a Rogue, double your stealth damage bonus instead.

[4] Chain. Has a thin, locking clasp that cannot be picked or forced open by any means. The chain is delicate and can be easily cut, except for the prisoner that it is tied up for which it is unbreakable.

[5] Shoes. This is a large project. Also called magical elf shoes. They are gray normally but are often pained green, and make the wearer have silent footsteps. As such, it adds +4 to stealth to move silently. This ability is only to those who wish it, so normal elves put bells on their shoes to prove they are not thieves.

[6] Charm. Small twisted poppet, an immortal leaf wrapped in glint-cloth, a decorative twisted knot of an elf clan, etc. Grants +2 to saving throws.

[7] Ring. Thin, and well polished to give it a better shine. Never adorned with a a gemstone, as the insertion process would break the ring for sure. Grants +1 to reaction checks. Has a chance to break if the user performs any (useful) manual labor. Elf girls may wear these in their hair instead.

[8] Scabbard. This is a large project. Your sword or blade is silent when drawn, and add ½ your level to damage rolls on sneak attacks. If you're a Rogue, double your stealth damage bonus instead.

[9] Coinpurse. This is a large project. It can hold coins and gems; putting anything else in it will give it a chance to break. The first time a thief steals the purse- they wind up with an empty threadbare sac filled with wooden coins. Only a thief who you tricked once has a chance to steal the real bag.

[10] Instruments. These are large projects. Specifically, this creates the multiple cords or strings of different stringed instruments; like harps, lutes, etc. The music made by these is especially haunting and clear, but bawdy songs give it a chance to break unless the Glint is properly “matured”. The first Bard spell or power used with this instrument per day treats the Bard as one level higher. Musical Clerics can also use this to turn undead and treat their level as one higher as well, once per day.

[11] Saddle. This is a large project. Every time you ride a “regular” horse with this saddle, the saddle has a chance to break, because regular horses are much too bumpy and irregular a ride for an elf- elves ride deer or giant white tigers, everyone knows that. You get advantage to control the animal you're riding on, and +2 to saves to avoid being knocked off your ride. Also, using this with Glint Reigns (which is another large project) lets the rider and animal move in tandem, letting you add your attack bonus to your animals attacks or charges while riding and grants even better control and speed.

[12] Thimble. While Glint is usually spun or pressed into a soft form, it can be smelted into a more hard form in small quantities; the thimble is an example. Glint Thimbles grant a portion of elf craftiness in things like sewing. It's main magical use is for stitching shut wounds however; heals an additional +2 on healing for sharp wounds like from bladed weapons or beast teeth.

[13] Needle. Glint needles are hard to make, requiring a solid product sharp and heavy enough to deal damage on a hit- the Glint-Needle is a weapon and not a tool. This needle can be used to deal 1 point of damage to an enemy unaware until they touch the spot and feel the blood, or someone notices the tiny pricks- or if the weapon is coated in poison. If the weapon is coated in poison it is left in the body and breaks when removed (too quick and smooth of a wound to deliver the venom). This needle is yet another reason other races don't trust elves; more then once a forester has dropped dead after returning from an elf-wood with hundreds of tiny holes in their back they didn't notice until after they got home with a handful of wood, laid down to rest, and died.

[14] Waterskin. Glint waterskins can seemingly store more water then they should, or are just more efficient. And you read the correctly, water. They have a chance to break if filled with anything other then fresh spring water. Naturally, dwarves hate these especially among elf-crafts. Waterskins made with Glint store twice as much water, letting you survive longer in a desert.

[15] War-Banner. This is a large project. This war banner is a gray-green color and can only be painted with stylish runes or light silvery symbols and animals; brute symbols or “heavy” mascots like lions or dragons drawn on it will threaten to break it as they are spun. The war banner grants +1 to morale checks by troops fighting under the banner, but any warshout or reckless charge done by the group of soldiers have a chance to force the banner to fall and shrivel to nothing- as such, only elves and their focused silence use them in warfare. Naturally, retreating with this banner has no additional chance of breaking it, as fitting for the typical elf.

[16] Handkerchief. Thin and delicate, befitting a well born gentleman. Has no special qualities on its own despite being good at mopping up blood and messes, being easily washed out of the cloth when properly cleaned, but if the handkerchief is given to a fae of any rank they are instantly indebted to the giver and cannot harm them. Elves who travel near the realms of the fairie may carry these just in case they are met with an elf queen- who would much rather part with this Handkerchief then face whatever fate they would fall from her terrible whim. Elvish ladies and nobility also greatly respect anyone who gifts this handkerchief to them, but this is purely cultural and a sign of great respect. To grant it to someone's servant, or throwing it on the ground in front of them is a grave insult.

[17] Quiver. This is a large project. When reaching for a specific arrow in their quiver, the archer can automatically grab the right one every time. Additionally, the archer using it gains no disadvantage for firing into melee and won't hit allies even fighting just next to their target.

[18] Veil. The magic veil covers the bottom of the wearer's face, and is a well known accessory for Sorcerers. Charm spells have a permanent duration while wearing the veil, as long as the target of the spell does not see your face, and additionally all spells cast by the magic user have a -1 to opposing rolls who try to dispel or counter them.

[19] Athame. The athame is a Wizard's knife, and this one has a blade made of Glint. This is a large project. The handle must be made of a black wood, and the whole thing specially enchanted to work with magical woods and as a tool, not a weapon. Spilling any blood on this blade causes the blood to burn through the blade as though it was made of butter and the blood was boiling hot. The blade is very lightweight and sharp, and is supposed to be used to cutting wands from wood and for ritual spells; anyone using this athame gains +1 to magic rolls made with it, or spell-wands made with it gain an additional charge.

[20] Sails. Glint Sails are a very large project (requiring two consecutive large projects; failure to complete the second will waste the first). Glint sails are dull gray-blue and are very tempermental- they only like being used on calm lakes and very gentle rivers, and only at night. Elf skiffs using these are nearly silent and very fast, and the boat ride is the smoothest you will every experience. Passnagers blindfolded will assume they are still on solid ground while on the boat. Every hour they are used on open sea or are strained they have a chance to break. Despite the risks, some priates may risk using Glint sails for a short amount of time to get an advantage or escape from a foe.

Small Elves are the Best + [Class] Elf

Forget everything you know about Elves. Any while you're at it, throw out dwarves, hobbits, and gnomes too. Mix them all together. This is now one race. Elves are no longer Legolas, they're Keebler elves, or Santa's elves now.

Elves are small, sneaky, magical, and crafty. In a more folkloric setting, they usually try to stay hidden from humans as humans might enslave them or use them to craft magic items for them. In a more high fantasy setting, elves can be found working all sorts of crafting and scholarly jobs that don't require much strength or height. Elves are immortal; at least from the ravages of time and most earthly diseases. Some Elves are as old as the trees, and some are even older.

All Elves wear hats. Some go with the classic red conical gnome hat, but many go with soft caps, pointy wizard hats, or feathery headpieces. Something like a hood or circlet can also work as a hat, but without a hat the elf cannot use their innate magical powers. If you manage to steal an elf's hat, you can force it to work for you. Elves can only have one “main” hat at a time but can create a new one if enough time passes and with the right magical rituals.

If your game uses race AND class, then Elf hats grant the elf their innate magical powers. While wearing the hat they get +1 to reaction checks with the creatures of the earth, wood, and sky. This does not apply to domesticated animals, which view humans as their rightful masters and are too separated from the wild to respect an elf. The most powerful ability of an Elf's hat is the ability to make the elf disappear. As long as they wear their hat, the elf can suddenly disappear from the location they are at, and reappear somewhere else nearby. They can do this the moment someone is not directly watching them, even blinking, flinching, or looking away for a split second is enough time for an elf to disappear. If they do not have their hat, they cannot disappear. Elves can also shrink while wearing their hat, and can change between 3 ft tall or the size of a mouse. Also, Elves are shit at fighting and get -1 to their to hit and strength due to their small size and are best suited to stealth or magical classes.

If your game uses race AS class, then here it is.

Elf + Fairy Companion

Elf

HD- d4

Equipment- Small, untrained. Daggers, short spears, light armor. Max AC is 12

Elves are small, fair skinned humanoids closely related to fairies. They live forever unless killed, and have magical powers. Most live in hidden forest glades in squat houses, underneath the hills or within the mountains, and some even live in hidden places in human dwellings. Elves are small and physically weak, meaning they get -1 to their strength modifier. While being physically weak; Elves can do fine with ranged weapons like blowguns, slings, and little elf bows. Elves are small and deft to compromise with this weakness, and get +1 to skill check rolls every level. If an elf wears their hat, they can safely interact with wild animals equal to their level or less in HD without it becoming aggressive or angry as long as the elf doesn't hurt it. This also allows the elf to do things like build homes inside of aggressive man-eating trees and such.

Elves have the power to disappear. As long as they wear their elf-hat, they can disappear from a place and then reappear within 5 rooms or a few yards whenever they choose. The maximum time they can disappear at once is up to their level in turns. Elves can only disappear if nobody is directly looking at them or they hide behind something for a split second. Once an Elf reaches 8^th level, they can disappear at any time; such as right before getting hit by a sword swing. Elves can only disappear once per day. Elves can also shrink when wearing their hat; once shrunk they can do a maximum of 1 damage and only have 1 hit point per level. If their hat is removed while shrunk they return to their "big" size and cannot shrink again, but with their hat they can stay shrunk as long as they want.

Elves also have the power of craftsmanship. An elf can craft without their hat; which is why many elves are afraid of being enslaved by other races. Elves can repair or craft regular supply items and equipment much faster then a normal human. It only requires 1 turn for an elf to craft a pair of boots as long as they have leather, a needle and thread for example.

At 10^th level, the Elf becomes an Elf Master. They can now forge minor magic items from scratch with the appropriate materials. These items are regular tools and equipment enhanced in some way over a standard version of that item. For example, an Elf Lantern may be able to be used underwater, or Elf Shoes may let you walk on thin tree-branches without them snapping from your weight. It takes one season to create a single minor Elf item, with more powerful items requiring longer or special reagents found in the woad.

The Elf Master can also create their own elf hollow; a secret place where they live. If they already have a hollow it is used instead. The hollow is automatically protected by magical enchantments and illusions that turn away and deceive anyone, making it impossible for anyone who is not also an elf or someone who has already been to this hollow to find it. The exception is a regular lost child, who can accidentally find the hollow if they aren't looking for it on a 1 in 20 chance. The Elf Master also attracts some lesser fae; 1d6 Elves, 2d8 Brownies, and 1d4 Fairies come to live with them.

Cyclops + Cyclops Eye Magic Items

Cyclops (6 HD, +2 AC, 1d12 uprooted tree)

Numbers- 1 or 2

The Cyclops is a mighty creature; a huge cousin to the race of giants, but with a single eye. It is well known that this single eye is magic, and also cannot be destroyed while the giant is still alive. Ignorant monster hunters often set up ambushes to blind a giant, only to find the giant recovering and stomping them into dust. Beyond this, the Cyclops is also known to be a powerful smith and metallurgical crafter; and it is said their one eye was used by the Gods to level out the world so it was truly flat.

If hit with a special 'eyescooper' weapon, or on any attack aimed at its eye that deals 6 or more damage, the Cyclops's eye will be dislodged from its socket. The eye will roll around on the ground and can also bounce, and the Cyclops can still see out of this eye. Any damage the eye takes will also be shared with the Cyclops itself, meaning grabbing the eye and stabbing it with a dagger over and over is a good way to kill a Cyclops. However if the final blow that kills the Cyclops is done on the eye, the eye will pop and become useless.

If the Cyclops is killed without destroying the eye, then it can be used for special crafting recipes. Many people covet Cyclops eyes for their power.

Cyclops Eye Magic Items

In order to make us of the Cyclops eyes, smiths have to first get the eye, then preserve it in a bath of special salts. This crystallizes the eye and makes it retain its shine and color, but at this stage it must be worked into its new useful magical form.

Cyclops Eye Shield

The Cyclops Eye can be worked into a magic shield. In this form, it forever stares out at the enemy's of the wielder, bringing subtle warning to its user and helping to defend them from harm. As long as it is pointed against an enemy's attacks, ranged projectiles, or spells the shield grants +2 AC or saves to avoid the blow. Any kind of blinding smoke, darkness, or flashing lights that could blind a person also temporarily “blind” a shield and forfeit its AC bonus at the same time.

This same principle also applies to armor as well; universally put into a breastplate. However since you cannot cover the eye and receive its effects, the armor version cannot be used with a large shield else it would block the eye's line of sight.

Scrying Stone

The eye is polished and used as an arcane focus instead. In this form, the eye can be stared into and with concentration, a user can make a magic roll vs a DC to get a vision of something. They will see the target in the stone, and what they are current doing and where they are. However, targets who do not wish to be found will receive a bonus to the difficulty equal to their stealth bonus along with situational bonuses; such as how small the target is or how quickly they are moving.

Targets especially far away or on other planes of existence may appear foggy or without any detail around them. No sound can be heard through the seeing stone, and it is said that looking at someone will cause them to feel a prickling on their neck and the feeling of being watched. Wealthy people, mages, and those with secrets often wear magical talismans or create straw dummies of themselves, to which the scrying stone may be confused by.

Cycloptian Flail

The eye must be dipped into a special bath of clay mixed with iron. Each dip, small droplets collect on the surface of the eye and pool to create small divots. The eye must be dipped over the broth over and over, allowed time to dry before being dipped in again, all while the bath must be kept hot and bubbling. Eventually; the eye will become the head of a magic flail. The flail gets +1, counts as magic, and can punch through shields made of wood or any lesser material. The flail can also be 'charged up' by spinning it around your head as fast as you can, which will make a low groaning noise that deals an additional +1d6 damage to whatever it hits and can shatter apart poor quality iron shields or weapons.

The Cycloptian Flail is a minor ego weapon, and those without at least fighter levels will sometimes find themselves overwhelmed by its strength and power. Those who cannot master the flail may find their own armor or equipment being shattered by the flails clumsy movements, and it could be easily disarmed to serve a greater warrior. The flail will gladly serve a strong warrior though; anyone with a Fighter level of 4 or greater will find the flail a steadfast weapon.

The Archival Eye

Requiring metal hinges, several exact cutting tools, and a vial of banshee tears the eye can be made into a storage device for spoken words and thoughts. The eye can be instructed to record a single story, long monologue, or philosophical quandary and to replay the recording by speaking aloud the recording's name. The eye “speaks” in a monotone, unnatural sounding voice that is still clearly understood. The eye has some intelligence and can be instructed to “recite all poems you have gathered” or to return all entries inserted by a single author, unless the author was anonymous.

Smart users of the archival eye will sometimes feed it a table of contents for ease of use or even a clever trick to deceive others; such as instructing it to return the wrong list of ingredients if a common name for a potion recipe is requested, as opposed to the user's own special name for it. The eye doesn't attempt to stop anyone from using it and doesn't seem to have a limit to what it can store, but it also can never forget anything placed within it, making them highly prized and protected items. Many arcane universities use them for both their classrooms and in their power struggles.

Magic Item Recycling

Recycling magic items sets an interesting problem. If you consider a more mystical or folklore-esque magic system, recycling magic items doesn't usually make too much sense. Items lose power if destroyed, or can't be destroyed to make new items. Things are enchanted just because, melting down a magic cup into a magic sword doesn't have any purpose, as its the cup that's magical. If the magic is based on inhabiting spirits, it also doesn't work very well since the spirits would usually be freed if the item was broken down or 'recycled'. But if the magic in the setting is more based on an energy or enchantment based model, then it works to argue that the magical energy or enchantments can be reused in new physical forms.

In order to do this, we're going to use the Ars Magica magic system. There are 10 Forms representing the most primal aspects of reality; Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Plants, Animals, Images, Minds, Bodies (of intelligent beings) and Prime (magic itself or metamagic element).

First, take the items being destroyed or used for recycling and consider the primary aspect of the enchantment; this is its vis charge that we can use to convert into an elemental point. For example, a +1 magic sword or an “unbreakable shield” are both made of metal, and are magically just “better” then other things of the same material. We could consider both of these as a Earth (Terram). If it's a fire sword, then it counts as Fire (Ignem).

The total number of enchantment points will influence how powerful and of what element the new enchanted item has and it's strength. If the total is a tie between elements; just pick whichever makes the most sense or try to combine them. Another idea is to make elements with mostly one element but some of another have the item theme'd after the smaller element. So if you create a magic shield with mostly Earth element but have some Air element in it; you could make the shield somewhat transparent, made of glass, or maybe release a puff of gas or a minor thunderclap when struck.

The physical form of the new object being created determines what “Technique” the “Form” of the object will take place using the Ars Magica as a baseline. The techniques in Ars Magica are Creo, Intellego, Muto, Perdo, and Rego- which we shall call Create, Perceive, Change, Destroy, and Control.

Create: Tools, Healing tools, Containers, Lanterns, some ranged weapons

Perceive: Candles, Scrolls, Spectacles, Sight-Stones, Spyglasses, Maps

Change: Cups, Sheets, Wands, Disguises, Cloaks, Lotions/Potions

Destroy: Weapons, Torture Devices, Poison

Control: Armor, Scepters, Staffs, Tiaras, Rings

Using this ruleset, several magic metal items or earth crystals would grant an item a Terram charge, and if the item being made was a Shield, we could see a result of Rego + Terram. This means the item has the powers to control earth; which fits well with a sheild. Upon being created, a powerful mage might be able to “bend” the enchantment to a specific result under this umbrella. Rego + Terram could mean the shield helps to turn away metal objects, bashing into metal armor of enemies could damage them/make them not function as well, or the shield could be thrown as a weapon or even rid like a flying disc. All of which fits under our Technique + Form. The power of this enchantment would be equal to the charges used to make it; if it was +3 it could act as a +3 improvised flying weapon, or deflect 3 sword blows per combat, or be ridden as fast as a 3 legged horse, etc.

This is a hypothetical ruleset, maybe it helps you figure out what to do when recycling magic items if you can't figure out what it should do on your own.

Everyone Crafts Magic Items + Crafting Rules

Last time I made a post about conceptual balance, I mentioned how everyone should be able to craft in a 'balanced' fantasy game world. I stand by that, and here are some simple rules to show how that works.

Every character can make magic items, regardless of their class. In order to create a magic item, you need downtime to craft the items, as well as the raw materials if its being made from scratch. Items can also be made from other items, or repurposed if its makes sense. Items have levels of power that go in categories from Minor, Significant, and Major.

Minor Magic Items

Every character may have or sustain one minor magic item at a time, with an extra one being added every 10 levels. These items can be given away/stolen but have little staying power. If lost you can make another up to cap.

Fighters

Fighters enhance their favorite mundane pieces of equipment and continue mystic warrior traditions. Anoint their sword in moon-oil. Meditate under a waterfall while wearing their talisman. Stick a letter from home in their boot.

Fighter minor items grant either +1 to a physical stat (Str, Dex, or Con) while worn, or grant +1 AC or to hit against a specific creature type.

Rogues

Rogues keep around 'lucky' items and gadgets that help them be sneaky and crafty. They carry a coin with its eyes scratched eye to sneak past the city guard. Cloak woven with a child pickpocket's hair in the seam, to remember them and grant the Rogue their deftness.

Rogue minor items grant +1 to a single saving throw category, or grant +1 to stealth or reaction checks against a specific creature type.

Wizards

Wizards collect weird magical stuff and bits of obscure ancient lore. Small chunks of fulgrite tied to their staff to enhance lightning spells. Diary of a crazy person, notes in the margins trying to find the meaning in the babbling.

Wizard minor items grant +1 to the damage of a specific element when rolled, or they grant a 1 in 6 to identify items of a similar origin. Items when worn grant +1 to a mental stat (Int, Wis, Cha)

Significant Magic Items

Once you reach name level, you may spend a significant amount of downtime and money to craft a significant item. This item requires either a rare and exotic material for its construction; like sun metal, rare animal leather, or a magic crystal; OR it will require a complex ritual of the player's invention. Doing both may allow the item to be slightly stronger then a normal significant item. You can only forge one of these per level you have past name level.

Fighters

Fighters make items better then mundane equipment. Special wood from the elf grove lets this shield withstand an axe's swing. Torch passed to all members of fighting-man secret society is imbued into sword's crossguard, granting you a portion of their collective ferocity.

Fighter Significant items count weapons and armor as magic and usually grant +1 to hit or AC. If made specific, like vs a certain creature, grants +2 or kills on a 20. Armor can grant +1 to saves and +1 or +2 resistance to a certain element.

Rogues

Rogues can create items of hidden or secretive natures, things that tap into the power of shadow and stealth. They can also enchant bows and daggers to be especially deadly.

Rogue Significant items can grant +1d6 on the first stealth attack of the day if weapon. Armors can grant +1 to all saving throws or grant +1 AC if you don't attack on the same round. Any item can grant you a +1 to their X in 6 chance to perform a skill check of a specific type, like hide or climb.

Wizards

Wizards start to create items that have or sustain spell effects beyond normal levels. Items brimming with magic and meta-magic.

Wizard Significant items can enhance the spell or caster level of a specific spell cast with it. Wizards can start forging arcane tools like wands and staves, which can have constant cantrips or activated low level magic powers.

Major Magic Items

Once beyond name level, you can choose to craft a major magic item instead of your normal level up bonuses if you choose. You do not gain health, better saves, or any other bonuses but your level and cost to level up against both go up; you are pouring a piece of yourself into this work. These items are sometimes called Artifacts. These items usually require several rare items, rituals to complete, as well as giving up your own strength to make them. You can only make a single artifact per character, your magnum opus.

Fighters

Fighters make major items out of monster parts, adamantium, pieces of a god's armor, and other extremely rare and potent items related to war and combat prowess.

Fighter major items can change the entire rules of a combat encounter and may give them the ability to fight hoards of normal warriors. Swords that grant many bonus attacks, or if you give up your attack for a round deflects any amount of arrows or other attacks sent at you. Fighter major armor can grant damage reduction against all types of damage of -2, ignoring weak attacks entirely. If against a specific element or type of weapon (like axes, arrows, fire, etc) reduces all incoming damage by -6 instead. Fire proof cloaks for dragon slayers are a classic.

Rogues

Rogues start to collect and create items belonging to other legendary thieves and explorers from the past. Things that meld away identity and collect darkness, and items with a mind of their own that might try to escape if their master's ambition doesn't live up to the item's potential.

Rogue major items grant entirely new supernatural thievery abilities and can manipulate minds. Supernatural lightness lets you run on water or balance on the smallest tree branch. Rogue weapons can start to bypass AC entirely, or be coated in deadly venom that can kill most mortal foes, especially of a specific type. Rogue gear might allow you to become flat, smoke, or disappear once a day the moment you get hit.

Wizards

Wizards craft these extremely potent magical artifacts out of rare and carefully collected magical items and reagents. Magic of this level requires dragon egg shells, crystals found only in the core of the earth or the glowing dots in the sky, ancient treaties of magic written by the first witches and the souls of powerful creatures trapped in stones.

Wizard major items grant immediate meta-magic abilities, constant magic of spell-casting level, and go beyond the normal limits of spellcasting. Boost every spell cast with this staff as though cast in a higher spell level, or a magic hat that grants 1 extra spell slot of the highest one you can cast. Magic mirror that can bounce enemy spells back, or bottle that can trap a demon inside and force it to answer 1 question truthfully when let back out.