Items: Magical items¶
"Most enchantments are subtle. The flashy ones are usually traps."
The shape of it: Magical items are gear with a non-mundane effect - enchanted weapons and armor, focuses, charms, rings, amulets, and one-off curiosities. They're rare in common stock, common in faction-locked stock, and the bread-and-butter of dungeon loot tables. Identifying them is a real step; using them unidentified is a real risk.
At a glance¶
| Categories | enchanted weapons + armor, rings + amulets, charms + trinkets, focuses, cursed/unstable items |
| Where to find | Collegium vendor (sanctioned), Thieves' fence (illicit), heist loot, dungeon drops, quest rewards |
| Cost tier | mid (charm) → pricey (enchanted weapon) → expensive (named / legendary) |
| Identify required | yes - unknown items hide their full effects until inspected |
| Class restrictions | most are open-use; some focuses require caster class |
How to read a magical item¶
/inventory shows the item's tag + rarity. examine <item> reveals
whatever's visible to your current skill / class. Full reveal often
needs Identify:
- Apparent name - what it looks like ("a copper ring", "a humming blade") before you know.
- Revealed name - what it actually is ("Ring of Light Step") after identification.
- Effect - the mechanical thing it does. Stat bonus, on-hit trigger, periodic effect, passive aura.
- Tier - minor / standard / greater / artifact.
- Charges - some items have finite uses; others are passive.
- Drawback - cursed items, attunement costs, alignment hits.
examine humming dagger
use scroll of identify
appraise ring
How identification works¶
Three legal paths to know what you're holding:
- Identify scroll - single-use, mid tier cost, anyone can read (with a small Arcana check; casters get a bonus). Reveals the item fully.
- Skill-based appraisal -
appraise <item>if you have Lore / Arcana / Tinkering rank. Each tier reveals more (low-tier = name - rarity; mid = effect; high = full math + drawbacks).
- Pay an expert - the Collegium runs a paid identify service. Pricier than a scroll, but guaranteed full reveal - no failed roll, no half-info.
Unidentified items work - you just don't know what they're doing. That ring might be making you lucky. It might also be slowly draining your stamina. Identify before you commit.
Where magical items appear¶
| Source | What you find | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common shop rare stock | Tier-1 enchanted gear, charms | Stock rotates; check periodically |
| Collegium vendor | Sanctioned enchanted gear, scrolls, focuses | Requires acquaintance rep |
| Thieves' fence | Illicit enchanted goods, "no questions" | Thieves Guild rep, no receipt |
| Heist loot | Named pieces, often unique | Per-target hoards (see Heist) |
| Dungeon drops | Tier-2/3 enchanted gear, rare gems | Deeper = stronger, riskier |
| Quest reward | Named items, story-tied | Cannot be bought; only earned |
| Cursed-find | Looks like loot, costs something | Always identify before equipping |
Tier shape¶
| Tier | Effect strength | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Small flat bonus, no drawback | +1 to a stat, lantern with no fuel |
| Standard | Useful flat bonus + maybe a flavor effect | Sharpness on a weapon, light step on boots |
| Greater | Significant bonus + situational effect | Bane vs creature type, on-crit proc |
| Named / Artifact | Multiple effects, story tie, attunement | Quest-locked or dungeon-deep |
The economy currently weights named/artifact tier as quest-locked you don't buy these, you earn them. Sanctioned greater-tier shows up in the Collegium top rack; illicit greater-tier shows up at the fence.
Charms, trinkets, focuses¶
Smaller than weapons + armor, often the most useful per-slot:
- Charms - pocketed; passive minor effect (luck, perception, small resist). Cheap-mid tier; common in trinket vendors.
- Rings - equipped (you have ring slots); flat stat or skill bonus. Mid-pricey; common loot.
- Amulets - single slot; bigger effects than rings. Pricey; Collegium and quest rewards.
- Focuses - caster-only off-hand (wand, holy symbol, orb). Boosts a school of magic or specific spell. Class-locked.
Cursed + unstable items¶
Some magical items are net negative - they apply a debuff, drain a resource, or carry a story curse. The engine treats curses as equip-locks:
- You CAN take off cursed gear, but at a cost (gold to a priest, ritual at the temple, sometimes a quest).
- Identifying an item before equipping reveals the curse.
- Some cursed items have a hidden upside that justifies the drawback (an item that drains stamina but doubles damage on the kill, for example).
Rule of thumb: identify before equipping anything that hums, glows, whispers, or felt unusually cheap.
The progression curve¶
| Hour | Typical magical-item state |
|---|---|
| Hour 1-5 | None - focus on mundane gear |
| Hour 5-10 | First charm or minor ring, often from a quest |
| Hour 10-20 | Enchanted weapon or armor piece (faction-locked or shop rare stock) |
| Hour 20-50 | Greater-tier focus / amulet from dungeon depth or Collegium |
| Hour 50+ | Named artifacts from heist / quest / endgame dungeon |
Edge cases¶
- Stacking enchantments doesn't double them - two +1 Strength rings is +1 Strength, not +2. The engine takes the highest of a given source.
- Attunement cost - some greater-tier items need a one-time attunement (Arcana check or a small ritual). Failed attunement doesn't break the item; you just don't get the effect.
- Selling identified > unidentified - fences and vendors pay more for known goods. Identify before selling tier-2+ loot.
- Charges run out - wand-of-fireball runs dry. Re-charge at the Collegium (paid) or sell the empty husk for a fraction.
- Class-only focuses - a Mage's wand is useless to a Warrior (literally - the equip won't take). Sell or gift.
- Heist hoards differ from shop stock - you're not finding a legendary at the smithy. The smithy carries enchanted tools; the legendary blade is in the vault you're breaking into.
- Identify scroll vs paid appraisal - for a single mystery item, scroll is cheaper. For a sack of dungeon loot, the Collegium flat rate often beats five scrolls.