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Rigon
2009-02-11, 10:37 AM
Basic Explanation:Without the level appropriate enhancement bonuses on almost each equipment piece the Player Characters are pretty much on death row (exception: DM throwing easy encounters only). And sometimes players need to prepare themselves to several different threats (fire traps, creatures vulnerable to cold, creatures doing a specific type of damage) meaning they would need different item properties for such cases. Carrying complete sets of armor and weapons just because "in the next room we're gonna need fire resistance" is kinda bad (and always hoping for a ritual caster's summon storage isn't exactly smart either).

So i'm suggesting the following rules:
Buying magic equipment (meaning +X enhancement bonus and no extra properties or powers) is available in almost every city. If the PCs find masterwork items then they can bring them to craftsmen, wizards or clerics to enhance them (or they can perform the enchant magical item ritual). But the cores which grant properties and/or powers are considered rarities (so the PCs have to find them as treasure or get them through quest rewards).

You can place a single core into a magical item (action described below for placing and removing) which will (in the ideal scenario) act as a magical item with the same prefix as the core. The magical item must be of one of the core's possible host item types (like: "scale armor", "heavy blades" or "rods"). The core will increase the required experience to use the item (just like each specially prefixed magical item has a higher level requirement than a "magic item" of the same enhancement level).

Currently the system takes only Armors, Implements, Neck Slot Items and Weapons into consideration (magical items which range from +1 to +6). I suggest you leave other magical items as they are...
Default Core Description:
<Prefix> Core
Prefix: The Prefix is the Prefix of the original magic item. A core based on Barkskin Armor would be named Barkskin Core.
Possible Hosts: Is the list of item types this core can be fit into. A core based on Barkskin Armor would have the following: "Hide Armor, Scale Armor".
Minimum Enhancement: The minimum enhancement level of the host item required for the core to take any effect.
Core Difficulty: The increment applied to the host item's level requirement after placing the core in it.
Minimum Level: Minimum Level = Minimum Enhancement * 5 - 4 + Core Difficulty. Defines what level you must be to create or use such a core.
Property: (as in magic item property)
Power: (as in magic item power)
Price: Price = Substract the price of magical item of level (Core Enhancement Level * 5 - 4) from the price of magical item of level (Core Enhancement Level * 5 - 4 + Core Difficulty)
Enhancement value of a slotted item
CEL Core Enhancement Level
HIEL Host-Item Enhancement Level

if CEL and HIEL are equal then the item is working exactly like the magic item of the same enhancement level.
example:
Berserker Core+3 placed in a Battleaxe+3 = Berserker Battleaxe+3.

if CEL and HIEL are different then the item is working exactly like the magic item of the LOWER enhancement level. if the Core has no definition for the resulting enhancement level then the Core has no effect at all.
example:
Berserker Core+1 placed in a Battleaxe+4 = Berserker Battleaxe+1,
Berserker Core+5 placed in a Battleaxe+2 = Berserker Battleaxe+2.
Vorpal Core+6 placed in a Longsword+1 = Longsword+1 (of course you don't lose the core it'll just have no effect in such a case)
Enhancing/Creating a CoreAnd here comes a problem. Why would you need to find cores if you could just create them with an enchant magic item ritual? I mean in that case creating and enhancing cores would be only redundant process, wouldn't it?
And here could come a ranting about how I got the perfect solution but... sadly I'm not even close to a good enough solution. But I did came up with something:

Using this option i assume that the "enchant magic item ritual" can only be used to create normally enhanced magical items without any properties or powers (of course in core rules that i not true).

Create Core Ritual
You have drawn a small magical circle on the ground, you start chanting and put the components in the circle one by one in proper order while reading the core's recipe from the scroll in your left hand. As the ritual ends both circle and components are gone leaving only a small shiny gray sphere behind.
Level: 5
Category: Creation
Time: 1 hour
Duration: Permanent
Requirement: You must possess the recipe for the core you are going to make.
Component Cost: Special
Market Price: 270gp
You create a core which can grant special properties and/or powers to a magical piece of equipment. A core is a small shiny gray sphere (2 inches / 5 centimeters in diameter and 7 ounces / 200 grams in weight. You cannot create cores with a level requirement higher than your own level. When you learn a ritual you learn it with one recipe (this one recipe does not take up an extra page in your ritual book). The components are described below.

Getting Recipes
You can get recipes from the sources of rituals. If you wish to buy them (from a wizard for example) then the price of such recipe is 20% of the lowest level possibly created core's price (a Barkskin Core Recipe would cost 128gp /20% of 640gp/). Each additional recipe you buy must be added to your ritual book (one page per recipe) costing 15gp (of magical ink and whatnot) per recipe.

The Components
Each recipe defines at least one special component which must be used for the ritual (the number of special components is equal to the minimum enhancement requirement of the resulting core, examples: 1 for barkskin core and 6 for vorpal core) and you must also provide residuum in value equal to the resulting core's price. Once a week if you are in a city you can do a skill check to find a source for specific components. The price of such component is 5% of the price from the cheapest core it is needed for. You must have learned the recipe which needs the component to search for it.
Do the skill check and compare it to a DC of 15 for heroic-, 25 for paragon- and 30 for epic tiers. If you beat the DC then you found a source for one component of the ones you were looking for. If you beat it by 5 or more then you found a second and if you beat it by 10 or more then you found a third as well. In such cases you can decide separately for each found component to buy them or not for the normal price.
Diplomacy - if the city you are in has at least one wizards'- or merchants' guild then you can do a diplomacy check to search for components (the check is impossible for opposing/enemy guilds but you get +5 to check if the guild is allied/friendly)
Streetwise - if the city you are in has at least one warlocks'- or rouges' guild then you can do a streetwise check to search for the components.

Enhancing Cores
You can perform an Enchant Magic Item ritual on a core to increase its enhancement level. The cost for the ritual is the value difference between the to enhancement versions of the core and you must be able to use an item hosting that core, meaning you must be at least of (New Enhancement Level * 5 - 4 + Core Difficulty) Level.

More About Components
The number of special components used (beside the residuum) to create a core is equal to the minimum enhancement level of the core being created.
The first component is a unique component based on the core's prefix ("Prefix Component"). This component cannot be used to create any other core. The second component is used by the creation of every core with a minimum enhancement level of +2 or higher ("Heroic Component"). The third component can be any single component based on the Host Types of the core ("Type Component"). The fourth component is used by the creation of every core with a minimum enhancement level of +4 or higher ("Paragon Component"). The fifth component is a second unique component based on the core's prefix ("Prefix Component 2"). The sixth (final) component is used by the creation of every core with a minimum enhancement level of +6 ("Epic Component").
So the components used by creation of a core based on the minimum enhancement level are:
+1 : 1st
+2 : 1st and 2nd
+3 : 1st, 2nd and 3rd
+4 : 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
+5 : 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
+6 : 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th

Core Extraction Ritual
Sitting down you take the ogre's fiery axe into your hand and start chant from the book in your lap as your ritual ends the fire diminishes from the axe and a single gray pearl falls into your hand.
Level: 5
Category: Creation
Time: 1 hour
Duration: Permanent
Component Cost: A magical item with a property or power.
Market Price: 270gp
You create a core from a magical item. In this process the item loses all of its magical properties (it will be a +0 item without properties or powers). The prefix and enhancement level of the core will be the same as that from the original magical item used as the component.
Placing/Removing a Core:
The Core Combine power is granted by any core (but only in core form of course)
Core Combine (LOL... sorry)
At-Will ✦ Core
Standard Action Personal
Requirements: You have both the core and the item in your hands (one hand for the core /usually off hand/ and one hand for the item /paired items - such as boots, gloves or bracelets - are no exception/) , meaning that you cannot place cores into your currently equipped items (except main hand or off hand items but in this case you must have at least 1 free hand which will hold the core). The core must also fit the item, meaning that you can't place a Barkskin Core into a Longsword+1. You cannot place a core into an item which already has a core inside, you must remove the other core first. You must also be proficient with the item in question (of course only if a proficiency is possible, weapons/armor).
Effect: You place the core into the item. The resulting item depends on the enhancement levels of the host item and the core described above (at the Enhancement value of a slotted item part).
Special: Unless you used an action point to perform this action you provoke an attack of opportunity. If you are hit then the combination is cancelled and you have to repeat. You can also announce "Core Combine!" loudly as a free action. Barbarians and Bards MUST perform the announcing.
The Core Release power is granted by any core-host item (meaning any magical item which hosts a core)
Core Release
At-Will ✦ Core
Move Action Personal
Requirements: You need to use both hands for this action, meaning you hold the magical "core-host" item in one hand and the other empty hand awaits the release of the core. The core-host item can't be equipped during this process except if it is a main hand or off hand item. You must also be proficient with the item in question (of course only if a proficiency is possible, weapons/armor).
Effect: You remove the core from the item. In one hand you'll be holding a "plain" magical item (which is the same as was before the Core Combine) and in the other the core which was originally placed into the host.
Special: Unless you used an action point to perform this action you provoke an attack of opportunity. If you are hit then the release is cancelled and you have to repeat. You can also announce "Core Combine!" loudly as a free action. Barbarians and Bards MUST perform the announcing.
Example Core:
Barkskin Core
Prefix: Barkskin
Possible Hosts: Hide Armor, Scale Armor
Minimum Enhancement: +1
Core Difficulty: +4
Minimum Level: 5
Power(Daily): Minor Action. Gain a +2 power bonus to AC
until the end of the encounter. Each time an attack hits
your AC, reduce this bonus by 1 (minimum 0).
CEL +3 or +4: Gain a +3 power bonus.
CEL +5 or +6: Gain a +4 power bonus.
Price: +1 640gp, +2 3200gp, +3 16000gp, +4 80000gp, +5 400000gp, +6 2000000gp
Optional Rules for Multiple Cores in Single Magical Item
(I really don't recommend this)
So the following rules would apply:
1). The core difficulties would stack (meaning the level requirement would increase drastically).
example: Magic Hammer+2(Level 6) with Vicious Core+2(+1 c.dif.) and Resounding Core+2(+1 c.dif.) would result a Level Requirement of 8 (6+1+1)

2). The resulting enhancement level would drop (-1 per each core already in the item per each new core added) and it could disable any core in the process because it no longer meets the minimum enhancement level requirement (meaning the core is still in there and it still lowers the enhancement level but it grants no properties or powers).
2 cores: -1 enhancement level (-1 for the 2nd core)
3 cores: -3 enhancement level (-1 for the 2nd and -2 for the 3rd)
4 cores: -6 enhancement level (-1 for the 2nd, -2 for the 3rd and -3 for the 4th) and this means it would disable all cores in the item because each core requires at least +1 enhancement and it would drop any magical item to +0 enhancement (but this sounds like a funny way to hide both cores and enhanced weapons as at first sight it would like a +0 weapon).
example: Magic Hammer+2 with Vicious Core+2 and Resounding Core+2 would result in a Vicious Resounding Hammer+1 (level requirement 8).
Magic Hammer+4 with Vicious Core+4, Resounding Core+4 and Frost Core+4 would result in a Vicious Resounding Frost Hammer+1 (with a level requirement of 10 (6+1+1+2).

Yakk
2009-02-11, 12:39 PM
Seems overly complex, and it's effects are pretty much 'solved' by the transfer enchantment ritual? It is balanced as written, as it maps nearly identically over to transfer enchantment from the adventurer's vault.

As an aside, you can use the fact that the price of things increases 5x every +1 to make this somewhat simpler.

Cores can be Heroic, Paragon or Epic in nature.
It requires 1 Heroic core to upgrade a +1 weapon.
It requires 5 Heroic cores to upgrade a +2 weapon.
It requires 1 Paragon core to upgrade a +3 weapon.
It requires 5 Paragon cores to upgrade a +4 weapon.
It requires 1 Epic core to upgrade a +5 weapon.
It requires 5 Epic cores to upgrade a +6 weapon.

Naw, that doesn't simplify it much anyhow.

Rigon
2009-02-11, 03:40 PM
"transfer enchantment ritual"
it transfers enhancement and properties/powers...

the roundabout way for the CEL and HIEL is there because otherwise the item prices would break.

right now i'm thinking of a way of making heroic, paragon and epic cores... seeing that magic items with varying values change with the tier and not with the level...

the upgrading of a core is actually just using price difference amount of residuum (exceptions must be noted by the original magic item's creation cost).

that 5 core per item is kinda bad i think... one of the points of making the core concept was to have single portable property/power enhancement.

Shadow_Elf
2009-02-11, 07:14 PM
Can I place multiple magical cores in an item?

For example, I have Hide Armor +4 in my bag, it has no cores.

I grab myself Barkskin +3 and Displacement +3 cores. If I'm willing to drag down my armor's enhancement bonus, can I put both my recently acquired cores in my Hide Armor +4 to gain the properties of both? Just thought it would be interesting if there was a way to abandon some enhancement advantage in exchange for more properties or versatility.

Rigon
2009-02-12, 10:46 AM
Having 2 or more properties in one piece of equipment would break the system (regeneration and resist in different armor cores for example).

So i'm suggesting a strong "no".
But if you wish to take the "yes" path then feel free to look at the spoiler.The following would apply:
1). The core difficulties would stack (meaning the level requirement would increase drastically).
example: Magic Hammer+2(Level 6) with Vicious Core+2(+1 c.dif.) and Resounding Core+2(+1 c.dif.) would result a Level Requirement of 8 (6+1+1)

2). The resulting enhancement level would drop (-1 per each core already in the item per each new core added) and it could disable any core in the process because it no longer meets the minimum enhancement level requirement (meaning the core is still in there and it still lowers the enhancement level but it grants no properties or powers).
2 cores: -1 enhancement level (-1 for the 2nd core)
3 cores: -3 enhancement level (-1 for the 2nd and -2 for the 3rd)
4 cores: -6 enhancement level (-1 for the 2nd, -2 for the 3rd and -3 for the 4th) and this means it would disable all cores in the item because each core requires at least +1 enhancement and it would drop any magical item to +0 enhancement (but this sounds like a funny way to hide both cores and enhanced weapons as at first sight it would like a +0 weapon).
example: Magic Hammer+2 with Vicious Core+2 and Resounding Core+2 would result in a Vicious Resounding Hammer+1 (level requirement 8).
Magic Hammer+4 with Vicious Core+4, Resounding Core+4 and Frost Core+4 would result in a Vicious Resounding Frost Hammer+1 (with a level requirement of 10 (6+1+1+2).The original point of my core system was to have multiple property options for any magical equipment piece without having to carry multiple equipment pieces. I designed the powers so there is a possibility to exchange cores (and so properties) in equipment but it comes at a price (a switch takes a move and a standard action and you can't exchange cores in an item you are wearing).

EDIT: I edited a lot of stuff to make my point clear and to correct my previous bad formatting.

Rigon
2009-02-13, 07:04 AM
Uh. Very big update.
Look at the first post please it contains it all.
oh and please comment / argue / ask / help!

currently working on component descriptions.