[3.5] What would be a fitting material focus for Detect Magic?

[Pika...]

Hello,

In my houserules I require either a material component or focus for every spell, with them being rare an harder to obtain the high the level.

Anyway, I try to have it match the "meaning" or "spirit" of the spell. I just can not come up with anything for Detect Magic at the moment.

I was thinking perhaps "An ounce worth of pure silver (an average coin's worth)", because I believe silver has a symbolic relation with purity (hence being able to see true things purely)?

I was also thinking of having the eye of something (perhaps mummified?) that can act as either a Material Component or a Focus? I imagine it would have to be of a creature which has a symbolic/metaphorical relation to magic/seeing/sight. However, if I make it a Material Component (a one use item) it would have to be more easily obtainable (Detect Magic is a level 1 spell), while as a Focus it could be harder to get, but is usable indefinitely. Perhaps a mummified owl's eye?

[Kylarra]

magnifying glass!

[blazinghand]

Or a Monocle (as a focus).

[sofawall]

Above posters said what I would have.

[Civil War Man]

Could also use a mirror. It'd almost be an oblique Discworld reference.

[Korivan]

Dang, to many people said lens already. How about a veil?

[AstralFire]

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/33352/948615-lens_of_truth_thumb.jpg

[Rhiannon87]

I was going to say a magnifying glass or lens of some kind.

[RTGoodman]

I was gonna suggest magnifying glass, too, but this...


Or a Monocle (as a focus).

Is much cooler.

[Mongoose87]

A divining rod.

[sofawall]

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/33352/948615-lens_of_truth_thumb.jpg

Omigosh it's AstralFire!

You win.

[Pika...]

Damn. I feel pretty stupid right now, since some of these were so simple and obvious. :smallredface:

I had a heard time deciding between the first few suggestion. The magnifying glass, the monocle, and the mirror. The mirror is in the PHB, but I just liked the idea of players saying "I put on my monocle".

[Pika...]

Oh, and anyone have a good idea for Cause Fear? Currently on that one.

[AstralFire]

Oh, and anyone have a good idea for Cause Fear? Currently on that one.

We're on the internet.

The answers I could give here, and the ways that the mod staff would be justified in banning me for them, are endless.

[Pika...]

We're on the internet.

The answers I could give here, and the ways that the mod staff would be justified in banning me for them, are endless.

:smalleek:

[Mongoose87]

{Scrubbed}

[AstralFire]

:smalleek:

Serious answer: I would go with some sort of small tribal mask or shrunken head.

[Pika...]

Serious answer: I would go with some sort of small tribal mask or shrunken head.

Thanks. I think I have an idea:

"Cause Fear: (F) A small depiction of his lord Death (example: a portrait, a small carving, his holy symbol, etc)."


Good or bad idea?

[AstralFire]

Thanks. I think I have an idea:

"Cause Fear: (F) A small depiction of his lord Death (example: a portrait, a small carving, his holy symbol, etc)."


Good or bad idea?

His Lord Death?

That works.

[Scarlet Tropix]

For Cause Fear I'd suggest a scrap of parchment with a symbol on it that causes revulsion.

As for Dispel Magic, I've always loved the idea of using a flawless prism for that.

[Sinfire Titan]

We're on the internet.

The answers I could give here, and the ways that the mod staff would be justified in banning me for them, are endless.

We could make a spreadsheet. It still wouldn't cover half of the mind-gouging material /b/ has come up with, and that's not counting the parts of the internet that have been lost to even Google.

[Pika...]

His Lord Death?

Yes. He is a major deity (or more like primordial power?) in my setting.




For Cause Fear I'd suggest a scrap of parchment with a symbol on it that causes revulsion.

The only problem i see is that there is no one universal "revolting" thing for all the races in D&D.

At least Death is universal.



As for Dispel Magic, I've always loved the idea of using a flawless prism for that.

Oh, I like that! Thank you.

And I am surprised. You have considered something similar?


p.s. Would you make the flawless prism a Material Component, or a Focus.

[AstralFire]

The only problem i see is that there is no one universal "revolting" thing for all the races in D&D.

Mialee.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mailee_color.jpg

[sofawall]

Omigosh it's AstralFire!

Please, stop winning. Leave some internet left for us to win.

[Elfin]

Mialee.


'Nuff said.

[Hat-Trick]

He uses the series of tubes like a pro, that Astralfire.

[Pika...]

Mialee.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mailee_color.jpg

Actually, I find her very attractive. I have only seen like an image or two of her I did not like.

In fact, I ahve been trying to find both her and Lida's miniatures from the D&D Clue game, and the set from Chainmail for years.

[erikun]

I think she looks a bit like a man - the first time I saw her, I was honestly confused.

Which is really awkward, given that most male elves look like females. :smalltongue:


p.s. Would you make the flawless prism a Material Component, or a Focus.
"Flawless" would basically mean "masterwork", which generally implies a focus. A lot of work goes into making Holy Symbols, which are a focus, but you don't put any work into the pearl for the Identify spell - which is ground into powder and drank.

Also, the fingerbone from a humanoid skeleton would probably work pretty well as the Focus for a Cause Fear spell - most intelligent races are afraid of death, especially their own. It would also explain why the fear doesn't affect undead. :smalltongue:

[Ravens_cry]

Actually, I find her very attractive. I have only seen like an image or two of her I did not like.

In fact, I ahve been trying to find both her and Lida's miniatures from the D&D Clue game, and the set from Chainmail for years.
Yeah, Mialee is all right. I have said this before, but I like how alien she looks. Been a wizard, she is unlikely to have the Charisma to be stunning, and Elves are not Human. She's an elven nerd, and I think that's awesome. As for this topic, I was going to suggest a magnet or lodestone as a focus for Detect Magic.

[powerdemon]

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/3/33352/948615-lens_of_truth_thumb.jpg



He uses the series of tubes like a pro, that Astralfire.

Made of win. I LOLed twice... IRL...

[Pharaoh's Fist]

http://www.star-trek-voyager.net/ship4/tricorder/good_tricorder.jpg

[Tempest Fennac]

For Cause Fear, I'd say that a miniture skull would work best. (I know we're not really discussing Detect Magic, but from what I can gather from a cartoon called Unforgotten Realms, Wizards should all wear monacles so it makes sense for that to be a focus for DM.)

What exactly is that, Pharos?

[Gralamin]

For Cause Fear, I'd say that a miniture skull would work best. (I know we're not really discussing Detect Magic, but from what I can gather from a cartoon called Unforgotten Realms, Wizards should all wear monacles so it makes sense for that to be a focus for DM.)

What exactly is that, Pharos?

Tricorder from Star Trek.

[Tempest Fennac]

Thanks, Gralamin (I've not seen anything to do with ST for years).

[Scarlet Tropix]

It is going to become a meme. Oy.

When I said symbol, I meant something magically treated to be infused with DO NOT WANT. So, you know, not implicitly natural. Although your Lord Death seems to follow the same lines, being a God, so...

As for the prism, I'd say that a pure prism would almost have to be masterwork, because I think they don't occur naturally in nature, or if they do, they're very rare.

As for having the idea, I've occasionally toyed with it, but the actual prism idea comes from one of my older sister's PrC's. My older sister was my DM up until she moved away and I had to fend for myself. To this day I use a lot of her ideas and world concepts.

This particular PrC involved mages who channed magical energy through prisms to, among other things, alter and/or dispel their own magic and the magic of others after the casting. Mostly good for spells that lasted over a round, obviously. It was easy to modify your own, harder to modify allies, and fairly difficult to meddle with enemies.

I tried it once and fell in love with it after I successfully (against magnificent odds) turned an invisible enemy bright pink until he dispelled his own buff. I've loved prisms ever since.

I'd be willing to try to find and post that PrC if anybody is interested.

[Ravens_cry]

It is going to become a meme. Oy.

When I said symbol, I meant something magically treated to be infused with DO NOT WANT. So, you know, not implicitly natural. Although your Lord Death seems to follow the same lines, being a God, so...

As for the prism, I'd say that a pure prism would almost have to be masterwork, because I think they don't occur naturally in nature, or if they do, they're very rare.

Iceland spar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland_spar)has been historically used for as a prism.

[Scarlet Tropix]

Iceland spar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland_spar)has been historically used for as a prism.

Ah, but if you look closely at the example you'll notice imperfections beneath the surface. I meant more that an absolutely perfect, unblemished prism is rare.

[Evilfeeds]

Iceland spar, not to be confused with Iceland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland_(supermarket))-Spar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPAR), 2050s largest supermarket network.

Ontopic, how about a divining rod of some descript? Most lens-based things dont really detect anything, just let you examine what you know is there in greater detail.

[Brauron]

Cause Fear's focus should be a picture of your character's mother-in-law.

[Flickerdart]

Cause Fear's focus should be a picture of your character's mother-in-law.
I heard that spell renamed somewhere to Tasha's Hideous Sister.

[AstralFire]

I heard that spell renamed somewhere to Tasha's Hideous Sister.

I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it.

[powerdemon]

I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it.

Oh but you should! :)

[Hat-Trick]

It's a trope (or it should be), laugh.

[Moriato]

For fear?

How about a mask?

http://www.halloweencostumes4u.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000003/4464.jpg

I think its horror crosses all boundries and species.

[Scarlet Tropix]

For fear?

How about a mask?

::HORROR BEYOND WORLDS::

I think its horror crosses all boundries and species.

I think you're right.

[Hat-Trick]

I'm surprised they put that on TV to be honest.

[Scarlet Tropix]

I'm surprised they put that on TV to be honest.

Well I'm pretty sure that everything after the first one is them going with the revulsion for the hilarious factor.

[seedjar]

For Detect Magic, I like the sound of quartz or some other natural mineral with piezoelectric properties. You could even give it some visible or audible feedback as the spell does its thing. Are you stuck on the idea of a focus or would a material component be OK? Quartz is awfully common - it should probably be consumable. Maybe specially prepared, or a unique variety, as well. Magnets sound cool, too, but there are already a lot of other spells that use magnets, just right out of the PHB. (Er, I guess that's true of quartz to some degree as well.)
Cause Fear should probably be a focus. I elect that it be some totem of a personal fear for the caster - when they learn the spell, they have to confront and overcome an objectified fear, and after that they fashion a mask or idol or other trophy as the spell's focus. If they lose it, they need to do the ritual again and create a new one. Or they could establish a collection of fears to use for casting - you could give each one slight mechanical differences depending on their subject matter (i.e. if they happen to choose spiders as the fear they conquered, targets that have an existing arachnophobia automatically fail their save against that particular 'flavor' of Cause Fear.)
Nice ideas. I also like magic to be a little more involved than the default rules. Anybody can manage to haul a sword around, but dark lost arts of revisioning reality should require at least a modicum of forethought and cleverness (at least on the part of the players - not necessarily for the characters themselves.)
~Joe