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View Full Version : [Gift] (rookie) The Gifts of the Magi



mikeejimbo
2006-12-14, 06:29 PM
There was once a poor couple who lived on a farm, living off of what they could grow. Small means did not adversely affect their love for each other, as 30 years of happy marriage proved. Old Farmer John worked daily in his field, providing sustenance. His wife, Jane, would work indoors sewing clothes and weaving blankets for them.

Although both humble, they each had something to be proud of: She had come from a long line of Wizards, and had a dusty old spell-book. Most of them were beyond her means to cast, but a Mage Hand here and there worked wonders around the farm. He possessed a small quantity of Igam. Igam is a fascinating magical material, and John held on to it, in the event he found a spell that used it.

One of the spells Jane had in her book created Igam using a magical element catalyst, Tfig, but she had never found any of this element, and so she was never able to cast it, which was something she always wanted to do, because she knew that Igam was a rare element with magical properties.

It came near to the gift-giving season, and neither of them had the money to get gifts for each other. John took his small quantity of Igam into town, and found a little magic shop, run by a bright-eyed old man. He traded his Igam for a piece of Tfig, because he knew his wife always wanted to cast that spell.

Later, Jane went into the same magic shop with her spellbook. She took out the page with the spell that created Igam, and traded it to the man for a spell that used Igam to create Tfig. That way, she knew that her husband would have a use for his Igam.

When they traded gifts…they both laughed.

This introduces two magical materials, two spells, and a general rule DMs must follow.

Igam
This is a magical metal, said to have properties surpassing mithril. Sadly, never enough of it has been found to work into even a small weapon.


Tfig
This is another magical element, but this one is said to have the ability to halt aging. If you take a gram of it a day for a year, you'll live another year longer. So if you are able to take it daily, you'll live forever. Sadly, never enough of it has been found for this to have much of an effect.

Create Igam
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 Minutes
Range: Close
Area: Target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: N/A
Spell Resistance: N/A

This spell turns 10g of lead into 10g of Igam. The material components are 1g of Tfig and the lead to be changed



Create Tfig
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 Minutes
Range: Close
Area: Target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: N/A
Spell Resistance: N/A

This spell turns 10g of lead into 10g of Tfig. The material components are 1g of Igam and the lead to be changed

The New Rule
The gods decree that no one shall ever get a hold of both spells and either component at the same time. They may have both spells and no components, or one spell and one component, or both components. If they have one spell and the component it requires, it shall amount to less than 1g of it.

Vadin
2006-12-14, 09:29 PM
Oh, that's sneaky. And clever. Especially if the two spells were given in two different undecipherable languages to two different arcane casters in the same party along with one gram of igam and one gram of tfig each (to the wrong people, of course). When they finally deciphered the translations, some mysterious and horrible event would ruin one of the scrolls and the corrseponding metal, and the party would be left to realize what they'd lost and just how close they had come to an infinite source of wealth and power! Hahahaha!

mikeejimbo
2006-12-14, 10:28 PM
That's definitely an excellent use of this idea, since it's a more of a plot device than a game mechanic.

Though I have to say it's not all that clever, since I basically took the plot of "Gift of the Magi" and made it into spells.

Peregrine
2006-12-30, 12:15 PM
Though I have to say it's not all that clever, since I basically took the plot of "Gift of the Magi" and made it into spells.

Shh. That's no way to wow the voters with your cleverness. :smallwink:

I really rather like this. I can see several ways to use it to tease players. Or teach their characters humility. Or both.