Item Enchanting [5E]

[Darlkin]

Item Enchanting.
During a Short rest you can attempt to enchant a magical item. To do so requires you to apply the spell to the item while adding a Trigger to the item to bind the spell. Make a Arcana Check of 8 + 2 x spell level, increasing by 2 for each additional charge beyond the first (DC14 for the first charge of a 3rd level spell, DC16 for a second charge). If you succeed you enchant a charge of the spell to the item. Should you fail the check, make an INT Saving Throw of 12 + Spell Level, If you fail the item loses 1 charge.

Only A single spell can be enchanted on an item at a time, but an item can hold unlimited charges of that spell. All charges must be added at the time of enchanting, once a charge is used/lost it cannot be regained. Once all charges are gone, the item is destroyed.

Triggers, work like Contingency with the added, costing the same spell level slot as the spell being enchanted and the trigger on each charge on an enchanted item decays over time and must be reapplied every 24 hours costing 1 Spell Slot of the same level per charge. The person adding the trigger does not have to be the same person as the one applying the spell to the item you are enchanting. (However you can change this if you wish to limit the level of enchanting players can do.) Like spells Triggers must be the same for each charge.

[Morphic tide]

Not going to comment on the setup you use, due to it being a block of text, but you should rename the Item Enhancement. Enchantment is used for mind-altering magic in D&D.

[Darlkin]

Not going to comment on the setup you use, due to it being a block of text. Oh I'm sooooo sorry it's not writen as good as people with years of experience it's my first time writing one of these, not everyone is a damn 'professional'. tho if you do have a better way to format it, pls. I did post it to improve it after all.

[GalacticAxekick]

Nobody is asking for years of experience or for you to be "professional". Writing in paragraphs is elementary. Anyone with half an education should be able to do so without thinking of it.

Moving on.


Only base magical "+" items can be enchanted. Items can only have a max level spell enchanted on them equal to it's + bonus. only 1 spell and spell level can be on a item, however an item can hold a number of charges of the same spell. Once an item is out of charges the item loses any and all it's magical properties. charges can only be added at the time of enchanting, after which no additional charges may be added, in addition once a charge has been used it cannot be regained.I think limiting enhancement to "+" items is, well, limiting. It means the players can't enhance any equipment they'd like, but only pre-existing magic items, and it means (for no apparent reason) all enhanced items are of supreme quality, regardless of what the enhancement is.

Also, limiting the enhancement to equal the + bonus is, well, limiting! Why can't I have a lamp with 3 charges of the 9th level Wish spell? There should be a cost inherent to adding charges of powerful spells that means you don't need to artificially lock them away with this rule.


Triggers, work pretty much like Contingency with the added, costing the same spell level slot as the spell being enchanted and the trigger on each charge on an enchanted item decays over time and must be reapplied every 24 hours. (the person adding the trigger does not have to be the same person as the one applying the spell to the item you are enchanting, however you can change this if you wish to limit the level of enchanting players can do.) Like spells Triggers must be the same for each charge.This is simple and effective! Good idea to base enhancement on Contingency!


During a Long rest you can attempt to enchant a magical item. To do so requires you to apply the spell to the item while adding a 'trigger' to the item to bind the spell. Make a Acana Check of 12 + 3 x spell level + 2 x charges. If you succeed you enchant a charge of the spell to the item. In 5e, no ability score can normally be above 20 (+5), and proficiency caps at +6. This means 1d20 + 5 + 6 (31) is the highest a player can roll without magical assistance, or exceptional features like expertise.

An Arcana check DC of 12 + 3 x spell level + 2 times charges is a DC of 12 + 21 + 2 (35) for a single charge of a 9th level spell: literally impossible for even the most powerful spellcasters except Bards. Obviously, this makes your DC too high (not to mention that the math is needlessly complicated).

What I would recommend, instead of a lower DC, is throwing the roll system out the window completely. Rolls are appropriate for tasks accomplished in the moment, like making an attack, leaping a gap or dodging a bullet. Whenever a task is slow and meticulous, you can pretty much guarantee success, since there's already the cost of time (and often resources) involved.

Case in point? Wizard spellbooks. Wizards can add additional spells to their spellbooks, not by rolling during a long rest, but during their wakeful hours and expending expensive components:

"For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other Spells."

Use the bolded portion as the basis for your item enhancement system. You might fiddle with the time or cost, but there should be a time and a cost per charge of a certain spell level.


Should you fail the check, make an Arcana Saving Throw of the same DC, this time gaining advantage if you are proficient. If you fail the item loses one charge. Repeat this for each charge you wish to add to the enchanted item. There's no such thing as an Arcana saving throw. Arcana is a skill. There are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.

It also doesn't make sense to gain advantage if you are proficient. You should gain your proficiency bonus if you are proficient.

[Darlkin]

I think limiting enhancement to "+" items is, well, limiting. It means the players can't enhance any equipment they'd like, but only pre-existing magic items, and it means (for no apparent reason) all enhanced items are of supreme quality, regardless of what the enhancement is.

Also, limiting the enhancement to equal the + bonus is, well, limiting! Why can't I have a lamp with 3 charges of the 9th level Wish spell? There should be a cost inherent to adding charges of powerful spells that means you don't need to artificially lock them away with this rule. So remove it altogether or find an alternate method? I guess it isn't as necessary since i've designed it to be harder to enchant the more charges you add to it.



An Arcana check DC of 12 + 3 x spell level + 2 times charges is a DC of 12 + 21 + 2 (35) for a single charge of a 9th level spell: literally impossible for even the most powerful spellcasters except Bards. Obviously, this makes your DC too high (not to mention that the math is needlessly complicated). A single charge of a 9th level spell would be 39 not 35, tho you are correct that is too high for a single charge and is simple enough to charge (probs should of seen that one).

The reason I justify making it a roll to enchant is because this is a more 'forceful/quick' way of enchanting an item, you are casting a spell into an item and using magic to hold it there. requiring precise application of magic and doing it wrong could cause the spell to blow up in your face (hence the 'saving throw' if you fail to not lose a charge already on the item) they are both skill throws, I just called one a check and the other a save to differentiate between the two. and in saying that, i'll change it to during a Short rest instead of a Long one.

[GalacticAxekick]

So remove it altogether or find an alternate method? I guess it isn't as necessary since i've designed it to be harder to enchant the more charges you add to it.I agree.


A single charge of a 9th level spell would be 39 not 35, tho you are correct that is too high for a single charge and is simple enough to charge (probs should of seen that one). Actually 41!

12 + 3 x 9 + 2 x 1
12 + 27 + 2
39 + 2
41

We're both bad at math, it seems!


The reason I justify making it a roll to enchant is because this is a more 'forceful/quick' way of enchanting an item, you are casting a spell into an item and using magic to hold it there. requiring precise application of magic and doing it wrong could cause the spell to blow up in your face (hence the 'saving throw' if you fail to not lose a charge already on the item) Alright. Make it an Arcana check against a DC of 10 + The spell's level for each charge.

If the player fails a check, the spell takes effect immediately, targeting or centred on the object.


they are both skill throws, I just called one a check and the other a save to differentiate between the two.There is no such thing as a "skill throw". There are skill checks and saving throws.

Saving throws NEVER involve a skill like Arcana. They only involve an ability, like Intelligence.


and in saying that, i'll change it to during a Short rest instead of a Long one.If you want it to be quick, give it a casting time equal to the spell (an action in most cases). Why limit it to rests?

[Darlkin]

I updated the OP to reflect the current changes.



Actually 41!

12 + 3 x 9 + 2 x 1
12 + 27 + 2
39 + 2
41

For the first charge it was
12 + (3 x 9)
12 + 27
39
for the second it's 41.

I've lowered it to 8 x 2/Spell lvl (+2 for every additional charge) so it'll be 26 for the first, 28 for a second and 30 for a 3rd to enchant a 9th level spell.


There is no such thing as a "skill throw". There are skill checks and saving throws.
I am aware, they are both skill checks (just F'ed up the wording, "skill throws" the hell am I on). I simply worded it that way to try and make it easier to tell the difference between the two. (I called it a 'save' because you are making a check to 'save' your enchantment but it was still just a check)


If you want it to be quick, give it a casting time equal to the spell (an action in most cases). Why limit it to rests? I don't want it to be something you can do in the middle of combat (maybe treating it like a ritual or something similar might do the trick)


Alright. Make it an Arcana check against a DC of 10 + The spell's level for each charge.

If the player fails a check, the spell takes effect immediately, targeting or centred on the object.
I'll change the 'failure' part to something a little more appropriate. (an INT save to attempt to 'fizzle' the failed enchantment or risk it casting immediately) Plus I'll change this second part to have a lower DC (10 + S Lvl) making saving from the spell easier than enchanting it. (tho I still kinda like the risk of losing a charge if you fail but I can see that as being to harsh)

Also, should I add that the item gets destroyed once all charges are gone? seems a bit obvious I should (I had it for only + magical items coz once the charges were gone you could still use the item it would just no longer be magical and could not be re-enchanted, but removing that I should replace it with something to try and put a little limit on the enchanting.)

[Darlkin]

If the player fails a check, the spell takes effect immediately, targeting or centred on the object.

I'll change the 'failure' part to something a little more appropriate. (an INT save to attempt to 'fizzle' the failed enchantment or risk it casting immediately)

I overall decided to keep the risk of losing a charge on the item. But I did change it to an INT save of 12 + spell level.