One Object, Many Spell Effects

[unseenmage]

How many different spell effects can we cram onto a single mundane object without making it into a creature or a magic item?

I am curious as to the answer for both PF and 3.x so I'll make a spoiled list for each.

No homebrew or 3rd party. Magazine and web content are allowed, just cite the source please so I can note it in the list.



Arcane Mark
Augment Object (Stronghold Builder's Guide)
Blacklight (Spell Compendium)
Candlelight (Ghostwalk)
Celestial Brilliance (Book of Exalted Deeds)
Continual Flame
Darkness
Daylight
Deeper Darkness
Distracting Shadows (Magic of Eberron)
Dragoneye Rune (Dragon Magic)
Explosive Runes
Featherfall
Gem Tracer (Dragons of Faerun)
Ghost Lantern (Complete Mage)
Ghoul Glyph (Spell Compendium)
Glyph of Warding
Glyph of Warding, Greater
Glyph of Warding, Elder (Lords of Madness)
Grease
Hardening (Spell Compendium)
Hidden Ward (Magic of Eberron)
Incendiary Slime (Complete Mage)
Invisibility
Levitate
Light
Magic Aura
Magic Mouth
Misdirection
Nondetection
Obscure Object
Polymorph Any Object
Profane Item (Complete Champion)
Ravenous Darkness (Complete Champion)
Refuge
Resinous Tar (Complete Mage)
Sacred Item (Complete Champion)
Sequester
Shrink Item
Silence
Suspended Silence (Spell Compendium)

Requires Specific Object
Arcane Lock
Cackling SkullPF (Ultimate Magic)
Fire Trap
Phantom Trap
Secret Page
Sepia Snake Sigil
Stolen LightPF (Pathfinder Society Field Guide)

[Khedrac]

Light
Silence
(Nystul's) Magic Aura
Invisibility
...

Basically this is every spell that can be cast onto an object that isn't instantaneous...

[Saintheart]

Forgotten Realms CS: a rune (per Rune Magic rules) when placed on an object doesn't turn the object into a magic item, the rune itself is the magic item - a temporary magical writing similar to a scroll.

A single object of Medium size or smaller can hold only one rune, but they don't define what an object is for the purposes of runemaking. Sovereign glue and buttons come in handy here.

Flame of Faith spell puts the flaming burst quality on a nonmagical weapon if I remember right.

[Deophaun]

Animate Objects
Arcane Mark
Augment Object (Stronghold Builder's Guide)
Blacklight (Spell Compendium)
Candlelight (Ghostwalk)
Celestial Brilliance (Book of Exalted Deeds)
Continual Flame
Darkness
Daylight
Deeper Darkness
Distracting Shadows (Magic of Eberron)
Dragoneye Rune (Dragon Magic)
Explosive Runes
Featherfall
Gem Tracer (Dragons of Faerun)
Ghost Lantern (Complete Mage)
Ghoul Glyph (Spell Compendium)
Glyph of Warding
Glyph of Warding, Greater
Glyph of Warding, Elder (Lords of Madness)
Grease
Hardening (Spell Compendium)
Hidden Ward (Magic of Eberron)
Incendiary Slime (Complete Mage)
Levitate
Magic Mouth
Misdirection
Nondetection
Obscure Object
Polymorph Any Object
Profane Item (Complete Champion)
Ravenous Darkness (Complete Champion)
Resinous Tar (Complete Mage)
Sacred Item (Complete Champion)
Sequester
Shrink Item
Suspended Silence (Spell Compendium)

Then you have spells that must be cast on specific objects, like Arcane Lock and Firetrap.

[Ruethgar]

People have different definitions on whether or not Kalimdor, Dragonlance, and Ravenloft books are true third party or slightly more official.

But if Ravenloft is allowed, Legacy of the Blood has Devices that are Extraordinary items that act like magic. I think the Master Dragonlance class also falls into that grey area and can boost an item’s mundane cost immensely by making it Legendary quality(5 time masterwork). Would need to double check(not 100% sure if it required magic items), but I think you could use the set bonus guidelines(I think from MIC)at that point to apply more effects via combination of multiple items.

I can’t remember all of the locations, but one of the craziest weapons I recall was an Elvencraft Bow Bladed Neck Bladed Lute Bow with four wand chambers. Used Lute Bow because lutes received two mundane boosts from different books, one gave you +1 effective bard level for bardic music(potentially granting a non bard bardic music) and the other let you have two songs active simultaneously. Otherwise use a longbow and wand chamber all four weapons.

Edit: The guidelines for magic item set creation are on page 194 of the MIC and while they don’t specify that the item must be magic, the title suggests they should be so a bit grey.

A fully legendary Elvencraft bow bladed close quarters bladed wand chambered mighty(+5) composite longbow would cost 9000 for legendary, +4 for bow blade, +200 for two close quarters blades, 600 for mighty, 600 for wand chambers, 300 for Elvencraft for 10,704g for a single mundane item before special materials. The set bonus rules might get a touch confused here, you could consider it one 10.7k item or six 1.6k items for a full set all in one but lesser set abilities.

[unseenmage]

Anyone know of an existing list of all the Symbol of x spells? Are there limitations to what size surface these can be scribed on?

Depending on the size of the surface Teleportation Circle could count.