Custom Magic Items

While we present a fairly robust collection of magic items, you can never have too many implements for driving your enemies before you. To this end, the system below presents a workshop full of arcane secrets for creating and upgrading magical weapons, armor and shields... from your garden-variety flaming, freezing, electrical, acid swords to hideously spiked, almost-sentient walls on your arm and suits of shapeshifting platemail. This system also provides a toolbox for characters looking to enchant or upgrade their natural weapons, so long as they are willing to spend magic item slots on these enchantments as is normal.

Creating Custom Magic Items

Customized arms and armor, like other magic items of their type, have a normal set of mundane statistics, and a bonus to attack rolls or AC based on their Item Tier. Like any other magic item, a custom item’s Tier ranges from Lesser item to Artifact. For customized arms and armor, its Tier determines the number of points that may be spent on enchantments in creating the item.

• Lesser items: 1 point
• Greater items: 2 points
• Relic: 3 points
• Artifact: 4 points

Enchantments are magical enhancements and powers a custom item possesses. There are several important limitations on the use of enchantments: An enchantment may only be added to a given item once unless stated otherwise.

Each enchantment has a point cost which must be spent to add the enchantment to a magic item. Thus, for example, a custom Relic weapon could consist of three 1-point enchantments, a 2-point enchantment and a 1-point enchantment, or a single 3-point enchantment.

Each enchantment is labeled with one or more of the [Armor], [Shield, and [Weapon] tags to determine to which types of items it can be applied. For example, only an [Armor] enchantment can be added to a suit of armor, and if that enchantment also possesses the [Shield] tag, it could be applied to a shield instead.

Many enchantments are more powerful on equipment of higher tiers, listing different or additional effects for higher tiers of items. Other enchantments only list effects for high-tier items despite a lower point value. No enchantment may be added to an item of a lower tier than the lowest for which it lists effects. If multiple tiers are listed before a single effect – for example, "Lesser/Greater" – then the effect is the same for each of those tiers.

Even if a creature possesses more than one item with the same enchantment, they only gain the benefits of that enchantment once. However, if an enchantment has a limited number of uses per [Encounter] or [Scene], possessing multiple items with that enchantment grants an appropriate number of additional uses.

Upgrading Unique Items

As characters level up, they may find that their old items are less effective than they used to be. Using your old Blaze Bolter next to a party member who just moved up to an Oxidized Slab can be disappointing. The rules for customized equipment allow you to address this issue by upgrading magic weapons, armor, and shields – custom-generated or otherwise – by raising their item tier and adding enchantments.

To upgrade a piece of equipment, simply increase its Tier, increasing its attack or AC bonus appropriately, and add a number of points worth of enchantments equal to the allotment for its new tier, minus the allotment for its old tier. For example, to upgrade the aforementioned Blaze Bolter, a Greater item, to an Artifact, you would add 2 points' worth of enchantments since Artifacts gain 4 points of enchantments and Greater Items gain 2. The new abilities granted by these enchantments are in addition to all of the item's old abilities. Like most aspects of item acquisition, we leave the in-game process of upgrading items in this fashion to you.

Bear in mind that the abilities of existing magic items may not be as effective at higher tiers as similar low-value enchantments. Upgrading a unique weapon, suit of armor, or shield is an excellent way to keep your favorite toys relevant, but it has the potential to result in items that are weaker than expected for their Tier. Players should work closely with their GMs when upgrading an item to avoid shooting themselves in the foot.

Enchantments

1-Point Encantments

Name	Description	Armor	Shield	Weapon	Lesser	Greater	Relic	Artifact
Adept	This implement of combat doubles as a tool of your trade.	X	X	X		Choose one skill. You gain a +2 item bonus to that skill.	Choose two skills. You gain a +2 item bonus to those skills.	Choose three skills. You gain a +2 item bonus to those skills.
Dancing	The finely engraved embroidery truly conveys a sense of grace into your movements.	X	X	X	You may make an extra 5 ft step on your turn if you spend your move action doing anything other than moving.
Detecting	This item empathically "watches out" for you in a way - warning of impending danger.	X	X	X	You are always aware of whether or not there are any opponents in your [Melee] range, though this does not tell you their location.	You are always aware of whether or not there are any opponents in your [Close] range, though this does not tell you their location.	You are always aware of whether or not there are any opponents in your [Medium] range, though this does not tell you their location.
Energized	Your weapon festers with energy.			X	Choose [Fire], [Cold], [Acid], [Electricity], or [Force]. Whenever you deal damage with an attack using this weapon, you deal 2 additional energy damage with the chosen descriptor.	As Lesser, and either increase by 2 the damage with the chosen descriptor, or choose another descriptor and whenever you deal damage with an attack using this weapon, you deal 2 additional energy damage with the chosen descriptor.	As Greater, and either increase by 2 the damage with the one of chosen descriptors, or choose another descriptor and whenever you deal damage with an attack using this weapon, you deal 2 additional energy damage with the chosen descriptor.	As Relic, and either increase by 2 the damage with the one of chosen descriptors, or choose another descriptor and whenever you deal damage with an attack using this weapon, you deal 2 additional energy damage with the chosen descriptor.
Extradimensional	This weapon is always in your grasp, whether it exists at this precise moment or not.			X	You may call or dismiss this weapon at any time for no action cost, be it after being disarmed, during an attack action, or at any other point. When called, the weapon appears immediately in your hand, regardless of distance or planar boundaries. When dismissed, this weapon functionally ceases to exist until it is next called. As long as this weapon remains attuned to you, the Extradimensional enchantment functions as if you were wielding it.
Flesheater	Yuck.			X	Whenever you hit an opponent with an attack using this weapon, you may cause that miserable opponent to begin [Burning] from something far too gross to describe accurately.		As Lesser/Greater, and whenever you hit an opponent with an attack using this weapon, you may inflict the [Bleeding] condition on that opponent.
Flying	This armor grants the power of flight through means either obvious or not.	X					You gain the Fly movement mode and a +5 ft bonus to your movement speed.
Forceful	You can focus on this item to unleash a whirlwind of concussive force.	X	X	X	Once per [Encounter] as a standard action, you may inflict [HP reduction] equal to your level + KOM on all opponents within [Melee] range and knock them [Prone]. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your level + your KOM) negates the [Prone] condition.		Once per [Encounter] as a standard action, you may inflict [HP reduction] equal to your level + KOM on all opponents within [Close] range and make them [Blown away]. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your level + your KOM) negates the [Blown away] condition.
Masterwork	You'll notice that it shines. Also, it glistens.	X	X	X	This item's item bonus to AC or attack rolls is increased by one if it is armor or a weapon; its deflection bonus to AC is increased by one if it is a shield.
Neutralizing	Every blow with the weapon puts you in a better position.			X	Whenever you hit an opponent with an attack using this weapon, you gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC against that opponent for one [Round]. This bonus stacks with itself up to a maximum of 1, + 1 per six character levels you possess.
Resilient	The plated metal is comforting, flexible, and unnaturally sturdy.	X	X		You gain a +1 item bonus to any one save.	You gain a +1 item bonus to any two saves.	You gain a +1 item bonus to all saves.	You gain a +2 item bonus to all saves.
Seeking	This weapon is perfectly happy to do the work for you.			X	Whenever you hit with an attack using this weapon, you may forgo your base damage and all damage from feats, abilities, and effects, dealing physical damage equal to your level + KOM, plus any damage from weapon properties or enchantments, instead.
Sophisticated	It's the kind of weapon you could take out to a fancy party.			X	Choose one weapon property. This weapon gains that weapon property, and if you so choose, it also gains the [Arcane] weapon property. These choices are permanent and cannot be made again if you stop using this weapon and use it again later. This does not allow you to add [Barbed] to a natural weapon.		Choose two weapon properties. This weapon gains those weapon properties, and if you so choose, it also gains the [Arcane] weapon property. These choices are permanent and cannot be made again if you stop using this weapon and use it again later. This does not allow you to add [Barbed] to a natural weapon.
Streamlined	Small clockwork fixtures hidden inside this armor enhance your movements.	X			You gain a +10 ft bonus to your movement speed.	You gain a +15 ft bonus to your movement speed.	You gain a +20 ft bonus to your movement speed.	You gain a +25 ft bonus to your movement speed.
Traveler's	You can go pretty much anywhere in this set of armor.	X			You gain the constant benefits of the endure elements spell, the Swim movement mode, and moving out of a square of difficult terrain does not cost you extra movement.
Variable	Perfect for the general weapons master on the go.			X	Once per [Round] as a free action you may cause this weapon to lose all of its weapon properties except for any weapon properties granted by abilities or temporary effects, and then gain a number of weapon properties equal to the number it lost, minus one if it lost the [Arcane] weapon property.
Vital	This item offers protection at a fundamental level.	X	X	X		You gain an item bonus to your maximum hit points equal to your level.