Magic Items

There are several types of magical items in common use by PCs. The most common are Alchemical Items, Potions & Oils, Wands, Clothing & Armor, and Weapons & Tools (this category includes wands, but they have enough special rules to be considered separate). While all of these items are considered equipment, and have Load values, many are also Consumable, having limited uses per caper. Consumables that are part of a character's permanent equipment list are refreshed after each caper, but consumables that PCs gained through Acquire Asset downtime actions are not refreshed. If you have any magical items like potions, wands, or alchemical items, you may use a Bandolier (1 Load item), which can carry up to three items. Any such items over and above that are 1 Load apiece. The standard Bandolier is different than an Artificer's bandolier; an Artificer's bandolier does not need to be stocked with specific items ahead of time; the standard bandolier is only to reduce load for small items.

If you come across magical items during a caper, you might not know what they do. Certain abilities and spells can identify items and trial-and-error can give you some idea. Any unknown magic items the crew possesses get identified at the beginning of downtime.

To craft a magical item, you need to know the recipe or formula, and successfully make a Crafting roll with a downtime activity. In addition, you must spend Coin equal to the item's Tier, over and above any Coin you spend for the Artifice roll to craft it.

To learn a formula, you must Study it as a long-term project. Most new formulas or designs will require an 8-segment progress clock to invent and learn. If you can find or purchase an existing schematic for the item, you gain +1 effect level every time you roll to learn it.

Alchemical items, such as Tanglefoot Bags, Alchemist's Fire, and Holy Water, are semi-mundane consumable items that are generally cheap and easy to replace, so they tend to have more uses than potions, and are replenished after each caper. Depending on the item and how it's used, it might require an Action roll to use, such as Skirmish or Finesse to throw a tanglefoot bag at an enemy spellcaster, Wreck to use alchemist's fire to light a destructive blaze, or Study to administer an Antitoxin to heal a poison. The Action skill used might differ depending on circumstances, as will the position and effect.

Alchemical items can be purchased or gained through Crafting (if you know the recipe and succeed on an Craft downtime action) or Acquire Asset (these are single-use, though, and do not replenish). If you craft an item, you gain one use of it per caper. You can produce more of an item with an additional Craft action, giving you one additional use per caper.

Here is a list of possible alchemical items you can use, along with their Tier:

• Acid (I): Can be used to dissolve a small object, or thrown to deal a small amount of acid damage.
• Alchemist's Fire (I): Can be thrown to start a fire in an area, or set a person on fire.
• Alchemist's Frost (II): Can be used to deal a small amount of cold damage, or freeze a small area. It can also instantly put out a small fire.
• Antitoxin (I): You can drink (or administer) an Antitoxin to take +2d to resist poisons for about an hour.
• Holy Water (I): Can be thrown to deal damage to undead and fiends. The glass vial doesn't break when it impacts with an incorporeal creature (like a ghost), so you need to be close enough to pour the water onto such a creature. Holy water can also sometimes be used to cleanse and purify small objects by immersing them.
• Noxious Smokestick (II): Similar to a regular smokestick, but the smoke is extremely foul-smelling (applies Level 2 harm Nauseated).
• Smokestick (I): When thrown, fills a small room (or similar area) with thick, opaque smoke. The smoke dissipates naturally with normal air currents, and a moderate wind will disperse it much faster.
• Sunrod (I): A sunrod glows brightly for several hours. The light is considered sunlight, and affects anyone with sensitivity or vulnerability to sunlight accordingly.
• Tanglefoot Bag (II): Can be thrown to coat a creature with a thick goo that binds and hardens quickly, lasting for a minute or so before becoming brittle and fragile. It takes some effort to cut away or burst through the goo, and it's difficult or impossible to move, fly, or cast spells while entangled.
• Thunderstone (II): Can be thrown to create a very loud bang, which is enough to deafen a few creatures close to the blast for an hour or so. Deafened creatures have a hard time noticing sounds (obviously), communicating, and casting spells.

Potions and Oils are specific spell effects stored in liquid form. Most spells cast at a range or that can be resisted cannot be made into potions.

Potions and Oils are identical in cost and ease of access, but potions are consumed, and oils are applied to objects (or warforged). It doesn't usually require an Action roll to use a potion on yourself, your equipment, or a nearby ally, unless there are risky circumstances (like trying to remain stealthy, or you are falling or underwater).

Unlike alchemical items, potions are single-use and are not replenished between capers. To acquire one, you must purchase (price is equal to Tier+1 Coin) or use an Acquire Asset or Craft downtime action. The Tier of a potion is equal to its spell level+1. In order to craft it, you need to know its recipe, or know the spell.

Some items are treated like potions, but don't directly duplicate spell effects (or are used in other ways besides ingestible potions). Here are a few examples, listed with their Tier:

• Feather-fall Token (II): When you snap the token in half while falling, your speed is drastically reduced for several seconds, or until you touch the ground.
• Tree Token (III): When you utter the command word, a large oak tree springs in to being, rooted wherever the token is placed.
• Elixer of Love (II): When you drink the elixer, the first humanoid creature you see becomes charmed (though it's possible for them to resist it). The effect wears off after a few hours.
• Dust of Tracelessness (III): When you toss this dust in the air, it coats a medium-sized room to be covered in dust and grime as if it had been abandoned for years. Sprinkling the dust along a trail can conceal footprints and other evidence of passage for a dozen or so people.
• Silversheen (II): When applied to a weapon or handful of ammunition, it has the properties of silver for an hour or so.
• Dust of Dryness (II): When the dust is thrown into water, a volume of up to 100 gallons is absorbed by the dust, which compacts into a marble-sized pellet. If the pellet is thrown, it breaks and releases all the water at once.
• Salve of Slipperiness (II): When you coat a creature with this salve, they become impossible to grab, tie up, web, or shackle. When you smear it on a floor or steps, the surface is covered in long-lasting grease.
• Sovereign Glue (III): Permanently bond two things together. The bond takes a moment to set, and covers about 1 square foot of surface area.
• Universal Solvent (II): Can immediately dissolve magical substances, including sovereign glue, salve of slipperiness, and others.
• Elixer of Fire Breath (II): allows the user to breathe a powerful gout of flame, once within the next hour or so.
• Dust of Appearance (II): When thrown into the air, this dust can cover a small room, revealing invisible creatures, illusions, and other visual distortions. If a creature is coated with it, they are unable to hide or turn invisible for several minutes.

Wands are used in Sharn for a wide variety of effects; virtually any spell you can find can be in wand form. Anyone with even a minor amount of magical talent can use one (you need at least one point in Cast to use it). A wand of first level or higher can be used twice per caper (recharging at the beginning of downtime), and a cantrip wand has unlimited uses.

The Tier of a wand (to determine the difficulty of a Craft or Acquire Asset roll, or its purchase price) is equal to its spell level +2. To craft a wand, you need to know the recipe, or know the spell.

Clothing & Armor are (generally) items that can be worn for some magical effect, either passively, or by speaking a command word.

Here is a list of sample clothing & armor. Items are listed with their quality level, followed by the load value:

• Hat of Disguise (II/1): Allows you to alter your appearance at will, including clothing and equipment. Does not grant the abilities or mannerisms of the new form, or alter perceived tactile or audible properties of you or your equipment.

• Arcane Goggles (I/1): Allows you to detect magic at will. Allows you to determine the school of any magical effects you see without rolling, as well as giving you increased effect when identifying spells or effects.

• Cloak of Elvenkind (II/1): You gain potency on Prowl rolls when attempting to move unseen.

• Ring of Feather Fall (II/0): You gain the benefits of Feather Fall any time you fall more than 5 feet.

Weapons and Tools are (generally) handheld items that can be activated for some magical effect, either by using it normally, or by speaking a command word.

Here is a list of sample weapons and tools. Items are listed with their quality level, followed by the load value:

• Magical Weapon (II/1 or 2): A standard one- or two-handed weapon that's enchanted to have increased effect, especially against creatures resistant to nonmagical attacks.

• Bag of Tricks (I/1): Once per caper, summon a tiny animal that follows your spoken (basic) commands for 10 minutes.

• Bag of Holding (II/0): A magical sack that can carry 2 Load worth of items for free.