Usable both by Arcane Enchanters and GMs and players building Signature Items, these rules may be used to quantify just how much an enchanted magic item costs. These rules stand apart and do not stack with technowizardry or super-tech construction. Wild Card PC Enchanters are limited to their power list, just like Wild Card PC Techno-Wizards.
Signature Items are not limited to any particular power list.
Signature Item Example
Splugorth Slaver’s Net Gun
- Type of Item: A bulky alien looking rifle
- Enchantments (Two Major, Two Minor): Entangle, Power Mastery Edge, +5 PPE, +5 PPE
- P.P.E.: 15
- Trait: Shooting
- Trappings: Throws a glowing blue mystical net over a subject or area. The user can flip a selector switch to choose between single or group capture as well as normal or mega power usage for each.
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Enchanted ItemArcane Craftsmen are weird scientists using Arcane Background (Enchanting). Any Arcane Craftsman can make enchanted items. Crafting an enchanted item is a fairly straightforward process, though not quick.
- Note: The Arcane Artificer edge tree from Shaintar offers similar abilities, but is more edge intensive. It works from more traditional magical types, however, and that has its own quality that is included in the balance. The Arcane Artificer edge from Shaintar (only available to Shaintar based characters) would allow basic enchanted item creation, as well as minor upgrades, as per these rules at the Novice and Seasoned ranks. Instead of automatically opening up at higher ranks, the character must have Enchant to create major upgrades (at the Veteran and Heroic levels). The final upgrade slot for Legendary is only unlocked with Improved Enchant. It is worth noting that they can be used all the time, and not just at advances. Their items also lose the Malfunction requirement due to the more available magical energy on Rifts Earth. This brings them in line with the items created by these rules.
Base Enchanted Item
Not all enchanted items have powers or extra trappings. Some are simply magic swords. Choose an item that has the appropriate effect (i.e. a vibro-sword for a mega-damage magical melee weapon or stealth suit from the Sci-Fi Companion for a cloak of shadows) and say it works by enchantment instead of technology. Generally this works with all melee weapons, wands and staves (pistols and rifles re-trapped), armor, and even golems (power armor, robots and robot vehicles). A hover cycle might become a magic carpet, etc. Cost is based on the original item. Other items will have to be adjudicated by the GM for cost.
- Build Roll: The Arcane Craftsman makes a roll using the lower of Knowledge (Engineering), Knowledge (Arcana), or the Enchanting Skill; this is the standard roll for Enchanted Item design and is called a Build roll. On a failure, the time and parts are wasted, but on a success the enchanted item is complete. If the Craftsman gets a raise, he may add one Minor Upgrade (see below). Melee weapons can be converted to enchanted devices, but have little impact unless Minor Upgrades are applied, except that they count as magical against creatures vulnerable to such. note these devices are "always on" and require no external power to function.
Minor Upgrades add a small magical benefit to an enchanted item. Adding a Minor Upgrade to a enchanted item costs 5,000 credits in parts and requires 3d12 hours. Enchanted item are limited to a number of slots based on the enchanter's rank, shown in the chart below.
- Novice: One Minor Quality
Seasoned: Two Minor Qualities
Veteran: One Major Quality, Two Minor Qualities
Heroic: Two Major Qualities, Two Minor Qualities
Legendary: Four Major Qualities, Two Minor Qualities
- +1 to a specific Trait roll appropriate to the item.
+1 damage to a weapon.
+2 armor to armor, shield, or clothing.
+1 Parry to a shield or close combat weapon.
+5 stored PPE only usable to activate item or its features. †
Halve the weight of the item (quarter if taken twice).
Apply an arcane Trapping to the device.
Other Minor Upgrades as allowed by the GM.
Starting at Veteran Rank, Arcane Craftsmen can add more powerful abilities to enchanted items. Enchantment takes 2d6 days + 1d6 per 10,000 credit cost of the Major Upgrade. Cost depends on the specific upgrade (listed below). The Arcane Craftsmen makes a Build roll (lowest of Knowledge: Engineering, Knowledge: Arcana, and Enchanting) but at −4 for a Major Upgrade. Failure wastes the time and parts; success installs the upgrade; on a raise, the Arcane Craftsmen may choose to add a Minor Upgrade and then only if the enchanted item has a space to add one.
- Add a power to device (Cost: 20,000 credits per Rank of power).* # &
Add an Edge to device (Cost: 20,000 credits per Rank of Edge).* &
+1 die type to a specific Trait appropriate to the item (Cost: 10,000 credits).
+10 stored PPE only usable to activate item or its features(Cost: 30,000 credits).†
Other Major Upgrades as allowed by the GM (Cost: Varies).
† An enchanted item which stores PPE recharges automatically over time. If solely from Powers or Minor Upgrades, the enchanted item gains 1 PPE per hour. If any PPE is gained from a Major Upgrade, the item recharges 1 PPE per 30 minutes.
# Availability of powers is limited to the craftsman's power list.
& Master of Magic is not generally useful on an enchanted item. Instead use the Power Mastery edge (see house rules)