Meld Magic Item

Players can get attached to the magical items that their characters acquire.  But, as those characters increase in level, sometimes they “outgrow” their favorite sword, staff, or armor.  One of my players developed this spell in 2^nd edition so he could take the abilities from new items he discovered and transfer them to his older gear.  When we converted to 3^rd and then 3.5, he wanted to make sure that the spell carried over as well so we sat down and worked out a “ritual” version based on rules in Unearthed Arcana.

Meld Magic Item

Transmutation

Effective Level: 8^th

Skill Check: Knowledge (Arcana) DC25 (1 success per item to be melded), Spellcraft DC25 (2 successes per spell used or enhancement bonus transferred from one item to the other)

Failure: Disenchantment of both items

Components: V, S, M, Xp, Backlash

Casting Time: 1 hour/transferred enchantment

Range: Touch

Duration: Permanent

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

This incantation draws the enchantments out of one magical item and combines them with the enchantments of a similar item to create one item with the combined powers of both.  To cast Meld Magic Item, the caster must draw an intricate Magic Circle (Knowledge – Arcana DC25) and place the items within the circle.  He may then begin drawing the enchantments out of one item (Spellcraft DC25) and place them in the target item (Spellcraft DC25).  This step is repeated for each “plus” of enhancement bonus and each spell that was used in the creation of the “donating” item.  After the enchantments have been moved to the target item, a second Knowledge – Arcana check DC25 is made to “seal” the transferred magic in place.

The items to be combined must be similar (both staves, both rings, both weapons, etc).  Single use magical items such as scrolls and potions or beads of force or the gems from a necklace of missiles cannot be combined.  If an item uses charges, then the total number of current charges is combined (if this takes an item over the maximum allowed, then the excess charges are lost).  All similar (resistance, enhancement, deflection, etc) bonuses overlap.  Additionally, there is a limit to how many magical items can be bonded in this manner.  Only one item/5 caster levels can be melded so this ritual is unusable by anyone of less than 10^th level.

            Material Component: Powdered silver worth 1,000 gp per level of the highest-level spell to be transferred. 

            Xp Cost: The caster of Meld Magic Item expends as much Xp as was used in the creation of the most expensive item.

            Backlash: The caster is exhausted after the ritual is completed.

            Failure: Two consecutive failures cause the magic of both items to unravel, completely disenchanting both in the process.

Now – using the post where a spellcaster combins the powers of Rothilion’s Staff of Justice and his Staff of Frost as an example, we will follow the process step-by-step from beginning to end.

Step One: The caster must draw an intricate Magic Circle (Knowledge – Arcana DC25) and place the items within the circle.

The wizard reaches into one of many pouches at his belt and draws forth a plain stick of chalk, a piece of gum arabic and some string.  He affixes the end of the string to the floor with the gum and passes a loop around the chalk.  He then draws a six-foot diameter circle upon the floor and peels up the gum and string and puts both away.  He fills in the edges of the circle with arcane script and sigils, making a pair of overlapping five-pointed stars within the inner edge of the circle.  He lights and places candles at the four points of the compass.  A yellow candle goes to the east, representing the element of air.  A red candle in the south follows, invoking the essence of fire.  To the west, a blue candle calls upon the endless power of water.  The last candle, a green one representing the solid dependability of earth, is placed at the north end of the circle.

Once all candles are lighted, the wizard rises and closes his eyes.  He pictures a cone of energy rising up through the ground and passing through his circle to join at a point in midair.  His hands at his sides, the elf begins to whisper, softly at first as he calls out to the spirits of this world.  His whispers gain in strength becoming spoken words and then shouted phrases.  He raises his arms to shoulder height; drawing in the power he envisioned and pours it forth into his magic circle.

He places the two staves in the center of the circle.  The first staff, with powers based in ice magic, once belonged to his mentor and when he died, the staff was passed on his former apprentice.  He then lays Rothilion’s Staff of Justice, pulled from a tomb in Myth Drannor just a few hours ago, across the center of Joseph’s staff.  He backs out of the circle once both weapons are in place and walks around it thrice to his left.  He then wills the circle closed, sealing the energy inside.

The mage sinks to the ground, sitting cross-legged and draws his dagger.  He uses the weapon to part the barrier without disrupting the magic within and leans forward.

WHAT THIS MEANS: The caster makes a Knowledge (Arcana) check.  He rolls a natural 20 on his check and draws the circle successfully.

Step Two: He may then begin drawing the enchantments out of one item (Spellcraft DC25) and place them in the target item (Spellcraft DC25).  This step is repeated for each “plus” of enhancement bonus and each spell that was used in the creation of the “donating” item. 

Opening his arcane sight, the elf begins to study the enchantments on both staves.  As his eyes sweep across Rothilion’s Staff, he cannot help but think how the enchantments tied to it are a good match for his needs.  He reaches out with one hand, getting a feel for the magic wrapped around wood of the ancient elf’s weapon and begins to pluck at the weaving.  After several minutes, he draws loose a loop of magical energy.  He takes that strand of magic and slips it around the end of his own diamond-capped staff.  For the next several minutes he picks and plucks, unraveling and weaving the spells from Rothilion’s Staff of Justice into the Staff of Frost.  He notes that Rothilion doubly enchanted only one end of his staff to serve as a weapon but the elf splits the magic, dividing it between both ends of his staff so they will be equally useful in close quarters fighting.

WHAT THIS MEANS: The caster makes a total of four Spellcraft checks at this point.  The first check draws the first point of enhancement bonus out of Rothilion’s Staff.  The second transfers the bonus into the target item.  The third and fourth checks repeat these steps.  Because the staff is a double weapon and each end must be enchanted separately, Shadow splits the points between both ends of the weapon.  He could have kept them together but then only one end of the target staff would be considered a magical weapon.  He rolls his d20 and gets a 6, a 17, a 10 and a 7.  Added to his Spellcraft score, each one of his checks is successful.

The powers Rothilion imbued his creation with come next.  Light is drawn forth as well as the ability to fire missiles of pure magical energy at foes.  The third spell coaxed out reveals invisible creatures and final allows the formation of a short-lived dimensional doorway that allows instantaneous transport to another place simply by stepping though it.

WHAT THIS MEANS: The caster makes eight more Spellcraft checks at this point.  The first check draws the first spell (in this case Light) out of Rothilion’s Staff.  The second transfers the bonus into the target item.  Each following check repeats these two steps for each spell and the Staff of Frost gains Magic Missile, See Invisibility and Dimension Door.  He rolls all of his checks, beating the target DC of 25 with each one and is ready to move on to the final step.

Step Three: After the enchantments have been moved to the target item, a second Knowledge – Arcana check DC25 is made to “seal” the transferred magic in place.

Legs trembling with sweat running down into his eyes, the wizard entwines the magic from Rothilion’s Staff into the one passed down to him.  Calling upon decades of arcane training, the elf anchors the loose strands of magic to the gemstones that cap either end of his own staff.  Satisfied that his work is complete, he rises to his feet, his legs and back protesting in agony as cramped muscles try to stretch.  The elf takes one step back and drags the end of the completed staff across the chalk line, dispersing and releasing the energy back into the earth and air. 

WHAT THIS MEANS: The caster makes another Knowledge (Arcana) check.  He rolls a natural 13+20 on his check for a result of 33 and successfully completes the ritual.

            Xp Cost: The caster of Meld Magic Item expends as much Xp as was used in the creation of the donating item(s).

            Backlash: The caster is exhausted after the ritual is completed.

He remains only long enough to gather his candles and place them in his pack before unbarring the door and staggering out into the street, using his newly crafted staff to support his steps.

WHAT THIS MEANS: The caster expends 2,261 Xp (1/25^th the base price of a Staff of Frost) and 4,000 gp (Dimension Door is a 4^th level spell x 1,000 gp/spell level) and is exhausted.