Arcane Devices

Arcane devices are temporary magic items infused with powers. Creating them requires the Artificer Edge, time, and Power Points.

Arcane devices may be technological, sacred, enchanted, diabolic or even psychically powered objects, depending on the creator’s Arcane Background.

Creating one takes one hour per power that can be activated through it. The player lists which powers are imbued in the device when he creates it, then invests it with as many of his Power Points as he wishes. These points are lost to the artificer until 48 hours passes, they’re transferred back (see below), or the device is used—at which point they may be recovered by the artificer normally.

Players are encouraged to be creative here—enchanting a rope with telekinesis to make a temporary rope of climbing, speed to make boots of speed, or smite to make an enchanted sword.

Activation

The creator rolls his arcane skill when using the device, regardless of its form. Others use whatever skill is best associated with the device’s form—guns use Shooting, grenades use Athletics (throwing), and so on. If there is no obvious skill, such as for a potion or worn item, the character rolls the inventor’s arcane skill as if it were his own (but does not benefit from any of the creator’s Edges or other abilities, however).

Failure to activate the device costs one Power Point as usual, and a Critical Failure causes whatever effects are normally associated with the crafter’s Arcane Background!

Power Modifiers: A device’s user may spend its Power Points for any Power Modifiers he chooses, including Epic Power Modifiers if the artificer had the Epic Mastery Edge when he made it.

Limitations: Arcane devices may benefit from Limitations.

Transferring Power Points: Arcane devices don’t recharge. A creator may transfer up to five Power Points per action between an arcane device and her own pool, either to or from the device as long as she’s in physical contact with it.

Example: Red is a cleric tasked with escorting a young prince to his coronation. Along the way, Red uses her Artificer Edge to imbue the prince’s breastplate with the protection and deflection powers, both with the Self Limitation (which reduces the cost of deflection by 1). She invests 4 Power Points into his armor, enough to activate both spells and maintain them once. It takes her two hours to do so (an hour for each power). When the prince wishes to activate one of the powers (or both as a Multi-Action), he rolls Red’s Faith die and his own Wild Die. Red also gives the young prince a “smoke grenade,” a glass orb filled with magical smoke (the darkness power). She invests 4 Power Points into it, enough to throw the grenade with the True Darkness Power Modifier. When the prince wants to activate it, he rolls Athletics. Red has invested 8 Power Points total into the prince’s armor and grenade, and can’t get them back until she recovers the devices or 48 hours have passed, when they lose their magical charge.