Artifact Spells
Today is the last day of Artifact Week at Necromancers of the Northwest, so naturally you probably can’t wait to go hunting down some artifacts. But, with divination magic rarely (if ever) working on these elusive and powerful magic items, how are you supposed to go about it? Well, we have a couple of thoughts on that matter in today’s article, plus a short but sweet spell that allows you to get the most out of your philosopher’s stone.
IDENTIFY ARTIFACT
School divination; Level bard 6, cleric 8, druid 9, inquisitor 6, occultist 6, psychic 8, shaman 9, sorcerer/wizard 8, witch 8
Casting Time 2d4 days
Components V, S, M (oils and reagents worth 1,000 gp)
Range touch
Target object touched
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will negates (object); Spell Resistance yes (object)
This powerful divination spell is able to pierce even the most occluded of auras, allowing it to provide accurate information about mighty artifacts, where other spells fail to do so. You immediately learn any and all magical properties of the touched object, including any curses it may bear, its magical properties, command words, how many charges it has remaining, and the method of destroying it, if a special method of destruction is required. This functions even on artifacts. This spell also automatically ignores the effects of any spell of 6th level or lower that would typically alter the result of an attempt to magically examine the object, such as magic aura or implant false reading (OA). During the casting, you cannot engage in anything other than routine activities: eating, sleeping, and so forth.
LOCATE ARTIFACT
School divination; Level bard 4, cleric 5, druid 6, inquisitor 4, occultist 4, psychic 5, shaman 6, sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 6
Casting Time see text
Components V, S, F (a specially-prepared dowsing rod worth at least 500 gp)
Range see text
Target one artifact
Duration see text
Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance see text
This powerful spell can determine the location of a single artifact that you are familiar with. You must have at least a name or a detailed physical description for the artifact, or the spell fails. Many aspects of the spell depend on how far you are from the specified artifact at the time the spell is cast, as outlined below.
More than 10 miles per caster level: If you are more than 10 miles per caster level from the artifact, or if the artifact is on a different plane than you are on when you cast the spell, the spell takes 8 hours to cast, and you receive a cryptic message or rhyme of up to 25 words that provides insight into where the artifact is located. Additionally, you gain a momentary vision of the artifact in its current location (as though with a scrying spell). This vision lasts only a few seconds, and the artifact is entitled to a Will save and spell resistance to prevent you from gaining the vision. Unlike a scrying spell, there are no modifiers to this saving throw based on your connection to the artifact, although if you have handled the artifact in the past, the artifact suffers a –2 penalty on its saving throw. This version of the spell is instantaneous and takes 8 hours to cast.
1 to 10 miles per caster level: If you are between 1 and 10 miles per caster level from the object, then this spell functions as find the path, except that it provides the most direct route to the artifact’s location, rather than to a prominent destination. The artifact is entitled to a Will save and spell resistance to negate the spell’s effect. If you have handled the artifact in the past, it suffers a –2 penalty on this saving throw. This version of the spell has a duration of 1 hour per caster level, and a casting time of 1 hour.
Less than 1 mile per caster level: If you are less than 1 mile per caster level from the object, this spell functions as locate object, except that it is not blocked by lead, polymorph any object, or nondetection, and the range is extended to be equal to 1 mile per caster level. The artifact is entitled to a Will save and spell resistance to negate the spell’s effect. If you have handled the artifact in the past, it suffers a –2 penalty on this saving throw. This version of the spell has a duration of 10 minutes per caster level, and a casting time of 10 minutes.
During the casting, you cannot engage in anything other than routine activities: eating, sleeping, and so forth. You can choose to abandon casting the spell at any time. You know when the spell has been successfully cast, even if you receive no information due to the artifact successfully resisting the spell.
PHILOSOPHER’S PRESERVATION
School transmutation; Level alchemist 6, bard 6, cleric 6, inquisitor 6, occultist 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, witch 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target touched quicksilver from a philosopher’s stone
Duration 24 hours
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This specialized spell allows one to magically preserve the magical liquid found only inside a philosopher’s stone, keeping it viable for use at a later date. The spell causes the liquid to remain potent for 24 hours, and resets the amount of time the liquid has before it spoils at the end of this time (so the liquid will always be good for 24 hours from the end of the spell’s duration). This spell has no effect on any other substance, even non-magical quicksilver.
An alchemist that prepares this spell as an extract can use it by mixing the extract with the quicksilver. This process is included in the normal action required to use the extract.