Magic Items On some worlds, magic items are a shop away at a convenient city or wizard’s cabal On others, they are the stuff of legend, forged in mysterious ways from impossible materials for only the most powerful of beings Whatever their rarity, magic items remain a staple of fantasy in some form or another Fantasian Orbs Fantasian orbs are a type of magic item, like wands, rings, or potions They have a variety of uses depending on their nature, but are often used to augment creatures and items (magical and non-magical) Unlike other magic items, orbs are not created, but have formed naturally in remote places throughout the cosmos Physical Description: Orbs are crystalline in form and vary widely in color They can be smooth or shard-like (but are always referred to as orbs in the game context) An orb’s weight is considered negligible Orbs have AC 24, 10 hit points, and hardness Activation: Orbs can be used by anyone To apply and activate an orb, the orb must be pressed against an appropriate object or creature as a full-round action Removing an orb is also a fullround action, but the creature it is being removed from must be willing or the object must be unattended A creature or object can usually have no more than one orb applied at a time Breaking or destroying an object will instantly remove an orb currently applied to it Creation: Orbs are not so much created as they are mined and extracted in relevant locations Anyone can mine and extract an orb Doing so requires the expenditure of materials equal to half orb’s price, followed by day of work for every 1,000 gp in materials spent Finally, a successful skill check relevant to the orb’s nature must be made to pinpoint its location (usually at a DC 20) If successful, the orb is found If unsuccessful, no orbs are found and all materials and labor are lost in the attempt Relevant skill checks required to locate an orb include Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), and Profession (miner), but gems located in unusual locations may allow for different skill checks, subject to GM approval Sometimes, a Fantasian orb can be found in the body of a powerful elemental or other creature with potent magic (treat the orb as treasure), or crafted from the soul of a powerful being using Craft Wondrous Item and the creation rules described above Casting imprison or magic jar each day when creating an orb in this way grants a +5 bonus on the relevant skill check once the crafting is complete Unless the creature is willing and agrees to become an orb, crafting an orb in this way is considered an evil act, as it prevents the creature from being resurrected or passing on to the afterlife If the orb is destroyed, the soul moves on and the creature cannot be returned to life without a miracle or wish Special Qualities: Because orbs are pieces of raw power and magic, often possessing multiple applications, special qualities can differ from orb to orb (see table) Fantasian Orb Descriptions Magic orbs come in many different varieties, each of which is classified by its type and category The use of a magic orb is referred to as its application and effect The following tables detail each orb’s type, category, application, effect, and market price There are currently different categories of Fantasian orb Magic orbs also have sub-categories 146 Magic: While not inherently more common, magic orbs are found more frequently than other categories because of how many different varieties there are These orbs grant specific benefits that can potentially be found in other magic items Because of their versatility, they are more expensive, but especially useful in their individual application There are subcategories of magic orbs used to designate rarity and strength— Epsilon, Delta, Gamma, Beta, and Alpha • Alpha: Alpha orbs are the strongest magic orbs They have absorbed as much magic as an orb possibly can, causing them to be unstable and incredibly difficult to locate without much time and resources spent Even the best scholars have been known to take years to determine the resting place of a single alpha orb • Beta: For most mortals, a beta orb is the best they’ll ever attempt to find, taking only a couple months on average to locate and acquire While it does take time away from adventuring, the reward of gathering these orbs is often worth it even to high-level adventurers • Gamma: Between quests, mid-to-high-tier adventurers will sometimes seek out a gamma orb that can aid them in a particular situation, such as finding a holy orb to challenge a necromancer, or a sky orb before braving a nest of shocker lizards Villages often covet these orbs when found and build their society around them • Delta: The hero of a town may find herself rewarded with a delta orb as thanks for her aid While not overtly powerful, these orbs are no less useful in the right situations Their effects are especially of help to adventurers just making a name for themselves • Epsilon: Epsilon orbs are the weakest of the magic orbs They are mined while their power is still in its infancy While they are easier to find than any other orb, they also not convey as much magical ability In addition, there are 10 known types of magic item • Chaos: Chaos orbs are mined in strange places where reality is in a constant state of flux, such as chaos gates or the rifts opened between realities • Earth: Earth orbs are mined in geological regions rich in magical activity, such as dwarven strongholds or forgotten cave networks They can be crafted from the hearts of earth elementals • Fire: Fire orbs are mined in volcanic regions and can be crafted from the hearts of fire elementals • Holy: Holy orbs are mined in sacred places blessed by the powers of good Creatures with the good subtype (like angels) will sometimes give their lives to create a holy orb they believe will be used to aid others • Horror: Horror orbs are mined in places infused with fear and undeath Rumors persist of powerful liches who use horror orbs as phylacteries and occasionally become trapped within • Ice: Ice orbs are mined in oceanic regions and frozen wastes The frozen heart of a water elemental could also be crafted into such an orb • Law: Law orbs are not mined, but manufactured by the authorative forces of Law • Shadow: Shadow orbs are mined in the darkest of places and occasionally crafted within the plane of shadow, although the methods of creation remain unknown • Sky: Sky orbs are mined in clouds or crafted from the heart of air elementals • Unholy: Unholy orbs are mined in profane places tainted by the powers of evil