8/8/2019 Identifying Magic Items

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Identifying Magic Items

The following systemwas created forprogressively

identifying magicitems. It allows the'identify' spell to be

used as a cantrip andwith increasingly morevaluable gems to gain

more and moreinformation on items.

It also creates aprofession for

identifiers and usesknowledge(arcana) as

a way of recognizingmagics as well.

DM's guide hascategories for Minor,Medium & Major -

these will be a basepoint for where tocategorize items,

stacking enchantmentswill push things

upward. Ultimatelymuch of this will be

DM discretion, but thiswill serve as a rough

guide.

Item type/ Value Identify SpellProfession Check(identifier)/

Knowledge (arcana)

MinorNo materialcomponent

DC 25/30

Medium 100 GP gem DC 30/35

Major 500 GP gem DC 35 /40

Artifact/15,000

GP1,000 GP gem DC 40/45

40,00 GP and up 3,000 GP gem DC 45/50

DC are based on the assumption of always taking 20 as someone studies an item

carefully over a long period of time - at a certain point with high level items it willget VERY difficult to find someone who would recognize them. I like the idea ofidentify being almost a cantrip for more mundane magics - it should be (IMO) - itmakes the mage a more valued member of the team

So the party mage blows the cantrip (if you got em use em) and you learn the firstlayer, but know there is more - then you start burning up gems in progressivelygreater value (and a lost day to get the spell back) - each day you are bummed youdon't know the WHOLE story but excited that it is even better than you anticipated

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- this seems like it would be fun, if it gets annoying then we can change the rules sothe cantrip would reveal the level of pearl necessary (but that seems tooo easy). Inpractice this will work something like this

cantrip/profession 25/knowledge appraise 30: this is a very strong magic sword,not cursed, but very powerful

100gp pearl/profession 30/knowledge appraise 35: this is a +3 sword, but there ismore to it than that...

500 gp pearl/profession 35/knowledge appraise 40: this is a +3 sword with anextra 1d6 fire damage, but it seems to be hunting something

1000 gp pearl/profession 40/knowledge appraise 45: This is the legendary OgreConqueror, forged ages ago in the heart of volcano Brisadoor in an attempt to helpfree the Dwarven lands of the ogre menace (what ogre menace you ask?... hmmm...

guess it worked) it is a +3 flaming sword w/1d6 fire damage that does doubledamage against Ogres

Realistically the wielder of the sword would have probably picked up on the fireenchantment long before the first pearl - pretty much the first time she madekobold kabobs she'd have a sense of the fire enchantment, but not the +'s or the firedamage and certainly could go years (and slay many ogres) before the nature ofthe ogre enchantment was known, quite possibly she could develop a reputation asan Ogre slayer without ever knowing (just lucky I guess) it was the sword... I likethat idea ;) ...