Exalted – Thaumaturgic Artifice

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Charles’s artifact designs tend to heavily optimized – and also designed primarily for non-exalts. Exalts, after all, generally have more than enough power to take care of themselves. They don’t need minor artifacts to help them. Here then are two of his latest notions for helping out the god-blooded students at his school.

Least Rune Weapons:

Least Rune Weapons are the sort of thing that’s generally created by crafter-gods for heroic mortals and god-bloods with influential divine patrons. They are beautifully-wrought, generally slender and lightweight, and are generally wrought of iridescent blue steel, engraved with feather-winged serpents with runes and symbols picked out in tiny shards of gems. While they aren’t overwhelmingly potent magical weapons – unlike most of the greater artifacts – they don’t require an active essence pool to use either. Charles, of course, is designing the best possible Least Rune Weapons to be found. According to HIS designs they are:

• Perfect: They offer the usual equipment bonuses of “perfect” weapons (two +1’s and a +2 to be divided between Accuracy, Damage, Defense, and Rate – although Rate can only be increased by +1) (Free).
• Equipped with a single Hearthstone Socket: (Free).
• Warding. These weapons can subtract three levels, to a minimum of zero, from the final damage the user takes from any effect up to three times per scene – albeit only once per effect. This will not, however, stack with similar defenses (Class-0 Fortune Effect).
• Bonded. These weapons can maintain a mystical link with an external source of power – whether that’s an entity (which can communicate with the user, transmit powers through the weapon, and – if capable of becoming immaterial and not otherwise restrained – travel to it), place (in which case the user can draw upon that place as if he or she was within it), or device (in which case the user may draw on it as if he or she was in contact with it). The link can be changed, or renewed in a few moments if dispelled, but such weapons can only maintain one link at a time (Class-0, Linking Effect).
• Collapsible: These weapons can all collapse into small, easily-concealed, forms (Class-A).
• Unbreakable: These weapons cannot be destroyed save by truly grotesque abuse or major directed magical acts: (Class-A).
• Self-Powered: These weapons require a few minutes, but no motes or will, to attune (Class-A).

Design: Power 3, Usefulness 3, Plot Impact 1, Script Immunity 1, Troublesome -1 (unsubtle essence auras disrupt the weapon’s thaumaturgic effects; they can only be used by enlightened mortals, god-blooded, and those with veiled exaltations or natures), and Components -3 (forging a Least Rune Weapon requires the use of small quantities of Ambrosia – generally limiting their creation to Yu-Shan). Net Artifact Rating = (8-4)/4 = 1

Greater Rings of Thaumaturgic Mastery:

Embodying a carefully-selected set of the most powerful, useful, and versatile, thaumaturgic effects and enhancements available to an exalted grandmaster of thaumaturgy, Greater Rings of Thaumaturgic Mastery are designed for the use of mortals and near-mortals. They’re rather ornate rings, engraved with the sigil of magical mastery and a selection of complex runes. Not entirely by coincidence, they look like symbols of membership in some secret lodge or order. Their features include:

• A Hearthstone Socket: These rings may mount one Hearthstone (Free).
• Self-Powered: These rings require only one committed essence mote (or, for those without essence pools, a committed will point) to attune (Class-A).
• Mastery of the Thaumaturgic Arts: The wearer may invoke up to three thaumaturgic effects per day without having to expend motes or will. They do, however, have to provide the relevant skills and knowledge themselves (Class-A).
• Can invoke a Thaumaturgic Science Effect: The wearer may expend two motes (or a use of Mastery of the Arts) to telekinetically perform an hours simple work, such as sorting and filing, cleaning, cutting wood, weeding a garden, and so on. Sadly, this will not accomplish magical tasks other than alchemy and cannot be used on anyone above essence one who wishes to resist; you can clean up small children, but not remove an Exalt’s armor (Class-A).
• Maintains a Specific Thaumaturgic Science Effect: The rings create a telekinetic force field which provides +6L/6B armor and blocks ping damage up to that limit. The shield can be dispelled normally, but will reactivate in six ticks as long as the ring remains attuned. Class-A).
• Provides Thaumaturgical Good Fortune: The rings provide their user with +3 bonus dice to any roll he or she makes. Sadly, this does not stack with other die-adding effects from charms, spells, or artifacts, although it does stack with equipment quality bonuses (Class-B).
• Provide Lesser Spell Storing. The rings can store three thaumaturgic effects, ready for immediate use (Class-B).

Design: Power 4, Usefulness 5, Plot Impact 1, Script Immunity 1, Troublesome -1 (unsubtle essence auras disrupt the rings effect; they can only be used by enlightened mortals, god-blooded, and those with veiled exaltations or natures), and Components -2 (requires gem powders, jade, and orichalcum, to represent excellence). Net Artifact Rating = (11-3)/4 = 2

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• The Chronicles of Heavenly Artifice, Part IV (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
• The Chronicles of Heavenly Artifice, Part II (ruscumag.wordpress.com)
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