Magical Items

Magical Item Domains & Compatibility

Universal Magical Compatibility Rule – Only the single, most potent item, in a given domain will function upon a person negating lesser items in the process.

Defensive – this common domain contains magical armors, shields, helmets, and similar defensive magical items. A +2 magical shield (NSA) and Dragon Scale Armor are good examples. Any item designed to defend a person from taking damage falls into this domain (read as Damage Reduction). Magical enchantments often enhance the mundane protective value of these defensive items.

Deflection – this domain encompasses items that deflect harm often making the wearer harder to hit. Such items do not provide damage reduction or resistance bonuses. They enhance agility, magically deflect harm, or hide the wearer. Examples include Bracers of Defense, Cloak of Displacement, or Boots of Speed. Read as Armor Class boosting items.

Protection – this domain encompasses items that provide some type of protection but are not inherently defensive in nature. Examples of protection items include, Protection Rings, Cloaks of Protection, and Amulets of Protection. Virtually any item that provides protection through magic only falls into this domain. These items can augment both Damage Resistance and/or Armor Class.

Resistance – this domain contains items that grant damage reduction or bonuses to resistance rolls based on specific types of damage. Examples include Potions of Acid Resistance and Ring of Fire Resistance. Any type of item that negates damage or increases the wearer’s chances to resist damage falls into this domain.

Offensive (Physical) – this domain contains an assortment of weapon, arrows, bolts, and even siege missiles. Examples include +2 arrows, +3/+4 sword versus enchanted creatures, or a Mace of Disruption. Virtually any physical item, typically used to cause damage, that has been enchanted to be more effective falls into this category.

Offensive (Energy) – this domain contains offensive magical items that project energy such as fire, frost, or lighting to cause damage. Examples include A Wand of Lighting, Staff of Fire, or a Ring of Telekinesis. Any item that projects a force or energy can be placed into this domain.

Curing/Mending/Healing – this domain contains items that heal or restore health. Items that regenerate health or mend broken object also fall into this domain. Examples include Healing Potions, Rings of Regeneration, and Rod of Restoration. Any item that promotes healing, restores health, or repairs objects falls into this domain.

Mental – this domain is reserved for magical items that influence the mind, thoughts, and emotions. Examples include Rings of Domination, Rod of Beguiling, or a Potion of Dragon Control.

Translocation – this domain encompasses magical items that summon, banish, or transport objects, people, or creatures. Examples include Circles of Teleportation, Summoning Circles, or a Wand of Conjuration. Any magical item that transports materials from place to place falls into this domain.

Transformation - this domain focuses on the alteration of physical and energy forces. Polymorphs, alterations, and transformation spells and rituals fall under this category.

Enhancement – this domain focuses on granting bonuses to Stats, Skill, Talents, Magic, Psionics, or just about anything else. This category simply enhances what already exists – no new powers or abilities. New skills, because they are often teamed up with natural stats, can be gained in this category.

Creation – this rare magical domain focuses on creatures, objects, or structures that have been created from magic. This category is often confused with transformation, but is quite different in that magical energy is responsible for the creation not creatures, objects, or structures that already exist. The creation of magical energy-based creatures also fall into this category.

Special Rule – items with multiple functions can fall into different domains. In these cases, the most potent power of the item in question determines the item’s primary domain. In situations where such a determination cannot be made logically, the GM will decide the primary domain of a given item.

Note: other magical domains exist, based on the whim of the GM, those listed here are the most common.

Potion Miscibility

Potion Miscibility is a special case with respect to magical items. In other fantasy games, consuming multiple potions at the same time had a chance to cause adverse effects or death. Potion miscibility was used to retard or penalize the use of multiple potions at once because a consumer could become a powerhouse by drinking the right potions during a given encounter. As a result, multiple potions had a way of unbalancing encounters and rendering them trivial. In PSG, drinking multiple potions is not regulated unless the GM feels that it should be. However, all magical items, even potions, must adhere to the Universal Magical Compatibility Rule above.

The potion miscibility rules simply state that only a single potion can be active within a creature at one time. Consuming the second potion before the first one expires simply voids or renders the second potion useless.

Five Finger Rule

Universal Five Finger Rule – Only the single most potent magical ring worn on one hand will function. The Universal Magical Compatibility Rule still applies. A person can only benefit from one magical ring per hand at any given time, always the most potent one.

Optional Rule – creatures with more than 5 fingers can benefit from wearing two rings on a single hand. The Universal Magical Compatibility Rule still applies.

Examples

Example - a person using a +1 Shield and a +1 Suite of Plate Mail Armor, both of which fall into the Defensive domain, would only receive the magical benefit from one of these items. Both items have the same level of magical potency.

Example – a person using a +2 Cloak of Protection and a +3 Ring of Protection, both of which are in the Protection domain, would receive the magical benefits of the +3 Ring of Protection, the most powerful item worn.

Example (optional) – a person wielding a +1 Longsword in one hand and a +2 dagger in the other would (both of the Offensive (physical) domain) only gain the magical bonuses of the +2 dagger, the more potent magical item, not the bonus of the +1 Longsword. If, however, the individual were to wield only a single weapon at a time, each weapon would provide its magical bonus without difficulty. Yes, this is a departure from the standard fantasy style – and yes, it is deliberate.

Example – a person can wear a +1 Protection Ring (Protection), Bracers of Defense AC 4 (Deflection), and use a +1 Shield (Defensive) all at the same time gaining full benefits from each item.

Example – a person could wield a +2-long sword (Offensive (Physical)) in one hand and a Sun Sword (Offensive (Energy)) in the other without difficulty.

For example – a person could use a Potion of Regeneration and a Potion of Giant Strength at the same time unless the GM imposes the optional Potion Miscibility rule.

For example – a person could not benefit from a Ring of Regeneration when consuming a Potion of Healing. Although it would appear that the Ring of Regeneration is more powerful, and in fact, it is on a direct magical item to magical item comparison, the GM should focus on the amount of healing provided quickly rather than healing (or regeneration) over a period of time. A healing potion, depending on the type, can cure 3-12 hit points almost instantly, while a Ring of Regeneration would take several hours to produce the same results. So then, in this case, the Potion of Healing would be considered the more powerful item (at least for this short duration). A person wearing a Ring of Regeneration and consuming a Potion of Healing would receive the benefits of the potion. The magic of the Ring of Regeneration would be deactivated or suppressed, often requiring reactivation or additional time to function once again, often automatically.

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