Roleplayer #28, April 1992
Enchantment 101
Mass-Producing Magic Items
by Drew Bittner
I love fantasy.
Mostly that's because I love the great toys that fantasy writers get to
play with -- invincible swords and magic rings, invisibility cloaks and
crystal balls, musical instruments and tomes of eldritch lore. Magic items
are fundamental to epic literature. A book of these items seems like a must-have
for anyone who loves this genre of fiction -- and I'm no exception. With
this in mind, writing GURPS
Magic Items 2 was a remarkable experience.
Blueprinting Sorcery
The first step in writing a book is fleshing out the proposal. A good proposal
is like a blueprint; you know how much space you've allowed each section
and you work on filling up each one. Some things were mandatory: swords
and weapons, armor, wizards' and thieves' implements. The rest was pretty
much up to me, though my editors suggested several new "shops."
Holy Magic, Politics, Pets and Animals, Books -- all of these survived the
first cut, which removed Underwater and High-Tech Magic entirely for lack
of space. Subterranean, Space, Nonhuman and Polar Magic were other shops
I toyed with doing, but they didn't even get into my original proposal.
With my own items, I followed a consistent pattern: I invented the name
first. Sometimes it was based on a pun, such as the "Elephant Trunk"
or the "Air-Loom." Those outraged by my flippancy can blame Piers
Anthony -- Xanth got me started. Lists of names, sometimes with thumbnail
descriptions, were jotted down on any piece of paper within reach. Grocery
bags, bank deposit notes and scraps of notebook-paper littered my desk by
the time I was ready to rough out the first draft. Any time I was waiting
in line at a store or at a traffic light, out came the pencil and more names
got added to the growing stack.
Some names and descriptions were borrowed from fantasy fiction. This is
inevitable; virtually any magical item imaginable has been invented, used
and enshrined in a book somewhere. I did my best to avoid ripping off any
writer's particular work. On that level, I think I succeeded; at least,
I doubt anyone could name the objects I "borrowed" from my extensive
reading list. Most of them underwent fundamental changes in appearance,
ability and background.
Next I made up a computer template:
NAME
CATEGORY (swords, armor, necromantic, etc.)
ABILITIES
DRAWBACKS (if any)
COMPONENT SPELLS
ASKING PRICE
Every object created went through this stage first. For most I left the
Component Spells and Asking Price until later, as these required research
and number-crunching, neither of which is my forte.
Once the basic item-outline was done, I rechecked Magic Items
to make sure I hadn't duplicated Chris McCubbin's work. After a month or
so, I probably could have recited most of the items in Chris's book from
memory.
For each surviving item, I worked out how it could function in game terms
(this took a lot longer than I expected), and noted possible component spells
and what I thought it should cost. When I got my first draft back for revision,
a lot of changes were made, many of them suggested by my editor; some items,
however, I'd rethought in the meantime. The second drafts were generally
far superior to the originals.
Reader Submissions
Overall, I was very impressed with the ingenuity and creativity displayed
by the respondents, and I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to
send them in. If some of the items in the book look familiar, that's probably
because a number of submissions used similar themes -- I reviewed dozens
of sword descriptions alone. When two ideas were extremely close and I wanted
to use one or the other, I chose the best-written presentation; if the submissions
were equally well drafted, I broke the tie by looking at the postmark's
date. The submission was edited and included (sometimes with changes) in
the book's first draft.
If there's a Magic Items 3, we'll need even more
submissions.* Please don't be shy about sending
in your work! Reading over gamer-supplied items was a pleasure. Your best
bet, if you want your idea to get the consideration it deserves, is to do
the following:
DO type up your submission. Typed submissions
are easier to read than even the neatest handwriting, and they look far
more professional.
DO develop specific ideas for an item. Several
submissions suggested generic "invisible swords," "rings
of total mind control" or equally ill-defined ideas. There might be
the germ of a good item, here, but we need more than germs for the book.
On the other hand, a good suggestion might be: "Nightsword --
By day, this appears to be an average thrusting broadsword; by night, the
blade becomes shad-owy and translucent, deceiving opponents and costing
them -2 on all Active Defense attempts." That reads a lot better than
"Invisible Sword."
DON'T embed an item-suggestion in the text of
a letter. Item submissions should appear on separate pieces of paper, for
the sake of convenience and readability. Sending a short cover letter, one
or two paragraphs, is an excellent idea; just don't put your item submission
on the same page. But . . .
DON'T just copy an interesting magic item from
some other game book.
DO include your name and address on every page
you send us. Some submissions could only be identified by matching paper
and typeface with a cover letter, and the two were not always right next
to each other in the stack. If you want proper credit for your work, please
include this information on every page.
These suggestions do not guarantee that we'll use your ideas, but they'll
improve your odds!
The First Word is the Hardest
When I think over writing the book, the hardest and easiest part was introducing
each shop. Designing the NPC proprietor/vendor characters for each shop
was a breeze. Each required a little story and plenty of characterization,
all brief enough to stay readable. The introductions were a bear, though.
As most of the chapters expanded on previous shops, it became difficult
to rephrase the superlative chapter introductions in Magic Items
while adding anything meaningful.
It's Good to be a Wizard!
Cursed items were the most fun to create. I like challenging players with
devious magic, especially when they're starting to feel overconfident. Cursed
items make even the boldest adventurers move a little more cautiously.
In particular, I'm rather proud of the swords Acclaim and Infamy. As far
as I know, that idea was original -- at least, I can't recall ever hearing
of items that conferred a wholly fictitious reputation on the owner. Likewise
Intimi-dator, which makes people afraid of the holder. They aren't combat
powers, but they can add a lot to noncombat encounters and enrich a gaming
experience.
Enriching and enhancing a fantasy campaign is what Magic Items
2 is all about. Happy gaming!
* Editor's note: Yes, there probably will
be a Magic Items 3, though not until at least 1993. But if you think of
an item, by all means, submit it! The ground rules: We can't acknowledge
or return submissions; all submissions become property of SJ Games. If an
item is used, the first
person to suggest it in usable form (as explained above) will receive credit
in the book and a complimentary copy.
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#28 Table of Contents)