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Waldham
Seeker
83 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Apr 2006 : 12:56:15
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I have questions on the two class features from the shade hunter PrC.
quote:
Sense Ancient Magic (Su) : Starting at 2nd level, you can detect the magical aura radiated by items of Netherese creation. This ability functions like detect magic, except that it is always active unless you consciously supress it, and it can only detect the auras of magic items that have been in the same location for at least one hundred years.
quote:
Locate Ancient Magic (Su) :[/b] When you reach 7th level, your ability to sense the lost magic of Netheril has grown stronger. You can now locate any magic items that have been in the same location for at least one hundred years as if you had cast a locate object spell and were familiar with the items in question. Activating this ability is a standard action, and you can locate multiple auras by concentrating for continous rounds.
Question about the underlined sentences :
Must the magic item been at the same place at least one hundred years and not necessary still there ?
Or Must the magic item been at the same place at least one hundred years and be still there ?
Thanks for your future answer.
PS : I hope that I successed to understand me from you because the english isn't my mother-tongue.
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2006 : 13:12:06
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I would go with the magic item been at the same place at least one hundred years and be still there.
For a couple reasons.
The ability is geared to finding lost magic, if somebody is carring it about with them it is not lost (even if the person carring it does not know it is Netherese creation.). I look at it this way, the magical aura builds up becoming stronger because it has not been used, thus becomes a more detectible aura.
From a more pratical way of looking at it, it would become a DM night mare (lots of record keeping) determining if any item did rest 100 years sometime in the hundreds of years since it was created. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2006 : 13:52:06
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I agree... If something is no longer there, it's kinda hard to detect it. Of course, you could have the hunter detect the "shadow" of an item that was there for years but no longer is... You could say that the shadow would remain one year for every century that it was there. It would obviously be a similar effect, but noticeably faded or even hollow-feeling, to the character. And you could add a Spellcraft check, too, if you want, to notice the shadow and/or to pick up any details about it. Just add like a -2 for any item that's no longer present, and add another -1 for every year that it's been gone...
Of course, all that maybe needlessly complicated. But it seems to me that if being in a place for a long time makes the magical aura easier to read, then it should leave a shadow behind once it's gone. 'Tis just my opinion, and, as they say, YMMV. |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2006 : 18:25:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I agree... If something is no longer there, it's kinda hard to detect it. Of course, you could have the hunter detect the "shadow" of an item that was there for years but no longer is... You could say that the shadow would remain one year for every century that it was there. It would obviously be a similar effect, but noticeably faded or even hollow-feeling, to the character. And you could add a Spellcraft check, too, if you want, to notice the shadow and/or to pick up any details about it. Just add like a -2 for any item that's no longer present, and add another -1 for every year that it's been gone...
Of course, all that maybe needlessly complicated. But it seems to me that if being in a place for a long time makes the magical aura easier to read, then it should leave a shadow behind once it's gone. 'Tis just my opinion, and, as they say, YMMV.
I have been thinking about this and indeed calls for a call.
I am looking at unmoved magic item (of Netherese creation) sort of like a solar electric device. This devices use a battery to collect power, then releases it on demand. An unattended magical item is powered by the Weave which is active all the time (except in dead magic zones) unlike the sun that goes and hides on an average of half the day.
A solar collector can only charge its battery up to maximun power, it does not start storing power near it if the power is not being used. In effect the solar collector has been turned off and is holding all the power it can hold. The magic item charged by the Weave being unattended does increase in aura to those able to detect Netherese creation until 100 years or more, it however does not store aura near it. Once it is attended (which only requires it being picked up) it is no longer at full power, its magical abilities are being used (even if the person that picked it up does not know it is magical) even if they are constantly being recharged by the Weave.
I believe this is the best way to use the abilities, because having a magic item infect an area causes more problems then just weapon history, it requires a history of every place it has stayed unattended for 100 years. The same item could have rested 100 plus years in many different places. An elf might have found one of these and every 125 years makes a new home, the item only moved of touched then. The auras could be in many places for the same item that a Netherese creation item was here. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2006 : 21:09:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Waldham
Question about the underlined sentences :
Must the magic item been at the same place at least one hundred years and not necessary still there ?
Or Must the magic item been at the same place at least one hundred years and be still there ?
The detect magic power can detect some lingering auras, as listed in the spell's description; the object must still be there for the locate object power. |
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[Champions of Ruin] Shade Hunter
