Samurai sheepdog book of many things vol 147

Magic Items

On some worlds, magic items are a shop away at a convenient
city or wizard’s cabal. On others, they are the stuff of legend,
forged in mysterious ways from impossible materials for only
the most powerful of beings. Whatever their rarity, magic items
remain a staple of fantasy in some form or another.

Fantasian Orbs

Fantasian orbs are a type of magic item, like wands, rings, or
potions. They have a variety of uses depending on their nature,
but are often used to augment creatures and items (magical and
non-magical). Unlike other magic items, orbs are not created, but
have formed naturally in remote places throughout the cosmos.
Physical Description: Orbs are crystalline in form and vary
widely in color. They can be smooth or shard-like (but are
always referred to as orbs in the game context). An orb’s weight
is considered negligible. Orbs have AC 24, 10 hit points, and
hardness 5.
Activation: Orbs can be used by anyone. To apply and activate
an orb, the orb must be pressed against an appropriate object
or creature as a full-round action. Removing an orb is also a fullround action, but the creature it is being removed from must be
willing or the object must be unattended. A creature or object can
usually have no more than one orb applied at a time. Breaking
or destroying an object will instantly remove an orb currently
applied to it.
Creation: Orbs are not so much created as they are mined and
extracted in relevant locations. Anyone can mine and extract
an orb. Doing so requires the expenditure of materials equal to
half orb’s price, followed by 1 day of work for every 1,000 gp in

materials spent. Finally, a successful skill check relevant to the
orb’s nature must be made to pinpoint its location (usually at a
DC 20). If successful, the orb is found. If unsuccessful, no orbs are
found and all materials and labor are lost in the attempt.  
Relevant skill checks required to locate an orb include
Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion),
and Profession (miner), but gems located in unusual locations
may allow for different skill checks, subject to GM approval.
Sometimes, a Fantasian orb can be found in the body of a
powerful elemental or other creature with potent magic (treat
the orb as treasure), or crafted from the soul of a powerful being
using Craft Wondrous Item and the creation rules described
above. Casting imprison or magic jar each day when creating an
orb in this way grants a +5 bonus on the relevant skill check once
the crafting is complete. Unless the creature is willing and agrees
to become an orb, crafting an orb in this way is considered an evil
act, as it prevents the creature from being resurrected or passing
on to the afterlife. If the orb is destroyed, the soul moves on and
the creature cannot be returned to life without a miracle or wish.
Special Qualities: Because orbs are pieces of raw power and
magic, often possessing multiple applications, special qualities
can differ from orb to orb (see table).
Fantasian Orb Descriptions
Magic orbs come in many different varieties, each of which
is classified by its type and category. The use of a magic orb is
referred to as its application and effect. The following tables
detail each orb’s type, category, application, effect, and market
price.
There are currently 8 different categories of Fantasian orb.
Magic orbs also have 5 sub-categories.

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Magic: While not inherently more common, magic orbs
are found more frequently than other categories because

of how many different varieties there are. These orbs grant
specific benefits that can potentially be found in other magic
items. Because of their versatility, they are more expensive, but
especially useful in their individual application. There are 5 subcategories of magic orbs used to designate rarity and strength—
Epsilon, Delta, Gamma, Beta, and Alpha.
• Alpha: Alpha orbs are the strongest magic orbs. They have
absorbed as much magic as an orb possibly can, causing
them to be unstable and incredibly difficult to locate without
much time and resources spent. Even the best scholars have
been known to take years to determine the resting place of
a single alpha orb.
• Beta: For most mortals, a beta orb is the best they’ll ever
attempt to find, taking only a couple months on average
to locate and acquire. While it does take time away from
adventuring, the reward of gathering these orbs is often
worth it even to high-level adventurers.
• Gamma: Between quests, mid-to-high-tier adventurers will
sometimes seek out a gamma orb that can aid them in a
particular situation, such as finding a holy orb to challenge a
necromancer, or a sky orb before braving a nest of shocker
lizards. Villages often covet these orbs when found and build
their society around them.
• Delta: The hero of a town may find herself rewarded with a
delta orb as thanks for her aid. While not overtly powerful,
these orbs are no less useful in the right situations. Their
effects are especially of help to adventurers just making a

name for themselves.
• Epsilon: Epsilon orbs are the weakest of the magic orbs. They
are mined while their power is still in its infancy. While they
are easier to find than any other orb, they also do not convey
as much magical ability.
In addition, there are 10 known types of magic item.
• Chaos: Chaos orbs are mined in strange places where reality
is in a constant state of flux, such as chaos gates or the rifts
opened between realities.
• Earth: Earth orbs are mined in geological regions rich in
magical activity, such as dwarven strongholds or forgotten
cave networks. They can be crafted from the hearts of earth
elementals.
• Fire: Fire orbs are mined in volcanic regions and can be
crafted from the hearts of fire elementals.
• Holy: Holy orbs are mined in sacred places blessed by the
powers of good. Creatures with the good subtype (like
angels) will sometimes give their lives to create a holy orb
they believe will be used to aid others.
• Horror: Horror orbs are mined in places infused with fear
and undeath. Rumors persist of powerful liches who use
horror orbs as phylacteries and occasionally become trapped
within.
• Ice: Ice orbs are mined in oceanic regions and frozen wastes.
The frozen heart of a water elemental could also be crafted
into such an orb.
• Law: Law orbs are not mined, but manufactured by the
authorative forces of Law.
• Shadow: Shadow orbs are mined in the darkest of places and
occasionally crafted within the plane of shadow, although

the methods of creation remain unknown.
• Sky: Sky orbs are mined in clouds or crafted from the heart
of air elementals.
• Unholy: Unholy orbs are mined in profane places tainted by
the powers of evil.