The Investment Ritual

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The Investment Ritual (Ver 1.2)

Experience Multiple: 300
Base Chance: MA + 3% / Rank
Target: Object
Cast Time: Special
Effects: This ritual allows an Adept to store a spell that they know in an object or scroll.

Creation of Invested Items The object to be invested will often be in a form appropriate to the spell that it is to contain (e.g. Spell of Opening invested into a set of lock picks, or Spell of Enchanting Armour into a set of armour), and of a size appropriate to the rank and style of that spell. Note that a staff engraved with the symbols of the Adept’s college is always considered to be appropriate. The item must weigh at least one ounce.

An Investment Ritual may not be performed on an object which still carries charges of invested spells, or a shaped item, or anything made of cold iron. The Adept may invest any spell that they know at any rank up to their rank in the spell. The time taken to perform the ritual is (Rank of Spell - Rank of Investment Ritual) days per item, minimum 1 day. In this time the Adept may invest up to Rank/2 (minimum 1) charges, or they may decrease the charges and save 1 day per reduced charge (minimum of 1 day still applies). They may never store more than Rank/2 charges in an invested item.

As a ritual which takes an extended period of time, the rules in §7.2 apply. The cost of materials used in creating an invested item is [spell Rank (minimum 1) × charges × EM of spell / 2] silver pennies. These ingredients are consumed progressively during the ritual, with the last snatch of incense being burned as the success (or otherwise) of the investment is determined.

The Adept may elect to spend more than this base cost to increase the chance of the success of the ritual of investment. For every 200 extra silver pennies spent on materials the base chance of success with this ritual is increased by 1%.

If the Investment ritual backfires, then it is as though the spell being invested has backfired.

Creation of Invested Scrolls The Adept may instead opt to prepare a scroll (in a language in which they have a minimum of Rank 8 literacy). This takes one day per scroll, and costs only half the usual sum to create. A scroll may only ever hold one charge, and weighs only two ounces — however a scroll case sufficient to protect it from the elements will weigh much more.

Triggering The Base Chance to successfully trigger an invested spell is the cast chance of the spell at the moment the adept completes the investment ritual, including all college bonuses, MA, magic, and environmental conditions. Dice roll modifiers are applied at the moment of triggering, not investing.

The effects of a triggered spell are as if the caster were standing there casting the spell; the triggering entity is not considered the caster.

A spell contained in an invested item functions as any pulse cast spell, with the usual chance of double and treble effect, and of backfire. Any sentient entity may trigger an invested item, if it is physically possible for them to do so, and if they have been taught how to trigger it. The Adept who created the item, and any Adept who has divinated it, know how to trigger it. Teaching someone how to trigger an item takes 15 minutes.

Triggering always involves speech or a specific motion to target the item, which may be perceived by a sufficiently alert observer. An invested item always takes a full five seconds to trigger.

Triggering a prepared scroll takes a full ten seconds and may only be done by someone literate in the language in which the scroll is written. The scroll must be read aloud without interruption. No teaching is required to trigger a scroll.

Any item or scroll loses a charge when it is triggered regardless of whether or not the triggering is successful.

Limitations A Namer casting the appropriate counterspell may drain an invested item of all magic; refer to Namer T-2 (§17.3) for details.