Introduction
Throughout the world
there are many people who can wield magic in one form or another, and
a few in every society even know how to imbue it into physical items
that can be carried by others and used at a later time. Detailed
below are a few of the ways in which this ability could be
represented in adventures and campaigns using the Savage Worlds
Adventure Edition RPG and the setting of The Sixth Gun.
Game
Mechanics for Creating Magical Items
Refer to page 153 of
the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition to find rules for the
Artificer edge. While there is no cost involved in making many of
these items, the GM may wish to require the character making them to
acquire certain unusual ingredients, especially ones related to the
item being made. For example, a rabbit's whiskers might be part of
the recipe for make the Quickening Quaff (see below). Also, the type
of Arcane Background being used informs the nature of the item made.
For instance, an amulet made by someone with the Sorcery AB might be
a metal object inscribed with mystic ruins, while one made a
practitioner of Voodoo could be a pouch containing potent materials.
Note, too, that the artificer can feel the ebb and flow of magical energies, without specifically knowing which items have or have not been used. For example, a maker of patent medicine might use all of his power points one day to brew up a batch of bottles; as they are consumed, he feels his power points being restored—and thus can invest in creating new items.
Patent Medicine
The production of
amazing elixirs, spectacular panaceas and other such nostrums is no
new thing; one need only page through a newspaper to find
advertisements for offerings with names like “Kickapoo Indian
Sagwa,” “Bonnore's Electro Magnetic Bathing Fluid,” or “Clark
Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment.” Even though the medicinal benefits
of those concoctions is unproven, there are in fact a few individuals
who can brew potables that produce real benefits. Keep in mind that
these usually still have fancy names, in order to increase their
appeal to potential customers.
- “Quickening Quaff”—(Boost Trait: Agility)
- “Mental Magnifier”—(Smarts)
- “Elixir of Enlightenment”—(Spirit)
- “Potion of Power”—(Strength)
- “Holistic Health Enhancer”—(Vigor)
What is more, the
concoction that might make the most sense is the sleeping draught.
This might be marketed in a way similar to the items mentioned above,
as a home remedy for insomnia, or it could be something created on
the basis of need in a more clandestine kind of way.
- The Sleeping Draught invokes the Slumber power; it must be ingested by the intended target in order to work.
Protective
Amulets
These items can take
different forms, but all are worn, usually around the neck. As
mentioned above, they can be made from precious metals or from
natural materials, depending on the Arcane Background used to make
them. Some options include the following.
- Ones with Arcane Protection act as a ward against mystical influences.
- Those with Deflection are effective wards against ranged attacks.
Divination Tools
Certain items can be
endowed with energy similar to the Divination power, but that works
in slightly different way. In this case, the device in question is
prepared for a specific purpose, including some of the following
possibilities. Rather than allowing the user to commune with an
intelligent spirit, however, it instead leads to a desired item or
provides an answer via a specific set of circumstances.
- The dowsing rod is commonly used to find clean water, but has also been used in the hunt for buried loot, lost graves and the like. The energy inside it seems to draw the wielder in the direction of the desired item, until reaching its location.
- The method known as the I Ching use coins or similar items to generate hexagrams, sets of six broken or unbroken lines. Those, in turn, can be compared to standardized lists of meanings in order to provide the message desired.
Spencer
Hoyt
This
oldtimer makes his way around the American frontier, gathering
unusual ingredients and using them to prepare his Hoyt's brand of
patent medicines. In this way he has become a font of curious
information, picking up little bits of western legends, native lore,
and smatterings of the occult.
Attributes:
Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d4
Skills:
Academics d6, Common Knowledge d8, Healing d8, Language d6, Notice
d6, Persuasion d6, Research d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d4, Survival
d4
Pace:
6, Parry:
2, Toughness:
4
Edges:
Arcane Background (Sorcery), Artificer
Hindrances:
Elderly
Special
Abilities
- Powers: Boost/lower Trait, deflection, dispel; Power points: 10
Gear:
Clothing, ox-driven wagon, week's worth of food and water, folding
knife (Damage Str + d4).
