Magical Items

TheIT · Aug 25, 2006

My fantasy novel WIP is about an artisan who creates magical items. She can imbue a physical object with a magical effect. Problem is, I keep coming up with a limited number of uses for her talent, so I'm looking for other suggestions for items she can create. I'm also trying to define magic in this world.

What I've got so far are items to generate light, cold, and heat. Other possibilities are items which are attuned to other substances (like dowsing rods) or can repel other substances (like something to repel insects).

Does anyone have any suggestions for types of magical items? I'm looking for both benign and sinister uses of magic. FYI, this is a pre-industrial fantasy world, so no electricity or gunpowder.

RedWombat · Aug 25, 2006

In a pre-industrial world, anybody who could make a light source better than candles probably wouldn't have TIME to make anything else...she'd be swamped with demand! (Although refrigerators might come in a close second.)

But setting aside realism...*grin*

Manacles that clamp down on an escaping prisoner? "Watchdog" items that scream in times of danger? For more mental effects, the ability to compel the truth is always popular in courts, healing's always handy.

A lot of this also depends on price range. How cheap is a magic item? If they're dirt cheap, peasants would probably kill for an item that let 'em known when any give animal was about to calve/lamb/whatever, or wolf repellent collars. Anti-voracious insect charms are always nice, too (for just about everybody) and in your average city, an anti-pollution charm or, glory, a water purifying grate would be huge.

Lotta options. I'd say, think about your society, and what drives people nuts in it, and look for ways magic could fix those little trials.

HConn · Aug 25, 2006

I can't just give you a list. It wouldn't work.

Who is the buyer? How much do they cost? Is there a buyer, or are they gifts to the community?

You could have anything from encouraging crops to grow healthier to applying glamours to make a person more attractive. Is this frivolous magic or is it vital for the survival of their people?

A good place to start is with this: What do people need? What would the characters in her setting be willing to pay for, how much could they pay, and could she make that?

You can also think in terms of technology: a fridge keeps food from spoiling and people pay money for it. That would be worth buying.

A phone allows people to talk at long distances. Soldiers and scholars would pay for that.

Water treatment plants make water safe to drink.

And so on.

Marlys · Aug 25, 2006

UrsulaV said:
Lotta options. I'd say, think about your society, and what drives people nuts in it, and look for ways magic could fix those little trials.

Exactly. Think about the sheer labor involved in the preindustrial world. Tons of possible labor-saving devices: clothes that repel dirt, kettles that cook food in half the time, etc.

Don't forget love charms!

Pomegranate · Aug 25, 2006

knitting needles that don't allow you to make mistakes
spindles that can spin anything into useful thread
weapons that never miss their target

Pieces of jewelry are portable, small, and good for enchanting.

TheIT · Aug 25, 2006

Let me clarify a little. I'm intentionally leaving the parameters of the question vague regarding how the items are created, who can own them, availability, expense, etc. What I'm looking for are potential uses for magic. I've defined specific rules for how the items are created, but by doing so I'm having trouble looking beyond.

I fully expect that some of the suggestions I solicit on this thread will not be applicable for the world I'm creating. That's all right. What I'm hoping for are ideas which might spark something which I can make work.

Thanks in advance!

waylander · Aug 25, 2006

Something that starts fires (before the advent of matches) would be very useful

Nexusman · Aug 25, 2006

Perhaps one of the enchanted items could be a sack or pack that could hold much more than its dimensions would normally allow. Might be good for travelling merchants, bankers, or thieves.

Also, perhaps, items that can manifest or transform into other objects, such as an archer's ring becoming a bow?

-Nick

sunandshadow · Aug 25, 2006

How about items, jewelry perhaps, which seek out one's true love, or gifts which cause someone to fall in love with the giver of the object? A hair brush which made hair smooth and shiny, or turned it a particular color. A bandage which helped a wound heal faster and prevented infection. A bracelet or necklace which made the wearer extra-fertile or infertile. A slave collar which controlled the wearer's emotions to make them placid or fearful, a warrior's version of the same thing which instead made them brave. An anti-gravity belt worn by a dancer so they could jump higher. Any kind of clothing which change color according to the wearer's mood or on a timed basis or to match the background. Any kind of tool or container which can change the color or temperature or other characteristic of other objects.

TheIT · Aug 25, 2006

Already this thread is bearing fruit. Thanks!

Love charms - now that opens up some possibilities. She wouldn't be able to create a love charm as such because there's no magic in this world which can provoke a specific emotion in another person. What she could create would be attention charms, i.e. something which attracts the attention of a specific person to the person wearing the charm. Whether the attention becomes love, obsession, or hatred, that's anyone's guess.

These sorts of charms would also be illegal. Long ago, magic was misused, so laws were instituted which forbid the use of magic to influence a person's judgment or free will.

Ward spells/watchdogs yes, long distance communication yes, never-miss arrows yes, temperature items yes. Healing items and timer items possible, I'll have to think about those. Bag of holding no, but a pot which incinerates everything put inside it, possible.

Shweta · Aug 28, 2006

Good luck charms?

I wonder what material she works. If she's a painter, then magical clothing won't work, unless she can pain fabrics that will then be turned into the clothes. Magical jewelry is great, but not if she's... not a jeweler.

On that note... if she's a potter then -- cups that destroy poison, or make whatever's drunk be good for you. Plates that never break. Bowls that shall always be filled, if only you ask for it (that one's dangerous). A vase that will keep flowers fresh only if the person who gave them to you meant the gift sincerely, so you'll always know if he really loves you. A pottery animal that chases away bad dreams.

If she sews, then you have even more versatility. Clothes can carry some magic, and pouches can contain pretty much anything.

If she's a jeweler then -- well, you're restricting her items to the elite just by that. So you probably wouldn't have charms to keep the milk from souring, or what have you.

dclary · Aug 28, 2006

Read a wonderful erotica story wherein a princess escaping the usurption of the throne from her brother had her bodyguard pierce her with slave jewelry -- not knowing that the jewelry was enchanted to turn her into a willing, eager, and quite talented sex object.

LloydBrown · Aug 28, 2006

Dungeons & Dragons has thousands of magic items. Go to www.srd.org for a list of D&D compatible magic items. Click on the "magic items" link on the left-hand column to bring up the magic items. The descriptions are rules-specific, but you can skim down the list of "wondrous items" for the best batch of ideas. The other items--rings, weapons, etc. are not as general-purpose but still have some good material.

TheIT · Aug 29, 2006

Shweta said:
I wonder what material she works.

She works clay. Not earth/potter's clay, but clay with the same working characteristics of polymer clay except her clay can hold magic. Each "color" in her palette is clay imbued with a different physical or magical effect, like fire, ice, or sunshine. Small items like beads, buttons, or sculpture are definitely feasible, while larger items can be covered with a veneer of clay or mosaic chips.

I'm trying to figure out what other colors she might have. Some of the suggestions so far have helped.

MattW · Aug 29, 2006

Hmm - thinking of all the possible uses of clay like substances...

The mosaic idea would be nice - use the magical clay as grout in the king's throne room that causes everyone to tell the truth.

Or, use the clay as a plaster for walls that can endure seige, fire, battery, or that embue the defenders with condifence and endurance.

Shweta · Aug 29, 2006

Mm, yes. Those would, of course, be huge projects taking years to complete.

All manner of charms could be worked in this manner too, as pendants or bracelets etc; so all the standard charms available in folklore would be possible.
Good health, good luck, potence/fertility, strength, protection from sickness or harm of various sorts, clear sight, detection of poison/malice/untruth, dowsing...

I'm finding it harder to see how you'd make, say, a fire starter (as opposed to a fire) with discrete magical bits to work with. And icebox would probably be fairly simple, as would a flashlight-wand or a heat-wand, etc. I guess the question is, how does she work transitions as opposed to states or ongoing actions?

As for colors, have you looked at things like the mystical symbolism of norse runes? That's what "fire, ice, sunlight" makes me think of. If she has discrete colors meaning such things, they may well take on meanings similar to those.

marinawings · Aug 30, 2006

hmmmm... this is a fun one! what about items that can change their shape and form? shapeshifting items or something. she could give a piece of work the ability to switch between being one thing or another. i don't know. just a weird idea that popped into my head.

Nexusman · Aug 30, 2006

Hm, how about a 'stasis jar' of sorts, that would keep its contents in a state of suspended animation—you could keep a small animal inside for a year, for example, and it wouldn't age a day.

-Nick

Vincent · Aug 30, 2006

The first thing that came to mind was pottery, even before I saw you said she works in clay.

Pots that record and play music, like a vinyl record. Just pop the lid and capture whatever sounds are around, for later enjoyment. Maybe it's a one time trick. Might be popular at royal court. Actually I'm starting to like this idea...

Akuma · Aug 31, 2006

I can't believe I haven't seen anything related to invisibility! o.o

TheIT · Aug 31, 2006

Invisibility would be difficult given the way I'm defining how the clay works. The object would vanish from sight once it's finished.

Illusionary camouflage, on the other hand, has definite possibilities.

arrowqueen · Aug 31, 2006

If she ever produces a bottomless wine cup, give me a shout.

TheIT · Aug 31, 2006

Shweta said:
All manner of charms could be worked in this manner too, as pendants or bracelets etc; so all the standard charms available in folklore would be possible.
Good health, good luck, potence/fertility, strength, protection from sickness or harm of various sorts, clear sight, detection of poison/malice/untruth, dowsing...

Charms, yes, but the standard charms, no, partially because I'm not sure how to quantify some of the qualities. For example, what does "good luck" entail? Detection charms for things like poison, definitely, but they might be attuned to react to specific poisons. I'm also imagining detection items for things like water, minerals, or plants.

I'm disallowing mind magic for two reasons. First, it might not be possible given the way I'm defining magic, and second, if it is possible, it would be forbidden given their culture. It's illegal to influence a person's judgment without consent, so love charms are right out. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but there are grave penalties if you're caught.

Shweta said:
I'm finding it harder to see how you'd make, say, a fire starter (as opposed to a fire) with discrete magical bits to work with. And icebox would probably be fairly simple, as would a flashlight-wand or a heat-wand, etc.

A fire starter would be extremely simple. Fire clay would radiate heat and light like fire, but not flame. Put a chip of fire clay into kindling and voila. Same with iceboxes or pitchers which keep their contents cold, in these cases, use ice clay.

Shweta said:
I guess the question is, how does she work transitions as opposed to states or ongoing actions?

That's the kicker. I'm looking for a color which would translate to a state change. Right now the states are static. I'm thinking perhaps leaves (i.e. color change like the change of the seasons).

Shweta said:
As for colors, have you looked at things like the mystical symbolism of norse runes? That's what "fire, ice, sunlight" makes me think of. If she has discrete colors meaning such things, they may well take on meanings similar to those.

The colors she uses aren't mystical, they come from physical effects, but I'll look into runes. Sounds like I might get some ideas there. A color is made by imparting the essence of "something" into the clay. The "something" could be from a physical object or effect, a mage's spell, an animial, or a person. For example, sky clay is used to make items which fly. Water clay grants flexibility/fluidity.

TheIT · Aug 31, 2006

arrowqueen said:
If she ever produces a bottomless wine cup, give me a shout.

A cup which never fills no matter how much wine you pour in? She can have one for you next Tuesday. A cup which continually refills with wine? Sorry.

Ordinary_Guy · Aug 31, 2006

Blow life into the clay...

What HConn said: anything that technology provides today, magic could likely replicate easier and bigger. Walk the aisles of Target and look for the big sellers. ...After all, the free market is built to fill demand.

Placing the clay restraint gives us a little more direction, but it's still wide open. Look at everything that's ceramic in today's world... especially the advanced ceramics filling roles that metallics once did – you could easily make ceramic rings – rings, perhaps, that can imbue special properties that metallic rings couldn't – such as having a focus of some sort placed within the ring. A focus that might survive the clay's firing process but would surely be destroyed if incorporated into a metallic ring. For that matter, the ceramic vs. metallic works for just about anything that could be charmed.

The clay could provide niche magic, something in less overall demand but highly specialized...

The clay could provide better connection for life-associated magic... A million possibilities leap out (so to speak), but here's an example: A large clay pot that farmers use before planting. They pour in their seed and the magic charges the seed to grow strong no matter the condition of the soil. Or, for a higher charge, a small batch of seeds placed in the magic pot for a week will grow 10 (or 100) times faster than normal seeds. Presto – a mature forest in one season...

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