Detect magic will 100% NOT help with Ninjas!
however it creates a glowing nimbus of "energy" around magic items and critters within the spell radius, so is VERY much for pinpointing magic items, it's a spell often overlooked by people new to the game or out of practice, it's way more useful than you'd think, sadly all low level magic users seem to care about is magic missile (which is a waste as a low level magic user is a support character NOT a combat character, that comes later )
Question About Magic Items
Re: Question About Magic Items
No matter where you go...there you are
- MinkyBoodle
- Posts: 213
- Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:18 pm
Re: Question About Magic Items
"My love is my sword."
"If I were you I'd stay away from thoughts like that."
-Dekar and Guy, Lufia II
"If I were you I'd stay away from thoughts like that."
-Dekar and Guy, Lufia II
Re: Question About Magic Items
as a clarification, ENCHANTED Ninjas are fair game!
No matter where you go...there you are
Re: Question About Magic Items
In all fairness, there is a sub-genre of ‘ninja magic’ comics and movies. Futaro Yamada leaps to mind as a writer… his books inspired things such as the manga/anime Basilisk and the Sonny Chiba film Shogun’s Ninja.
But back to the magic rules, I think I envision magic in a fantasy setting in a slightly different way than many people. Perhaps it was too much barbarian centered pulp as a kid or something from mythology, but I think of brawny fighter types who fear all magic and are repelled by items intuitively which end up being magic or characters who fall under the spell (literally) of enchanted items partially because they do not recognize said items as haunted/cursed/magic. In my way of thinking, it seems likely characters using magic (be they elves, clerics or wizards) would have a sense of the magic around them. Not necessarily an understanding of it, but the ability to recognize it. If I am correct in my recollection (checking the rules would involve actually getting up from my comfy chair and it has been a long day), Read Magic is a spell all magic users know which allows them to read any magic… that makes way less sense to me. I get that it is necessary if you want to create a way where magic users can user any scrolls they come across, but it seems to me wizards are a secretive lot and many would take extreme measures enchanting their tomes to keep them inaccessible and unreadable to any level 2 dipwad with a pointy hat and a couple of cantrips under his belt who comes by. Plus, I think magic should be dangerous. Really dangerous. I think in the world I would want to play in a magic user has to be just as brave to learn his trade as a fighter needs to be to pick up the sword. BUT before I can create that “house rules” system I need to have a firm grasp on the rules on the books!
But back to the magic rules, I think I envision magic in a fantasy setting in a slightly different way than many people. Perhaps it was too much barbarian centered pulp as a kid or something from mythology, but I think of brawny fighter types who fear all magic and are repelled by items intuitively which end up being magic or characters who fall under the spell (literally) of enchanted items partially because they do not recognize said items as haunted/cursed/magic. In my way of thinking, it seems likely characters using magic (be they elves, clerics or wizards) would have a sense of the magic around them. Not necessarily an understanding of it, but the ability to recognize it. If I am correct in my recollection (checking the rules would involve actually getting up from my comfy chair and it has been a long day), Read Magic is a spell all magic users know which allows them to read any magic… that makes way less sense to me. I get that it is necessary if you want to create a way where magic users can user any scrolls they come across, but it seems to me wizards are a secretive lot and many would take extreme measures enchanting their tomes to keep them inaccessible and unreadable to any level 2 dipwad with a pointy hat and a couple of cantrips under his belt who comes by. Plus, I think magic should be dangerous. Really dangerous. I think in the world I would want to play in a magic user has to be just as brave to learn his trade as a fighter needs to be to pick up the sword. BUT before I can create that “house rules” system I need to have a firm grasp on the rules on the books!
It is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things
—Miyamato Musashi
(1584 - 1645)
—Miyamato Musashi
(1584 - 1645)
Re: Question About Magic Items
In my fantasy world, it's much more common to come across stuff that looks magical but isn't than magical stuff that looks normal and there are all sort of ways to fool Detect Magic with that.
- Metroknight
- Posts: 1410
- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:26 pm
- Location: Alabama, USA
Re: Question About Magic Items
In the magic user's option supplement there is an optional rule about inherit detect magic. Take a look at it to see if that is something you want in your game. I used that rule modified to where a spellcaster could detect magic by holding the object in their hand and focusing on it for ten minutes to sense the magic. At the end the time, I required an Ability check (INT) otherwise they were not able to keep concentration on the object properly.
Re: Question About Magic Items
I will; that sounds interesting.
It is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things
—Miyamato Musashi
(1584 - 1645)
—Miyamato Musashi
(1584 - 1645)
-
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2022 11:20 am
Re: Question About Magic Items
I think that’s fair that a race like the Elves can sense if an item is magical if its elvish in nature. Though its just a general sense not it does X.
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