Magic Forges

Illus. by F. Vohwinkel

A magic forge is an armorsmith’s or weaponsmith’s most valuable tool

the weapon will not reveal it. It is known, however, that in life he was a judge, and his obsession with truth is manifested in the personality of the weapon that carries his spirit. The weapon immediately initiates confl ict with a wielder who lies. Strong evocation [lawful]; CL 15th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, order’s wrath, creator must be a dwarf and lawful; Price 34,120 gp.

Zhavak the Sunderer: +2 bane (constructs) adamantine battleaxe; AL LG; Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 15; Speech, telepathy, 120-ft. darkvision and hearing; Ego score 18.

Lesser Powers: Bless 3/day, cure moderate wounds 3/day, item has 10 ranks in Knowledge (arcana) (total modifi er +13). Special Purpose: Defeat/slay constructs.

Dedicated Power: Rusting grasp.

Personality: Generally as dour as the most taciturn dwarf, Zhavak’s personality springs to life when the weapon is in battle with constructs. The dwarf whose spirit is linked to the weapon was a mighty cleric of Moradin slain in battle with an iron golem, and Zhavak loves to fi ght such foes above all others. It is prone to giving its wielder tactical advice in battle with golems, which is not always sound. Devoutly religious, it immediately initiates confl ict if its wielder does not demonstrate proper piety. Strong conjuration; CL 15th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, summon monster I, creator must be a dwarf; Price 99,110 gp.

From the mighty Moradin down to the local toolmaker, a dwarf smith’s quality is tied to her forge. Without a forge, no smith can create even the simplest of tools. With the right forge, a skilled smith can create masterpieces of art and design, objects that will live through the centuries long after the smith herself has died. Given the dwarven drive for excellence, it is little wonder that the dwarves have perfected magic forges to help them in their crafts and allow them to create works that will live on beyond their deaths. All forges are built in a specific location and cannot normally be moved from that location. (A major expedition with teams of mules might be able to haul a forge to a new locale, but this would be an extraordinary event.) As immobile magic items, the sample magic forges presented here are priced at about 1/4 the cost of a comparable portable magic item. The Player’s Handbook states that a character using the Craft skill can voluntarily increase the DC by 10 to craft an item more quickly. In fact, a character can increase the DC by any multiple of 10 (10, 20, 30, and so on), using the same rules. When using magic items that grant large competence bonuses to skill checks, such as many of these forges, increasing the DC by a large amount can dramatically speed the creation time for an expensive item (such as adamantine mountain plate armor).