Mortals seldom have access to the wondrous equipment of the Exalted, so heroes tend to cherish those treasures that fall into their possession. Some of these are described in Exalted under the heading of Everyday Wonders (p. 335). Rather than describing the handful of possible wonders space would allow, this chapter provides a broad system for creating artifacts and calculating their costs.
Spells that require an hour or more of preparation cannot normally be released by any mortal artifact. Those that do have their Artifact value increased by 2, if the Storyteller allows them at all.
These one-use items include potions, poultices, herbs, incense, candles, wands, fruits, or any other item that can conceivably be used up during the activation of the device. While Clay Jars are not prized as highly as more durable magical treasures, they are still a precious commodity, especially if they are extremely powerful.
These one-use items are usually placed on more elaborate expendable devices - fine wands, powdered gemstones, pills composed of several different herbs, etc... These are often the weapons and defenses of last resort, and their effects are usually related in order to maximize their usefulness under the circumstances in which they are likely to be used. A Box intended for combat might protect the user and enhance her attacks.
Many-Chambered Boxes have a base value of level 0 but must have at least 2 of the following effects, all of which will increase the value of the Box.
Provides 10 dice to activate the Heroic. Default Heroism of the caster is 5. Supplemental and Reflexive Heroics may be used with full benefits.
These are prized by magicians and are more likely to have personalized names and histories than Clay Jars or Many-Chambered Boxes. They can take any number of forms - wands, weapons, stones, jewelry, or any other durable device. Gems are an especially common theme and are often inserted into armor, shields, crowns, or the pommels of weapons. Whether mortal magicians began this practice in imitation of Hearthstones or whether Exalted craftsmen copied it from magicians is unknown.
Sublime Devices have a base value of 0 but must have at least one of the following effects, most of which increase the value of the Device. Sublime Devices have a base Essence capacity of 30 motes. The user may only activate one power per turn by means of the Device.
In order to release one or more of the Device's powers, the user must first spend 1 mote of Essence, which is added to the Device's supply of Essence after the motes are spent to fuel the power.
The Device has a maximum capacity of 50 motes instead of 30
The Device's supply of Essence recharges at the rate of 1 mote per day. If left in a Demesne, this rate is increased by the rating of the Demesne.
+1 for every two applications after the first (value cannot be increased by more than 2 in this way)
Provides 10 dice to activate the Heroic. Default Heroism of the caster is 5. Supplemental and Reflexive Heroics may be used with full benefits.
User can refresh her own Essence pool at the expense of the Device's supply, and the Device's effective maximum Essence pool is increased by 10.
The Device can activate two of its powers in a single turn.
These objects are true treasures. Some are ancient wonders, whether passed from master to apprentice for generations or uncovered at great peril by explorers. Others were only recently created by some of the most powerful mortal magicians in Creation, whether given to the hero as a remarkable substantial gift or reward or taken from the dead hand of its original owner. As such, like all proper artifacts, they should come with names, histories, and detailed descriptions.
Pinnacles include any number of high-quality and durable goods - weapons, armor, staves, drinking vessels, crowns, tools, and even mysterious contraptions.
Pinnacles of a base value of 1 but must have at least one of the following effects, most of which increase the value of the Device. By default, a Pinnacle's power may be used once a day.
In order to release one of the Pinnacle's powers, the user must first spend 1 mote of Essence, which is returned to the user's pool when the power no is no longer active, whether because its duration has expired or because the user is no longer wearing it.
Provides 10 dice to activate the Heroic. Default Heroism of the caster is 5. Supplemental and Reflexive Heroics may be used with full benefits.
The Pinnacle can activate two of its powers in a single turn.
The Pinnacle can be used at will as a Simple action
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