House Rules - Expendable Foci

Expendable Foci (from Path of Magic)

Power is the currency of magic. Even the greatest of wizards runs out of it eventually, leaving him unable to toss even the simplest of spells. While scrolls, potions, rings, and wands are all a great help, very few of them are able to assist the mage with what can be one of the greatest drains upon his magical energy - metamagic.

While metamagic is highly useful, it can also cut deeply into a spellcaster's available spell slots. Is it worth maximizing fireball if it reduces your overall number of spells? For wizards, more than sorcerers, the dilemma lies in preparation. Without knowing the dangers he is going to face in a given day, a wizard may hamstring himself by relying too heavily on metamagic and restricting the range of spells available for his use. The sorcerer is not out of the woods, either, because metamagic increases the casting time of his spells, preventing their use when the caster is pressed for time.

The expendable focus is the answer to these problems. Charged with magical energy, it can be used to release that energy to power metamagic. By relieving the drain on a spellcaster's personal energies, the focus allows the spellcaster to use whenever it is needed, without depleting his spell slots.

In this post, a system for creating these expendable foci is presented, along with information on their use.

Focus Types
There are four types of foci: Rings, talismans, potions, and culinary ashe. Rings are by far the most flexible type. A ring contains only generic energy which can be used to fuel a variety of different metamagic applications. Talismans are more restricted, as their energy is focused to provide only a single type of benefit. Potions and culinary ashe are even more inflexible, as the energy they contain may only be used for a single purpose and each potion or culinary ashe can only be used a single time.

Using a Focus
A focus is, in the most general terms, a receptacle of magical energy. Using a focus is a simple matter of releasing the energy it contains, then harnessing that energy for use in spellcasting. When handled properly, this energy is used to power metamagic feats, relieving the spellcaster from the need to expend spell slots for these augmented powers. Unfortunately, using an expendable focus is not always a sure thing and can lead to some unexpected results for the careless or novice user.

Using a Ring
In order to use the energy contained within an expendable focus ring, it must be worn while the command word is spoken. activating a ring focus is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The energy, once released, must be used to augment a spell cast in the next round in order to avoid losing the power and possibly starting a manafire (see below). A ring may be used until the energy it contains is completely expended, at which point the ring crumbles to dust immediately.

Using a Talisman
The talisman is a simple magical item, typically worn on a chain around the caster's neck. The talisman is activated by wearing it and speaking a command word. Activating a talisman is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. as with a ring, the energy released from a talisman must be used during the following round to augment a spell in order to avoid losing the energy and starting a manafire. A talisman can only be used until the energy it contains is completely expended, at which point it crumbles to dust immediately.

Using a Potion or Culinary Ashe
The expendable focus potions or culinary ashe are good only for a single use - drinking them is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Once the potion is imbibed, the caster must use the energy released to augment a spell in the following round. Failure to release this energy may cause serious energy to the individual who consumed the potion or culinary ashe.

Using Multiple Expendable Foci
Because each focus can only contain a certain amount of magical energy, there are times when it is beneficial to release power from more than one item. The limitation is the time factor - releasing energy from a focus is a standard action, which severely limits the number of levels that can be released each round.

As long as the caster is able to control the power he releases (see Manafire, below), there is no limit to the number of foci from which he may draw power. as more energy is released, more time passes, and the power becomes increasingly dangerous.

Magical Energy
The benefit of an expendable focus is the nature of the energy it contains. Unlike a scroll, potion, or most other magic items, the expendable focus is a simple repository for magical energy. This energy is measured in levels, and the number of levels of energy contained within an expendable focus determines its usefulness.

When the energy is released from an expendable focus, it is immediately available for use by the creature that releases it. The energy can only be used to power a metamagic enhancement that the creature that released it is applying to a spell or spell-like ability.

For every level by which a metamagic enhancement raises the spell slot of a spell, the spellcaster requires a level of power from the expendable focus. This is modified by the lvele of the spell being cast: Add one-half the spell's level, rounded down, to the above amount to determine the number of levels that must be extracted from the expendable focus. Because this energy is released before the spell is cast, the level of the spell is always its base level, not its level modified by metamagic such as Heighten Spell.

As an example, a spellcaster that wishes to use the Enlarge Spell feat (which increases the required spell slot level for the spell by one) on a fireball (a 3^rd-level spell). The caster would have to draw one spell level from the focus to pay for the Enlarge Spell effect, and one spell level for fireball's level (one-half of three, rounded down). To successfully cast the enlarged fireball, then, the caster must withdraw two levels of energy from his expendable focus.

Manafire
When energy is released from an expendable focus, it suffuses the air around the caster (or the caster herself in the case of a potion or culinary ashe) with magical energy. This power is very unstable and, unless used quickly, has the potential to react violently with the mundane atmosphere. Such unfortunate happenings are dubbed manafire, and are often quite deadly.

Whenever energy is released from an expendable focus, it must be used to provide the power for a metamagic enhancement before the end of the next round. If it is not used, the spellcaster must attempt to retain control over the power so that it does not erupt into a burst of manafire. This requires a Concentration check of DC 10 + (1 per level of energy released x 1 per round since the energy was released), which may be performed as a free action. If the check is successful, the energy remains around (or within) the caster, a volatile mix of power just waiting to explode.

If the caster adds more energy to the previously released power, only one Concentration check is made each round - the DC is based on the total number of levels currently awaiting use and the total number of rounds since the first energy was released. While it is possible to release a considerable amount of energy using multiple foci, doing so is only for the skilled or foolhardy. Characters with inadequate Concentration skill will find themselves failing rather quickly, and then find themselves at the mercy of manafire.

When a Concentration check fails, the result is a blast of manafire that roars through the caster. The spellcaster must immediately make a Will save (DC 15 + 1 for every level of energy released but not used) when manafire erupts. If this save fails, the spellcaster suffers one hit point of damage per level of energy released but not used, and is stunned for 1d4 rounds from the disorienting rush of exploding power.

If the manafire is caused, even if only in part, by spell levels released from the drinking of one or more potions or the consumption of one or more culinary ashe, the damage is much more severe. If the Will save (DC as above) is failed, the spellcaster immediately suffers 1d4 hit points of damage per energy level released but not used and is stunned for 1d6 rounds.

Casters who fall unconscious as a result of manafire damage lose all spellcasting ability for the day, just as if they had expended all of their available spell slots or prepared spells.

Creating an Expendable Focus
An expendable focus is much simpler to create than a standard magic item. It does not create an effect, but simply stores energy that can be used by spellcasters in very specific ways. Unlike a magical sword of suit of armor, the expendable focus can be created with few tools and requires more time and effort than material components.

These items can be created with equipment no more sophisticated than a small fire, and the ingredients and materials required are quire common and available in any town with more than 1,000 or so inhabitants. The creator will benefit from more refined surroundings: If the focus is created in a laboratory, the crafter will gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all rolls made while creating an expendable focus.

Note: The item creation feats Economical Charge and Focus Mastery, although not required for crafting expendable foci, do make crafting such items easier and less expensive.

Creating an Expendable Ring Focus
As the most flexible type of expendable focus, rings require more preparation time and a greater investment of materials than the other types. To create an expendable ring focus, the crafter must have the Forge Ring feat and must follow the steps below.

# of Levels	Required Value
1	10
2	40
3	90
4	160
5	250
6	360
7	490
8	640
9	810
10	1,000
# of Enabled Feats	Value Multiplier
1	x1
2	x1.5
3	x2
4	x2.5

Acquire the Ring: The value of the ring is crucial to the overall capacity of the focus it becomes. Use the following charts to determine how valuable the ring must be in order to contain the desired magical energies. Any attempt to store more energy in a ring than its value allows automatically fails.

Note that the value of the ring is first calculated based on the levels of energy it can hold,. The value of the ring is then multiplied based on the number of different metamagic applications the ring can be used to power. The more versatile the expendable focus is, the more expensive it is to create. The spellcaster creating the ring must be able to use the metamagic enhancement he wishes to enable the ring to power. Without the knowledge of how the metamagic works, the creator cannot create a focus to fuel it.

The actual composition of the ring is unimportant. A plain copper ring is often used for a small expendable focus, while gem encrusted rings of gold are common for the most powerful expendable foci.

Treat the Ring: Before a ring can absorb magical energies, the spellcaster must treat the item with his own life energy, with many creators using their own blood for this process. This process binds the focus to its creator. For every level of energy contained within the focus, the spellcaster must sacrifice one hit point. This hit point will not heal until the ring focus is destroyed, as it is necessary to contain the magical energy within the ring. The process of treating the ring requires one hour per hit point sacrificed, and always succeeds.

Charge the Ring: After a ring is treated, it is ready to accept the magical energy it is going to store. A treated ring will remain ready to accept energy for a year and a day after it is treated. If it is not charged within that time, it becomes nothing more than a normal ring and the hit points sacrificed by its creator begin to heal as normal.

Charging the ring requires a variable amount of time to complete, based in part on the number of levels to be stored and in part on the skill of the creator. The creator focuises his mental energies on the ring, striving to infuse it with a fraction of his own power. The process is not without danger, however, nor is success guaranteed.

Once the spellcaster begins the process of charging the ring, he must push through to the end. At the end of every hour of the process, the creator must make a DC 20 Spellcraft check. If he succeeds, one level of magical energy is stored within the focus.

The spellcaster may continue this process for up to eight hours without penalty. For every additional hour, however, the DC of the spellcraft check increases by one. If the creator fails three of these checks in a row, the process ends as he collapses into an exhausted stupor. Spellcasters who exhaust themselves in this way are considered stunned for a full 24 hours, after which they are able to resume activity as normal.

Whenever a spellcaster stops the charging process, either voluntarily of because he collapses from the strain, the focus is considered complete.

Creating an Expendable Talisman Focus

# of Levels	Required Value
1	20
2	40
3	60
4	80
5	100
6	120
7	140
8	160
9	180
10	200

To create an expendable talisman focus, the crafter must have the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The steps for crafting a talisman are the same as for crafting a ring, with the following exceptions:

The talisman used to create the focus must have a value based on the number of levels of energy it can contain, as shown in the chart to the right.

A talisman can only fuel one metamagic power, decided upon at the time of its creation. The talisman's creator must be able to use the metamagic ability at the time the talisman is created.

The time required to treat the talisman is equal to one hour for every two levels of stored energy.

Creating an Expendable Potion or Culinary Ashe Focus
Potions and culinary ashe are the lest expensive, easiest to create foci, because they are so limited in scope. The creator must have the Brew Potion or Culinary Ashe feat. Creating an expendable potion or culinary ashe focus works the same as creating an expendable ring focus, with the following exceptions:

• The raw materials needed for creating this type of focus is readily available - it is the spellcaster's blood that provides the magical spark necessary to store the energy within the potion. The materials do have a cost, however, and a crafter must spend 10 shillings per level of energy the potion or culinary ashe will contain to acquire these components.


• A potion or culinary ashe can only fuel one metamagic enhancement, decided upon at the time of its creation. The creator must be able to use the metamagic at the time the potion or culinary ashe is created. In addition, the potion or culinary ashe may only hold enough energy to fuel the chosen feat a single time. Because the amount of energy required to power a metamagic effect is partly dependent upon the level of the spell the feat affects, the creator must determine at the time the potion or culinary ashe is made what level of spells it will be used to augment
  
  
  
  The potion or culinary ashe can then only be used to augment spells of that level. If it is consumed when the spellcaster has no spells of the proper level or higher available, the potion immediately erupts into manafire, as detailed above. The spellcaster is still allowed the Will save to prevent the damage to himself, but is not allowed a Concentration check to attempt to contains the blaze.


• The time needed to treat the potion is equal to one hour for every three levels of stored energy.

Creating an Expendable Focus That Can Be Used by Others
In general, an expendable focus is only useful for the mage that creates it. Other casters cannot release the energy it contains unless special measures are taken.

The creator of an expendable focus can, at the time the item is created, spend a few more gold (and some experience) in lieu of using his own life force to power the focus. The following changes are necessary to create an expendable focus that can be used by another spellcaster:

• The cost of the focus it tripled, as more exotic materials and more elaborate preparations are required.


• The focus must be created in a magical workshop. While a normal expendable focus can be created with nothing more than a fire and a handful of easily obtainable items, an expendable focus that can be used by others requires a great deal more care to create.


• Instead of sacrificing his blood, the creator must instead sacrifice 50 experience points for every level of energy contained within the focus.

Other than the above changes, the process for creating an expendable focus useful to all casters is the same as the process for creating a normal expendable focus. Note that even though the creator of an expendable focus may have the ability to use the relevant metamagic abilities, the user of the expendable focus must also have that same ability to use the relevant metamagic ability to be able to gain the benefit of the power of the focus. If a spellcaster without the relevant ability attempts to use an expendable focus, it will immediately erupt into manafire, as detailed above. The spellcaster is still allowed the Will save to prevent the damage to himself, but is not allowed a Concentration check to attempt to contains the blaze.

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