#relic master

[inkgills]

tamar, saint of beasts

[dailycharacteroption]

Relic Master (Fighter Archetype)

Being a man-at-arms means mastering all the various weaponry and armor that they choose to wield, including magical items.

Indeed, with the exception of very few archetypes, most fighters are entirely reliant upon their equipment for any and all magical effects, but even those can be limited to what the creator of said items intended.

Today’s entry focuses on an archetype that specializes in the item mastery feat line from Weapon Master’s Handbook and Magic Tactics Toolbox. Such feats represent the character creatively tapping into the magic of certain magical items to unleash effects not typical to that type of item. A weapon with a frost enchantment might unleash a blast of ranged cold, or a ring meant to reveal the presence of certain things might also allow the user to see the invisible, and so on. Indeed, those who master these techniques seek to get the most out of their equipment, and it only makes sense that a class heavily reliant on said equipment would learn to specialize further.

Of course, many may wonder whether such exploits are examples of magical skill and talent, or dangerous tinkering, though I would say it varies by setting and by individual.

Regardless, these fighters demonstrate their creativity and a surprising amount of knowledge about the mystic arts for having no training in spellcasting.

 Through their regular use of such magical items, these warriors develop a reserve of energy that can be used in two ways, either to provide additional fuel for their various item mastery techniques, or to overpower the limitations of the item at hand to use such a magical exploit that normally wouldn’t function with that item.

By channeling their spirit through an item, they can improve upon the normal magical function of an item as well, either improving the effectiveness of magical arms and armor, or increasing the potency of other items, making them harder to resist.

Ever demonstrating their creativity, those near the zenith of their mastery learn to come up with various techniques for unlocking the powers of items on the fly.

While still a fighter, this archetype makes for a way to play a sort of magical gadgeteer of sorts, someone who not only has great skill at using such items, but also in improvising with them. I recommend a high intelligence and charisma build, the better to invest a lot in use magic device as a skill. From there, I recommend whatever sort of build for a fighter you can think of, keeping in mind that you miss out on a lot of passive bonuses, but retain the bonus feats.

 Honestly the item mastery feats sound like the sort of thing that an arcanist would use, and perhaps I’ll elaborate on that in the future in a future special on feats. For now, I think it’s important to note that the intuitive understanding that these fighters have of magical items and how to alter their function is the sort of thing that would very much interest some mages, and vex others, particularly the sort of old guard that jealously guard the secrets of the arcane from non-mages.

  The first tiefling to be allowed into the dueling performances of Taerwinnir, Yolanda Firetongue received a frost-enchanted blade on loan from the arcane university for the battle. However, during the duel she used the blade to unleash a spray of frost at her opponent, something the blade was not actually capable of, and now the xenophobic dean is accusing her of tampering with the weapon, and threatening legal action.

 Many a bard speaks of Onga the Incredible, and his Amulet That Could Do Anything. Most knowledgeable in the arcane arts dismiss the tale as a misremembering of some great wizard, but in truth Onga did exist, and so did his amulet, which now lies in the possession of his huldra lover. Those seeking the amulet, however, are sure to be disappointed, for without his training into the nature of enchanted items and honed insight, the amulet proves little more than one of protection.

 Found and freed from the limbo of lost souls, the shabti Ferani returns to the material plane with surprising knowledge of the arcane from the person she was made to resemble, but lacking any spellcasting ability. This does, however, prove to be a unique advantage when the acquired a khopesh magically enchanted to be thrown, and discovered how to use it to manipulate objects without touching them.

[mariameep]

current obsession

[inkgills]

Tamar, saint of beasts.

[morewallsappear]

galen and sekoi cuddling...save me... save me galen and sekoi cuddling

[dragoneyes613]

The description of the Waste in Dark Lord of Derkholm and Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones reminds me of the Unfinished Lands in the Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher.

[dragoneyes613]

"In the name of Flain I dissolve you and absolve you. In the names of Soren and Tamar I release the pain from you. In the name of Theriss I draw out your dark dreams. In the name of Halen I unfasten you, atom by atom. And in the name of Kest-"

- Part of the Litany of the Makers, Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher, The Hidden Coronet, spoken by the Crow, Keeper Galen Harn

[dragoneyes613]

The Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher is criminally underrated