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Craft (Imbuement)

Craft (Imbuement) creates the blanks that anchor permanent imbuements within armor, shields, weapons, ammunition, and spell focuses. An Imbuement Blank is a fitted lattice of precious-metal wire arranged around one or more semiprecious or precious gemstones according to exact geometric relationships. Elemental portions placed throughout that geometry determine the behavior the blank can support.

Craft (Imbuement) does not create ordinary +1 through +6 enhancement bonuses. Those are produced with Force and Void Couplings under the appropriate enhancement rules. Imbuement Blanks instead create the named special properties listed on the Magical Armor, Magical Weapons, and Spell Focus pages.

Host Items and Imbuement Capacity

An armor, shield, weapon, or spell focus must be Masterwork before it can receive an imbuement. A Minor Imbuement requires no enhancement and consumes no capacity, but an item can possess only one Minor Imbuement. Every other imbuement requires an enhanced host with enough remaining imbuement capacity.

An item's imbuement capacity equals its enhancement bonus. A +1 item has 1 capacity, a +4 item has 4 capacity, and a +6 item has 6 capacity.

Imbuement Grade Capacity Cost
Minor 0; maximum one Minor Imbuement per item
Lesser 1 for the first Lesser Imbuement; 2 for each additional Lesser Imbuement
Moderate 2 for the first Moderate Imbuement; 3 for each additional Moderate Imbuement
Greater 4
Flawless 5

Capacity affects whether a completed blank can be installed; it does not modify the Craft DC. Imbuements are permanent once installed and cannot normally be removed without destroying the blank. A campaign using removable imbuements may treat each blank as a detachable rune, gemstone assembly, or similar component, but the normal capacity limits still apply.

Imbuement Blank Grades

Every blank uses 1 unit of the listed Imbuement Wire and elemental portions of the corresponding quality. Imbuement Wire is specially drawn, purified, and measured stock and cannot be replaced with an ordinary Metal unit.

Imbuement Grade Elemental Quality Required Wire Wire Cost Base Craft DC Minimum Gem Value
Minor Poor Copper 1 gp 18 As recipe; never less than 1 gp
Lesser Average Bronze 10 gp 25 As recipe; never less than 10 gp
Moderate Good Silver 50 gp 35 As recipe; never less than 100 gp
Greater Excellent Gold 250 gp 45 As recipe; never less than 1,000 gp
Flawless Flawless Platinum 1,250 gp 55 10,000 gp unless the recipe requires more

The low-end DC is intentionally higher than the equivalent quality used by other Craft skills. Even a Minor blank requires exact conductive paths and gem settings; a merely functional-looking piece that deviates from the required geometry cannot hold the imbuement.

Gemstone Requirements

Every Imbuement Blank requires at least one genuine semiprecious or precious gemstone. The gem's mineral species does not matter unless a particular recipe states otherwise; only its apparent value and suitability for the required geometry matter. Cut, color, clarity, size, and visible workmanship may all contribute to apparent value.

Several gems may be combined to meet the listed requirement, but at least one must serve as the blank's central anchor. Glass, counterfeit stones, painted crystals, and other objects that merely imitate gemstones do not qualify. The gems become permanent parts of the completed blank and cannot normally be recovered without destroying it.

Elemental Geometry and Craft DC

The grade's Base Craft DC assumes a simple geometry containing one or two portions of a single element. Apply the following modifiers for more complicated elemental arrangements.

Recipe Feature DC Modifier
Each elemental portion beyond the second +1
Each additional element beyond the first +1
Recipe contains an opposed pair of elements +2
Recipe contains Void and any other element +2

The total geometry modifier cannot exceed +5. A Flawless Imbuement therefore has a final Craft DC from 55 to 60. The elemental portions must all possess the quality associated with the blank's grade; using a higher-quality portion is permitted, but it does not improve the finished imbuement or reduce its DC.

Crafting and Installing a Blank

Before crafting begins, select the named imbuement, its host category, and any choices required by its effect, such as an energy type, weapon forms, or stored spell. Supply the required wire, gemstones, and elemental portions, determine the final DC, and attempt a Craft (Imbuement) check. A successful check produces one completed blank designed for that imbuement.

A completed blank can be installed into a suitable Masterwork host with enough remaining capacity without another Craft check. Installation makes the imbuement permanent. A blank designed for one named imbuement or host category cannot be reassigned merely by changing its gemstones or elemental portions.

Imbuements applied to ammunition follow the existing group sizes: one blank affects twenty arrows, bolts, or sling bullets, or five thrown weapons. The entire group must be prepared together, and the finished imbuement applies only to that group.

Armor and Shield Imbuement Recipes

The following recipes create the imbuements described on the Magical Armor page.

Minor Armor Imbuements

Every Minor Armor blank uses 1 Copper Imbuement Wire unit, Poor elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Comfortable 20 gp 1 Air, 1 Life 19
Enduring 26 gp 1 Earth, 1 Life 19
Weather Proof 34 gp 1 Fire, 1 Ice 21

Lesser Armor and Shield Imbuements

Every Lesser blank uses 1 Bronze Imbuement Wire unit, Average elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Articulated 100 gp 2 Air 25
Mobile 100 gp 2 Air, 1 Force 27
Forming 120 gp 2 Void, 1 Force 30
Energy Resistant 140 gp 2 selected resistance portions, 1 Force 27
Buoyant 200 gp 2 Air, 1 Water 27
Chameleon 200 gp 2 Void, 1 Air 29
Padded 200 gp 2 Void 25
Slick 200 gp 2 Water, 1 Air 27
Rushing, Shield 260 gp 2 Force, 1 Air 27
Weighted, Shield 260 gp 2 Earth, 1 Force 27
Mitigating, Minor 280 gp 2 Force, 1 Earth 27

For Energy Resistant, use Air for Electrical, Fire for Heat, Ice for Cold, Water for Acid or Corrosive, and Earth for Sonic resistance.

Moderate Armor Imbuements

Every Moderate Armor blank uses 1 Silver Imbuement Wire unit, Good elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Called 900 gp 2 Void, 2 Force 40
Deceptive 340 gp 2 Void, 1 Air, 1 Force 40
Reinforced 800 gp 2 Earth, 2 Force 38
Accelerated 1,000 gp 3 Air, 1 Force 38
Mitigating, Moderate 1,200 gp 2 Force, 2 Earth 38

The Magical Armor page currently lists Called but does not define its effect. Its recipe assumes a Force-and-Void retrieval geometry and should be reviewed when the effect is formally written.

Greater Armor Imbuements

Every Greater Armor blank uses 1 Gold Imbuement Wire unit, Excellent elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Fortified 1,920 gp 3 Force, 2 Earth 49
Mitigating, Greater 1,800 gp 3 Force, 2 Earth 49
Universally Resistant, Moderate 2,000 gp 2 Force; 1 each Air, Death, Earth, Fire, Ice, Life, and Water 50

Weapon Imbuement Recipes

The following recipes create the imbuements described on the Magical Weapons page.

Minor Weapon Imbuements

Every Minor Weapon blank uses 1 Copper Imbuement Wire unit, Poor elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Unbreaking, Ammunition 6 gp 1 Earth, 1 Force 19
Dulling 10 gp 1 Life, 1 Force 19
Bright 16 gp 2 Fire 18
Sheathing 16 gp 1 Void, 1 Air 21

Lesser Weapon Imbuements

Every Lesser Weapon blank uses 1 Bronze Imbuement Wire unit, Average elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Advancing 580 gp 2 Air, 1 Life 27
Boomerang, Ammunition or Thrown Weapon 360 gp 2 Force, 1 Air 27
Catching 440 gp 2 Force, 1 Air 27
Detonating, Ammunition 160 gp 2 Force 25
Energy Aura 320 gp 2 selected energy portions, 1 Force 27
Hardened 320 gp 2 Earth, 1 Force 27
Shattering 440 gp 2 Force, 1 Earth 27
Sweeping 440 gp 2 Air, 1 Force 27
Toxic 400 gp 2 Death, 1 Water 27

For Energy Aura, use Air for Electrical, Fire for Heat, Ice for Cold, and Water for Acid or Corrosive damage.

Moderate Weapon Imbuements

Every Moderate Weapon blank uses 1 Silver Imbuement Wire unit, Good elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Endless, Ranged Weapon 720 gp 2 Force, 2 Earth 38
Fanning, Thrown Weapon 800 gp 3 Force, 1 Air 38
Phased 720 gp 2 Void, 2 Force 40
Seeking, Ranged Weapon 800 gp 2 Air, 2 Force 38
Shifting 1,360 gp 2 Force, 2 Void 40
Striking, Ranged Weapon 720 gp 3 Force, 1 Earth 38

Greater Weapon Imbuements

Every Greater Weapon blank uses 1 Gold Imbuement Wire unit, Excellent elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Cleaving 3,200 gp 3 Force, 2 Death 49
Dawn Strike 3,800 gp 3 Fire, 2 Life 49
Energy Detonating 3,200 gp 3 selected energy portions, 2 Force 49
Expanded 3,920 gp 3 Force, 2 Air 49
Honed 2,600 gp 3 Force, 1 Air 48
Rupturing 3,520 gp 4 Force, 1 Earth 49

For Energy Detonating, use Air for Electrical, Fire for Heat, Ice for Cold, and Water for Acid or Corrosive damage.

Spell Focus Imbuement Recipes

The following recipes create the imbuements described on the Spell Focus page.

Lesser Spell Focus Imbuements

Every Lesser Spell Focus blank uses 1 Bronze Imbuement Wire unit, Average elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Cautious 200 gp 2 Force, 1 Air 27
Storing, Minor 24 gp 2 Force 25
Learned 360 gp 2 Force, 1 Air 27
Simplex 300 gp 2 Force, 1 portion matching the stored spell 26 if Force or unaligned; 27 otherwise

Moderate Spell Focus Imbuements

Every Moderate Spell Focus blank uses 1 Silver Imbuement Wire unit, Good elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Advanced Simplex 800 gp 3 Force, 1 portion matching the stored spell 37 if Force or unaligned; 38 otherwise
Countering 880 gp 2 Void, 2 Force 40
Discrete 1,280 gp 2 Void, 1 Air, 1 Force 40
Enlightened 1,560 gp 2 Force, 1 Air, 1 Life 39

Greater Spell Focus Imbuements

Every Greater Spell Focus blank uses 1 Gold Imbuement Wire unit, Excellent elemental portions, and the listed minimum apparent gem value.

Imbuement Gem Value Elemental Portions Craft DC
Absorbing 2,240 gp 3 Void, 2 Force 50
Erudite 2,240 gp 3 Force, 1 Air, 1 Life 50
Heightening 2,000 gp 4 Force, 1 Air 49
Maximizing 2,880 gp 4 Force, 1 portion matching the selected spell 48 if Force or unaligned; 49 otherwise

For Simplex, Advanced Simplex, and Maximizing, an unaligned spell uses Force for its matching portion. The selected spell is fixed when the blank is constructed and cannot be changed afterward.

Flawless Imbuements

Pending