Channeling and Enchanted Items

[Mal_Luck]

I'm having a small dispute. Can those with Channeling make Enchanted Items? And if they can not, why not?

I'm almost certain this has been asked before, but I can't find it. Thanks in advance.

[sinker]

Creating enchanted items is thaumaturgy, so no not without ritual or thaumaturgy. They can make Foci however.

[Mal_Luck]

Creating enchanted items is thaumaturgy, so no not without ritual or thaumaturgy. They can make Foci however.

Foci are also part of Thaumaturgy. I have not been able to find a reason that they cannot make enchanted items.

[sinker]

Crafting, which includes the creation of foci, enchanted items, and potions is a category of thaumaturgy, thus anyone who doesn't have thaumaturgy (or ritual:crafting, or any thematic ritual) can't make them. If you want to know then why the book mentions trading foci slots for enchanted item slots in the channeler power I'd say that it's because you could have channeler and thaumaturgy (or ritual) and thus have a channeler who could make enchanted items but that doesn't mean that all channelers can.

I'm not sure where I got the idea that anyone with any spellcasting power can create Foci. It seems a fairly strong notion (and a decent reason why channelers would have item slots at all) but I guess I can't find the bit in the book to quote.

[Drashna]

Its in the channeling and ritual power description:

Item Slots. Channeling comes with two free Focus Item Slots (page 278). You can design the items that fit into these slots now, or later on during play. A single Focus Item Slot may be traded in for two Enchanted Item Slots (page 279). You may gain more Item Slots as one of the options on the Refinement ability (page 182)—but you may only buy Refinement for that purpose. All items created for those slots must be in keeping with the elemental theme you’ve chosen for your power.

Emphasis highlighted for key part.

[newtinmpls]

"Item Slots. Channeling comes with two free Focus Item Slots (page 278). You can design the items that fit into these slots now, or later on during play. A single Focus Item Slot may be traded in for two Enchanted Item Slots (page 279). You may gain more Item Slots as one of the options on the Refinement ability (page 182)—but you may only buy Refinement for that purpose. All items created for those slots must be in keeping with the elemental theme you’ve chosen for your power."

this bit from the book seems to imply (to me) that you can HAVE magic items, but not that you can make them. I read "created for these slots" to be an exploration of what characteristics (including items) are being assembled during character creation; not what can happen once the game starts.

All that being said, I just don't like the idea of any "magic user" who can't make any magic items. I'll have to muse on the rules as presented in the dresdenverse and see how I might explore that idea....

[bibliophile20]

We now have an official ruling on this: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,23712.msg1007126.html#msg1007126

[sinker]

To be fair that's an official ruling as to whether Channelers can have Foci, not enchanted items, but now I'm just nit-picking.

[MijRai]

You missed a line.

You-"On a related note there has been some discussion as to whether they (channelers) can create enchanted items too. A quick Yea/nay?"


Fred-"I would go with nay on those, unless a good concept is advanced that seems to play inside the bailiwick of their focused spell work, and even then that's a real outlier. But a, so to speak, "natural" focus item doesn't feel so off. "

[sinker]

Yeah, I went and asked while he was around. Of course it was after I posted that bit.

[toturi]

It would be interesting to see if there is a distinction between creating/crafting an enchanted item and having foci and/or enchanted item.