Items may carry named properties granted by a Crafter, Alchemist, Enchanter, Cleric, or fae craftsperson - or imposed without consent by a curse. The tables below list known properties by source.
Sources
Crafter: physical excellence through materials and technique; no magic involved
Alchemist: chemical and elemental properties via compounds and treatments
Enchanter: arcane infusion; the item behaves in ways pure craft cannot explain
Blessed: divine authority channelled through a Priest or Paladin
Fae-wrought: items made in or touched by Mag Mell; follow different rules
Cursed: properties imposed by hostile magic, often without the bearer's consent
How Many Properties an Item Can Hold
The quality of an item determines how many properties it can carry and whether they hold permanently.
| Item Type | Max Properties | Durability |
|---|
| Regular | 1 | Wears off on a Demon roll when using the item, or at the end of any scene in which it was actively used. |
| Quality or custom-made | 2 | Permanent. |
| Named artifact or Eternal Craft | 3 | Permanent. |
Identical properties do not stack. If an item carries Burning from two different sources, only one instance applies.
Effect Die by Item Quality
Properties with a die-based effect use the die determined by item quality. A Dragon roll on the Crafting check when applying the property steps the die up by one, regardless of item type.
| Item Type | Base Die | On Dragon Roll |
|---|
| Regular | D 4 | D6 |
| Quality or custom-made | D6 | D8 |
| Named Artifact or Eternal Craft | D8 | D10 |
Properties without a die-based effect (such as Unbreakable or Featherlight) are unaffected by this rule.
Alchemist Properties
Properties applied by an Alchemist are compound-based, not structural. They wear off when the item is thoroughly cleaned, or at the end of any scene in which the item was used. An Alchemist may reapply them.
Cursed Properties
Cursed properties cannot be removed by mundane means. Any Enchanter can dispel them with sufficient time and the right materials.
Timeless and Unbreakable
These two properties are not interchangeable. Timeless means the item never rusts, warps, ages, or deteriorates through natural causes - a blade left in a swamp for a century emerges unchanged. It can still be shattered by force. Unbreakable means the item resists deliberate destruction; no mundane blow, fire, or tool can damage it. It will still corrode and degrade normally over time.
Named Item Properties
Crafter
Physical mastery. No magic. Achievable through superior materials, geometry, and construction.
| Property | Effect |
|---|
| Unbreakable | Cannot be damaged or destroyed by mundane means. |
| Featherlight | Ignore all encumbrance from this item. |
| Balanced | Boon on one specific skill roll made using this item, named at time of imbuing. |
| Reinforced | Armour value increased by 1. |
| Shadowed | Boon on Sneaking rolls while worn (sound-dampened materials, dull finish). |
| Grounded | Cannot be knocked prone or pushed back by any effect. |
| Staggering | On rolling a Dragon, target is STUNNED until end of their next turn. |
| Hampering | On hit, target's movement is halved until end of their next turn. |
| Thunderous | On hit, +D4 damage; target must succeed on a STR roll or be pushed to the edge of Near range. |
| Alarmed | Once per scene, alerts you the moment anyone other than you touches it. |
Note: Opposite properties cancel out. Example: attack with a Thunderous Hammer against a Grounded Shield will still do +D4 damage, but the push is cancelled out.
Alchemist
Substance-based. The property lives in a compound bonded to the item, not in the item itself.
| Property | Effect |
|---|
| Poisonous | +D4 poison damage on hit. |
| Burning | +D4 fire damage on hit. |
| Glacial | +D4 cold damage on hit. |
| Corroding | +D4 acid damage on hit; target's armour loses 1 point of protection until repaired. |
| Numbing | On hit, target loses their next Free Action. |
| Choking | On rolling a Dragon, target cannot speak or use abilities requiring speech until end of next turn. |
Enchanter
Arcane. The item does things physics does not permit.
| Property | Effect |
|---|
| Returning | Once per scene, the item returns to your hand as a Free Action after being thrown, dropped, or disarmed. |
| True-Striking | Once per combat, one attack with this item cannot be evaded. |
| Resonant | Hums audibly when a specific creature type, named at time of enchanting, is within Near range. |
| Seeking | Once per session, the item points toward one named person or object you have encountered before. |
| Warding | Once per scene, reduce incoming magical damage by D6. |
| Silencing | On rolling a Dragon, target cannot speak or cast spells until end of their next turn. |
| Terrifying | On rolling a Dragon, target must succeed on a WIL roll or become FRIGHTENED for one round. |
Blessed
Applied by a Priest, Paladin, or similar divine conduit. Works only within the context of the granting faith.
| Property | Effect |
|---|
| Hallowed | +D4 damage against undead and demonic creatures. |
| Purifying | On hit against a creature under a curse or compulsion, they may immediately make a WIL roll to resist it. |
| Soulbound | If lost or separated from the bearer, the item reappears with them at the start of the next session. |
| Repelling | Undead creatures must succeed on a WIL roll to attack the bearer. |
Fae-wrought
Applied in Mag Mell or by a creature of the fae. Follows its own logic; may have hidden costs.
| Property | Effect |
|---|
| Glamoured | Appears as a different object of the bearer's choosing to anyone they select. |
| Shifting | Once per scene, the item takes a different form of similar size (a knife becomes a key, a rope becomes a chain). |
| Truthbound | Creatures holding or wearing this item cannot speak deliberate lies. |
| Timeless | The item never deteriorates under any circumstances, natural or magical. |
Fae-wrought: Hidden Costs
Fae properties always come with a cost. The GM determines which applies when the item enters play.
| Cost | Effect |
|---|
| Owed Favour | The fae who made or touched the item may call in one favour at any time. No stated limit on what they can ask. |
| Memory Tithe | Each time the bearer uses a fae property, they forget one specific thing: a name, a date, a face. The GM chooses what. |
| Visible to Fae | The item cannot be hidden from fae creatures. They always perceive it, regardless of concealment or distance. |
| Cannot Leave Alana | If carried through a Mag Mell gate, the item vanishes and reappears where it was last used in Alana. |
| Dreaming | When the bearer rests with the item nearby, they dream of Mag Mell. The fae watch. The dreams are not harmful. |
| Exempt Target | The item cannot harm the fae who made it, nor any of their direct kin. |
| Hungers | One specific property deactivates unless the item is exposed to a named substance once per adventure: moonlight, music, blood, tears, or laughter. |
| Shared Ownership | The fae retains a claim on the item and may reclaim it without warning. Possession, not ownership, transferred. |
| Speaks Truly | Anyone who asks the item a direct question about its bearer receives an honest whispered answer, audible only to them. |
Cursed
Imposed. The bearer usually did not ask for this.
| Property | Effect |
|---|
| Bloodthirsty | +D6 damage on hit; bearer cannot willingly disengage from combat while holding it. |
| Draining | On hit, target loses 1 WP. |
| Haunted | Item whispers constantly; bearer rolls with Bane on all WIL rolls. |
| Weighted | +D4 damage on hit; bearer rolls with Bane on all Evade rolls. |
| Binding | Bearer cannot voluntarily drop, sell, or give away the item. |
| Unlucky | Bearer rolls with Bane on all rolls to avoid accidents, traps, and misfortune. |
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