Here’s the conundrum:

Players love magic items.

Players love treasure.

I want to give them treasure.

I want to give them magic items.

However, I don’t necessarily want tons of items the way they are currently created. What I wanted for my players and for myself is a system that is more customizable, attempting to break magic item effects into individual units that you could use as meta-item building blocks. I’m in the process of turning this into a full crafting system, but it’s not quite ready for playtest.

That said, I am incredibly happy with the response and the execution, thus far. It feels very good to hand out arcanums and let players create sort of modular items, all within reason.

I’m leaving in some of my crafting notes, with the guidance that I’ve tried and peg power levels and costs commiserate with how many slots I expect the groups to have, and what the overall power band looks like for the group.

Arcanums

Arcanums come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but these are the arcanums of which the player characters of Liafa possess knowledge. Most arcanums fit into any item with arcanum slots, with most of those base items requiring attunement. However, some can be used without attunement.

Depleted Arcanum

While adventuring, you may encounter arcanums that are now depleted of their energy. A skilled moonworker can attempt to breathe one more spark of magic into the arcanum, or harvest it for raw materials. Breathing a final spark into an arcanum typically overloads it, lowering the final harvesting value of the arcanum materials.

Fleeting Arcanum

Fleeting arcanums require significantly less resources to create, but the magic held within them fades rapidly over time. Fleeting arcanums typically leave a lot of harvestable material, but occasionally flare and fuse to become much less valuable lumps…or incredibly valuable arcane alloys. 

Great Arcanum

Great arcanums are arcanums of incredible power, granting significant strength to the wielders. Great arcanums grant more power to their bonded items overtime, gaining in strength as the items gain in deeds. 

Singular Arcanum

Singular arcanum are works that may never see their like again. Singular arcanums produce artifacts and items of independent intelligence. 

Moon Words

Moon words are the moon names of creatures that are called to aid the wielder of their names. Only powerful moonworkers can craft moon words, as the moon itself fights to keep its secrets. 

Available Arcanums

Arcanums, Lesser

Anchoring

This arcanum is crafted from hematite, obsidian, and sardonyx, appearing as a dark, swirling captured cloud. This arcanum does not require attunement and is depleted upon use. 

As a reaction to becoming Lost in the Mist, you can activate the arcanum, causing you to remain anchored to your current real world location while in the Mist. You cannot become Lost in the Mist while anchored.

This arcanum can be used additional times and made into a permanent arcanum with additional components and skill. Hematite, obsidian, and sardonyx are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 1 lunar phase for each arcanum made as part of a batch.

Arcane Talons

This arcanum is crafted from black pearl, titanspur, obsidian, and standard copper. It seems to be slightly warmer than it should be. This arcanum can be used unattuned, but doing so causes it to deplete. If it is used in an attuned item, it does not deplete. 

As a reaction to casting a spell that summons a creature, you can grant the creature arcane talons. When the creature takes the attack action, one successful hit deals an additional 1d4 piercing damage. These arcane talons last for one minute. 

Once you have used this arcanum, you may not do so again until you complete a long rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Black pearl, titanspur, obsidian, and standard copper are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 5 lunar phases to complete. 

Balance

This arcanum is a swirling black and white stone wrapped in delicate reefcopper in alternating wave patterns. This arcanum can be placed in any item that requires attunement and has an available arcanum slot.

As a bonus action, you can empower the next cure wounds or inflict wounds spell you cast this turn. Empowering the spell provides an additional 1d6 healing or damage, respectively. 

Once you have activated this arcanum, you cannot do so until you cover the arcanum completely for 30 minutes, and then uncovered for an additional 30 minutes. 

Bargained Knowledge of First Frost

This arcanum swirls with blue and white, and  looks not unlike a captured raging blizzard in a perfectly-round orb. This arcanum can be placed in any item that requires attunement and has an available arcanum slot.

When you attune to an item with this arcanum set into it, you can choose to learn either the frostbite or ray of frost cantrip, replacing one of your known cantrips with the selected cantrip until you are no longer attuned to the item. 

Flawless Staunching

This flawless arcanum is a pale pink that pulses with a soft red light, and is oval in shape with a reefcopper wire delicately cradling the stone. This arcanum can be placed in any non-weapon item that requires attunement and has an available arcanum slot.

As a reaction to regaining hit points, you may spend a hit die, rolling it and adding the result to the total hit points regained. 

You can do this once without spending a hit die, and can regain additional healing as if you had spent the die. Once you have done so, you may not do so again until the arcanum is bathed in the light of the next moon. 

Blood Magic

This titanspur and bloodstone arcanum pulses with a dull red light, and occasionally emits popping and crackling sounds.

When you create this arcanum, you cast a spell you know using a spell slot of 3rd-level or lower during each lunar phase. This spell is captured within this arcanum. When a creature is attuned to an item with this arcanum bound to it, the captured spell can be cast once per long rest by the attuned creature. The spell is cast using the creature’s Constitution ability modifier, and at the level cast during the creation process.

This arcanum can be used additional times, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Bloodstone and titanspur are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 5 lunar phases to complete.

Finesse

This silver, reefcopper, and titanspur arcanum is smooth and almost gel-like to the touch. This arcanum can only be bonded to weapons. Weapons that are bonded with this arcanum gain the finesse property. 

This arcanum requires 1 lunar phase to complete.

Gift of the Silver Prince

This truesilver and reefcopper arcanum cannot lose its mirror-like sheen. This arcanum can only be bonded with weapons. You must be attuned to the weapon in order to use this arcanum.

As a bonus action, you cause the truesilver within the arcanum to spread to your weapon. For 1 minute, your weapon is considered a silver weapon. 

Once you have used this arcanum, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. A truesilver orb and reefcopper are required to create this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 5 lunar phases to complete.

Gift of the Witch

This topaz, obsidian, and reefcopper arcanum sparkles with the light of stars. This arcanum can only be bonded with weapons. You must be attuned to the weapon in order to use this arcanum.

As a bonus action, you cause the arcane magic within the arcanum to spread to your weapon. For 1 minute, your weapon is considered a magical weapon. 

Once you have used this arcanum, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Topaz, obsidian, and reefcopper are required to create this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 7 lunar phases to complete.

Knowledge

This copper-wrapped obsidian-set arcanum glows a soft blue and pulses with a pale light. 

When you create this arcanum, a spell you know or a spell you could cast that you have access to in a spellbook you possess becomes imprinted within the arcanum. When a creature is attuned to an item with this arcanum bound to it, the imprinted spell counts as a known spell. 

This arcanum can imprint spells up to 2nd level by default, and can include higher spells, cantrips, and grant bonuses to imprinted spells with additional components and skill. Obsidian and standard copper are required to create this arcanum. 

This arcanum requires 3 lunar phases to complete.

Mind’s Eye

This arcanum is a pale purple crystalline stone with a piece of obsidian suspended in the center of it, with a delicate titanspur eye etched into the surface. This arcanum can be placed in any weapon that requires attunement and has an available arcanum slot.

As a bonus action, you can cause the weapon the arcanum is socketed into to deal an additional 1d6 psychic damage on a successful hit. If the hit is a critical hit, this damage increases to 1d10 psychic damage. Once activated, this arcanum remains active for one minute.

Practitioner’s

This polished titanspur and coral arcanum is marked with scars and imperfections. You must be attuned to an item bonded with this arcanum in order to use it.

As an action, you can expend a charge of a healer’s kit and make a DC 10 Intelligence (Medicine) ability check. If you succeed, a creature within 5 feet of you can expend and roll a hit die, gaining the result in temporary hit points. 

Once you have used this arcanum, you may not do so again without completing a long or short rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Titanspur and coral are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 1 lunar phase to complete.

Precise

This gold, reefcopper, and titanspur arcanum is smooth and almost gel-like to the touch. This arcanum can only be bonded to weapons. Weapons that are bonded with this arcanum gain the precise property. When making an attack with a precise weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Intelligence modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.

This arcanum requires 1 lunar phase to complete.

Resonance

This arcanum is threaded with reefcopper and moonstone, and rings slightly when moved. This arcanum can only be bonded with armor. You must be attuned to an item with this arcanum bound to it in order to use it. 

As a bonus action, you can cause this arcanum to resonate with a spell an ally within 5 feet is currently concentrating upon. The creature can allow you to concentrate on their spell and maintain it, instead of them. 

Once you have used this arcanum, you may not do so again until you complete a long rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Reefcopper and moonstone are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 5 lunar phases to complete. 

Sacrifice

This arcanum is created with bloodstone and obsidian, and has intricate, sharp patterns carved into it. This arcanum can only be bonded with weapons. You must be attuned to an item with this arcanum bound to it in order to use it.

When you hit with a weapon attack, you may expend a hit die, roll it, and add the result to the attack’s damage against a single creature hit by the attack.

 Once you have used this arcanum, you may not do so again until you complete a short rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Bloodstone and obsidian are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 3 lunar phases to complete. 

Soldier’s

This arcanum is created with standard iron, ivory, and obsidian, and is cold and oily to the touch. This arcanum can only be bonded with weapons. This arcanum grants proficiency with the weapon to anyone who attunes to it, and grants them a +3 proficiency bonus with it in place of their normal proficiency bonus. 

This arcanum can grant a better bonus, additional damage, or grant martial maneuvers with additional components and skill. Standard iron, ivory, and obsidian are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 3 lunar phases to complete. 

Staunching

This arcanum is created with garnet and titanspur, and is exceptionally light and slightly porous. You must be attuned to an item with this arcanum bound to it in order to use it. 

As a reaction to regaining hit points, you may expend a hit die, rolling it and recovering that many additional hit points. 

Once you have used this arcanum, you may not do so again until you complete a short rest. 

This arcanum can be used additional times, without attunement, and as a consumable item with additional components and skill. Titanspur and garnet are required to complete this arcanum.

This arcanum requires 3 lunar phases to complete. 

Flawless Staunching

This flawless arcanum is a pale pink that pulses with a soft red light, and is oval in shape with a reefcopper wire delicately cradling the stone. This arcanum can be placed in any non-weapon item that requires attunement and has an available arcanum slot.

As a reaction to regaining hit points, you may spend a hit die, rolling it and adding the result to the total hit points regained. 

You can do this once without spending a hit die, and can regain additional healing as if you had spent the die. Once you have done so, you may not do so again until the arcanum is bathed in the light of the next moon. 

Tools

These tools allow access to more intricate and powerful arcanums. They may also provide additional benefits. 

Waning Moon Knife

This tool allows the worker to create standard arcanum and fleeting arcanum. This tool is created from moonstone, obsidian, and a titanspur brick. 

Waxing Moon Knife

This tool allows the worker to create major arcanum and attempt to revitalize fleeting arcanum. This tool is created from black opal, obsidian, a titanspur brick, and a truesilver ingot. This blade can only be crafted by a moonsmith with a waning moon knife in their moonworker’s instruments. 

New Moon Knife

This tool allows the worker to create great arcanum and can create and imbue moon words, which can have a significant impact on the item to which they are bonded. This tool is created from a black sapphire, obsidian, a reefcopper ingot, a titanspur brick, and 3 truesilver ingots. This blade can only be crafted by a moonsmith with a waxing moon knife in their moonworker’s instruments. 

Full Moon Knife

This tool allows the worker to create singular arcanum and craft new moon words, allowing the creation of great artifacts. This tool requires an orb of cobalt, 3 black sapphires, obsidian, 3 reefcopper ingots, 3 titanspur bricks, and 3 truesilver ingots. In addition, this blade must be crafted on an arcane nexus. This blade can only be crafted by a moonsmith with a new moon knife in their moonworker’s instruments. 

“The Orb – Small paperweight macro” by aronalison is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0