Using Mystic Arms
Forged long ago, the Mystic Armaments are powerful ancient relics housing incredible elemental power. These relics originally took the form of small gems that were connected to weapons for use. These gems are actually containers for powerful elemental beings from which the relics draw their power. The gems long ago were attached to weapons and bonded as such. These weapons were originally various different swords, but as time passed, new wielders and events caused them to be separated from their original weapons. Some were reattached to new weapons, augmenting those weapons with their powers. Some were scattered, and people are not sure if they are still sound to a weapon or now exist separately as a gem of pure power. With as a gem alone or attached to a weapon, they are still the Mystic Armaments.
This page discusses the mechanics of the Mystic Armaments, defines the terms you will need to understand, and highlights the basic functions of these ancient relics.
Gem Form
More often than not, when a Mystic Armament is found, it is often discovered detached from its former vessel. This is often thought to be caused by the power of the gems simply destroying even the most durable of materials over long periods of time. Thus, they are often discovered in Gem Form.
While in their Gem Form, the Mystic Armaments are easily missed and often mistaken as simple rubies, emeralds, or other precious stones. Their small size makes them easy to glance over, and even a Detect Magic spell only barely hints at the power of these gems. When viewed with Detect Magic, they exude a very weak aura, often mistaken for that of residual magic still lingering after a spells effects. If they are closely examined by some one with proficiency with Jeweler's Tools, they can find a faint hint of a distortion in the center of the gems in the form of an ancient symbol. The symbol in each gem is different, but matches that of the Divine Elemental said to be connected to their creation.
This gems are mostly powerless while in this state. They can grant no powers or abilities to those who hold them. Their power can hardly be sensed and is locked away, unable to be tapped into or stolen by any mortal means. And the spirit that dwells within the gems lies dormant - sleeping as they await their next weapon. The Gems, however, are far from just normal precious stones. They are unbreakable, even by the will of gods.
Attaching Gems
If one does manage to obtain a Mystic Gem, there is only one real way to go about awakening its spirit and obtaining its power: It must be attached to a weapon. The Mystic Gems can be attached to any Melee Weapon - simple, martial, or exotic. Attaching them is actually rather simple; pressing them to a weapon will cause the gems to immediately attach and fuse to the armament. The moment they attach, the power of the gem begins to seep into the weapon, but it does not always awaken right away. It is believed that each different Mystic Armament has a different requirement to awaken the spirit within and unlock their power. Some of them actually have multiple ways of accomplishing this task. And sometimes it is a simple task, while other times it may be arduous and difficult. Whatever the case, once the proper conditions have been met, the spirit will awaken once the wielder has properly bonded with the new weapon.
Removing Gems
On occasion, there may be need to remove a gem from a weapon it is already attached to. The weapon itself may be broken or deteriorated. or sometimes, the wielder may not like the weapon it is attached to. Either way, removing a gem from a weapon is an arduous process and the spirits within the gems generally do not enjoy going through the ordeal. For them, it is much like being evicted from a home they have finally made their own.
The removal of a gem from an attached weapon entails an 8 hour ritual that requires either the consent of the spirit within or the forced submission of the spirit to your will (usually requiring an Ego Check) and about 50 gp worth of materials. In addition, only a creature that is properly bonded to the Armament will be able to perform the ritual. The bonded creature must be the one performing the ritual, and they can not stop or be interrupted for the entire time. At the end of the ritual, the gem slides lose form the weapon and can be taken to be attached to a new weapon or hidden easily.
If a spirit is removed by force, they will lose a bit of their trust and connection with their bonded wielder. This is represented in a few ways. First, their Harmony Score drops by at least 1. Under some circumstances, it may drop by more; such as forcing them from their preferred weapon type. There may also be situations where the DM may rule further loss is caused do to the exact situation or details of the removal.
Secondly, the Spirit loses 10 XP. In many cases, this will cause the spirit level of the armament to also drop, which results in the loss of Spirit Charges, Abilities, and some other benefits.
Lastly, if a creature is forced out, if they are reattached to a new weapon by the same wielder, they will force the creature to reawaken and bond with them once more before they can be used.
There may also be times where these effects may occur even if the spirit agreed to be moved. For instance, if the spirit agreed to the request under certain conditions, and those conditions are not met to its satisfaction, these effects - or some portion of them - may still occur.
Preferred Forms
The spirit of each Mystic Armament has a weapon type they prefer. These forms provide them the most comfort, or most closely resemble the weapon the spirit is often seen with in visions. By attaching a gem to the Preferred Form of it's Spirit, the spirit grants a few extra benefits to the wielder. The wielder gains 2 additional daily Spirit Charges, and they also gain 1 additional Ability Point that they can use to learn abilities. These benefits are granted even if the wielder finds the Armament already attached to its preferred weapon, but both benefits are lost if it's form is ever changed - even if the spirit agrees to the change.
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Spirit Bonding
In order to access the full power of a Mystic Armament, an intelligent creature must bond with it. You can think of bonding much like attunement. It is a process by which you link your spirit with that of the Spirit within the Mystic Armament. Just as you have a limit on attunement, a creature may bond with only one Mystic Armament at a time. If they attempt to bond with a different armament then any current bond a creature has is broken at the same time. While Bonding and Attunement are similar in this nature, they are not synonymous. A Bonded Weapon does not count towards your Attunement limits.
Bonding is also a process you perform while you rest - however, it requires a long rest for the bond to form. You can choose at the beginning of your Long Rest what arm in your possession you bond to. Once bonded, the bond remains until you use another Long Rest to bond with a different Mystic Armament or use a Long Rest to break your bond.
In order for the bond to complete, the Mystic Armament must have been awakened properly. Once bonded with a spirit, you can begin to access their powers. This includes benefiting from passive effects they might grant, using the special abilities they allow, and feeding them XP. You can give a Spirit your XP during any Long or Short rest. If you give them enough, they will Level Up, increasing your access to their power.
Breaking a bond is not always a negative thing. But each spirit handles the act of breaking their bond differently. Some may accept the separation amicably; resulting in no negative consequences. But others may disagree with the decision or actively attempt to prevent you from breaking their bond. If the spirit disagrees or dislikes breaking a bond, then breaking the bond may result in a loss of Spirit XP - which may also cause the Spirit Level to drop. Others might just lower their Harmony Score with you, making them less responsive to your future requests. And some make attempt to maintain the bond by forcing an Ego Check. On a failure, they maintain the bond against your will. This can happen even if you are attempting to bond with a different Spirit.
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Elemental Spirits
The driving source of power and magic behind the Mystic Armaments are the Elemental Spirits that dwell within the gems. These powerful beings were crafted from pure elemental either and possess god-like power, but our bound and trapped within the gems. Most of the are content with this state, though not all.
These spirits decide when to allow their power to be accessed and who to allow to access it. The power of the Mystic Armaments comes directly from them. In order to gain access to the full power of the objects, their bonded wielder must establish trust with the spirit. At the beginning, they highly regulate the wielder's access to their power. A novice wielding them might otherwise destroy a whole town or nation, killing themselves in the process. So the Spirit monitors their progress, and as they show they are ready, they grant them further powers and abilities.
Each gem has a spirit, and each spirit is different - each with it's own elemental power. Each spirit has a different personality, with different desires, pet peeves, and predilections. Sometimes, a spirit may not get along well with their wielder if their personalities clash, and this might mean the fight against them when the wielder tries to use their power. A powerful wielder can force power from the gems if they desire, but in the end, the spirit is the final master of the energy they lend.
Alignment
Much like creatures or characters, every spirit has an Alignment. Their alignment is meant to give you an idea of their general demeanor - but as with all alignments, it is not necessarily absolute. A tends to get along better and cooperate more often with creatures that match their own alignment on at least one access.
Ego
Each spirit is assigned an Ego. This number represents the pure force of the Spirit's will and how difficult they can be to control. A high Ego does not necessarily mean a spirit is unwilling to work with their wielder, though. By nature of their purpose, the Elemental Spirits seek to assist their wielders to at least a small extent. Instead, the Ego represents how difficult it is to bend the spirit to your will. If a Spirit disagrees with your actions, they may try and stop you or influence you. To resist them, or compel them to do as you wish, you must beat them at an Ego Check.
Ego Check
On some occasions, you and the spirit you are bonded to may not see eye to eye. While most of these moments are resolved through compromise or conversation, there may be some times where the two of you cannot be made to agree on an action. In these times, force may be required.
When you attempt to force a Spirit to follow your will against their own, you must succeed at an Ego Check - proving your passion is greater. There could also be times, however, when the Spirit may try to bend you to their will. Once again, you will need to make an Ego Check to resist their commands.
To make an Ego Check, you roll a d20 and add your Charisma Modifier and your Harmony Score. If you result meets or exceeds the Ego of your Spirit, then you get your way and they are forced to do as you say. If you fail, then the Spirit forces their will on you, forcing you to abide by their decision.
Ego Check: d20 + Charisma Modifier + Harmony Score vs. Spirit Ego
Harmony Score
Each Spirit develops a bond of sorts with their wielder. If their wielder has similar outlooks on actions and the world, they tend to bond easier and get along better. Their ability to get along with their wielder is represented by the Harmony Score.
A Harmony Score can range anywhere between 0 and 10. When a bond is first formed between a creature and a spirit, the initial Harmony Score of the bond is determined by the alignment of the creature as compared to the alignment of the spirit. If their alignments are perfectly matched, then they will begin with a Harmony Score of 9. But if their alignment are perfect opposites, they begin with a Harmony Score of 1. The table below shows the beginning Harmony Scores based on the various combinations of Alignments.
| Alignment | LG | NG | CG | LN | N | CN | LE | NE | CE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawful Good (LG) | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Neutral Good (NG) | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Chaotic Good (CG) | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Lawful Neutral (LN) | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| True Neutral (N) | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Chaotic Neutral (CN) | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Lawful Evil (LE) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Neutral Evil (NE) | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| Chaotic Evil (CE) | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
This initial score can be changed for the better or the worse as the spirit and the wielder interact. Performing favors for the Spirit, or acquiescing to their requests or demands can sometimes help improve a Harmony Score. Forcing your will on the Spirit, or completely ignoring their requests can cause the Score to fall. Either way, this change is represented by a Harmony Shift. A Harmony Shift always occurs 1 unit at a time. While negative shifts are often the result of certain actions, positive shifts usually require a Harmony Check to gain, but this is not always absolute. Whatever the situation, a Harmony Shift is awarded by the DM.
Harmony Check
On occasion, the DM may call for your to make a Harmony Check in response to your actions or decisions. A Harmony Check is done by rolling a d20 and adding your Harmony Score. All Harmony Checks have a flat DC of 15. If you meet or exceed 15 with your result, the Harmony Check was successful. Otherwise, the Harmony Check Fails.
Harmony Check: d20 + Harmony Score
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Terminology
The rest of the information below discuss the mechanics and terms of the Mystic Armaments, teaching you what you need to know to make use of them for your characters
Spirit XP
The Mystic Armaments possess a great deal of power, but they do not give it freely. They expect their wielders to give them experiences they enjoy, and their shared knowledge and power. This is represented by giving them Spirit XP. You can use the XP given to your by the DM and feed it into the Spirit during any Long or Short Rest. As a Mystic Armament gains XP, it eventually levels up.
Spirit Level
Just like your character, the Mystic Armaments can level up. Leveling up your Mystic Armament grants you access to more of its powers - giving you additional Spirit Charges and Ability Points, as well as improving your Spirit Proficiency and Enchantment Bonus. A Mystic Armament Levels Up once for every 10 XP it is given.
Spirit Proficiency
A Mystic Armaments Spirit Proficiency is a representation of your characters familiarity with their weapon and their aptitude in its use. The more they work with a particular Mystic Armament, the more this number improves. The Spirit Proficiency is used to calculate the weapons Spirit Attack Bonus and Spirit Save DC for its various abilities. Each Armament is unique, and thus proficiency with one does not automatically carry over to another.
Enchantment Bonus
As a Mystic Armament's Spirit Level increases, so does the power and energy they radiate into reality. As this grows, the weapon they are bonded to gains an enchantment bonus. The Enchantment Bonus of a Mystic Armament ranges from +0 to +4. You can add the enchantment bonus on any weapon attack rolls and damage rolls your make them. At 1st Level, the enchantment bonus is +0. At 3rd Level, it increases to +1, and increases by 1 again for every five levels beyond that.
If the Mystic Armament is attached to a weapon that already has an Enchantment Bonus, these two do not stack. Instead, just use whichever is greater.
| Spirit Level | Enchantment Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1st - 2nd | +0 |
| 3rd-7th | +1 |
| 8th-12th | +2 |
| 13th-17th | +3 |
| 18th-20th | +4 |
Spirit Charges
Spirit Charges are used like Spell Slots or Psi Points. Some Abilities of the Mystic Armaments require you spend Spirit Charges in order to activate them. These represent a measurement of magic that the Spirit is allowing you to use. You always have a maximum of 2 + (Spirit Level *2) Spirit Charges. Additionally, if you are using your Spirit's Preferred Weapon, you get an additional 2 Spirit Charges. After a Long Rest, all of your spent Spirit Charges are restored.
Spirit Charges are a finite resource. If you use all of your Spirit Charges in a given day, you have essentially used your allocation of magic from your Spirit. As such, the Mystic Armament shuts down - going dormant until after your next long rest. While it is dormant in this manner, you gain no benefits from the weapon. Any passive benefits it normally provides immediately stop, and the weapon's enchantment bonus drops back to that of the base weapon.
Every Armament has a few abilities that allow you to gain a small modicum of extra Spirit Charges under certain conditions. As well, in a pinch, you can trade XP directly for additional Spirit Charges. 1 XP equals 2 additional Spirit Charges.
Ability Points (AP)
As your Spirit Level increases, you will gain additional Ability Points. Ability Points are used to unlock the various abilities of the Mystic Armaments you wield. You gain 1 Ability Point for each Spirit Level you have. There are also other ways you can gain additional Ability Points, such as having the Spirit attached to their Preferred Weapon. Others may exist, such as trading XP for additional Ability Points. Or sometimes, a Spirit might award you additional Ability Points if you perform to their desires of your own volition.
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Spirit Abilities
The Mystic Armaments posses many helpful attributes to assist their wielder - powers and techniques that are unique to their elemental spirits. These are the Mystic Abilities - spell-like effects that the Mystic Armaments generate. Some of these abilities are passive - granting their benefit to their wielder at all times once they are unlocked. Other require activation, which may require Spending Spirit Charges to achieve.
The Abilities of the Mystic Armaments, as well as the relics themselves, are something beyond mortal magic. These effects cannot be dispelled or counterspelled by normal mortal magic - though some special techniques may exist to negate or quell their effects. These effects often do not require Concentration either, being birthed from a sentient source other than the wielder. Unless noted in an Ability's description, you never need to Concentrate on an effect the weapon produces.
Each Spirit has a host of powerful options to choose from, but they allow their wielder some modicum of choice in how to manifest the weapon's power. Each of the Spirits has at least 80 different abilities to choose from, and you use your Ability Points to unlock these Abilities when you level up. Not every ability is immediately available for you to unlock, though. Many abilities have requirements you must meet before you can unlock them, such as being a certain Spirit Level, or having adequate ability scores. Many also require you have unlocked specific abilities beforehand as well.
You can access the link below to pull up an Excel document that can be used to view and track your information related to any Mystic Armament you might have. It is capable of tracking progress for multiple Armaments at once, if that ever becomes relevant. Following the Link, you can find information on how to properly utilize this sheet, as well as specifics on Abilities and how they work. Please save a copy of this document for your use, as editing through the link does not function correctly
Mystic Armaments Ability SheetsYou can reference the below document on the specifics of how to use this Document, as well as information on how to read an interpret the specifics of each Ability. Use them together to pick your Abilities and manage your Mystic Armaments properly.
Mystic Armaments Ability Sheet InstructionsSpirit Attack
Some abilities may require you to make a Spirit Attack Roll. A Spirit Attack Roll is usually used from any ranged ability or an ability that does not directly require you to make a weapon attack on a creature to activate it's effects. Your Spirit Attack Roll is calculated as follows:
Spirit Attack Roll: d20 + Spirit Proficiency + Appropriate Ability Modifier
The Appropriate Ability Modifier is determined based on which Mystic Arm you are wielding. There is a section below for reference, indicating which Ability modifier each weapon is tied to.
Spirit Save DC
Some abilities may also call for a Saving Throw against your Spirit Save DC. The Spirit Save DC is calculated in the same manner a Spell Save DC would be, substituting the appropriate ability modifier.
Spirit Save DC: 8 + Spirit Proficiency + Appropriate Ability Modifier
Appropriate Ability Modifier
Each Mystic Arm is ranks it's wielder on a certain kind of ability. This Ability Score and Modifier are used to determine qualifications for many of the weapons abilities, but also lend to the calculation of the Spirit Attack Roll and Spirit Save DC. Each weapon's individual page lists what Ability Score they are tied to, but you can also reference the below chart:
| Mystic Arm | Ability Modifier |
|---|---|
| Eternal Flame | Dexterity |
| Earth Crusher | Constitution |
| Stormbreaker | Wisdom |
| Nature's Fury | Wisdom |
| Fang of Winter | Constitution |
| Swell of Atlantis | Intelligence |
| Shatter Spark | Dexterity |
| Night's Pitch | Charisma |
| Mind's Eye | Intelligence |
| Sun's Guard | Charisma |
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