Bonded Magic Items

Most magic items in the D&D game are created by powerful spellcasters⁠—​typically wizards⁠—​who use item creation feats to unlock the secrets of weaving incantations into physical objects. Once they are created, such items work reliably for anyone capable of using them properly. Improvements and upgrades to existing magic items are usually accomplished in the same manner.

But what if a character could unlock a favorite item’s powers through her own deeds? After all, it’s far more heroic to say that your sword gained the flaming burst ability because you survived a horrible, fiery conflagration than to admit that you dropped it off at the local wizard’s tower for a few days along with a chest of gold pieces.

The rules in this section provide characters with a new option for creating or improving magic items. Put simply, a character can spend his own gold and experience points to imbue a bonded item with magical powers. But the system is more than just a different way to pay for magic items⁠—​it also encourages roleplaying by using a character’s adventures to guide his selection of magic items (and vice versa). Every one of the bonding rituals described below is an adventure unto itself, and you can use them to build exciting encounters that engage both the characters and the players.

By undertaking a special ritual and paying certain costs, a character can create a bond between himself and any one item that has an innate value. The chosen item need not be magic, but it must meet at least one of the following qualifications.

The bond so created lets the character imbue the item with magical properties, and it grants him one or more special abilities as well. A bonded item cannot be imbued with a temporary or single-use power in the way that a potion or a scroll can. Only permanent items (such as magic weapons or magic rings) or items with multiple charges (such as wands or staffs) can be created through bonding rituals.

To create a bond with an item, a character must undergo one of the bonding rituals described below. Functionally, any ritual can grant any property to an item, but you can rule that only specific rituals confer certain abilities.

The chosen ritual links the character to the item and allows him to imbue it with some magical property (or improve its existing magical properties) as part of that procedure. In addition to meeting the requirements given in the ritual description, the character must pay the cost of the special materials needed⁠—​unguents, incense, special clothing, and so forth⁠—​and expend XP as noted. This latter requirement represents the character lending a portion of his life force to the item to provide it with power. Any materials required by the ritual are consumed or otherwise rendered useless for later use.

The gp and XP costs for imbuing a bonded item with magical properties are the same as those normally required to craft the item with the requisite item creation feat. For example, a character who wishes to imbue a masterwork longsword with a +1 enhancement bonus through a bonding ritual must pay 1,000 gp in material costs and 40 XP, just as a character with the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat would. If the item has any other special costs⁠—​an expensive material component, for example⁠—​those must also be paid.

The character can otherwise ignore the normal prerequisites for creating the item (such as the ability to cast a certain spell), with the following exceptions.

Once the ritual is complete, the item behaves like any other magic item with the same properties, but only for the character who completed the ritual. In the hands of any other character, it functions as if it had none of the special powers granted by the bonding ritual. Thus, a player whose character bonds with an item that already has magical properties must keep track of which ones resulted from the bond and which ones stemmed from the traditional magic item creation process. For example, a +3 longsword that gained the flaming property through a bonding ritual functions just like any other +3 flaming longsword when wielded by the character. In the hands of another character, however, it is a normal +3 longsword.

A character wishing to add another magical property to a bonded item must undergo another bonding ritual and pay the appropriate gp and XP cost for the new power. For example, adding a +1 enhancement bonus to a masterwork longsword requires one bonding ritual. If the character wishes to add the keen special ability to the weapon at a later date, he must undergo another ritual. This new ritual need not be the same as any previous one, but he loses the benefits that he himself gained from the previous ritual (see Bonding Rituals, below, for details) upon performing the new one.

No character can be bonded to more than one item at a time. Creating a bond to a second item automatically severs any existing bond the character might have. The previously bonded item loses any magical properties it gained from bonding rituals, and the character also loses any special abilities gained from those rituals.

In addition to imbuing a chosen item with magical properties, a bonding ritual grants the character a minor benefit or special ability, as noted in the individual bonding ritual descriptions below. A character who also has the Truebond feat (see the sidebar) gains additional special abilities specific to the bonding ritual completed.

The bonding ritual is a combination of a task and a ceremony. The character wishing to create the bond must carry out both parts of the ritual⁠—​usually in any order, though this requirement varies in some rituals. Unless otherwise stated, the character can have assistance in completing the ritual. For example, other characters might aid the bonding PC in defeating the necessary foe, or they might contribute gold toward the material cost for the ritual. However, the bonding PC must personally complete the task, and no other character can contribute XP toward the ritual.

Bonding rituals come in many forms. Functionally, each accomplishes the same purpose⁠—​establishing a bond between character and item⁠—​but the task, prerequisites, and special benefits vary widely. Typically, the character chooses which bonding ritual he wishes to complete, though the DM might decide that certain rituals are more appropriate for particular items or magical properties than others. (The Ritual of Faith, for example, might always be required to grant an alignment-based special ability, such as anarchic or holy, to a weapon.) Each ritual description gives a few example items as an aid to DMs who wish to customize bonding rituals in this way.

A character can complete more than one bonding ritual for the same item, and in fact, most characters who bond with items do so. The new bonding ritual need not be of the same type as the previous one, but each new ritual replaces any special abilities the character gained from the previous one (including any benefit of the Truebond feat) with those corresponding to the new ritual. For example, suppose a character uses the Ritual of Dread to imbue his weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus, then later uses the Ritual of Faith to add the holy special ability to the same weapon. The weapon keeps all the magical properties granted by both rituals, but the character loses the special abilities granted by the Ritual of Dread and replaces them with the benefits of the Ritual of Faith.

The bonding rituals described below are presented in the following format.

The entry begins with a description of the ritual in plain language.

Prerequisite: This portion of the description gives the requirements for the character undertaking the ritual. These might include a minimum base attack bonus, a minimum number of ranks in one or more skills, a minimum caster level, a feat or feats (other than item creation feats), or any of numerous other requirements. Typically, these prerequisites are not difficult to meet, though a single ritual might have more than one.

Task: The task that the character must accomplish to complete the ritual is described here. Not all tasks are appropriate for all items⁠—​for example, delivering a killing blow with the item is a task that works well for weapons, but not for rings or belts. Working such tasks into the campaign and making them part of the ongoing storyline increases the level of personal interest and investment that players have in the campaign.

Ceremony: This section describes the ceremony that the bonding character must complete. He must pay any gp cost or XP cost as part of this ceremony.

Benefit: The minor benefit or benefits accrued by a character who completes the bonding ritual are noted here. These benefits are usable only while the character is in possession of the bonded item.

Truebond Benefit: This portion of the description notes the benefit or benefits accrued by a character with the Truebond feat who completes the ritual. These benefits are usable only while the character is in possession of the bonded item, and then only if he still meets the prerequisites for the Truebond feat.

Typical Items: The last entry in the description offers examples of the types of items most commonly associated with the ritual.

You forge a bond with your chosen weapon by using it to defeat a powerful enemy.

Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3.

Task: You must use the chosen weapon to strike the killing blow against a living creature whose Challenge Rating is at least 2 higher than your character level. The creature must be an aberration, animal, dragon, giant, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin.

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you must complete a 15-minute ceremony of respect for the vanquished foe, during which you anoint both yourself and the weapon with the creature’s blood (or similar sort of bodily fluid).

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge checks related to creatures of the same type as the vanquished foe. For example, defeating a wyvern as part of the Ritual of Blood grants you a +2 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks regarding dragons.

Truebond Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on damage rolls against creatures of the same type as the vanquished foe.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon.

You forge a bond with your chosen weapon by overcoming your natural fear of life-draining effects.

Prerequisite: Intimidate 6 ranks.

Task: You must use the chosen weapon to deliver the killing blow against a creature with the energy drain special attack (such as a vampire) whose Challenge Rating is at least 2 higher than your character level.

Ceremony: Within 1 minute of completing the task, you must spend a full-round action to channel the dissipating negative energy of your vanquished foe into yourself and your weapon. This process bestows one negative level on you, which must remain in effect for 24 hours. If the negative level is removed by any means during this period, the ritual automatically fails. At the end of the 24-hour waiting period, the negative level disappears as if you had successfully saved against it, and the ceremony is complete.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves made to remove negative levels.

Truebond Benefit: You can ignore the effects of a single negative level, taking no penalties on rolls and losing neither hit points nor spells. (You must still make the usual saving throw 24 hours later to remove the negative level so that it does not become permanent.) If you have gained more than one negative level, you function as if you had one less negative level than you actually do.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by using it in battle against an enemy of your faith.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (religion) 3 ranks, able to cast 2nd-level divine spells.

Task: While wielding or wearing the item, you must deliver the killing blow to an outsider whose Challenge Rating is at least 2 higher than your character level. At least one component of this outsider’s alignment must be opposed to yours. For example, if you are lawful good, the outsider must be either chaotic or evil. If you are neutral, neither component of the outsider’s alignment can be neutral (that is, it must be lawful good, chaotic good, lawful evil, or chaoric evil).

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you must begin an 8-hour ritual of prayer and concentration in a temple or on a site dedicated to your patron deity.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities used by outsiders whose alignment does not match your own.

Truebond Benefit: The bonded item is considered to have your alignment, and any effects it generates have alignment aspects that match yours. Furthermore, if you have any abilities that affect your alignment-based spells (such as the Good domain), these abilities also affect the bonded item’s powers. Finally, any attack made by a bonded weapon that has this benefit overcomes damage reduction of the appropriate types. For example, if you are lawful good, your bonded weapon overcomes damage reduction as if its attacks were both good and lawful.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any armor, shield, staff, amulet, phylactery, or vestment.

You forge a bond with your chosen item by enduring the destructive power of a fiery conflagration.

Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3.

Task: While holding the chosen item, you must voluntarily fail a saving throw against a fire spell cast by an enemy whose caster level equals or exceeds your character level. The spell must be capable of dealing damage equal to at least half your full normal hit points. You may not use any means (including spells such as resist energy) to protect yourself from the fire damage dealt by the spell. You need not survive the damage to complete the task.

Ceremony: Within 24 hours of completing the task, you must complete a 1-hour ceremony of prayer in front of a bonfire or similar conflagration.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells or effects with the fire descriptor.

Truebond Benefit: You gain resistance to fire 10.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any armor, shield, weapon, cloak, ring, or helm.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by defeating an enemy in honorable combat.

Prerequisites: Diplomacy 6 ranks, any lawful alignment.

Task: You must challenge and defeat a creature whose Challenge Rating equals or exceeds your character level and whose Intelligence score is 3 or higher. All damage dealt to the creature must be nonlethal, and none of it may be dealt by any of your allies.

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you must begin a 10-minute ceremony of respect for the vanquished foe. This ceremony must conclude with the bestowal of sufficient healing (magical or otherwise) to restore the creature to consciousness.

Benefit: As long as the bonded item is stowed (not held, worn, or otherwise immediately useable), you gain a +1 bonus on initiative checks.

Truebond Benefit: You gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity made by creatures that you have not yet attacked.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon, armor, or shield.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by overcoming an enemy spellcaster’s magical prowess.

Prerequisite: Spellcraft 6 ranks.

Task: You must successfully counter or dispel a spell cast by an enemy whose caster level is at least 2 higher than your own.

Ceremony: Within 24 hours of completing the task, you must meditate for 8 consecutive hours without interruption.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on caster level checks made while holding or wearing the bonded item.

Truebond Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities made while holding or wearing the item.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any rod, staff, wand, amulet, cloak, or robe.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by undergoing a grueling ritual of bodily purification.

Prerequisite: Concentration 6 ranks or Autohypnosis 6 ranks.

Task and Ceremony: You must meditate and fast for 14 consecutive days, eating no food and drinking only water. You may not use any means (either magical or mundane) to heal the nonlethal damage dealt by starvation, nor may you accept any assistance from another character in completing (or surviving) this task. The item must be in your possession during the entire process.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Constitution checks and Constitution-based skill checks.

Truebond Benefit: You take no penalties to Strength or Dexterity for fatigue.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon, bracers, or cloak.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by using it to demonstrate your talent for performance. Despite its name, this ritual applies to any kind of performance, even one with no vocal components.

Prerequisite: Perform (any) 6 ranks.

Task and Ceremony: You must use Perform checks to earn at least 1% of the gp cost for imbuing the bonded item with its new ability. See the Perform skill description for details. The item must be incorporated into each of these performances in some way⁠—​perhaps as accompaniment to a musical performance, or as a prop or costume accessory.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Perform checks made while holding or wearing the item.

Truebond Benefit: You can add 1 to the caster level of any spell you cast while holding or wearing the item, as long as the spell has both a verbal and a somatic component. A spell cast without either or both of these components for any reason⁠—​either because it does not require them or because it is affected by a feat such as Still Spell⁠—​does not gain this benefit.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any amulet, cloak, hat, instrument, or vest.

You forge a bond with your chosen item by using it in grand larceny.

Prerequisites: Any three of the following skills (6 ranks each): Bluff, Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, or Sleight of Hand.

Task: You must steal one or more objects that together are worth at least as much as the gp cost of the ceremony (see below) from a foe whose Challenge Rating is at least 2 higher than your character level. The foe need not be in physical possession of the objects at the time of the theft, but he must be within 100 feet of them. You must then use your chosen item in some fashion that involves one of the same rolls or checks you made during the theft.

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you must give away stolen treasure whose gp value equals or exceeds the cost of imbuing the bonded item with its new abilities. Throughout the distribution of these items, you must spread tales of your skill and cunning.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on any Open Lock check or Search check on which you take 10.

Truebond Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on any Open Lock or Search check on which you take 20, and on any Bluff, Disable Device, or Sleight of Hand check on which you take 10.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used on any boots, cloak, gloves, or container.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by carrying it with you during a long journey.

Prerequisite: Knowledge (geography) 6 ranks or Survival 6 ranks.

Task: You must complete an overland trek of at least 50 miles per character level you possess. You can have company on this journey, but you must cover the entire distance on foot. The chosen item must accompany you throughout this task.

Ceremony: At some point during each day of travel, you must meditate for 1 hour. If this meditation is interrupted, you can begin meditating again. However, if you let an entire 24 hours pass without performing the required meditation, you must restart the journey.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Survival checks, as well as on all checks and saves mentioned in the description of the Endurance feat.

Truebond Benefit: You can move at your normal speed through difficult terrain that would normally halve your speed, including undergrowth (but not heavy undergrowth), shallow bogs, steep slopes, and dense rubble. Obstacles (such as low walls), as well as any magically created difficult terrain, hamper your movement as normal.

Typical Items: This ritual can be used on any boots, cloak, or container.