Thaumatech in the Market

Thaumatech

Thaumatech is an age old technology allowing the near seamless integration of magic and technology that didn't diminish either. While the history of it's creation is fuzzy at best, it is generally accepted that it was created by Clan Tremere or the Lilim to give magical abilities to their mundane servants. The art was widely used by the world until the the exodus of the Primogens two-thousand years ago. As the centuries passed, these items became more and more rare, until the most trivial of items became a near priceless artifact. However, within the last century items have been finding their way into markets across the world, making them an almost everyday sight. It is unknown who or what is manufacturing these items again, since the creator has taken pains to cover their track. In any case these items are now within the financial reach of the merchant class of peoples, allowing many people in the world a level of ability they previously lacked.

The items function by the user focusing their will on the objects' intended function (spending a point of temporary Willpower), which the item then converts into energy to power itself. Listed below are the most common items found in the markets of the world

Scrying Visor

These common artifacts are arcs of translucent crystal that are worn like a pair of goggles. By spending 1 Willpower, the user can activate Mage sight for one scene. This ability to see patterns of magic allows the wearer to pierce total darkness, fog, smoke, and precipitation. The wearer can also see immaterial beings and instantly notices any magic-powered objects. While active, this device also provides the wearer with a +2 bonus to all Awareness rolls. These objects are treated as having Auspex 2 for the purposes of seeing Obfuscated individuals.

Cost: ••

Perfected Boots

This artifact has been made since the early days of the Reign of Primogens, but most modern examples were manufactured in Enoch. Once the wearer spends 1 point of Willpower, these boots become the most comfortable footwear she has ever worn. This artifact keeps the wearer’s feet cool and dry in all conditions, and she will never develop blisters while wearing them. In addition to comfort, these boots also allow the wearer to both run and march considerably faster than normal. In combat, the wearer adds 3 yards per round to all move actions and 6 yards per round to run actions. When walking long distances, the wearer can march at a speed of 10 miles per hour and can cover up to 100 miles in a day, allowing the wearer to overtake carriages and to easily keep up with all but the fastest mounted characters. In addition, the wearer adds 2 to her Strength when calculating jumping distances. This bonus adds directly to the wearer’s Strength if the jumping distance is multiplied because of magic or additional artifacts. The effects of these boots last until the wearer removes them, then another point of will must be spent to recalibrate them back to the wearer. If the wearer decides not to calibrate them, the boots only provide 1 yard per round in all move cations and 2 yards per round to run actions.

Cost: ••

Winged Messenger

These intricately crafted pieces of jewelry were typically fashioned from precious metals and coated with a light sprinkling of gem dust. They are most commonly found in the shape of iridescent dragonflies or golden bumblebees, although many mages had theirs forged in accordance with their unique design preferences. The affluent commonly wore these baubles as brooches, bracelets, hair pins, or belt buckles though they could just as easily be integrated into the pommel of a dagger or into the jeweled horn of a saddle. When the bauble’s wearer needed a message delivered to someone nearby (the messenger’s range is no farther than a mile radius from the wearer) he would channel 1 Willpower into the device to animate it, and the tiny automaton would fly off to find the recipient. Upon finding the recipient, the winged messenger bauble would then either speak the wearer’s message or release any documents it held clasped in its legs. If a reply were requested, the messenger would say so and wing its way back to its owner with the response. These devices, while clever in their own right, are not very capable at finding people who wish to remain hidden. The device will not be able to find those who are actively hiding themselves from the owner of the device.

Cost: ••

Will Sword

These swords were commonly carried by Lilim and Tremere as they entered battle. The hilt allows the user to focus their will into a blade of condensed light. The color of the blades tend to match the auras of the individual wielding it, making it obvious as to their mental state. Color indicates the emotional state while the overall shape indicates their mental state; a highly ordered person might have a perfectly straight and constant blade, while a mentally unstable wielder's blade might waver and shift like flames. The size of the blade also indicates the user's strength of will. A particularly weak willed individual might only produce a roughly dagger sized blade, while a very strong willed person could produce a blade the size of a great-sword.

To activate the sword the user spends 1 point of Willpower, then for the remainder of the scene the blade remains extended. The blade does a number of dice of lethal damage equal to the wielders Willpower. A character may spend another point of Willpower each round to make the damage done by the weapon into Aggravated damage for that round. (Yes, yes we all know what these things are. I think they're cool. A wizard did it.)

Damage: Willpower    Conceal: Pocket (When not in use)   Min Str: 1   Hands: 1

Cost: •••