Forge Magic

Philosophy

Forge Magic holds that matter can be taught. Heat opens it, structure supports it, and definition gives it lasting purpose. Its practitioners see enchantment not as decoration but as the disciplined imposition of enduring function upon crafted things.

This school values workmanship, repeatability, and material respect. Sloppy force may produce spectacle, but Forge Magic aims for tools, arms, seals, devices, and artifacts that survive use.

Example Places of Study

Common Spells

Heat Forge

Purpose/How It Works: Heat Forge brings crafted metal or worked material to the correct working temperature with unusual precision. Notable Exceptions: It cannot make bad metal good by heat alone. Example Use: A field smith repairs armor without hauling a full furnace. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Direct heat cast, 5 to 10 seconds. Forge-bed activation, 10 to 20 seconds. Range/Duration: Touch or forge space. Lasts until material cools naturally.

Quench Line

Purpose/How It Works: Quench Line cools a chosen edge, seam, or section without disturbing the rest of the piece. Notable Exceptions: Improper timing can still warp the work. Example Use: A blade edge is set cleanly while the spine remains workable. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Line-trace cast, 3 to 6 seconds. Water trough focus, 5 to 10 seconds. Range/Duration: Touch. Instant cooling effect.

Temper Bind

Purpose/How It Works: Temper Bind toughens a finished piece against later stress by settling its internal balance. Notable Exceptions: Overbinding can make material brittle. Example Use: Shield rims endure campaign abuse without cracking. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Cooling bind cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Full temper rite, 2 to 5 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Lasting if successful.

Rune Seat

Purpose/How It Works: Rune Seat prepares a surface to hold inscription, charge, and repeated magical use without tearing or misfiring. Notable Exceptions: Cheap material still limits performance. Example Use: An artificer readies a bronze plate for a trigger sigil. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Surface prep cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Bench rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Lasting preparation.

Fit Perfect

Purpose/How It Works: Fit Perfect aligns jointed parts to ideal tolerance and contact. Notable Exceptions: Missing parts and warped materials still require manual correction. Example Use: A lockwork device finally seats cleanly after repeated failed assembly. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Alignment touch, 5 to 10 seconds. Jig or frame focus, 20 to 40 seconds. Range/Duration: Touch. Immediate.

Hammer Echo

Purpose/How It Works: Hammer Echo repeats the force or shaping intention of a blow through the workpiece. Notable Exceptions: Repeated echoes can overshape delicate work. Example Use: A single master strike does the work of three measured hits. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Strike-linked cast, instant with blow. Echo rune on hammer, prepared use. Range/Duration: Touch through tool. One blow or short series.

Anvil Hold

Purpose/How It Works: Anvil Hold keeps a workpiece motionless and structurally honest during stress, cutting, and shaping. Notable Exceptions: Very large work still needs clamps and support. Example Use: A delicate frame stays true while being punched and riveted. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Bench cast, 3 to 6 seconds. Touch hold, 1 to 2 seconds. Range/Duration: Workbench scale. Seconds to minutes.

Flux Cleanse

Purpose/How It Works: Flux Cleanse purges impurities, slag, and bad mixing from metal or alloy. Notable Exceptions: It cannot salvage fundamentally incompatible mixtures fully. Example Use: A tainted melt is cleaned before an entire batch is lost. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Crucible cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Smelter rite, 1 to 5 minutes. Range/Duration: Forge vessel or touched material. Instant to several minutes.

Edge Wake

Purpose/How It Works: Edge Wake sharpens a blade or cutting surface through energetic realignment and stress correction. Notable Exceptions: It is maintenance, not miracle restoration of ruined edges. Example Use: Scouts renew dull knives before a long hunt. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Edge draw cast, 5 to 10 seconds. Sharpening stone focus, 20 to 40 seconds. Range/Duration: Touch. Lasting until use dulls it again.

Grip Oath

Purpose/How It Works: Grip Oath binds a tool more tightly to its owner so it sits correctly in the hand and resists theft or misuse. Notable Exceptions: It is weaker if the owner barely uses or values the tool. Example Use: A smith’s hammer answers perfectly to one apprentice and poorly to a thief. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Hand-and-tool vow, 10 to 20 seconds. Maker’s seal rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Weeks to years.

Brace Plate

Purpose/How It Works: Brace Plate improves the load-bearing quality of armor, braces, housings, or frames. Notable Exceptions: Overstiffening can reduce flexibility. Example Use: Wagon armor survives mountain descent that would crumple ordinary plating. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Surface cast, 5 to 10 seconds. Full plate rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Days to years depending on quality.

Trigger Sigil

Purpose/How It Works: Trigger Sigil binds a simple stored effect to a defined activation condition such as touch, phrase, or pressure. Notable Exceptions: Complex triggers become unreliable fast. Example Use: A ward-lamp lights only when the correct key phrase is spoken. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Inscription cast, 20 to 40 seconds. Workshop bench rite, 2 to 5 minutes. Range/Duration: Fixed object or surface. Lasts until discharged or broken.

Lockwork Memory

Purpose/How It Works: Lockwork Memory teaches a mechanism its correct sequence so it returns to proper operation more reliably. Notable Exceptions: Broken parts still need repair. Example Use: An intricate clock no longer slips its cycle after repeated service. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Gear-touch cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Clockbench rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Lasting until major damage or wear.

Spark Wheel

Purpose/How It Works: Spark Wheel powers a small crafted engine, light device, or driven mechanism with contained magical charge. Notable Exceptions: It is suited to small devices, not whole foundries. Example Use: An artificer runs a pump in a flooded cellar without animal labor. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Device charge cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Reservoir link, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: One device. Minutes to hours.

Weld Seam

Purpose/How It Works: Weld Seam fuses compatible materials into a clean joint under controlled heat and definition. Notable Exceptions: Surface contamination or poor fit weakens the seam. Example Use: Bridge repairers restore a broken iron joint before dawn traffic. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Seam fusion, 5 to 15 seconds. Clamp and bench rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Usually lasting.

Voice Of Iron

Purpose/How It Works: Voice of Iron reads stress, fatigue, and hidden weakness in worked metal by listening to how it wants to fail. Notable Exceptions: Decorative plating can mask structural truth. Example Use: An armorer rejects a breastplate that will split at the next impact. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Ear-to-metal or hand read, 5 to 10 seconds. Tuning fork focus, 20 to 40 seconds. Range/Duration: Touch. Brief reading.

Inscribed Purpose

Purpose/How It Works: Inscribed Purpose fixes a narrow enduring function into an object, such as locking, warming, signaling, or aligning. Notable Exceptions: Overbroad functions collapse into weak gimmickry. Example Use: A lantern is made to relight at dusk and dim at dawn. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Purpose inscription, 20 to 40 seconds. Full object rite, 2 to 5 minutes. Range/Duration: One object. Lasting.

Hardcase Shell

Purpose/How It Works: Hardcase Shell increases a crafted item’s resistance to impact and wear through temporary or lasting reinforcement. Notable Exceptions: It may add brittleness if pushed too far. Example Use: Couriers protect message cylinders during hard travel. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Surface reinforcement cast, 5 to 10 seconds. Full shell rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Days to years.

Workshop Calm

Purpose/How It Works: Workshop Calm stabilizes heat, noise, motion, and minor interference inside a forge or workroom. Notable Exceptions: It cannot completely suppress catastrophic accidents. Example Use: Master artisans continue delicate work despite chaos outside. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Room cast, 20 to 40 seconds. Full workshop rite, 2 to 5 minutes. Range/Duration: One workshop. Minutes to hours.

Artifact Feed

Purpose/How It Works: Artifact Feed recharges an enchanted item from prepared energy, ambient source, or stored reserve. Notable Exceptions: Incompatible charge can warp the item. Example Use: A ward-staff is topped up before a long patrol. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Direct feed cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Charging stand rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Immediate recharge event.

Smelter S Verdict

Purpose/How It Works: Smelter’s Verdict determines what a material can safely become under craft and magic. Notable Exceptions: Hidden curses or foreign alloys may lie outside ordinary reading. Example Use: A salvaged meteor-metal is judged fit for tools, not swords. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Sample read, 5 to 10 seconds. Furnace assay rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch or sample. Brief reading.

Forge Ward

Purpose/How It Works: Forge Ward protects a workpiece from hostile magic, impurity, and interference while under craft. Notable Exceptions: It is usually narrow to one active piece or bench. Example Use: A relic blade cannot be sabotaged during reforging. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Bench ward cast, 10 to 20 seconds. Full craft-circle rite, 2 to 5 minutes. Range/Duration: One workpiece or station. Minutes to hours.

Living Alloy

Purpose/How It Works: Living Alloy temporarily increases flexibility without losing strength, allowing material to bend and recover under stress. Notable Exceptions: The effect fades and repeated cycling can still fatigue the piece. Example Use: A gate bar flexes instead of snapping under ram shock. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Touch cast, 5 to 10 seconds. Heating and quench rite, 1 to 3 minutes. Range/Duration: Touch. Minutes to hours.

Master Temper

Purpose/How It Works: Master Temper brings a weapon, tool, or plate toward exceptional quality by aligning heat, stress, and purpose with unusual precision. Notable Exceptions: It requires a worthy base piece and skilled craft support. Example Use: A campaign sword becomes the equal of a house relic after one final perfect temper. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Full temper cast, 2 to 5 minutes. Master forge rite, 10 to 30 minutes. Range/Duration: One crafted item. Lasting.

Reliquary Make

Purpose/How It Works: Reliquary Make prepares a vessel for long-term magical storage without leakage or corruption. Notable Exceptions: Very strong contents still demand periodic maintenance. Example Use: Priests build a reliquary fit to carry a saint’s charged bone fragment. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Vessel preparation cast, 1 to 3 minutes. Deep kiln or vault rite, 10 to 30 minutes. Range/Duration: One vessel. Lasting.

Enduring Mark

Purpose/How It Works: Enduring Mark inscribes a sigil meant to last across generations of use and weather. Notable Exceptions: It should be applied only to settled surfaces and intentional meanings. Example Use: Boundary stones keep their founding seal centuries after the mason dies. Typical Cost/Power Source: Usually fed by forge heat, prepared materials, stored charge, and the caster’s shaping effort; the better the workshop, the less personal reserve is wasted. Casting Methods: Inscription cast, 20 to 40 seconds. Monument rite, 5 to 15 minutes. Range/Duration: One mark or inscription. Years to generations.