Lens of the Runethief

[Eric Bailey]

Lens of the Runethief

Aura: faint transmutation; CL: 5th
Slot: —; Price: 17,520 gp; Weight: —

Description:
This palm-sized, concave, crystal disc contains hundreds of tiny translucent letters just beneath its surface.

When used by a character with the trapfinding ability, the lens grants a +2 insight bonus on Disable Device checks to disarm magically inscribed traps. The lens must be placed adjacent to the rune or glyph being disarmed; its activation is part of the Disable Device check.

Twice per day, with a successful check, the user can absorb a harmful rune of 3rd level or lower into the lens. This erases the rune from its original surface and imparts full knowledge of its effects to the user. When touched to a new surface, the lens can inscribe the stored rune upon command. All aspects of the original spell are preserved; caster level, effect, duration, and means of bypassing the rune all remain intact.

The lens can contain a single absorbed rune indefinitely. Its user must inscribe a stored rune on a new surface before another can be absorbed.

Construction:
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item; erase, explosive runes, read magic; trapfinding ability; Cost: 8,760 gp

[Wolfgang Baur]

Huh, a way to move rune spells around. That's ... about 4 spells but it's a pretty neat power for a rogue.

I like it. Not sure I like it enough for round 1, but it's fun.

[Sean K Reynolds]

This item reminds me of a spell that's in the FRCS. I'll check on it when I get home. If it is there, then this item is just a spell in a can (not that I'm suggesting they borrowed that spell).

[Clark Peterson]

Sean, any word on your homework?

I kinda like this item. OK, I more than kinda like it. I like it a good deal.

We had a similar item that we rejected. This one is much better. The flavor and feel are real good.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Aha! Transcribe symbol from Magic of Faerun:

Sor/Wiz 8
You place a protective magic upon your hand that allows you to touch an untriggered magical symbol such as a glyph of warding or a symbol. The touched symbol is removed from its location and held as magical potential on your hand, like a touch spell. To pick up the spell, you must make a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level). Failure indicates the symbol has been triggered. If successfully transferred, you can place the symbol on an surface (not a creature) appropriate to the stored spell as a standard action. The transferred symbol works normally thereafter and retains all of its original triggering conditions (although its current location may make its triggers difficult or impossible to achieve).
You can maintain the symbol in its potential state as long as you concentrate. If your concentration lapses while the symbol is stored as potential, it immediately triggers upon you (and only you), even if you normally wouldn’t meet the trigger conditions. Saving throw and spell resistance rolls are for the original symbol. The only safe way to rid yourself of the stored spell is to place it on a suitable surface.

So this lens only affects low-level runes, whereas the spell could even work on a symbol. I like the item, I vote to keep, please.

[Wolfgang Baur]

Kept.

[Rob McCreary]

The name grabs me right off the bat - what's a runthief? I don't know, but I want to! Looking at the item, I think it's pretty neat. It gives rogues a nice little boost when dealing with those annoyingly high-DC magical traps. And being able to capture the runes and use them yourself is a nice Superstar touch, IMO. I think limiting the level of the runes is a good restriction as well. Very clean design, useful item, and a cool name. What's not to like?

[Rob McCreary]

Forgot to add: Congratulations on joining the ranks of RPG Superstar!

[Jason Nelson]

Congratulations on making it into RPG Superstar 2009!

Sean beat me to it about the FR spell, but this is different enough and limited in its effect that it works just fine on its own. Besides, it' NEAT!

I like this item. I think it fulfills what a wondrous item should do. It is something that any rogue exploring wizards' towers and ancient ruins would like to have. Its description is simple but colorful and its name is suggestive both of its function and of a broader history (like Rob was saying).

I think the design is tight, the power is handy but not crazy, and the item is fun to use. Something very satisfying about using enemy traps against them.

Summary: Very good. An item that is interesting, functional, and clever, and gives the PC a good bit of flexibility in how they use it. Good job!

[Christine Schneider]

The first thing I noticed when reading this item was, that the author used "character with trapfinding ability" instead of rogue. That’s insightful and open design. Good work.
I am not so fond of the "3rd level or lower" limitation because it would be more fun if it could be used with more runes, while being not that much stronger.
The skill boost as an insight (it is a lens after all) bonus is a nice touch to an otherwise solid item.

Positive:
A neat idea that is well executed and without any serious flaw.

Negative:
A bit to pricey. It wouldn't have hurt to broaden its use a little bit.

After reviewing all other items:
Welcome to RPG Superstar 09 and congratulations on designing a solid item that leaves us waiting for more.

[Clinton Boomer]

For a price-tag of 17,520 gold, I would have been happier if this item let me lay out masses of explosive runes at will like little literary proximity mines, but I suppose that carrying them around & re-setting them one at a time after stripping them off of their warded objects is also pretty cool.

I have a hard time disliking this item: the imagery is so darn cool, and the bonus to disabling magical traps so enticing that I almost forget that I've almost NEVER seen a Rogue actually disable a magical trap. With a little luck, this item would see some play in some campaigns, but I fear to the depths of my heart that it would literally hang around the average Rogue's neck doing absolutely nothing at all for the duration of most games.

End of the day? Cool item. Maybe a little TOO focused for the kinds of games that I run, but in the hands of a cunning player in the right situation, it might be the coolest thing since sliced bread.

And maybe that's an indictment of my games, come to think of it ...

Well done, congratulations, and I look forward to seeing more of your work as Superstar! rolls on!

[roguerouge]

Finally I can be the mad bomber what bombs at midnight!

[Mike Welham]

This one seems a little narrow, but, what it does it does well.

Congratulations!

[Eric Bailey]

Thank you so much for placing me in the "keep" pile. You guys absolutely made my day.

On to the villains!

-eric

[Sue Flaherty]

I like this toy :) Moving runes, erasing those pesky things, being able to SEE 'em as a rogue before setting 'em off ... all nice! Definitely will be looking to use this item in a campaign.

[Drakli]

He's in my brain!

He's In My Brain!

Eh-hem,

Seriously, though. Yeah, I'm the guy who designed the other Runethief item, and I've got to agree, Eric's is the solid entry. It's tightly written, and has an application other than just stealing runes.

I dig it! Good job!

Have to admit, it's kind of a thrill having a similar idea to one of the chosen 32.

[RedShirtNo5]

My immediate question on reading this was, is a "glyph" or "sigil" the same as a "rune"? There is some ambiguity, as various spells don't use the same terminology, and you use the phrase "rune or glyph" with respect to the disable device check, but only "rune" on the absorption power. "Magical writing" might have been better term.

But still a cool item.

[R D Ramsey]

Good name. Powerful but highly situational mechanic. Potential for fun!

I'm going with tier one on this one.

[Vladislav Rashkovski]

Tight mechanic, interesting effect. Picture a rogue PC wreaking havoc on a wizard's tower using his own toys, or a villain's sneaky minion transforming the party's home from a haven into a hell they have to break into.

These Lens aren't the kind of item that you would go "Oh, yeah, I know I needed that then and there". But they spark the imagination of a DM for an adventure and entice a player to cause mischief. Hell, that's all I need.

[Erik Anderson]

The Lens of the Runethief is a very utilitarian item that seems to fit the spellpunk genre perfectly. There are a lot of items so far that have been designed around utility but seeing as how most folks play D&D that way it isn't surprising, or inappropriate.

Its well written.

The downside to me, however, is that its kind of boring. Useful, but boring. I'd like to commend you for having it grant a skill bonus in addition to its more overt magical quality, though. I like that.

[Russ Taylor]

The letters in the first sentence already had me thinking about a bleary-eyed artificer hard at work creating this item. Nice touch. Then it goes into a mechanic that goes nicely with a prestige class I just designed - joy! One of the better entries in the round, and I think the level limit helps channel away any likely abuses.

[Charles Evans 25]

I wasn't too happy with this item on the initial read-through but the limitations (only 3rd level or lower spell, limited uses per day, a 'rune' stored keeps its original qualities whilst in no way are these details imparted to the lens' owner and most importantly the price tag) keep a PC from carrying a backpack full of the things around to 'bag and tag' every single magical trap they come across for later reuse/abuse.

Congratulations.

[Heaven's Agent]

Congratulations on making it to round 2!

I like this item. As someone mentioned, it's not a must have, but its versatility will appeal to some and likely inspire ideas in the minds of others. I can see certain characters really taking to the lens, maybe even paying a wizard in town to scribe runes they can store for use later. True, such an action would basically turn the item into a glorified one-use wand, but its overall utility goes beyond this as well.

Good concept, tight writing, and thoughtful description; perhaps not the best, but in my opinion a solid choice for the top 32.

[Montalve]

this is a very cool item
now we justneed the greater version with 5 faces on the lens (just like a big diamond)or with a mechanical lense that can be changed:D

[Eric Morton]

Clandestine wrote:

Picture a rogue PC wreaking havoc on a wizard's tower using his own toys, or a villain's sneaky minion transforming the party's home from a haven into a hell they have to break into.

That's exactly what I thought when I read this.

"How dare you break into my tower? But no matter, my minions on the other side of yonder door will take care of you... To me, my minions!"
*supposedly un-trapped door opens* KABOOM!

[Paul Worthen]

This is a pretty cool item and the writing is very tight. My only real concern with the Lens is that it has a very narrow scope. How many times are you going to run into rune spells? Once per campaign, maybe? Although, there is real potential here for the party spellcasters to scribe lots of runes on things and then have the Rogue run around and sneak the runes into unexpected places. I like that idea. I'd like to see a greater version of this item that is able to pick up higher level rune-type spells.

[Eric Bailey]

Paul Worthen wrote:

This is a pretty cool item and the writing is very tight. My only real concern with the Lens is that it has a very narrow scope. How many times are you going to run into rune spells? Once per campaign, maybe? Although, there is real potential here for the party spellcasters to scribe lots of runes on things and then have the Rogue run around and sneak the runes into unexpected places. I like that idea. I'd like to see a greater version of this item that is able to pick up higher level rune-type spells.

That's certainly the intent... a greater version that can absorb up to 6th level runes, glyphs and symbols, and then a master lens which allows you to absorb any rune you can disarm, and has the added benefit of allowing the rogue to modify the bypass conditions (if any).

thanks again for all this feedback. This is such a great experience.

-eric

[Neil Spicer]

Great job on this, Eric! This is one of my favorite items. Very appropriate idea. Something immediately useful as a rogue's tool. You designed it very tightly. I like it a lot and could see use for this in my own table-top games. Congratulations on being in the Top 32. It is well-deserved.

My two-cents,
--Neil

[Drakli]

Paul Worthen wrote:

This is a pretty cool item and the writing is very tight. My only real concern with the Lens is that it has a very narrow scope. How many times are you going to run into rune spells? Once per campaign, maybe?

The potential I see in this item is that it encourages the DM & players to come up with new Rune and Symbol based spells and traps for the character to 'Yoink.' If you have a creative GM, this kind of thing can cascade quite delightfully... particularly if he/she decides to flesh out an area of the campaign world (like a Nordic setting, perhaps,) where runic magic is especially significant.

Paul Worthen wrote:

I'd like to see a greater version of this item that is able to pick up higher level rune-type spells.

I'd like to second this as something I'd like to see.

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

roguerouge wrote:

Finally I can be the mad bomber what bombs at midnight!

I think you mean the Evil Midnight Bomber what bombs at midnight. SURF'S UP, SPACE PONIES -- I'M MAKIN' GRAVY WITHOUT THE LUMPS!!!!!

(And this is quite nifty. The image I get is of Solid Snake carefully gathering up all the claymore mines in Shadow Moses...)

[Dwayne Depew]

Excellent! I think is really cool as it's exactly opposite of a spell in a can. A neat item for a rogue, glyph exchange! However, I do think the bonus to disable device should be raised to +4, but no big deal.

Congrats for making the top 32!

[Elora]

Simple but oozing fun. Nice work!!

[allen trussell]

This is a neat item; I like it a lot. I'm not clear as to why one would need explosive runes to create it, but that's nitpicking. Congrats!

[Eric Bailey]

allen trussell wrote:

This is a neat item; I like it a lot. I'm not clear as to why one would need explosive runes to create it, but that's nitpicking. Congrats!

Because glyph of warding is cleric-only, and I distinctly wanted this to fall under something an arcane trickster could create on his own. It is also far more expensive using G.O.W. I figured that it should at least require a type of rune-spell it is able to absorb and redeploy.

Thanks!

-eric

[Steven Helt]

This item is fun, and you know that the Pathfinder Society members have a few of these things handy. I like the "magic item for the lone adventurer" kind of feel. Very Indiana Jones. Very "more money for me with no wizards".

Good imagination, and great vision for what a wondrous item should be like. Congratualtions. I am less than halfway through, but my favorite item so far.

[Joel Flank]

I like this item a lot. It gives an ability that doesn't exist otherwise (unless you use Magic of Faerun I guess) and helps in an area that is otherwise quite difficult to deal with (disable device checks for magical spells). I see I'm not the first to have thought of a greater version that lets you snag higher level runes. I'd also increase the bonus to disable them along with the increased spell level cap. Good job, and I'm looking forward to reading your villain.

[deadly_puddingcup]

I am so late in looking at these but I feel the need to let people know they're doing awesome. I love this item. It has a ton of creative uses and would be excellent for spying and sabotaging. With the ability to help disable magic devices, I feel this item could become as standard as thieves tools. Well, if it was cheaper, and not a wondrous item. =P

[Conway, Plastic Ninja of Death]

I dig this item. I think I'm going to insert it into the pocket of soon-to-be-killed NPC thief.

Forever Man wrote:

However, I do think the bonus to disable device should be raised to +4, but no big deal.

I agree with Forever Man on this. Given the narrow focus, I would definitely go with a larger bonus, perhaps even +6.

[Mike Speck]

Nifty! Definitely furthers a subset of play (magic traps, and glyphs in particular) that hasn't always gotten a lot of attention.

Other than kicking up the bonus to +4, my only other question: why limit this to "harmful" runes? (As best I can find, they're the only kind in the current spell list, but...) Sure, re-setting the explosive runes is fun...but what about stealing the villain's "escape hatch" teleport rune? Or just ONE rune from a summoning circle?

That's a TINY quibble, though. Great execution of a wonderful idea!

Congrats on Top 32!

-S

[Lilith]

I can see equipping this on a master cat burglar or have it for loan from the local thieves' guild.