I am GMing my first campaign - the Jade Regent AP. At the end of the first book, the 4th level party of PC's is going to discover to Minor Artifacts - both with CL 20.
It will not be possible for anyone in the party (either PC's or NPC's) to make a DC 35 Spellcraft check to be able to learn about the magical properties of these items. Even with +5 to spellcraft from an Armillary Amulet, and a +4 Stat boosting item (neither of which are possessed by anyone in the party - nor could they currently be afforded given the wealth level in the game.
The two items in particular are these:
Aura Strong abjuration; CL 20th
Slot none; Weight 5 lbs.
DESCRIPTION
A warding box is a powerful magical container built to obscure and confound any attempt to locate objects kept inside. The box can hold one object no larger than 8 inches × 8 inches × 3 inches (or up to 25 pounds) in each of its three compartments at any one time. The box’s lid and additional compartments are sealed, but the box can be opened or closed as a full-round action. While the lid is closed, the warding box and all objects inside it are protected from all divination spells. In this state, no divination spell save for those employed by the gods can detect the warding box or its contents.
DESTRUCTION
A warding box can be destroyed by placing a portable hole inside it, closing the lid, and then placing the box inside a second portable hole. This second portable hole must be closed, and then a wish must be used to switch the two portable holes. Doing so destroys both portable holes and the warding box along with them.
Aura strong (all schools); CL 20th
Slot none; Weight —
DESCRIPTION
This stone statuette of a dragon is one of five royal seals of Minkai, and represents the Amatatsu family’s divine right to rule the empire of Minkai. Should no Amatatsus of pure blood be able to take up that charge, however, the Amatatsu Seal can invest the right to rule as an Amatatsu in any number of living humanoid hosts. These Amatatsu scions often experience a series of visions of the past, present, and possible future.
The Amatatsu Seal has a daily allotment of 5 charges that it can use to cast the following spells on an Amatatsu scion: cure serious wounds, remove curse, remove disease, or restoration. Each casting uses up 1 daily charge. Alternatively, the seal can cast heal on an Amatatsu scion, but doing so expends all 5 charges. Finally, and only at the seal’s discretion, it can cast resurrection on an Amatatsu scion, but doing so renders its spellcasting powers useless for a month.
The Amatatsu Seal itself radiates strong magic, and those with the proper resources can sense this magic across oceans and continents, allowing it to be tracked across any distance. Originally meant to allow its rightful owners the ability to track it if stolen, this feature makes it dangerous to remove the seal from its warding box, for as long as the warding box is open, the oni of the Five Storms can track it. The repercussions of this are detailed in later adventures in the Jade Regent Adventure Path.
One final ward exists on the Amatatsu Seal, confounding attempts to whisk it quickly away from its homeland but also making returning a stolen seal home an arduous task. The Amatatsu Seal can never be transported by teleportation magic or dimensional travel. It cannot be taken from the Material Plane save via special portals blessed by the gods, and characters who carry the seal cannot cast or otherwise use teleportation effects.
DESTRUCTION
To destroy the Amatatsu Seal, rightful scions of each of the five royal families of Minkai must, of their own free will, cast their families’ seals together into the Well of Demons in the Imperial Shrine in Kasai Harbor.
Now - while the PCs could probably go without knowing how to destroy the artifacts, or even some of the details about them - there are some really useful abilities that it seems like the game intends for the PCs to be able to use.
I know I could Rule 0 this and just tell them what i want - but i wanted to know if there were any other rules about partial information learned from magical items. I'm also just interested in general advice on the issue.
Thanks.
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Identify gives +10, so there is that.
How low are your caster's spellcraft mods. A caster could get it with as low as a +5 mod if they cast identify 1/day and do that for 2 or 3 weeks at most (they would be fishing for a natural 20). A bard could toss on +2 from heroism and +1 from inspire competence, and there are probably a few other boosters that could be used too (Fox's cunning, for starters).
I allow the aid another action for every PC/NPC who can also cast Detect Magic. Depending on the party size and composition, that can add up to a +10 bonus to the primary check.
There is only one PC caster that shows up with any regularity - and he has a +7. There are two NPC's with the skill - they have a +8 & +9 respectively. No one has the spell identify on their list. but the NPC with the +9 spellcraft is a bard with +2 Inspire Competance (no heroism, unfortunately).
However, even if she and the PC aided another to the other NPC, and the bard ALSO Inspires Competence... the NPC would still need to roll a natural 21.
I guess i'll go back and add a couple scrolls of identify to the loot pile, and if they don;t think to use them - i'll open up knowledge checks to the aid another pile of bonuses.
Thanks guys
Would it be viable to pay for lower mid level NPC spellcasting services in a town in the Jade Regeant AP(I don't know much about the AP)?
A spellcaster with a +15 can take 10 with Identify and get it outright. A 200gp ioun stone drops that to +14. Paying for the caster to self buff drops it to +12. A wizard will be rocking that by about level 5(3 class+4 int+5 ranks). A level 8 wizard can nail it outright easy.