Hi all,

I'm adapting some old D&D modules for play in RoT and I'm stumped as to how to translate things like one use magic items, wands, rods or scrolls. Wands are covered as Implements in both Core and RoT, but the setting book doesn't really go into much detail if items like scrolls, rods or single use magic items are prevalent around Terrinoth. I get the impression they are not nearly as common as D&D. The setting book seems to indicate that magic is rare, but at the same time pervasive.

If they don't typically exist then I can just skip them, but if they do exist, how would they work? Would scrolls be one shot magical implements or something that lets you cast the spell without strain cost? Single use magical items, like the Javelin of Lightning is easier to do, just single shot ranged attack or the like.

What are all you fine guys and gals doing for those sorts of single/limited use magical items?

Seeing as Terrinoth is a developed, if derivative, setting, if they don't exist in the book they probably don't exist in the setting. Runes fit a similar niche? Kind of?

To create your own, I would select a magic action + the desired number of additional effects to set the difficulty. Use would be an action, suffer 2 strain and a Knowledge (Lore) check. If successful, the effects trigger. For spells that have a variable effect based on the caster's characteristic/Knowledge (Lore), you could just set a base value instead.

If a Rune Shard had Limited Ammo 1 then it would be mechanically the same as a scroll. A non magic character could spend the Manoeuvre to “prepare the scroll” just like activating a Rune, then an Action to unleash the spell effect just like with a Rune Shard. But because of the limited Ammo 1 quality it only gets used once.

A magic user using a scroll would have a second choice, to add upgrades to a spell as a one time bonus, but it would count as your Implement for that spell so you couldn’t also use your staff.

Therefore I would recommend starting with the Rune Shards; Rune of Immolation becomes Scroll of Immolation.

In my ES Conversion, I basically treated these as a Magic Action with a predefined dicepool, based on the quality of a Scroll.

I.e. a Greater Scroll of Healing would use the Heal Action with, say, 3 Yellow Dice, without having to be trained.

This may add some added complexity, but also represents the uncertainty of magic even when it is pre-prepared (**** enchanters do exist, after all).