ShneekeyTheLost
2008-12-27, 01:57 PM
Concept and idea taken from the wonderful Animusic: Aqua Harp (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgt4DEBQy50).
Once, there was a Bard, who called himself Maelous the Magnificent (behind his back, known as Maelous the Moronic). He considered himself more of a magical performer than anything else, although he was an excellent crafter. He made his living making instruments. After a while, he began learning the secrets of creating magic items, which greatly interested him, despite the warnings of his fellow Bards.
One of his earliest facinations was the Apparatus of the Crab, loving the blend of physical and magical crafting inherent in the design. Sadly, the expertise of making such a lovely device was well beyond his skill... yet he had a goal to strive for.
He could not give up his love of music, no matter how the lure of the Apparatus called to him, and found that while he was able to become quite skilled in engineering, it never seemed... right.
Finally, he suceeded in making an Apparatus of the Crab, the highlight of his magical and mundane skill... but it could never play music, and for that, despite the victory, he was saddened.
His next idea was to combine his love of music with his love of creation, the blend was a thing of beauty.
His first was the Water Harp, an awsome instrument fully as large as most organs, which played itself. Using many of the theories he used in making the Apparatus, he decided on the more powerful Animate Object rather than the more humble Unseen Servant.
As a work, his Water Harp was expensive. However, a rich noble, having a fondness for music, listened to the Water Harp and not only purchased it on the spot, but comissioned Maelous for another self-playing instrument.
Maelous eventually passed on the secret to making Animated Instruments, but few possessed the skill and magical prowess necessary to make them. Thus, most of the Animated Instruments are in the houses of Nobility, particularly those who are in out-of-the-way places that musicians rarely frequent.
As it was already so expensive, just in terms of magic, Maelous decided that if his customers were going to have to spend tens of thousands of gold on an instrument, that it had best be large enough to be worth it, so all Animated Instruments are designed to be Huge or larger, and almost always designed to be immobile.
Strong transmutation; CL 19th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, creator must have 15 ranks in the Perform (any) and 15 ranks in Craft (Instrument) skill; Price 90,000 gp; Weight 500 lb.
Once, there was a Bard, who called himself Maelous the Magnificent (behind his back, known as Maelous the Moronic). He considered himself more of a magical performer than anything else, although he was an excellent crafter. He made his living making instruments. After a while, he began learning the secrets of creating magic items, which greatly interested him, despite the warnings of his fellow Bards.
One of his earliest facinations was the Apparatus of the Crab, loving the blend of physical and magical crafting inherent in the design. Sadly, the expertise of making such a lovely device was well beyond his skill... yet he had a goal to strive for.
He could not give up his love of music, no matter how the lure of the Apparatus called to him, and found that while he was able to become quite skilled in engineering, it never seemed... right.
Finally, he suceeded in making an Apparatus of the Crab, the highlight of his magical and mundane skill... but it could never play music, and for that, despite the victory, he was saddened.
His next idea was to combine his love of music with his love of creation, the blend was a thing of beauty.
His first was the Water Harp, an awsome instrument fully as large as most organs, which played itself. Using many of the theories he used in making the Apparatus, he decided on the more powerful Animate Object rather than the more humble Unseen Servant.
As a work, his Water Harp was expensive. However, a rich noble, having a fondness for music, listened to the Water Harp and not only purchased it on the spot, but comissioned Maelous for another self-playing instrument.
Maelous eventually passed on the secret to making Animated Instruments, but few possessed the skill and magical prowess necessary to make them. Thus, most of the Animated Instruments are in the houses of Nobility, particularly those who are in out-of-the-way places that musicians rarely frequent.
As it was already so expensive, just in terms of magic, Maelous decided that if his customers were going to have to spend tens of thousands of gold on an instrument, that it had best be large enough to be worth it, so all Animated Instruments are designed to be Huge or larger, and almost always designed to be immobile.
Strong transmutation; CL 19th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, creator must have 15 ranks in the Perform (any) and 15 ranks in Craft (Instrument) skill; Price 90,000 gp; Weight 500 lb.