Switching magic between items (spell)

[TuggyNE]

Idea and text substantially by Fouredged Sword, ruthlessly maimed edited and posted with permission.

Magical Transference
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, SF
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Target: One magical and one non-magical item touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You transfer all magical properties (except curses) from a touched magic item to a mundane item of similar kind and suitable craftsmanship (cloaks with cloaks, weapon to masterwork weapon, and so forth), utterly destroying the original item in the process. Any such properties that cannot be applied to the destination item are lost. You know which properties will be kept and which will be lost 10 minutes into the spell, and can choose to stop the process at that point without loss of the spell nor any changes made. If you attempt to transfer the properties from an item you have not identified, you must make a CL check with a DC equal to the CL of the item or fail to transfer the unidentified properties. This destroys the intended destination item and the spell fails, leaving the original intact. When attempting to transfer unknown or hidden properties, you are informed that there is unrecognized magic present only if it would be lost in the transfer, and even then, only of its existence, not its school or purpose.

This spell changes the physical object the magic is transferred to in a way that provides hints as to the new nature of the object. The item will gain all new features needed to function in its new role, as well as features that hint at its function. A necklace with an necklace of fireballs effect moved to it will grow beads that can be removed and thrown. A newly flaming sword will develop a flame motif along the blade. You may suppress cosmetic (weapon etchings) — though not functional (beads for a necklace of fireballs) — changes with a CL check at a DC equal to the CL of the item. No change will be enough to disguise the item as something else, and it remains recognizable as related to the old object by anyone who studies it (DC 15 Knowledge Arcana or relevant Profession or Craft check).

Attempting to cast this spell on an artifact always fails immediately. Cursed items may attempt to make their current possessor stop this process if they have any compulsion effect, but otherwise are destroyed when the spell is complete as normal, without passing on the curse. Intelligent items or other magic items that are considered creatures are reconstructed substantially the same, but may not possess all their memories, and generally do not appreciate the process.

Should the spell also fail on relics? Anything I haven't considered? Any wacko wording problems? Let me know!

[Mnemnosyne]

It's too low level, I think, to not pass on the curse of cursed items, but keep their benefits. That should be a much higher level effect (7th or so, perhaps), and quite possibly require an expensive material or xp component in addition. Lower level versions are fine to pass on both curse and benefits.

You should also be able to transfer properties to other types of items with the same affinity. For instance, an intelligence bonus to either a head or a face slot, a resistance bonus to body, rings, shoulders, or torso, etc.

A slightly higher level version (4th or 5th) might be able to transfer to non-affinity slots, at a material component cost equivalent (or close to equivalent) to the price difference of enchanting a non-affinity slot.

That higher level version may also be reasonable to allow it to transfer only part of an enchantment, letting you split up enchantments. Or allow targeting of an already-magical item to combine them, again using a material component cost equivalent to the price difference you would pay to have the enchantments combined in the first place.

[Fouredged Sword]

Yes, the reason I originally added the line about hidden properties is that any curse would be carried into the new item without being detected. This is to prevent a party from simply transferring every item they come across to a new physical item to weed out any curses hidden in their loot. A version that removes curses from items should be 6-7th level, in my mind.

And I don't think it should work on relics normally. They are closely tied to their deity though, so maybe allow it, but with a restriction that the transference must be cast by a divine caster who worships the correct god, or a arcane caster with the true believer feat. I would also require the new item to be physically identical to the old relic, so a greatsword to a greatsword, not just any weapon. In this case it would be more to repair damage to the object than to change their god's holy vision of what the relic should be.

I really like the idea of higher level spells that can shift the slot of the item. Maybe a 3rd level spell that can match very close items (cloak to cloak, one type of sword to another), a 4th level spell that can change the type of item, but occupies the same slot (necklace to a collar, weapon to weapon). Maybe make a 5th level version that costs EXP and gems that can shift the item from it's normal slot to a non-associated slot (at the correct MIC cost mark up). A 6th level spell that removes permanent curses (at an exp cost, this one should be abjuration), and a 7th level slot that can change an item into an Ioun Stone (again, at the correct exp and gold cost difference).

Also, looking back at it, a caster level check VS the CL of the item is very hard to fail if you are past 7th level. I think it should be a CL check of DC = item CL +5, that at least opens the door to failing the check on unidentified items.