Heartstones

Heartstones are essentially remote-access scroll racks. They’re most commonly used by mage guilds, priestly orders, and similar spellcaster organizations.

Users with the “Scribing” or Scribe Scroll feat may inscribe spell formulas onto a heartstone from any distance, at a cost of 2 XP per level of the spell, a minute of concentration, and expending the prepared spell or available spell slot (for spontaneous spellcasters). Using a formula from among those inscribed on the stone requires an unused spell slot of the appropriate level or higher to provide the power, one full-round action to draw the spell formula from the stone and imprint it on that power, and a normal action to cast it. Unfortunately, such imprinted spell patterns are a bit unstable. They must be used within one minute per level of the spellcaster or they will fade away as if cast in any case.

Heartstones are active participants in passing on spell formulas, and enforce the rules established by the group that created them. Many groups establish length-of-membership or rank limitations on the use of their heartstones powers, although others simply settle for the attunement delay.

In essence, a Heartstone is simply allowing the use of the Bonded (User-provided power option), Living Magic (To embed “scribed” spells in ideas), and Hieroglyphic advanced modifiers on the Scribing feat. The shorter time results from the use of pre-prepared concepts to store the spells - although this both limits the spell capacity of the Heartstone and requires that it be sentient in its own right. The special Heartstone Attunement feat is simply a variation on the usual remote-attunement feat or the Blood Bond feat which can be taken to provide a link between two individuals.

This translates as bestowing a Complex Mental feat (Base Spell Level of 3) with one prerequisite which the user must already have (No modifier), use activated (x2000 GP), linked (x2 cost), and does not take up an item slot (x2 cost). This would normally only bestow two improvements rather than three, the tradeoff is that they can’t be used for any other purpose. “Rapid Casting” is not required, since the spell lasts for nearly an hour at the base level of three. It does require a specific feat to use effectively (x.8) and the Heartstone is immobile (x.5), for a net cost of 48,000 GP.

Other Primary, Extraordinary, and even Awesome powers may be added as desired - but will be expensive: since they’ll usually have to take the Linked (x2), Rapid Casting (x2), No “Item Slot” required (x2), and Immobile (x.5) modifiers, for a net x4 the base costs. This limits most “Primary” abilities to a base cost of 2500 GP or less and “Extraordinary” ones to 12,500 GP or less. “Awesome” powers have no upper limit in theory, but in practice are usually limited to a base cost of 250,000 GP or less. While such powers are technically “unlimited use” many game masters opt to rule that such effects must either be limited to the linked character only or be limited to once per day per level. In either case this will reduce the cost by a further x.7 multiplier.

Fortunately, as usual for sentient items with a telepathic link, a Heartstone can bestow those feats it possesses on those linked to it with a -1 level modifier on the level of spell usually required. If a Heartstone happens to have Alertness - a feat that normally requires a level two spell to bestow - it can grant it to those linked to it with a level one spell.

Still, powerful heartstones are obviously only cost-effective for groups with at least five members. Lower-powered versions are often created by groups of adventurers who want the flexibility. One thing any Heartstone, or other intelligent item with a telepathic link, can do for “free” is to attempt to aid Intelligence-based skill checks. A Heartstone with a skill of 9+ in such a skill need not even roll; it simply provides a +2 bonus.

The capacity - the number of formulas it can store at any given time - of a Heartstone depends on its level of sentience. Since the ability to bestow the three required Scribing enhancements is a “Extraordinary” power, Heartstones must have a minimum sentience rank of 5.

Game masters who do not want to track available formula - especially with higher-level heartstones and mostly-NPC orders - may simply treat the numbers listed as a percentage, add 10%, and roll to see if a given spell is available at the moment.

For quick reference, the relevant portion of the relevant chart from the Sentient Items section has been reprinted below with the number of “Extraordinary Powers” available adjusted to account for the one in use.

The base ego is increased by 1 per 10,000 GP worth of enchantments on the item prior to imbuing it with a spirit. Adjustments for powers under the item’s control have already been included.

Heartstones occasionally have power slots devoted to “local” defenses, rather than to assisting the group members, but this is rare. Most large groups prefer to defend their Heartstone themselves, rather than waste power slots on such things.