Focused Practitioner (Channeling) and item slots

[Wordmaker]

One of my players has been having trouble nailing down a solid character concept and has finally settled on a Focused Practitioner with Channeling. He hasn't decided what his area of focus us, but it occurs to me that crafting focus items and enchanted items would be a form of Thaumaturgy, right? So without at least the Ritual power, where do a Channeler's items come from?

The items are restricted in nature to the elemental theme of the channeler, but without knowing rituals, how does he make them? Is he assumed to have contacts who provide him with "blank" objects he then imbues with energy?

[cold_breaker]

I would say wherever he wants. These items don't need to be crafted by him - perhaps over the course of his travels he's found a common crystal that is infused with fire energy, or stumbled into a magic shop and picked up a book of symbols he uses, and he's carved them into a staff. I would say the thaumaturgy part of it is more about flavour then rules. Anything that makes him feel more comfortable with his magic could be considered a focus item.

[Mr. Death]

Focus items aren't really about thaumaturgy, so much as they're about making up the construct for an evocation. Basically, if you use, say, a rod to aim your fire spells enough, it becomes part of the 'muscle memory' for casting the spell energy, and thus helps you cast it easier.

[Haru]

Yeah, I wouldn't be too strict there. Focus items, as Mr. Death says, are pretty much just part of your spells.

I would even allow enchanted items, but limited to evocation effects. Narratively, those are focus items that allow you to reduce casting stress. Since you don't have any specializations in crafting, the power of those items should be limited enough.

[cold_breaker]

One point to mention though, Thaumaturgy would give a caster a way to change these and be more adaptable (especially so in saving a slot for potions) - since he doesn't have it, he's stuck with more or less long term choices until he gets it.

[Wordmaker]

Nice ideas, and a really good way of looking at Focus Items.

Handily, one of the other players is playing a ritualist who specialises purely in crafting, so he's going to be the justification if the "evokemancer" wants something new.

[Troy]

I was dealing with the same dilemma when I was making my first character. The character's concept is someone who is a natural-born Evocateur with absolutely no knowledge of wizarding technicalities. My first impulse was to just avoid taking Focus Items, but after mulling it over after reading more of the material, I decided that the character's Focus Item would be something she created incidentally. It's an object she always used and connected with to help her focus, something simple like a ring or a pair of gloves. Over time it just became attuned to her and the way she used it, hence Focus Item.

[Kagami]

I like the idea of a lucky ring or something sentimental being a focus item for someone unable to craft with thaumaturgy. It makes those items so much more important to the character as, if they lose it, it's gonna be really hard to replace. Sounds like good story material to me.

[Wordmaker]

I like the idea that a focus item can simply be a totally regular object that has emotional significance for the owner.

I suppose Harry's silver pentacle would be the same. It's not special or magical. It just belonged to his mother, and therefore has emotional power.

[Tsunami]

Harry's Pentacle is more of an aspect than a Focus Item.

Making light with it is an invoke of the aspect to counter a "darkness" scene aspect or somesuch.
Using it to kill a loup garou, invoke for +2, also the narrative explanation for satisfying the catch.
Tracking Thomas, using it as a symbolic link.

one could go on...

As for Focus items.
I let all casters create their own focus items for their spellcraft. Otherwise you cut off a lot from the casting powers.

Enchanted items are another matter. Imho pure Evocators and Channellers can not create enchanted items of any kind.

Thaumaturgy Users obviously can create the whole range of items.
Thematically limited Ritualists can create all kinds of items, blocks, attacks, maneuvers... but they need to fit the Theme.
Ritualists limited to certain fields can only create enchanted items if they are specialized towards Crafting.
A Ritual(Wards) user can not create enchanted items nor can a Ritual(Divination) User.
A Ritual(Crafting) user on the other hand can create the whole range of enchanted tems, without limit to effect or theme, just like a full thaumaturge.


As for changing Focus items. I let them change those together with enchanted items, at a significant milestone.

[Wordmaker]

That's how I was thinking about it. I can absolutely see why a Channeler or Evoker can have focus items, but crafting enchanted items really is a form of ritual.