Augment Crystals

Augment Crystals:
''Tordek found a glowing green gem in the dragon’s hoard. When he touched the gem to his axe’s haft, it attached to the weapon’s base. Tordek’s axe now glowed with the same green energy, acid dripping along its length. When he removed the gem and affixed it to his dagger, the axe lost this ability, but the dagger dripped with acid instead.''

An augment crystal is a small gem, crystal, or similar object that provides a magical effect when affixed to a weapon, shield, or suit of armor (or any other magic item that grants an armor bonus to AC). Each item can hold a single augment crystal, but an attached crystal can be swapped for another one at any time. Attaching an augment crystal to an item requires a move action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, removing an augment crystal is only a swift action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.

Effectively, each eligible item has a single “slot” that can be filled by any appropriate augment crystal. Each augment crystal’s Body Slot entry gives the appropriate item to which it can be attached. Augment crystals are ranked as least, lesser, or greater. (Any crystal without a rank is considered a least augment crystal.) The rank not only describes the relative power level of the crystal’s effect, but also the minimum required quality or enhancement bonus of the armor, shield, or weapon for the crystal to function:
 * A least augment crystal functions whenever attached to an object of at least masterwork quality, even if the object itself has no magical properties.
 * A lesser augment crystal functions only when attached to an object with a magical enhancement bonus of +1 or higher (such as a +1 longsword or bracers of armor +1).
 * A greater augment crystal functions only when attached to an object with a magical enhancement bonus of +3 or higher. Only the item’s actual bonus applies, not its “effective” bonus; for example, a +1 keen holy flaming burst longsword won’t allow a greater augment crystal to function, since its actual bonus is only +1.

Crystal of Mercy:
Price (Item Level): 200 gp (1st), 2000 gp (7th), 5000 gp (10th)

Body Slot: -- (Weapon Crystal)

Caster Level: 5th

Aura: Faint; (DC 17) Transmutation

Activation: --

Weight: --

This transparent crystal has an unnatural clarity, with an internally flawless structure; free of inclusions. It's surface has a milky smooth texture to it.
 * Least: All damage the weapon deals is nonlethal damage.
 * Lesser: Same as Least, and deals an additional 1d6 points of damages.
 * Greater: Additional Damage is increased to 2d6. Once an opponents nonlethal hit points reach -1 the weapon will be unable to harm them. This functionally renders this weapon incapable of killing even the weakest of foes.

Behind the Curtain:
Augment crystals offer characters a cheap method of improving weapons and armor. Unlike adding a normal armor or weapon property, buying and using an augment crystal doesn’t require making a permanent decision about the item—if it later proves uninteresting, it can be sold or traded to help pay for a more powerful crystal or item.

The “swappable” nature of augment crystals also allows a character to be prepared for more eventualities. Paying for the ghost touch weapon property is not only a significant investment in gold, but also feels like wasted space whenever the characters aren’t fighting shadows and wraiths. On the other hand, a lesser truedeath crystal (page 66) provides the same effect but can be swapped for another crystal when you don’t face incorporeal creatures. Even low-level characters can afford to carry a couple of least crystals, and high-level characters can easily afford to keep a few extras in a bag of holding for special situations.