Blackwing has a new bracelet made from Laurin Shattersmith's Ioun stone.
Cast[]
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
A street in Tinkertown, two large buildings feature signs reading, "HATS AND MORE!" and "JUST HATS". A voice comes from a small shop between the two.
Gnome Artificer: Hmmm, let’s see what I’ve got…
- Panel 2
Inside the small shop
Gnome Artificer: I have a pair of boots that lets you Dimension Door three times per day?
Vaarsuvius: Useful, certainly, but I require an item which will allow me to teleport eight creatures several hundred miles.
Gnome Artificer: I’m sorry, I don’t have anything like that right now. You might want to try Elaina’s Witchery, down the block.
A sign attached to a barrel reads, "partially charged wands 50% off!"
- Panel 3
Vaarsuvius: I shall, thank you.
Gnome Artificer: You want the boots, or should I put ‘em back?
Vaarsuvius: I must pass at this juncture, though I may return if I have any coin remaining.
Gnome Artificer: Sounds good!
- Panel 4
Vaarsuvius: Good day.
Blackwing: Whoa, V, hold up! I need to speak with this fine gnome.
Vaarsuvius: …Proceed.
- Panel 5
Blackwing: I snagged this sweet bauble from a grumpy psion, but it doesn’t seem to do anything but zip around in circles.
Gnome Artificer: Ahhh! An orange ioun stone! It subtly increases the spell power of whomever’s head it orbits.
- Panel 6
Blackwing: That sounds good, but I can’t cast spells.
Gnome Artificer: You could simply give it to your elf.
Blackwing: I am pretty sure I mentioned it was mine. I just know I did.
- Panel 7
Gnome Artificer: I see. Well, since you two share an arcane bond, I may be able to help.
Gnome Artificer: With a bit of artificer know-how, I can transmogrify that stone into a bracelet you can wear while still granting the bonuses to your wizard—
Gnome Artificer: —as long as you stay close enough.
- Panel 8
Gnome Artificer: There!
Blackwing: Ooo! Ooo! Put it on my leg! Put it on!!
- Panel 9
Gnomish Artificer: Ha ha, looks good! Because really, who wants an annoying little thing zipping around, flying in front of your face when you’re trying to cast?
Vaarsuvius: I concur, but unfortunately he is my familiar and I am stuck with him.
- Panel 10
beat
- Panel 11
Blackwing: So shiny…
Vaarsuvius: *sigh* Come.
D&D Context[]
- The title is a play on the Craft Wondrous Item feat, which is required to fabricate or fix magic items.
- The gnome is an Artificer. The concept was first introduced as a specialization for Wizards of the Thaumaturgy school in the 1996 AD&D 2nd Edition supplement Player's Option: Spells & Magic. In D&D 3.0 it was introduced as a prestige class for gnome arcane spellcasters in the 2001 Magic of Faerûn supplement. It was finally introduced as a stand-alone class in the 2004 D&D 3.5 edition Eberron campaign setting.
- In this comic the bauble that Blackwing acquired from Laurin Shattersmith in #935 is explicitly identified as "an orange prism ioun stone that subtly increases the spell power of whomever's head it orbits", implying that it will work for spellcasters as well as for psions. The stone is then transmogrified into a bracelet that Blackwing can wear while still granting Vaarsuvius the increased caster level.
Trivia[]
- Ravens are known to steal and cache shiny objects such as pebbles, pieces of metal, and golf balls.
- This is the first appearance of the Gnome Artificer.
- Vaarsuvius states they looking for an item that can teleport eight creatures at once. However, counting themself, Blackwing, Roy, Durkon, Elan, Haley, Belkar, Mr. Scruffy, and Bloodfeast, that's nine, though Varasuvius may have meant eight creatures beside themself. Or maybe, since Blackwing is their familiar, they can benefit from the 'Share spells' ability and be considered 'part' of Vaarsuvius for the purpose of the spell. This only works if the item is a scroll, otherwise it's a spell-like ability, not an actual spell V is casting, for which 'Share Spells' doesn't apply.