Noble Phantasms

These are legendary objects of staggering power, given purchase in the laws of reality through the exalted deeds bound to them. Some are based on real objects used by heroes in life; others start as Phantasms, created by Sorcery or powerful supernatural beings; some are even solidified manifestations of abstracts. The most notable of these are used by Servants in the Grail War as their primary weapons or defenses. These artifacts rival Sorcery in their power, allowing them to bypass some common defenses entirely. Examples include King Arthur’s Excalibur, Ajax’s Shield, Heracles’ divine body and the Rule Breaker dagger manifested out of Medea’s history of betrayal.

These artifacts have a wide variety of magical effects, limited only by imagination and design. Like most sorceries, they generally have a minor and a major effect, though this is much broader than the other kinds. Minor effects represent the item’s manifestation, and usually reflect the superlative design; for example, a Noble Phantasm sword is incredibly sharp and potent, armour is super-strong, etc. Other items may have stranger minor effects. Major effects are practically limitless; they’re often the reason for the legend surrounding them.

Minor effects are often automatic, requiring little or no expenditure of power, though some have a recharge time or require an investment of mana identical to a C-level spell. Major powers usually require an A-level spell casting or higher, depending on the effect.

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