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An '''enchanted item''', also known as ''magical item'' or ''enchanted device'', is an item that has been enchanted by a [[Magus|magus]] or other wizard. Enchanting an item means to instill a magical effect into it, a tedious process that takes at least a [[Season|season]] of work in the [[Laboratory|laboratory]].

==  Varieties of Enchanted Items ==
:[[Invested device]]: An item with potentially many different powers, that takes several seasons to create
:[[Talisman]]: A special invested device intimately attuned to a particular [[magus]], which helps him cast [[spell|spells]]
:[[Lesser enchanted device]]: A device which has only one power or effect, but is simpler and cheaper to make than an invested device
:[[Charged item]]: An enchanted item that can only be used a finite number of times.

==  Items under an Aura or Aegis ==
It is unclear whether enchanted devices are affected by a [[supernatural aura]] in the same way that casting spells and using supernatural abilities are. One option is to let the aura affect the [[Penetration]] of the effects, and interpret negative penetration as a suppression and fizzling of the effect. Another is to ignore the aura, allowing items to function consistently in hostile auras. This appears to be the [[RAW]], as no explicit mention of affecting devices is noted in the Realm Interaction Chart, but appears inconsistent with the otherwise universal affect of auras.

Since devices activate without any rolls involved, they offer a means of using magic in hostile auras without a risk of a [[botch]].

Items brought to a foreign [[Aegis of the Hearth]] would be "resisted" by it.

==  Past Editions ==
Past editions of Ars Magica ([[ArM4]] and earlier) included a category of items called [[Potion|potions]], which are now considered simply a special type of [[Charged Item]].

==  Legacy Page  ==
The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at [[Legacy:enchanted_device]]
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