The Royal Road to Card Magic is a classic instructional book on the art of card magic. It was written by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue and first published in 1948. The book is considered to be one of the foundational texts for learning card magic and has been highly regarded by magicians for many years. The Royal Road to Card Magic is divided into different sections, each covering various aspects of card magic. The book starts with an introduction to card handling techniques, including how to hold and control a deck of cards. It then progresses to teach basic sleights, such as the double lift, the palm, and the shuffle.
It then progresses to teach basic sleights, such as the double lift, the palm, and the shuffle. As the reader becomes more comfortable with the basic techniques, the book delves into more advanced sleights and moves. These include tricks like the ambitious card, the four aces, and the triumph effect.
[2E] Let's read the Tome of Magic (1 Viewer)
Amulet of magic resistance. Provides 5% to 30% magic resistance.
For a "powerful amulet" that's not terribly impressive, especially since there's a 5% chance per use the amulet simply shatters. In addition, only half the amulets even have a chance of resisting 7th level or higher spells.
But this isn't balanced based on the (low) percentage chance. It's balanced based on frequency -- even though only 1 in 20 to 1 in 3 spells are stopped, chances are you'll get to make the roll in almost every fight. And since this is 2nd edition, the percentage is a flat chance, and doesn't get adjusted based on the caster's level (like it did in 1st edition).
Not super-powerful, but useful.
Amulet of metaspell influence (wizard only). Increases the effect of a dilation (I, II), far reaching (I, II, III), or extension (I, II, or III) spell by 50%.
So this can affect duration, range, or area of effect.
Though this only increases the increase by 50% -- e.g. a 11th level wizard can throw a fireball 120 yards, or 150 yards (+25%) with far reaching I. If the wizard is also wearing a ring of metaspell influence, the 50% increase isn't applied to the whole 150 yards -- it's only applied to the 30 yard increase. So the 150 yard far reaching range becomes 165 yards once the ring is factored in (not 225 yards).
An inconsequential boost to inconsequential spells, though at least the ring has no limits on the number of uses (instead, use is limited by the number of spell slots the wizard decides to spend on the approved list of meta-magic spells).
Amulet of perpetual youth. The amulet negates 5 to 30 years of aging.
Doesn't matter if the aging is natural or unnatural -- you can either use it to survive a night of ghost attacks, or you can wear it for a couple decades and show up at your reunion looking just like you did back in your academy days.
I like the twofold use. It's good for PCs, and it's essential for vain NPCs.
Next: A magic missile-based point defense system!
Last edited: Sep 12, 2014Outremer
Gone
Validated UserOne related idea is intelligent swords. I always wondered where they came from, because I never felt comfortable with magic creating an intelligent mind so easily. So I assume the intelligence has be borrowed, not created. Does the magic-user share their soul with the sword, which takes on a fragment of their own personality? That kind of homonculus sword is perhaps the most benign possibility. A more troublesome version might have a sword that manifests the intelligence of a trapped or bound spirit, like a spectre (sword of nine life stealing), a fire elemental (flametongue), an angel or deva (holy avenger), and so on. The most malevolent interpretation is to assume the intelligence comes quenching the newly-forged blade in the lifeblood of a sacrificial victim, whose soul is then trapped in the steel.
I just checked the "Complete Book of Necromancers" and it has one such weapon : the shadowblade, a dagger or sword holding prisoner an undead shadow and thus able to drain the strength of whoever it wounds. Anyone completely drained of strength by the shadowblade becomes a shadow under the command of the blade's wielder.
Sleeper
Red-eyed dust bunny
Validated User^ Interesting example, but that's the kind of change I like to make universal -- all intelligent magic items have bound spirits inside them, of some kind.
Jewels, jewelry, and phylacteries 3
Brooch of number numbing. Anyone who talks with the wearer becomes oblivious to the difference between numbers (save negates).
The marktarget doesn't know if 10 is greater than 1, or vice versa, and the enchantment also includes a touch of gullibility -- the victim will accept almost any claim about the relative size of two numbers. Though they do remember the relative values of coins (gold is worth more than silver), but not the conversion rate ("I'll trade you 2 silver pieces for each gold piece -- that should net you a nice profit!" will sound reasonable). And it's not clear whether they remember other relative values (say that a staff of the magi is worth more than a potion).
The effects last as long as the wearer is present, plus 2d6 minutes -- and after that period the gulled mark snaps out of their innumerate fog. Since they remember everything, and now understand what just happened, that 2d6 minutes is your head start.
I really like this magic item. It's specific enough to adjudicate fairly easily (with a few judgment calls), but very open to a wide range of creative uses. It's also very powerful -- this makes the wearer the ultimate con artist. To prevent it from getting out of control, the DM really needs to deploy the Long Arm of the Law if the brooch is used carelessly or overtly.
Gem of retaliation. If the gem owner makes a successful save, an incoming evocation spell is turned into magic missiles, which return and strike the original caster.
Even if the incoming evocation doesn't normally allow a save, the gem owner gets a base save of 18 (which can be modified further by magic, stats, etc.). Against evocations that allow a save, the owner gets a +4 bonus.
The retaliation effect only works against evocation spells that are targeted at the gem owner (i.e. area of effect spells like fireball aren't turned into magic missiles). And the number of magic missiles is based on the spell's level -- 1 missile/2 levels (round up). So if the wearer rolls 18 or higher when attacked by an energy drain, the spell is negated and the hostile necromancer is blasted with 5 magic missiles.
The save bonus seems to apply to all evocations, but it's not clear what happens if someone saves against an area of effect evocation that doesn't allow a save (even though they used ice storm as an example -- twice) -- does it mean half damage? Are the effects negated? Does this only protect the gem wearer, or does it apply to the whole spell (and thus help everyone in the area of effect)?
Despite a few areas of vagueness, this is another magic item I really like. It's an interesting meta-magic twist on spell turning, and it's another one of those items that could inspire a whole new class of magic items -- items that using incoming spell levels (or even damage) as fuel for various effects. A wall of force becomes stronger, the more it's attacked (damage is turned into increase duration). A continual light spell that needs to be charged by illusions. A self-powered boat that is fueled by casting conjuration spells into the water wheel (which are used to summon and bind water elementals).
Medallion of spell exchange (wizard only). 1/day, the wizard can replace a currently memorized spell with one or more spells the wizard cast in the last 24 hours.
Yes, this is essentially Mordenkainen's lucubration in physical form. Though the medallion is somewhat more flexible: Instead of memorizing and casting Mordenkainen's lucubration, the medallion-using wizard can pick any currently memorized 2nd to 6th level spell to swap out. And instead of swapping out the 6th level spell for a single 1st to 5th level spell, the item allows the wizard to swap out a 2nd to 6th level spell for any number of recently-cast spells, as long as the total spell levels of the replacements are one less than the level of the sacrificed spell (e.g. a 6th level spell can be sacrificed for 1 5th level spell, 5 1st level spells, or 1 2nd and 1 3rd level spell).
Decent, though I'd allow Mordenkainen's lucubration to be swapped out for multiple spells, as well.
Next: I forget.
He certainly doesn't post under his own name, and I suspect that even if he ever saw the group, the drivel level (see the Genetics Thread Summary for an example ) would rapidly drive him away.
The authors explain each trick in detail, providing step-by-step instructions and illustrations to help the reader understand and master the sleights and routines. In addition to the technical aspects of card magic, The Royal Road to Card Magic also explores the psychology and presentation of card tricks. It discusses how to engage an audience and create an entertaining performance. The book emphasizes the importance of practice and dedication, encouraging readers to develop their own style and create unique routines. Many professional magicians credit The Royal Road to Card Magic as a crucial resource in their early years of learning card magic. Its clear explanations, detailed instructions, and comprehensive content make it an invaluable guide for anyone interested in mastering the art of card magic. Overall, The Royal Road to Card Magic is a timeless classic that continues to inspire and educate magicians of all levels. Whether you are a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced magician looking to refine your technique, this book provides a solid foundation for understanding and performing card magic..
Reviews for "The Royal Road Revisited: Modern Interpretations of the Classic Card Tricks"
1. Emma - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Royal Road to Card Magic." The explanations were unclear and the tricks were not well-demonstrated. I struggled to understand the techniques and found myself constantly rewinding and rewatching the DVD. Overall, I felt like this was not a comprehensive guide to learning card magic and would not recommend it to beginners.
2. Michael - 2 stars - I was excited to learn card magic and had heard good things about "The Royal Road to Card Magic," but I was left feeling underwhelmed. The instruction was lacking, and the tricks were not as impressive as I had hoped. I found myself bored and unengaged throughout the DVD. Additionally, the production quality was subpar, making it difficult to fully grasp the concepts being taught. I regret purchasing this and would advise others to seek out a different resource for learning card magic.
3. Sarah - 1 star - I regret buying "The Royal Road to Card Magic." The explanations were confusing, and the demonstrations were sloppy. I could barely follow along with the tricks and felt like the DVD assumed prior knowledge that I did not possess. It was frustrating and discouraging, and I quickly lost interest. I would not recommend this to anyone looking to learn card magic, especially beginners.
4. John - 2 stars - As a beginner in card magic, I found "The Royal Road to Card Magic" to be incredibly difficult to follow. The explanations were too technical, and I struggled to understand the terminology being used. The tricks themselves were not impressive, and I had difficulty replicating them even after multiple attempts. I was hoping for a more straightforward and beginner-friendly resource, and this DVD fell short of my expectations. I would advise beginners to look for alternative options.