Focus (item)
In Magic 3.0 a focus is a magical item that will help the magician to prepare three types of spells.
Ritual Focus
Ritual foci come in several flavors. There are limited used foci that work only for a specific spellbook, there are unlimited use ritual foci that work for any spell within a mana type, and there are true universal foci that work with any ritual spell. A few commonly-available examples are listed below:
- lapis lazuli tree statuette: life magic
- blue-grey steel staff acid-etched with geometric runes: elemental magic
- crystal-inset oaken staff surmounted with a witch ball: lunar magic
- slender alabaster staff with a silver cobra coiled along it: holy magic
- pale blue-lacquered inkwell: metamagic
- soft blue silken reticule: divine intervention
- dark crimson pouch: fire manipulation
- silvery-white metal jar: earth manipulation
- tiny cream-colored sack: stellar
- deep purple glass phial: mental preparation
- cylindirical packet: enlightened geometry
- small iron box: analogous patterns
- corked glass bottle: elemental invokations (Bard)
- jade apple: Antinomic Sorcery spellbook
You must INVOKE the focus during the preparation of your ritual spell. Doing this considerably eases the ability to cast the ritual spell your focus is attuned to. You can STUDY a focus for additional description of its use. Using FOCUS on a focus allows you to determine what type of focus (spellbook, mana, or universal) they are.
There is an Arcana requirement to invoke a ritual focus. The Arcana requirement is dependent on the spell.
Sorcery Focus
Targeted Magic Focus
A Targeted Magic focus enchantment will modify your Targeted Magic spells (to provide a damage boost, for example) from the time you INVOKE it. The focus must remain in your right hand after being invoked to use its effect.
The Arcana requirement to use a Targeted Magic focus is tied to the strength of the enchantment.
TM Foci do not boost summons (Guardian Spirit/Blessing of the Naga/Awaken Forest/etc) due to the unique way these spells function. "They are technically Utility spells that draw upon TM in a unique way, not TM spells in the same way Fire Ball is one"~DR-ARMIFER LINK