[ArM5] Preparation of a talisman for enchantment

[Andrew Gronosky]

Tim O'Brien wrote:

> A dispute has risen in our troupe about preparing an item for 
> enchantment as a talisman. I don't recall this being discussed on the 
> list, and can't find it in the FAQ or Errata. Apologies if it's 
> already been discussed in detail and I forgot.

You don't need to apologize for asking questions, especially not on this 
list. :-)

> Party A is of the opinion that you can take an item, declare it your 
> talisman, spend a season attuning it as a talisman and have a blank 
> talisman. This preparation takes minimal, if any, vis, and is governed 
> by the rules Talisman Attunement, p. 98, starting on the last 
> paragraph of the first column. Party A points to the rules in that 
> paragraph that says that talismans can be opened a bit at a time and 
> claim that this supersedes the usual enchantment rules.

They are overlooking the second paragraph under "Talisman Attunement," 
which starts off, "[y]ou can only attune an item as your talisman if you 
prepared it for enchantment yourself."  I think this pretty much shoots 
down Party A's argument - it says in black and white you have to have 
prepared the item.  Preparing, to me, means the same as "opening for 
enchantment."  Perhaps it is unfair to ask you to defend Party A's 
position (since you don't seem to be espousing it), but what do they 
think "prepared for enchantment" is supposed to mean?

> Party B is of the opinion that a talisman must be prepared  as a 
> normal invested item, "opened" with whatever the appropriate shape and 
> material requirements are for a thing of its kind and then attuned as 
> a talisman, thereafter turning it into a talisman in a different 
> season and gaining the benefits listed under Talisman Attunement.

I think Party B is correct - especially since their argument includes 
the very sentence that I think Party A is overlooking or misinterpreting.

-Andrew Gronosky