Editing Magen (section)

==Making Magens==
The procedures for making a magen are only implied in Castle Amber, but are detailed thoroughly in their AD&D writeup in the Mystara MCA. In the adventure "Elexa's Endeavor" in [[Dungeon Magazine]] #53, it's stated that a wizard needs to be at least 12th level to undertake the procedures, and 10th level to understand them, at least as written in an instruction manual like "The Text of the Magenmaker".

To start with, a prospect magen-maker must have access to a fully-stocked wizard's laboratory, the basic tools for which will set them back a neat 1,000 gold pieces. Then, they need to construct a mold of electrum into which to solidify their proto-magen gelatin; this will cost them between 10,000 to 15,000 gold pieces, depending on if they can make the mold themselves or need to get a metalworker in to custom-build it. Building such a mold will take at least 6 weeks, more for fripperies like hair styling or unusual physical features.

Once the mold is set up, the mage needs to acquire the chemicals, which will cost another 3,000 gold pieces, and begin the long process of blending, stabilizing and incorporating them. This requires 2 weeks worth of non-stop work, and requires so much attention that the mage can't do anything else during this time other than eat and sleep. In addition to the basic formula, the mage will need to add a certain special something depending on what type of magen they want to make, which will be covered below.

Once the chemicals are finished combining, the magen-maker pours their liquid alchemical jelly into the mold and proceeds to cast a barrage of spells on the mold and its goopy contents: in order, they must cast ''Lightning Bolt'', ''Fabricate'', ''Transmute Mud to Rock'', ''Stone to Flesh'', ''Domination'' and then finally ''Lighting Bolt'' a second time. This collective spell-energy interacts with each other and the reactive gelatin inside, and the wizard rolls a D20 to see what happens:
* 1: The final lightning bolt is reflected back at the caster, whilst the gelatin goes inert. Creation fails, and a new batch of gelatin must be made (if the caster survives).
* 2-3: The mold explodes, scattering boiling gelatin and electrum shards everywhere. Everybody in a 10ft radius takes 4d6 damage. Obviously, this is a failed creation. If the caster survives, they'll need to build a new mold and start over.
* 4-6: Something in the gelatin reacts badly to the magic and it simply congeals into a stagnant mess. The wizard has to clean it out of the mold and make a new batch. Failure, duh.
* 7-19: Success! A magen emerges from its mold and is ready to serve.
* 20: Seeming Success! However, the magen has been possessed by a [[fiend]] and will eventually turn on its creator.

Magen molds can be reused for new batches of gelatin (so long as they don't explode, obviously). However, the first kind of magen to come out of a mold "charges" that mold; it can only be used to produce more magens of that kind from then on. Different magen formulas will simply go inert - the lingering magical aura just causes a bad reaction. However, after that first exposure, there's a chance that the mold will grow unstable; each time a magen mold is reused, it has to make a save vs lightning, and on a failure, it breaks and becomes useless after the final spell is cast.

Should a mold break despite a success on the magen creation roll, 95% of the time, the magen will emerge as a deformed shambling mess that will dissolve into nothing within minutes. But... 5% of the time, a perfectly formed magen will be created that is fully sentient and self-aware, without the normal lack of will or compulsion to obey its creator.

Note that the above only applies to AD&D! Magens in 4th edition are the product of some ritual and/or special chamber that is not meant for PCs, so rules for making them didn't appear in this edition. Still, one could probably wing it if one wanted.

In 5th edition's [[Rime of the Frostmaiden]], it is much simpler. It's simply a 7th level Wizard spell called Create Magen. It requires a vial of quicksilver worth 500 GP, a life-sized human doll stuffed with ash and dust, both of which the spell consumes, and a crystal rod worth 1500 GP, which is not consumed. While there is no chance of failing or mishaps, the spell does reduces the caster's maximum HP by the CR of the Magen created. Also, they do bleed, but their blood is essentially quicksilver, or looks very similar to it.