Wizard Mark (spell)

Wizard mark is a spell that inscribes a personal magical sigil onto objects chosen by the caster, serving as an irrefutable mark of ownership. This sigil is invisible to the naked eye, detectable only through spells such as identify, true seeing, or other specialised magical means. Once placed, the sigil is permanent unless intentionally removed, ensuring that the caster's claim over the marked object remains recognised.

Wizard Mark

Range	touch
Duration	permanent; see text
Area of Effect	1 sigil per level
Casting Time	1 round
Saving Throw	none
Level	mage (1st)

Beyond acting as a simple marker, the spell imbues the object with an inherent resistance to unauthorised use. Items with mechanical or magical functionality — such as magic items and mechanisms — are fundamentally altered by the presence of the wizard mark. If stolen or picked up by someone other than the caster, these objects will function normally for a single round before ceasing to work entirely. A wagon axle will seize, a crossbow will jam, magical effects will sputter out, lanterns will refuse to light, and straps or laces will mysteriously unfasten themselves. Even simple tools and weapons, such as cups, flasks, bowls or swords, remain functional, but they may exhibit subtle malfunctions, such as a stopper loosening and falling out on its own.

Once the caster regains possession of the marked object, its function immediately restores, working as it originally did without delay. This ability makes wizard mark a powerful safeguard against theft, fraud and tampering, ensuring that stolen goods cannot be reliably used by another.

Placing Marks

The caster may inscribe one sigil per object, per level, allowing for multiple marks to be placed on a single item if the caster is sufficiently powerful. This means that at 5th level, a caster could place up to five separate sigils on a single object, or distribute five sigils across different items. Each sigil functions independently, ensuring that even if one mark is removed or dispelled, the others remain intact unless explicitly targeted.

Once placed, the sigil is permanent, unchanging and immune to mundane attempts at removal. The only way to alter or replace an existing sigil is for the original caster to consciously dispel it, at which point they may reassign the mark to another object. This means that a wizard cannot mark an unlimited number of items throughout their lifetime — they must actively curate their collection of marked objects, deciding which ones are most important to retain under their magical protection.

Because wizard mark is invisible and undetectable by conventional means, identifying its presence requires specific spells or abilities such as identify or true seeing. However, once discovered, the sigil becomes vulnerable to magical erasure. A erase spell can completely remove the mark, but only if the precise location of the sigil is known. This means that attempting to erase a wizard mark without first identifying it is impossible, and even after detection, success depends on the caster of erase overcoming the magical imprint.

For this reason, many wizards place their sigils in hard-to-find locations, such as deep inside a weapon's hilt, beneath a layer of lacquer on a shield or etched onto the inner pages of a spellbook. Others use multiple sigils on a single object, layering protections to ensure that even if one mark is erased, the others remain intact. This makes removing a wizard mark a tedious and often incomplete process, discouraging attempts at theft or unauthorised use.