Fabulous Detection attempts to probe a magical artifact to discover whether it can stand up to recharging. Note that it only tests whether the artifact itself can handle a recharge, it does not indicate whether the particular wizard casting the spell can safely recharge that item.

This spell was developed by Crondor in an attempt to lower the mortality rate amongst rechargers. As an item is recharged, it gradually loses the ability to handle any more charges. Once an item reaches the point at which it cannot, it often takes a recharging wizard with it.

When the spell is cast successfully on an item, it will briefly glow a particular colour. That colour tells you how likely it is that the artifact can safely handle another charge. Those colours, in order of safest to most likely to blow up are purple, green, red, blue, orange, pink, yellow, cyan, indigo and vermilion. The spell does return variable results, presumably based on the skill of the caster, and if the artifact is at a borderline stage, a wise caster may wish to use several casts to take an average. It would be foolhardy to ignore the warning that any of the colours below orange serve to give in most cases. For an artifact that is likely to be fatal, anything less than purple or perhaps green is living dangerously.

Note that it is still perfectly possible for a recharger to blow up an artifact reporting only purple, from failing the later, different check, of whether the recharge was successful.

 

Absolutely vital in the repeated recharging of dangerous artifacts.