Rules for Magic item creation, and sneak attack

[Garian]

Okay, some of my players are wanting to create their own magic items that are based off of real spells. Is this even possible? For example they would use:

A level 1 Cleric spell called Grave Strike which allows you to Sneak Attack undead for 1 round.
And a level 1 Wizard spell called Golem Strike which allows you to Sneak Attack constructs for 1 round.
A poisonic spell that makes your foes think you don't exist, thus letting you always sneak attack.
And Permanency to make a weapon that would grant the spells ability, forever!
I am not letting them do this for now. Are there rules for this? How do I determine the cost of creation? By the level of the spell?

I have always played that you can only make items that are in a core D&D book. They are saying that so long as you have a spell to do it you can make it.

Last, if you have multiple attacks as a rogue do you add sneak attack to each one? Or only your first?

[Keld Denar]

Assuming you are refering to 3.5...

MIC is totally at the discression of the DM. If it looks unbalanced, it probably is. By the rules, a weapon of continuous true strike would only be ~2000g to create, but is utterly stupid at that price. It would be more like 1000 times that.

I don't know if you have the Magic Item Compendium, but there are lots of items in there that can help aid sneak attack. Weapon Augement Crystals exist to enhance with the destruction of Undead and Constructs, and Death Strike Bracers give a free ticket to SA against any immune foe 3x/day.

And yes...if you have multiple attacks, and all of them qualify for sneak attack, then you get your bonus dice with ALL of your attacks. Thats why Two Weapon Fighting is rather popular among combat oriented rogue types.

[Eldariel]

I am not letting them do this for now. Are there rules for this? How do I determine the cost of creation? By the level of the spell?

They're right there in the back of Dungeon Master's Guide. Basically, the cost is Caster Level * Spell Level * Item-based value. It varies dependent on item type.


I have always played that you can only make items that are in a core D&D book. They are saying that so long as you have a spell to do it you can make it.

Everything is subject to DM approval, although you can't really prohibit them from making Wands or Scrolls of a given spell. Making a Wondrous Item though? No dice unless you say it's ok. For example, you do not allow them to make those 20k gp Gloves of Permanent True Strike (+20 insight to all attacks) even though technically it costs about that much. You should also consider twice about those 5k Boots of Expeditious Retreat that beat out Boots of Springing and Striding on every account, 'cause the extra speed gives much higher Jump-bonus.


Last, if you have multiple attacks as a rogue do you add sneak attack to each one? Or only your first?

Generally it's ruled as adding to each attack. I've heard of some really conservative DMs allowing it only once, but frankly, I don't see the reason or the need for such limitations. A two-handed fighter still deals more damage, and unconditionally - Rogue has to contend with the medium BAB and Sneak Attack requirements (for example, Invisibility is blown after the first attack so if he used the Ring/2nd level spell to qualify for Sneak Attack, he's out of luck with iteratives).

This is one of the primary reasons, Rogues make for great Two-Weapon Fighters, the best in Core-books.

[erikun]

I really don't see that big of a deal. The cleric spell could be called "Deanimation" and work for 1 round/level, as a 2nd level spell, and allow both critical hits and sneak attacks against undead. "Deconstruction" would be the wizard equilivant. To be honest, undead/golem immunity is a big kick-in-the-pants for rouges and critical hit builds, and this would help them out a lot.

As for permanency? Probably not, mainly because there are already weapon enchantments that do much the same thing. (of Disruption and... I don't recall the golem one) If you like the spells, you could make them required to craft the above two enchants, possibly even changing the enchants to match the spells - ie. a Dagger of Disruption allows critical hits and sneak attacks against undead, rather than its printed properities. On the other hand, casting a single Permanency spell for what is close to a +2 enchant, on top of any enchants the weapon would already have? Not likely.

<edit>
And as for the Psionic power that makes enemies "think you are not there", that would just be Invisibility, and should operate as such.