[3.5] MiC rule for adding common effect

[zagan]

I'm a little confused by the rule in the MiC p133 that allow to add common effect like bonus to AC, to save or enhancement bonus to ability score.

I'm probably reading it wrong so correct me if I have but I got the impression that it cost less to add the property than to buy an item that just give the bonus.

Example:
Gloves of dexterity +4 cost 16000gp
Arcanist's Gloves cost 500gp (MiC p72)

If I use the rule to conbinned the two I got that:
Arcanist's Gloves od dexterity +4 cost 12500gp

Anyone can help ?

[Runestar]

You simply add the 2 together.

Arcanist's gloves - 500gp.
Cost of +4 dex - 16,000gp
Total cost = 16000+500 = 16500gp.

If you later want to improve the +4 dex bonus to +6, you simply pay the difference between a +6 gloves and +4 gloves (36,000 - 16,000 = 20,000 gp).

[Douglas]

The detail you're missing is that the listed price for anything above the minimum bonus in the MIC table is for improving the next bonus down. 12,000 gp is not the price for adding +4 dex, it's the price for improving +2 dex to +4. If you're adding +4 dex when there was no dex bonus before, you have to add the price for +2 dex as well.

Your Arcanist's Gloves of Dexterity +4 cost 500 + 4000 + 12000 = 16500.

If you first make Arcanist's Gloves of Dexterity +2 and then upgrade them to +4 later, the upgrade is what would cost 12000. The initial cost for the +2 version would be 4500, and the cost for making +4 from scratch is those two prices added together.

[zagan]

Thanks for the help guys, I was wondering why the table was organise like that.

[Runestar]

The table probably assumes that you will upgrade the bonus incrementally, rather than add a +6 bonus at one shot. After all, if your character would benefit from a +6 dex, it makes sense that he would acquire a +2 dex bonus as soon as the opportunity presents itself, then gradually upgrade to +4 and finally +6. :smallsmile:

[zagan]

Yeah but I'm creating a 9 level character so I want to go directly to +4.

[Runestar]

Fair enough. I suppose it is one of those funny choices wotc has to make, such as deciding whether to print ECL as a flat LA or have it = racial HD + LA.