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Sir_Chivalry
2010-11-28, 09:37 PM
What would be the pricing on a magic item (let's say it has a slot like head (a headband) or eyes (glasses or goggles)) that gives a compentence bonus to all Knowledge skills?

Would it be a certain price times bonus squared?

A set price adding up per bonus?

I put it to greater minds than I, the collective playground.

Thanks in advance!

Aron Times
2010-11-28, 09:38 PM
Headband of Intellect +2 (4,000 gold) +4 (16,000 gold) +6 (36,000 gold)
Source: SRD

Reynard
2010-11-28, 09:39 PM
Headband of- swordsage'd.


A bonus to Int is much nicer than a bonus to just Knowledges.

Quietus
2010-11-28, 09:42 PM
If I were DMing this, I'd probably say.. a +5 item would be around 12,500 GP, and would give the bonus to any Knowledge skill you had at least 1 rank in. Higher items would be available, but would require minimum 5 ranks to get a bonus of more than +5.

So I'd be basing the cost around ([bonus squared] * 5 * 100) - meaning a +10 item would be 50k, giving all skills you had 1 rank in +5, and any you had 5 ranks in +10. I might lay off the 5 ranks deal, though.. depending on how I'm being with wealth that game.

Sir_Chivalry
2010-11-28, 09:51 PM
Headband of Intellect +2 (4,000 gold) +4 (16,000 gold) +6 (36,000 gold)
Source: SRD

Funny:smallamused:, I deserve that.


If I were DMing this, I'd probably say.. a +5 item would be around 12,500 GP, and would give the bonus to any Knowledge skill you had at least 1 rank in. Higher items would be available, but would require minimum 5 ranks to get a bonus of more than +5.

So I'd be basing the cost around ([bonus squared] * 5 * 100) - meaning a +10 item would be 50k, giving all skills you had 1 rank in +5, and any you had 5 ranks in +10. I might lay off the 5 ranks deal, though.. depending on how I'm being with wealth that game.

I am DMing this, my player expressed interest. Seems fair as a cost.

Zaq
2010-11-29, 12:06 AM
For a RAW baseline, he Tome of Worldly Memory (MIC, p. 190) costs 1,500 gold and gives a +5 to any knowledge check 3 times per day. It takes a standard action if you have 5 or more ranks in the relevant knowledge skill, or 1 minute if you don't.

ericgrau
2010-11-29, 01:07 AM
Circlet of persuasion is 4500 gp for +3 to all charisma based checks. So... bonus squared x 500 gp for all int based checks maybe. You might apply a small discount to limit it to knowledges, but knowledges are a good chunk of int skills already. So... 5 x 5 x 500 gp = 12,500 gp. Or maybe ~70% of that for ~9,000-10,000 gp.

The only thing I might have against such an item might be the fluff of magically imparting partial knowledge of a general topic... which you roll for randomly to determine which parts of that topic you know about... which can both advance poor knowledge to okay knowledge and advanced knowledge to savant level knowledge. But ignoring how little sense it makes I think it would be balanced. Other skills like use magic device are somewhat more abusable, or hide already has items so the abuse is expected, but there's nothing all that breakable with a high knowledge check.

Jothki
2010-11-29, 01:21 AM
Circlet of persuasion is 4500 gp for +3 to all charisma based checks. So... bonus squared x 500 gp for all int based checks maybe. You might apply a small discount to limit it to knowledges, but knowledges are a good chunk of int skills already. So... 5 x 5 x 500 gp = 12,500 gp. Or maybe ~70% of that for ~9,000-10,000 gp.

The only thing I might have against such an item might be the fluff of magically imparting partial knowledge of a general topic... which you roll for randomly to determine which parts of that topic you know about... which can both advance poor knowledge to okay knowledge and advanced knowledge to savant level knowledge. But ignoring how little sense it makes I think it would be balanced. Other skills like use magic device are somewhat more abusable, or hide already has items so the abuse is expected, but there's nothing all that breakable with a high knowledge check.

All you have to do fluffwise is make it a Divination item that snatches snippets of relevent info about whatever the user is concentrating on.

Coidzor
2010-11-29, 01:31 AM
There's 10 Knowledge Skills in Core. The price for whatever a custom skill boosting item of the bonus you want is + 9*1.5(price for custom skill boosting item of X bonus). This as per the Magic Item Compendium's rules for stacking properties into a single item. I believe the procedure is 1.5 times the base price of the item property when stacked with something else.

So multiply the price of a custom skill-boosting item (see truenamer optimization threads) by 14.5 to get the total price of the item for boosting all ten knowledge skills.


Skill bonus (competence) Bonus squared × 100 gp Cloak of elvenkind

So a +5 bonus item is 5*5*100*14.5 =36,250 gp value.

Highest pre epic one, +30 item would be... 30*30 = 900, 900*100 = 90,000, 90,000*14.5 = 1,305,000. (So I don't think it's actually affordable pre-epic... <_< >_>)

This is probably more than the item is actually worth, however, especially since there are alternate routes by which to determine the price of such an item or a close enough equivalent.


Other skills like use magic device are somewhat more abusable, or hide already has items so the abuse is expected, but there's nothing all that breakable with a high knowledge check.

If it already has items, that means it's not abuse to use them. :smalltongue: I mean, really, boots and cloaks of elvenkind as rules abuse? I'm just not grokking you there.

ericgrau
2010-11-29, 02:10 AM
That was the point: expected abuse isn't abuse. Instead it's more like no sane stealthy rogue should be without a hide boosting magic item. He is far better at hiding than a rogue without them, often almost impossible to find. It's just that he's originally balanced with that in mind already. Boosting new skills would be an additional power boost which might get OP. Something to consider on any custom skill item that doesn't already exist. But boosting knowledge only gives you 1-3 more monster weakneses when you already get some, so it's just more of the same and no big deal. Well, unless your PCs utterly wipe the floor with other opponents on fantasy Jeopardy, but something tells me no playgroup is worried about those kinds of encounters.

Coidzor
2010-11-29, 03:02 AM
If it's expected and balanced with that in mind, it is actually use, not abuse, is what I was getting at. So I guess I'm confused as to why it was being called abuse. :smallconfused:

About the only reason I can think to do it is to get a boost to Knowledge Devotion, really. Which means there is less incentive for a high bonus item the further one goes in levels unless one wants to get away with minimal investment.