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View Full Version : [3.5] Pricing custom items with swift/immediate activation



Thurbane
2011-02-22, 02:02 AM
Originally posted this in the Q&A thread, but probably goes beyond the scope of Q&A by RAW.

Is there any pricing guidelines for a swift or immediate activation of a magic item? Since such actions didn't exist when the DMG was printed, they obviously weren't included. Is there any way to extrapolate from the prices in MIC? Or should you just add +4 levels (Quicken) to the spell level to determine the cost?

Cheers - T

Rixx
2011-02-22, 02:13 AM
I'd say add the +4 levels for quicken, or otherwise use the ratio between the price of a spell trigger item and a spell trigger item of a spell 4 levels higher.

Kaww
2011-02-22, 05:02 AM
You could do the following:

Randomly pick several items with swift/immediate activation, price A. Price them as per DMG, without swift/immediate activation, price B. See if there is a pattern. If there is just follow it. Most likely there isn't so ether estimate the price according to item, or take avg of (A/B) and multiply with non swift/immediate activation item's price.

Thurbane
2011-02-22, 08:36 AM
You could do the following:

Randomly pick several items with swift/immediate activation, price A. Price them as per DMG, without swift/immediate activation, price B. See if there is a pattern. If there is just follow it. Most likely there isn't so ether estimate the price according to item, or take avg of (A/B) and multiply with non swift/immediate activation item's price.
It's bedtime here now...I'll have a look at that tomorrow. Good idea.

Thurbane
2011-02-22, 10:48 PM
OK, flipped through MIC, and here's the first example of a direct example.

Dragon Mask: See Invisibility (CL 5th) 2/day as a swift action: 4000gp

By the DMG guidelines, a standard item would be Spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp (command word item), divided by (5/2 charges per day), or 2 x 5 x 1800 / 2.5. Comes out to 7200gp.

So, by MIC logic, it costs less to have a swift activation item, than a standard action activation - unless I've seriously screwed up the sums. :smalleek:

...I'll continue to look for more examples, but I'm beginning to suspect there is no formula at play in MIC, just a "feels right" approach to pricing. Also, it's pretty commonly accepted that the MIC dropped the overall value of many items, since DMG items were often considered "overpriced" later in 3.5s run.

ffone
2011-03-30, 02:34 AM
OK, flipped through MIC, and here's the first example of a direct example.

Dragon Mask: See Invisibility (CL 5th) 2/day as a swift action: 4000gp

By the DMG guidelines, a standard item would be Spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp (command word item), divided by (5/2 charges per day), or 2 x 5 x 1800 / 2.5. Comes out to 7200gp.

So, by MIC logic, it costs less to have a swift activation item, than a standard action activation - unless I've seriously screwed up the sums. :smalleek:


...but the See Invis only lasts for 1 round, right? A DMG-formula item would have the original duration of, what, 5 minutes?

The MIC has a ton of items like this - swift versions of the spells, but the duration is reduced to 1 round (or a bonus on one attack).

I'd suggest this as one possible guideline for custom swift items: pick a spell with a standard action casting time and a duration of 1 round/level or more (and no other limit, like the # of attacks that can benefit from it, or the amount of HP it can absorb from enemy attacks, etc.) Now pretend their exists a version of that spell with the same spell level, a 1 round duration, and a swift casting time. Now use the DMG formula of

360 gp x SL x CL x uses/day

for a custom wondrous item. (I don't recommend unlimited or continuous usage for the same price as 5. Munchkins cite this as a 'rule' but it is in fact a 'guideline' or starting point).

Examples of actual existing spells like this include Swift Haste (SL L2; the core 'boots of haste' are strictly better, being both cheaper and a free rather than swift action), Swift Expeditious Retreat, Swift Fly, Swift Invis. The Swift version is generally the same spell level or maybe 1 lower, so for custom items, fixing the SL is good.

I don't recommend this for direct-attack/damage/debuff spells where paralyzing (or whatever) the enemy for 1 round is as good as 1 round/level, snce you can probably coup de grace them or at least finish off their allies. For those I recommend the Quicken +4 spell level adjustment. I only recommend the above for buff (harmless descriptor) spells. Basically, decide if a "Swift Spell X" would be legit at the same SL.