Coventry
2011-07-05, 04:01 PM
An idea that I have been batting around for a few years involves having a magical item that has the spellcasting abilities of a Wizard of level X built in. It started as a ring with the spells of a 6th level wizard, but mutated over time to a Socerer who transferred his personality into a staff.
I used the magic item creation rules to try to come up with reasonable numbers (each spell level had a pool of charges per day, charges in one pool could not be used to power a different pool, et cetera). I then built a spreadsheet, and tried to compute the numbers.
When comparing the numbers against the PC Wealth by Level tables, I ended up with an interesting result. Assuming no more than half of a character's wealth could be used to pay for the staff, the formula came out to be pretty regular:
PC Level = (3 * Staff Level) / 2 + 5.
I assumed minimum charisma in order to cast the spells on the staff (setting bonus spells and DCs), no feats, skills or innate intelligence in the item.
For example, a staff with the powers of a first level sorcerer could be afforded by a 6th level PC, a tenth level sorcerer staff could be owned by a 20th level PC, and a 20th level staff required a 35th level PC.
The power of a 20th level sorcerer does not seem terribly unbalancing for an 35th level epic character. The same goes for first level spells for a 6th level character (who has given up half his gear) or an 17th level character with an 8th level sorcerer on a stick.
Having the gold costs falls into a formula like that is almost too good to believe.
I am interested in opinions - does this "lose half your wealth to pick up the major talents of another class" seem reasonable?
Would you, as DM, allow
a 20th level fighter to use half his wealth to acquire a magic item that grants the skills and sneak attack of a 10th level rogue?
a 15th level Swordsage gaining the auras and breath weapon attacks of a 7th level Dragon Shaman?
or how about a 5 Wizard/5 Cleric/15 Mystic Theurge/10 Archmage the abilities of a 20th level druid?
I used the magic item creation rules to try to come up with reasonable numbers (each spell level had a pool of charges per day, charges in one pool could not be used to power a different pool, et cetera). I then built a spreadsheet, and tried to compute the numbers.
When comparing the numbers against the PC Wealth by Level tables, I ended up with an interesting result. Assuming no more than half of a character's wealth could be used to pay for the staff, the formula came out to be pretty regular:
PC Level = (3 * Staff Level) / 2 + 5.
I assumed minimum charisma in order to cast the spells on the staff (setting bonus spells and DCs), no feats, skills or innate intelligence in the item.
For example, a staff with the powers of a first level sorcerer could be afforded by a 6th level PC, a tenth level sorcerer staff could be owned by a 20th level PC, and a 20th level staff required a 35th level PC.
The power of a 20th level sorcerer does not seem terribly unbalancing for an 35th level epic character. The same goes for first level spells for a 6th level character (who has given up half his gear) or an 17th level character with an 8th level sorcerer on a stick.
Having the gold costs falls into a formula like that is almost too good to believe.
I am interested in opinions - does this "lose half your wealth to pick up the major talents of another class" seem reasonable?
Would you, as DM, allow
a 20th level fighter to use half his wealth to acquire a magic item that grants the skills and sneak attack of a 10th level rogue?
a 15th level Swordsage gaining the auras and breath weapon attacks of a 7th level Dragon Shaman?
or how about a 5 Wizard/5 Cleric/15 Mystic Theurge/10 Archmage the abilities of a 20th level druid?