Item Crafting: Skates?

[shadow_archmagi]

So, the Skate power allows you to pretend you've glued soap to your feet. It gives +15 movement speed across flat terrain, and normal movement speed uphill, and +30 movement speed when going downhill.

The Magic Item Compendium includes Boots of Skate that provide a constant effect, except that it only provides +10 bonuses instead of +15, and it costs 7000 gold.

Yet the item crafting guidelines suggest that making a 1st level spell permanent should cost

1x1x2000 (1st level spell, 1st level caster) to start with, and then another x2 for being 1 minute per level.

So a player who didn't own the MiC and just used the default rules would create an item that cost 3000 GP less and provided a bigger speed bonus. Did the Devs really look at Skating and think "That bonus is too good for the price! Let's nerf it and up the price! Otherwise, we'll have entire parties skating around, and then every campaign will just be thinly veiled references to the Miracle on Ice."

Also, what are the rules for item activations? (Say I want to make a wondrous item that polymorphs you into a brick as a move action, or a kite that lets you fly ten feet as a swift action)

[Big Fau]

If you read the first few pages of the MiC, you would know that the Devs realized that magic items were overpriced, and that the guidelines in the DMG are terrible.


Literally page 3 of the MiC explains why they made things cheaper.

[shadow_archmagi]

If you read the first few pages of the MiC, you would know that the Devs realized that magic items were overpriced, and that the guidelines in the DMG are terrible.


Literally page 3 of the MiC explains why they made things cheaper.

While it's true that page 3 says that magic items are frequently overpriced, that doesn't explain why later in the same book they overcharge you for an item that does less than the base spell.

[Big Fau]

While it's true that page 3 says that magic items are frequently overpriced, that doesn't explain why later in the same book they overcharge you for an item that does less than the base spell.

Because the CL is higher than 1st.

[shadow_archmagi]

Because the CL is higher than 1st.

Why would the CL be higher than first on a spell where CL only affects duration, if the duration is infinite anyway?

[Big Fau]

Why would the CL be higher than first on a spell where CL only affects duration, if the duration is infinite anyway?

Because they crafted the boots at CL 3, which is the minimum needed for Craft Wondrous Item (they forgot that they can craft it so it has a CL of 1st and save some gold).


They really don't know their own rules.

[FMArthur]

The custom item creation guidelines are not hard and fast rules. They are guidelines to make it easier for DMs to houserule items into the game.

[Diarmuid]

Because making a "on use" item of "true strike" would actually only cost a pittance of what it really should.

Look at Boots of Speed, 10 rounds of Haste per day wouldnt cost that much, but adding actions and movement is a very big thing.

It's like an item that has all the time Mage Armor vs an item that grants +4 armor.

Adding movement speed is a very big thing in the grand scheme of things so I can see the adding on a "this is really useful" tax like they did for a lot of stock items.

[Vandicus]

Because making a "on use" item of "true strike" would actually only cost a pittance of what it really should.


Not to mention the inherent conundrum of a continuous dischargeable spell.

[sreservoir]

Not to mention the inherent conundrum of a continuous dischargeable spell.

use-activation, of course, not continuous.

[Groverfield]

as sreservoir pointed out, a discharge magic item would work until discharged, as per the spell, but with unlimited time (until it was discharged.)

Also note the DMG equivalent to this example: Boots of Striding and Sprinting cost 5500g, the skill bonus total is valued at 1000g, so 4500g for a gimped expeditious retreat?

[NecroRick]

Also note the DMG equivalent to this example: Boots of Striding and Sprinting cost 5500g, the skill bonus total is valued at 1000g, so 4500g for a gimped expeditious retreat?

Isn't the skill bonus 2500gp? That makes the speed enhancement ~3000gp. But then what about the bit where adding extra effects to an item increases the lesser effects by 50%? So they are really only valuing the speed increase at 2000gp. :D

[SamBurke]

Because making a "on use" item of "true strike" would actually only cost a pittance of what it really should.


I am now curious. How much WOULD this cost? If this were enchanted on a weapon?

[Douglas]

I am now curious. How much WOULD this cost? If this were enchanted on a weapon?
Strictly by-the-book formula for use-activated True Strike? 2000 gp. For a +20 on all attacks in a battle after the first, plus ignoring concealment. It's pretty much the ultimate example of the spell duplication pricing guideline gone wrong.

[SamBurke]

Somewhere out there, my GM just screamed in agony.

Can I get that attached to natural weapons?