Figuring out the cost of a custom magic item [PF]

[Brauron]

One of my players started building a back-up character for my campaign, as I issued a warning that the session upcoming this weekend has a high chance of character death, and asked that players come prepared with a name, race, class, and reason for adventuring for a back-up character, just in case. This guy decided to actually build a full back-up character.

He always asks permission to give his characters custom magic items. Since 99% of the time these aren't game-breaking and are usually pretty flavorful and sometimes turn into plot-hooks in their own right, I'm pretty comfortable allowing them. For example, his current character is an Open Hand Fighter wearing a pair of magic bracers that, when clashed together and a command word spoken, cast Shield as a first-level caster, usable three times per day.

His back-up character is a roguish type, and he asked me to help him figure out what a custom item he wants would cost.

It's a cloak, enchanted under the light of the moon, to have several magic properties...that only work outside, at night. It gives a +2 bonus to AC (we agreed to count it as a Circumstance Bonus, since none of the other possibilities really made sense to us in discussing this), if he's moving it is treated as casting Blur, and if he's standing still for one or more full rounds, it is treated as casting Invisibility. Again, all of this only works if he's outside, under the open sky, and it is night-time.

Now, checking the rules for custom magic item, for an item giving a +2 bonus to AC that is not a deflection bonus, and also casting Invisibility and Blur as more or less "continuous" effects (if he stands still for an hour, he's invisible for an hour, if he moves for an hour, he's blurred for that hour), I'm coming up with a raw price of 34,000 GP. Because it only works at night, my immediate reaction is to slash the price in half, to 17,000 GP.

What do you say, Playgrounders? Am I doing it right, or am I completely and totally off base?

[Quietus]

Cloak of Displacement, Minor : 24,000 GP for continuous 20% miss chance
Ring of Invisibility : 20,000 GP for at-will invisibility
Ring of Protection : 8,000 GP for +2 deflection; Doubles to 16k for an otherwise impossible AC type.


If we assume it to get half the benefit of the Ring of Invisibility, it's 24k + 10k + 16k, for 50k total. I think that's not too unreasonable, actually, for all those benefits.. though I might cut the cost by 25%, to 38,500 GP for its limited usage. Giving it a restriction based on when it works only means the player will try to wait for that time whenever possible.

If you make it a standard action to activate (a small prayer to the moonlight, or whatever), which activates the effect for a minute, after which time it has to be held in the open moonlight (That is, not hiding it) for a full minute before it can be used again, I could see cutting the cost to 25k.

[The Boz]

The "only useable at night" part is not a limitation, especially not for a rogue.
A small limitation is the "only useable outside" part, though.
If I understand this right, he is only invisible WHILE standing still, not for a period AFTER, right? As soon as he moves, he's Blurred? In that case, I'd say ~30k for the thing.

[Iceforge]

Well, be basicly doesn't get invisibility, he gets a huge bonus to his hide, as he cannot move.

I think your price is fair, I wouldn't cut in half for the night-time only limitation, but then you didn't factor in that it is not truly Invisibility.

Now, also, the blur is not a true blur either, as he has to move (is a 5ft step enough?)

In the Magic Item Compendium, there is the Ring of Entropic Deflection, granted, it only gives a bonus vs. ranged attacks and you need to move 10ft each round for it to work, but it does give 50% miss chance to attackers if you got any movement enhancement (crystal of alacrity gives that for a mere 3500gp), the Ring of Entropic Deflection costs only 8000gp.


So using references and the actual rules from the DMG for creating magic items:
To summarize, it is +2AC bonus (non deflection) (rules say bonus squared x 2500gp = 10.000gp
- This 10.000 could be argueably decreased seeing how it is not a constant bonus, but only while outside during night-time. Half is a bit much to take off, but maybe 7.500gp is a fair price.

Ring of Entropic Deflection = 8000gp
- This item does sort of the same, but with other limitations (it can grant up to 50% miss chance, but only works on ranged, but works all day and whatever inside or outside, so I think you can match those 2 up pretty much as equal)

The Invisibility....thats a lot more like camouflage, a level 1 spell, which as an at-will ability would cost:
Spell Level x Caster Level x 2.000gp = 1 x 1 x 2.000 = 2000gp
I think you can fairly call those two equal, the hide bonus form being invisible is +40 and not +10 like camouflage, but camouflage works while moving, day and night and whatever inside or outside, but maybe tone it done to improved camouflage, and a +20 bonus instead of +40, it would still make him pretty much undetectable by normal guards.

Total price: 7.500+8000+2000 = 17.500gp

Like I said, your price sounded fair