Magic Item Creation Alternative?

[Tamer Leon]

So, in a game I am planning, I decided I wanted to take the XP component out of spells and item creation.

My thinking was, that it just doesn't make sense to me that a magic item creator must imbue a significant part of himself, essentially a chunk of his soul, into every item he creates. Nor does it make sense for some spells.

Instead, I thought it might be a good idea to implement a system involving rare material components. Something a party would have to quest for, or find the exact right person to buy from; the sort of things that you can't just throw gold at until something good happens.

I was just wondering what the Playground thought about this, and if there were others among you that might have made similar arrangements.

[Jergmo]

I generally require that magical items can be created using bits and pieces from magical beasts, outsiders, elementals and the like. That means determining the value of various reagents, but it's still a handy system.

[Hylas]

You can use the Pathfinder magic creation rules for pricing as they don't have any XP costs, though from what little comparison I've done it usually comes out the same.

If I were going to use "you must have a rare material to make this" then I'd just price out how much something costs (like, a drake's tooth) based on the CR of the monster, or how much loot it drops, or whatever. Then you have to make a magic item using a flat % of it from rare materials.

For example (note all numbers made up for example and aren't balanced):

A dragon tooth from a CR10 dragon is worth 50*(CR^2) = 5,000 GP. A magic item needs at least 25% of the price from rare materials. So you can make any item worth 20,000 GP by spending the tooth and 15,000 GP.

Alternatively, you could use a 2,000 GP item and a 3,000 GP item as the materials. Or not, if you want it to be harder to make stuff. Could have a limit of how many different things you can use (I'd do two) so you can't just use a hundred 50 GP items. Or not, if you like that idea. Maybe they have to use multiple items. I'm just throwing ideas out here.

(As a side note, does anyone else have the mental picture of a wizard over a cauldron pouring in a bag of gold and then letting it cook for a while then out comes a magic sword whenever item creation rules are discussed?)

[eggs]

Except the 1000+ chunks that go with certain spells (Gate, non-spell emulation Miracle, Wish), the experience cost isn't a big deal. It basically washes out on its own in normal play.

But adding components adds plot hooks to magic use, which is something I like (though this might rub players who like the instant problem solving aspect of D&D magic the wrong way).

It sounds good to me.

[rmg22893]

There's a web enhancement for the PHBII that allows another character to contribute all or part of the XP for a magic item.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060526a

[Golden Ladybug]

(As a side note, does anyone else have the mental picture of a wizard over a cauldron pouring in a bag of gold and then letting it cook for a while then out comes a magic sword whenever item creation rules are discussed?)

That is exactly how I picture it, and it is the right and proper way to do so :smallcool:

[Emperor Tippy]

(As a side note, does anyone else have the mental picture of a wizard over a cauldron pouring in a bag of gold and then letting it cook for a while then out comes a magic sword whenever item creation rules are discussed?)
Yep, the feat is using your esoteric magical knowledge (represented by the feat) and life force to permanently alter gold (a very magically conductive metal) into the desired form. The masterwork blade used as the base weapon is a material component of the creation process that is consumed and used as a template for the physical form of the weapon.

[Red_Dog]

Just dropping to CP here...

I had to mod crafting system for large scale campaign. This is what I modded=>

Items take no XP up to CL10. After, xp as normal[some weapon/armor enchantments get silly with being +1 cost, but CL12+] as those can get powerful.

To counterbalance this I implemented =>
"you need equipment to make this". As in, You want to make a +1 sword? Buy/find/steal equipment worth as much to make one.
**Negotiable improvement, paying more to reduce time component. A good anvil and hammer and smelter is fine. But permanently animated smelter that is semi-automatic cuts time, but costs more. Hiring a wizard w/ Fabricate could help the time factor more, but he is limited for mass production**

To make it into mass production I added this =>
You bought equipment? Great, now you have it. Forever[or until someone repossesses it and/or destroys it]. You can now crank out these +1 magic swords as much as you like.

To give alternative to raw "gold = cool stuff" I added this=>
Substitute gold with any materials you would need for this. +1 steel sword? => high grade steel of that price. And etc.

This way, players CAN craft, but they can also implement help of people who already do that for a living. They also have targets to destroy/steal if they want enemy to have less magical equipment and etc.

***Example of all of this being together: Players robbed an enemy mithril smelter. They stole a large amount of "mithril bars" and few "forge it yourself" kits. Currently they plan to hand this to their allied Storm Giant tribe, who aren't too crazy to fight[they have around 50 giants, and that's the whole faction as apposed to say daemons, empire and etc.] but are renown crafters and will gladly assist this way without being pushed. Alternatively they can "rent" a forge in Nine Hells[an Allied Pit Fiend offered to pull some strings] for some 200k gold and make all the equipment in 3rd or 4th amount of time that Giants would. I try offer my players options ^^***

Heh... so yeah. These are definitely [B]house rules. But they seemed very reasonable to my players ^^

P.S. Fiendish Codex I has a feat to siphon XP of summon creatures. I used that to off set some cost to some items. I am still contemplating using these for SOME factions.

P.S.2.
Book of Exalted deeds gives "ambrosia" I think, to mitigate XP.
Vile Darkness offers few ways to cut down on XP. Using souls[deal with Hells, Brass Citadel, etc.] and pain[set up a hospital!] in place of XP.

[Epsilon Rose]

...snip...

That actually sounds like a really awesome way to handle it. I don't suppose the rules you're using are standardized to be written out and replicated/adapted/used by others?

[Slipperychicken]

You can use the Pathfinder magic creation rules for pricing as they don't have any XP costs, though from what little comparison I've done it usually comes out the same.[/I]

I hear the going rate is 5 gold per 1 xp, so you could use that conversion. I've also heard older editions made you quest for mind-bogglingly specific, unpriced materials, so you can look into that for inspiration.


You can always (after establishing this is what the players want to do, of course) roll a d% and say "You don't find any of X materials in town" and have the local alchemist or a knowledge check tell them what hoop they have to jump through to get the item.