Creating Magic Items for a 19/20th lvl Character

[Maxx2298]

I am going to run a short campaign with some 19/20th level characters, and have given my PCs 580,000 gp to play with each. One of the PCs wants to create a magic spear with a bunch of abilities on it. As the DMG states, no one ability can be above +5, and combined abilities can not go above +10. The problem is that in the Magic Item Compendium, there are abilities that are listed not at +bonuses, but rather at +gp bonuses. Does anyone know how these are resolved when figuring the overall level of the weapon? Do they count against the +10 limit?

[Jack_Simth]

I am going to run a short campaign with some 19/20th level characters, and have given my PCs 580,000 gp to play with each. One of the PCs wants to create a magic spear with a bunch of abilities on it. As the DMG states, no one ability can be above +5, and combined abilities can not go above +10. The problem is that in the Magic Item Compendium, there are abilities that are listed not at +bonuses, but rather at +gp bonuses. Does anyone know how these are resolved when figuring the overall level of the weapon? Do they count against the +10 limit?
As I understand it (do not have a rules quote for you, so take this with a grain of salt), they work the same way as +gp armor enhancements do - they're not treated as part of the +10 limit.

[whibla]

That's only half the limitation given in the MIC.

The other half is that no item can cost over 200 000 gp.

Work out how much a spear with +10 levels of ability costs, subtract that from 200 000 gp, and the difference is how much you can spend on the +cost abilities.

*EDIT* It's just occured to me that +10 worth of abilities means the weapon costs 200k anyway, so if they take the full +10 they cannot add any +cost abilities to the item - though it's late, and my maths might be off..

[tyckspoon]

That's only half the limitation given in the MIC.

The other half is that no item can cost over 200 000 gp.

Work out how much a spear with +10 levels of ability costs, subtract that from 200 000 gp, and the difference is how much you can spend on the +cost abilities.

This isn't exactly true- you can make stuff over 200,000 GP (worth of magic properties- the materials cost doesn't count toward this), it just becomes an Epic item. Doesn't change the cost, in this particular case, but it does mean you have to find an Epic crafter to make it or add further properties to it once it crosses that 200,000 GP line.

[whibla]

This isn't exactly true- you can make stuff over 200,000 GP (worth of magic properties- the materials cost doesn't count toward this), it just becomes an Epic item. Doesn't change the cost, in this particular case, but it does mean you have to find an Epic crafter to make it or add further properties to it once it crosses that 200,000 GP line.

Well, of course, but given the OP describing the situation as characters of lvl 19-20, as in not epic, I kind of assumed he was talking about equipping them with non-epic magic items.

However, you are quite correct, and if you allow epic items then there is no limit to the price or the number of +level abilities you can put on the items.

[Maxx2298]

This perfectly answers what I need. Thank you.

[Thump]

Excuse my being possibly naive, but don't the epic rules state that past +5, a weapon gets a x10 cost modifier?

[whibla]

Excuse my being possibly naive, but don't the epic rules state that past +5, a weapon gets a x10 cost modifier?

Well, yes, but also, not exactly, no. It depends on what you mean by past +5.

Pre-epic a weapon can only have an enhancement bonus up to +5, but it can have additional +level abilities, with some restrictions. Any weapon with a +level ability must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1. The total of a weapon's enhancement bonus and its +level abilities must be 10 or less. So, you could have a +5 vorpal sword (as vorpal is a +5 level ability), or a +3 briliiant energy sword of speed (as brilliant energy is +4 and speed is +3), and so on. Either of these weapons would cost you 200 000 gp. You could not have (or make at any rate) a +6 sword of dancing however, pre-epic, even though dancing is only a +4 level ability.

You are right though that for any magic item that includes an epic ability the cost of the epic ability is 10 times the cost, calculated as per the guidelines in the DMG, of the non epic version. Again, for example a +5 ghost touch sword is a pre-epic item and costs (ignoring the masterwork weapon cost) 72 000 gp (6 x 6 x 2000), whereas a straight +6 sword, an epic item, costs 720 000 gp (6 x 6 x 2000 x 10).