Multiple abilities magic item

[Melnir]

Hi playground, I have some questions concerning the cost of magic items with multiple abilities. Let's say we have to calculate the cost of this item (that occupies a body slot):
UMD +10 + detect magic 5/day + color spray 3/day + enlarge person 3/day

Do I have to multiply by 1.5 every ability that costs less than the most expensive one?

If I create an item with let's say 3 different spells usable x/day, would those abilities be considered "multiple similar abilities", so the cost is reduced? Wich abilities can be considered similar in general?

Thanks!

[Alienist]

The answer is yes. You multiply the extra abilities by 1.5

However, it gets worse than that, because you also have the 1.5 multiplier for not obeying body slot affinities. Looking at the power selection you have I don't see any slot that fits all of them (or rather, more than one of them at a time).

However, it gets worse than that, because playing around with this sort of thing is exactly how campaigns get broken.

[gr8artist]

not sure if you're doing this for 3.5 or for PF, but we've rolled up a lot of magic items in PF, and we've never worried about which part of the body the magic item comes from.
There are armors, boots, rings, glasses, and several other items that grant skill bonuses. So I think there's no worry there. And where does it say that other items and pieces of gear can't grant spells/day?

[ericgrau]

However, it gets worse than that, because playing around with this sort of thing is exactly how campaigns get broken.
I'd be wary of the UMD bonus but the spells seem fine. OTOH +10 is a big investment at any level except very high level, and at very high level it's easier to get cross class UMD. +5 UMD might be more abusive.

But ya in general don't try to break the system and run everything by the DM. These are guidelines not rules.

While technically some abilities should cost 1.5x*1.5x=2.25x, IMO you should cap the cost at 2x. That's the same cost as a slotless item which doesn't have to obey any affinities.

[Douglas]

In the clause about reduced cost for similar abilities, "similar" actually means "uses the same resource or is mutually exclusive in some way". For example, all the spells in a staff are all powered by same pool of charges.

Basically, if having the two abilities on the same item is worse than on two separate items, or if you would never want to have both abilities at the same time, then they are "similar" for magic item pricing purposes.

They really chose a bad word to describe this idea.

[ericgrau]

Nah IMO if you had detect evil, detect magic and detect undead on the same item I'd call them similar. There are existing slotted items with this kind of similar abilities and no cost increase.

Staffs have their own guidelines.

[Melnir]

We're playing PF, the DM doesn't care about body slot affinity (I've never done it as well).
The fact is that by playing an artificer, with good reductions of the price i can get it for 5000 gp (also adding ray of enfeeblement 3/day). I alredy spoke with my DM and he is ok with this item, mostly because the party is not so OP and I'm not going to play alone, the PC has been created to raise the party level/lower the enemies level.

BTW, thanks everyone for the answer :)

[ericgrau]

Ah artificer, that's how the UMD is affordable this early. The UMD is the most abusive bit but +5 for almost nothing would have been more abusive. You might point it out to your DM but it's not the worst thing in the world.