Sugessting a cool dagger

[Balor01]

So, I have a rather lucky rogue in my group. Last session she sneaked past the guards, entered the wizard's palanquin and stole his dagger.


Problem is, I do not know what sort of dagger could be really useful for arcane casters. Perhaps something along "when I run out of spells, I use this dagger to ______). The owner was lvl 3 wizard, but a member of powerful wizards guild and this dagger was a special gift for him which can be imbued with lvl 1, 2 or 3 spell.

What I ask thee, playground, is, what sort of spell could be useful for such a magic user? Daze? Cause fear? Expeditious Retreat? Fog cloud? Detect thoughts? Invisibility? Mirror image? Hold person? Invisibility sphere? Gaseous form?

Something beyond core?

... it is a dagger, so could be attack-related but could also be just made to give its owner some cool up-to-lvl-3-spell benefit.

Also, I want to make it as cheap as possible - thus only 1 per day use.


thanks guys

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE MOVE THIS TO 3.5 SECTION? thanks

[Deophaun]

Well, my first thought was a dagger of warning, defending, or spell storing. But, if you want a spell, there are plenty that a mage would want. Mirror image, invisibility, and displacement would be likely candidates, as if you're reaching for your dagger you're probably in more danger than you'd like to be.

[Balor01]

Allrighty. So, did i get this right:

Dagger of Invisibility

Mwk Dagger (300 gp)


Spell level × caster level × 2,000 gp3

2 x 5 x 2000 = 20.000

20.000/
5/1

=

4000 gp + 300 for Mwk = 4300 gp

[Lord Torath]

I was going to suggest a Dagger of Throwing (double damage when thrown, returns to your hand at the end of the round)

[The Glyphstone]

Allrighty. So, did i get this right:

Dagger of Invisibility

Mwk Dagger (300 gp)


Spell level × caster level × 2,000 gp3

2 x 5 x 2000 = 20.000

20.000/
5/1

=

4000 gp + 300 for Mwk = 4300 gp

Almost. Invisibility has a Duration of minutes/level, so you need to add a 2x multiplier to the spell cost. That'd make it 8000 + 300 for masterwork + 2 for dagger = 8,302 GP.

If you wanted it to be a +1 Dagger of Invisibility 1/day, it'd be 8000+2000+300+2= 10,302 GP.

[Anxe]

And because you're applying the enchantment to a weapon not a magic item with a slot, doesn't the cost for the invisibility enchantment double again?

[The Glyphstone]

And because you're applying the enchantment to a weapon not a magic item with a slot, doesn't the cost for the invisibility enchantment double again?

A carrying hand is technically a slot, so that wouldn't affect it. Slotless items are things like cloak clasps or belt buckles, ioun stones, etc. - the specific qualifier is 'No Space Limitation', and holding a dagger means that hand is full, so it has a space limitation.

Now, if he wanted the dagger to be activatable in its sheath, instead of requiring it to be in-hand, that would trigger the Slotless 2x multiplier.

[Deophaun]

Allrighty. So, did i get this right:

Dagger of Invisibility

Mwk Dagger (300 gp)


Spell level × caster level × 2,000 gp3

2 x 5 x 2000 = 20.000

20.000/
5/1

=

4000 gp + 300 for Mwk = 4300 gp
No, because this would be a terrible waste of gold, as if you did it that way, you would have to double the cost. Also, you can get away with a level 3 invisibility if you want it to be cheap.

Instead, make it command word activated. Spell level (2) X caster level (3) X 1,800 gp / 5 + Masterwork (300) + Plus Base (2) = 2462 gp

That's about half the cost of an eternal wand for the same spell, which is where it should be.

Edit: I'm sorry, you wouldn't have to double the cost for it if you went the other way, as you just want 1/day, and the doubling only applies to continuous use items, not use activated. However, if you did do it that way, the mage would have to attack with the dagger in order to use the spell embedded in it, which may be sub-optimal.

[Ashdate]

Why not just give the dagger some cool properties that the rogue would like?

Like a +1 dagger that when concealed, cannot be found except by it's owner. When it kills someone, it sucks the breath right out of the body, preventing any death scream.

For fluff, maybe the first property helps signify the secrecy of their order, while the second is used in some horrible ritual.

[Rolled A Three]

If you'd like to throw a random plot twist or side quest into the mix, the dagger itself could be a carefully designed key to a secret chest the wizard has. You could lead into bigger things or better loot with that.

[Slipperychicken]

It could have a wand chamber in it. To trick enemies into thinking he's a Rogue (seeing him brandishing a knife and all), so they wouldn't treat him as such a threat.

[Lucid]

I'm afb and unsure how to price it, but how about this

Cloaked Blade

The designs on this lightweight black dagger shift between states of visibility.

+1 dagger
1/day as a swift action you can turn invisible (as the spell), with a duration of 1 round

It's a very useful item for a rogue to have, but since it is limited to 1 round it just gives you a quick option to hide or make a sneak attack once a day.

[North_Ranger]

You could also consider a bane weapon, if the wizard either knows who would be likely to attack him (eg. a humanbane weapon in an urban setting) or if the wizard uses the dagger in his experiments (eg. using an aberrationbane weapon to dispatch former test subjects).

[Chilingsworth]

I've always liked the spectral dagger from the MIC: Instead of being used for normal attacks, it uses touch attacks that work like the chill touch spell. It's also pretty cheep (and would be a way for the rogue to deliver touch sneak attacks :smallbiggrin:)

[Hopeless]

So something not expensive?

So a Dagger of Spell Storing?

Maybe have it include access to several healing spells that merely require the owner to be wearing the sheathed blade to use and they only need a cleric to recharge it?

The alternative is that it has access to one spell maybe Stoneskin and he can call upon it as his first action in a fight, maybe a contingency spell so if he falls to 0hp it teleports him to the last place he rested or slept and heals him with say either a moderate or serious healing spell which will then need to be recharged but the contingency doesn't since it will only activate after the other spells are renewed and the circumstances that cause it to activate happen again then again my favourite would be somekind of countermagic so that if the bearer is struck by magic and doesn't save the dagger counteracts it once per day or if facing anotherwise invulnerable foe the dagger can be used to break their defences for a short time also only once per day and if it has both abilities it can only use one of them once per day...

Hmm still too expensive... maybe make it cursed so he can't lose it unless someone is willing to accept it from him except it has such a bad reputation that noone would be willing to do so since the curse also prevents the bearer from telling them the reputation is to insure whoever takes it up next is someone the dagger considers suitable... intelligent weapon anyone?

Really annoying personality, that reminds me anyone watched Journeyquest?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Cloaked Blade

The designs on this lightweight black dagger shift between states of visibility.

+1 dagger
1/day as a swift action you can turn invisible (as the spell), with a duration of 1 round

I really like this. It makes sense for a Wizard to have as an escape ability, but it gives the Rogue a second use: sneak attacks.

If you want it really interesting for the Rogue, make it a swift action for one round of invisibility and wraithstrike.

[avr]

Is either the new or original owner religious?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/dagger-sacrificial-of-the-blood-mother

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/stinging-stiletto

Edit: Nevermind, had Pathfinder on my brain.

[herrhauptmann]

How about a spellblade?
If the dagger is invisibility or displacement or something, the enemy will use either an AOE, or an Autohit to get him, so a fireball or magicmissile spellblade would be good. Bounce the spell right back at the caster, keeping the caster alive for longer.
Of course, if the idea is to keep the owner alive, I think a gaseous form spell might be a good choice for the dagger. Make it once/day or two days to keep the cost.
I mean, how often does a nonadventuring wizard find himself out of spells, and in danger of being attacked?

[Ydaer Ca Noit]

How about the dagger is a key to mysterious legendary treasure?

What spells would I like my dagger to have if I was a wizard:
-Alarm (why prepare it every day when you can have an item)
-Detect Magic (can't have enough of those) -- Read Magic //Idea: You can see on the blades reflection the magic auras (or the text)
-Command Undead :smallbiggrin: as a rogue I would love it too, I have to admit.

Sadly other spells have either small durations or they depend on saves. (I checked only the ph wizard spells)

[dungeonnerd]

There are some awesome replies here, but there's something you as DM also need to consider:

What do you want the party to have?

Make it too awesome, and you end up causing yourself more trouble as your rogue uses the dagger of [blank] to completely derail the plot.

Make it too useless and then the rogue feels punished.

Make it too expensive, and they'll sell it to buff themselves out, again causing plot-scramble.

Since it's from a caster, make it something useful for casters primarily, while still providing a moderate benefit for the rogue. Also, you can make it have to be weilded as well, which limits its use as then the rogue can't just use the ability and switch to a better weapon.

So for this, lets look at some example downfalls of the low level caster -

Low AC - this lends to being a [Dagger of Mage Armor] that grants the weilder mage armor while weilded. +4AC is useful, especially at lower levels, but doesn't overpower anything, and saves some buff slots from your party mage.

Bad Fort saves - A [Dagger of Great Fortitude] that grants +2 to Fort Saves when weilded.

Or, perhaps, an emergency item; a la the "oh **** out of spells" process [these would be command activated unless otherwise noted] -

Dagger of Fireburst - as the second level spell, 1/day. Useful for a rogue that gets surrounded.

Dagger of Expeditious Retreat - as the spell, 1/day. The Jackie Joyner Kersie

Dagger of Illusion - 1/day Minor Image to help draw fire away from you.

Dagger of Dimension Door - 1/day Mr Wizard, Get me out of here!

And for the "Caster only" dagger (you said it was a gift) then look to bumping the power of the caster. These would have no benefit to a rogue -

Dagger of Wizardry I - as the necklace, grants one extra first level spell slot 1/day

Dagger of Arcane Might - 1/day ups the caster level of a spell by 1

Dagger of Olidimarra - does absolutely nothing other than glows magical. She is the trickster god, after all. Bonus points if the rogue insists on using it because it's "lucky"

EDIT: Remember, in this case a wizard quite literally did it.

[morkendi]

Charges of true strike. If a wizard had it as last defense, he may want to make sure he hit with it.