ArotaAlehthrra
2013-10-18, 01:22 PM
So, as a bit of background, my group plays with a modified version of levelled treasures from Dungeon #289, renamed to Heirloom Items. Essentially, everyone can only have one item with magic item abilities on it. Everything else can only have enhancement bonuses, or non-magical advantages, on it. It works for us, except for casters. Currently, the only full caster that has an 'Heirloom Item' is the healing cleric - as a new player, he innocently asked if he could turn the wagon he bought into his heirloom item and make it bigger on the inside - to which I said yes, because TARDIS.
Beyond that one wagon however, the casters are sort of at a loss, so I set about trying to figure out some basic item abilities for them, according to the prices of various magic items. I'd never allow these item abilities except in conjunction with the 'one magicallly enhanced item per person' rule, but I'd still like to make sure they're as balanced against other abilities of their bonus as possible, or at the least make sure that the abilities have the appropriate bonuses.
This is also an attempt to allow players to have the classic wizard's staff, as that was the first thing I thought of when I was introduced to the rule.
Accepted along with critique: ideas for other abilities.
{table=head]Ability | Bonus Cost
Armor | +1
Endless | +1
Enigmatic | +1
Identification | +1
Kender's Stash | +1
Metamagic Extend | +1
Metamagic Silent | +1
Metamagic Still | +1
Spell Slots, 1st level | +1
Armor, Improved | +2
Counterspelling | +2
Dreadful | +2
Durable | +2
Inspirational | +2
Metamagic Empower | +2
Spell Slots, 2nd level | +2
Spellpower | +2
Metamagic Maximize | +3
Metamagic Widen | +3
Spell Slots, 3rd level | +3
Spell Slot, 4th level | +4
Metamagic Quicken | +4
Spell Slot, 5th level | +5
[/table]
Armor: The wielder can activate this once per day in order to cast mage armor on themselves as a swift action for a number of minutes equal to the item's total bonus.
Armor, Improved: The wielder can activate this once per day in order to cast greater mage armor on themselves as a swift action for a number of minutes equal to the item's total bonus.
Counterspelling: This ability must be charged by casting a spell into the heirloom item. After the ability has been charged, should a spell of the same school be cast upon the owner, they can counterspell it with the spell in the staff, as if they had the Improved Counterspelling feat. Once the ability has been discharged, the owner must wait a day before charging it again for another use.
Dreadful: Once per day the owner of this item can activate this ability, causing all enemies who can see them to make a Will save (DC 15 + the total bonus of the item). If a creature fails, they are shaken for a number of rounds equal to the item's total level.
Durable: An item with this ability is immune to all forms of environmental or area of effect damage. Only spells or abilities that specifically attack an item can damage it, and for such purposes it is treated as having double the hardness and hit points of a normal item of its type.
Endless: When used on a book, the item will never run out of pages. The owner need only think of the page they want while holding it, and the book will flip to the correct spot. Such books may only be written in or used by their owner. When added to a bag of holding or other extradimensional space, this increases the size by a factor of one. If the item does not usually come in multiple sizes, simply add its original size to it again each time the Endless ability is added.
Enigmatic: The owner of an enigmatic item is under the effects of an undetectable alignment spell for as long as they wield it.
Identification: The wielder can cast identify twice per day.
Inspirational: Once per day the owner of this item can activate this ability, granting their allies within visual range a +1 morale bonus on all attack rolls, saving throws, skills checks, and ability checks for a number of rounds equal to the item's total level.
Kender's Stash: Items with this ability gain a small removable decoration - a button, a jewel, a leaf that continual regrows, or something similar. Three times per day the owner can pluck the decoration off the item and have it transform into a random piece of adventuring gear, as drawn from the Player's Handbook Table 7-8. The item lasts for 24 hours before disappearing.
Metamagic Empower: The item can be used to empower a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Empower.
Metamagic Extend: The item can be used to extend a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Extend.
Metamagic Maximize: The item can be used to maximize a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Maximize.
Metamagic Quicken: The item can be used to quicken a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Quicken.
Metamagic Silent: The item can be activated three times per day in place of the vocal componet of a spell, as if applying the feat Sudden Silent.
Metamagic Still: The item can be activated three times per day in place of the somatic componet of a spell, as if applying the feat Sudden Still.
Metamagic Widen: The item can be used to widen a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Widen.
Spell Slots, 1st level: The heirloom item gains three empty spell slots that can hold three first level spells of any type. These spells must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when they were cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 2nd level: The heirloom item gains three empty spell slots that can hold three second level spells of any type. These spells must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when they were cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 3rd level: The heirloom item gains two empty spell slots that can hold two third level spells of any type. These spells must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when they were cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 4th level: The heirloom item gains one empty spell slot that can hold one fourth level spell of any type. This spell must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when it was cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 5th level: The heirloom item gains one empty spell slot that can hold one fifth level spell of any type. This spell must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when it was cast into the item.
Spellpower: The wielder gains a +1 enhancement bonus on checks to overcome SR.
Beyond that one wagon however, the casters are sort of at a loss, so I set about trying to figure out some basic item abilities for them, according to the prices of various magic items. I'd never allow these item abilities except in conjunction with the 'one magicallly enhanced item per person' rule, but I'd still like to make sure they're as balanced against other abilities of their bonus as possible, or at the least make sure that the abilities have the appropriate bonuses.
This is also an attempt to allow players to have the classic wizard's staff, as that was the first thing I thought of when I was introduced to the rule.
Accepted along with critique: ideas for other abilities.
{table=head]Ability | Bonus Cost
Armor | +1
Endless | +1
Enigmatic | +1
Identification | +1
Kender's Stash | +1
Metamagic Extend | +1
Metamagic Silent | +1
Metamagic Still | +1
Spell Slots, 1st level | +1
Armor, Improved | +2
Counterspelling | +2
Dreadful | +2
Durable | +2
Inspirational | +2
Metamagic Empower | +2
Spell Slots, 2nd level | +2
Spellpower | +2
Metamagic Maximize | +3
Metamagic Widen | +3
Spell Slots, 3rd level | +3
Spell Slot, 4th level | +4
Metamagic Quicken | +4
Spell Slot, 5th level | +5
[/table]
Armor: The wielder can activate this once per day in order to cast mage armor on themselves as a swift action for a number of minutes equal to the item's total bonus.
Armor, Improved: The wielder can activate this once per day in order to cast greater mage armor on themselves as a swift action for a number of minutes equal to the item's total bonus.
Counterspelling: This ability must be charged by casting a spell into the heirloom item. After the ability has been charged, should a spell of the same school be cast upon the owner, they can counterspell it with the spell in the staff, as if they had the Improved Counterspelling feat. Once the ability has been discharged, the owner must wait a day before charging it again for another use.
Dreadful: Once per day the owner of this item can activate this ability, causing all enemies who can see them to make a Will save (DC 15 + the total bonus of the item). If a creature fails, they are shaken for a number of rounds equal to the item's total level.
Durable: An item with this ability is immune to all forms of environmental or area of effect damage. Only spells or abilities that specifically attack an item can damage it, and for such purposes it is treated as having double the hardness and hit points of a normal item of its type.
Endless: When used on a book, the item will never run out of pages. The owner need only think of the page they want while holding it, and the book will flip to the correct spot. Such books may only be written in or used by their owner. When added to a bag of holding or other extradimensional space, this increases the size by a factor of one. If the item does not usually come in multiple sizes, simply add its original size to it again each time the Endless ability is added.
Enigmatic: The owner of an enigmatic item is under the effects of an undetectable alignment spell for as long as they wield it.
Identification: The wielder can cast identify twice per day.
Inspirational: Once per day the owner of this item can activate this ability, granting their allies within visual range a +1 morale bonus on all attack rolls, saving throws, skills checks, and ability checks for a number of rounds equal to the item's total level.
Kender's Stash: Items with this ability gain a small removable decoration - a button, a jewel, a leaf that continual regrows, or something similar. Three times per day the owner can pluck the decoration off the item and have it transform into a random piece of adventuring gear, as drawn from the Player's Handbook Table 7-8. The item lasts for 24 hours before disappearing.
Metamagic Empower: The item can be used to empower a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Empower.
Metamagic Extend: The item can be used to extend a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Extend.
Metamagic Maximize: The item can be used to maximize a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Maximize.
Metamagic Quicken: The item can be used to quicken a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Quicken.
Metamagic Silent: The item can be activated three times per day in place of the vocal componet of a spell, as if applying the feat Sudden Silent.
Metamagic Still: The item can be activated three times per day in place of the somatic componet of a spell, as if applying the feat Sudden Still.
Metamagic Widen: The item can be used to widen a spell three times per day as if using the feat Sudden Widen.
Spell Slots, 1st level: The heirloom item gains three empty spell slots that can hold three first level spells of any type. These spells must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when they were cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 2nd level: The heirloom item gains three empty spell slots that can hold three second level spells of any type. These spells must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when they were cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 3rd level: The heirloom item gains two empty spell slots that can hold two third level spells of any type. These spells must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when they were cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 4th level: The heirloom item gains one empty spell slot that can hold one fourth level spell of any type. This spell must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when it was cast into the item.
Spell Slots, 5th level: The heirloom item gains one empty spell slot that can hold one fifth level spell of any type. This spell must be cast into the item originally, but can be discharged at any time, using the same caster level as when it was cast into the item.
Spellpower: The wielder gains a +1 enhancement bonus on checks to overcome SR.