Enhancing equipment

[montoya]

During our last game we are at the point where we could buy new equipment or put enchantments on existing equipment. What we were wondering is there a limit to how many properties can be put on one item? For example are you allowed to make a +2 battleaxe with +1d6 fire +1d6 electric and make it axomatic...Or are you limited to a number of enhancements one on weapon or armor? For now we figured if you are paying the cost then its fine but still we would like to know for sure.

[Talakeal]

During our last game we are at the point where we could buy new equipment or put enchantments on existing equipment. What we were wondering is there a limit to how many properties can be put on one item? For example are you allowed to make a +2 battleaxe with +1d6 fire +1d6 electric and make it axomatic...Or are you limited to a number of enhancements one on weapon or armor? For now we figured if you are paying the cost then its fine but still we would like to know for sure.

You can have up to +10 points worth of abilities on a given item, at least one point of which must be an enhancement bonus.

Keep in mind that the cost is equal to the square of the total level of all powers times two thousand (one thousand for armor). So the battle axe you mentioned would be (+2 enhancement, +1 flaming, +1 shocking, +2 axiomatic) a +6 weapon costing 72,000 gp.

[montoya]

Ahhh ok!! Thank you very much! We have been doing it wrong. We have been just paying the base price. So on a +2 weapon to add +1d6 fire we paid only 2000gp since it counts as a +1 enhancement. Instead we should have treated it as a +3 weapon costing the amount of a +3 enhancement.

And the same for armor? A +3 full plate with fortification moderate and say improved acid resist would be...78,000gp? 36,000 for the +6 and 42,000 for the moderate fortification?

Also what about adding to a weapon or armor? When adding an ability do I go with the abilities cost modifier or the total bonus of the item I am adding to? If I was adding thundering to a +3 longsword would I pay 2000gp or 32,000gp for the +4 total?

[TuggyNE]

And the same for armor? A +3 full plate with fortification moderate and say improved acid resist would be...78,000gp? 36,000 for the +6 and 42,000 for the moderate fortification?

42000 for the acid resistance, yes, although that's an exception; most special abilities are +N instead of +X000gp.


Also what about adding to a weapon or armor? When adding an ability do I go with the abilities cost modifier or the total bonus of the item I am adding to? If I was adding thundering to a +3 longsword would I pay 2000gp or 32,000gp for the +4 total?

You pay the difference between the new total price (based on the new total equivalent bonus) and the old total price. In this case, 32000 - 18000 is 14000gp, and that's how much it would cost to upgrade.

[Andezzar]

Also what about adding to a weapon or armor? When adding an ability do I go with the abilities cost modifier or the total bonus of the item I am adding to? If I was adding thundering to a +3 longsword would I pay 2000gp or 32,000gp for the +4 total?You are paying the difference. So going from +3 to +4 you pay 32k gp - 18k gp = 14k gp.

[montoya]

Thank to you very much. Is this in any of the books?

[Andezzar]

Yes DMG p. 288 and MIC p. 233

[Chronos]

Quoth TuggyNE:

42000 for the acid resistance, yes, although that's an exception; most special abilities are +N instead of +X000gp.
Most weapon abilities are +N, but most armor abilities (especially in core) are a flat price increase.

[montoya]

Most weapon abilities are +N, but most armor abilities (especially in core) are a flat price increase.

Which brings me to my next question, what do fixed price abilities count ass in terms of "plus" bonus? Such as major acid resist, would that be considered a +3 or +4 bonus?

[Tar Palantir]

Which brings me to my next question, what do fixed price abilities count ass in terms of "plus" bonus? Such as major acid resist, would that be considered a +3 or +4 bonus?

They don't count at all; they're simply tacked on after the fact. Upgrading a +1 armor to a +2 costs the same as upgrading a +1 major fire resist to a +2 major fire resist.

[montoya]

They don't count at all; they're simply tacked on after the fact. Upgrading a +1 armor to a +2 costs the same as upgrading a +1 major fire resist to a +2 major fire resist.

So abilities with a fixed price do not count towards the max of +10 worth of abilities? So +2 armor of moderate fortification and improved acid resist would still count as a +5 for the purposes of cost? But adding say spell resistance 13 (+2 cost modifier) would then make the armor +7 for the purposes of cost?

[Andezzar]

So abilities with a fixed price do not count towards the max of +10 worth of abilities?Yes, but a magic item with a market price above 200k gp is an epic magic item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/magicItems/basics.htm), which follows other rules. Most importantly a non-epic caster cannot create such an item.


So +2 armor of moderate fortification and improved acid resist would still count as a +5 for the purposes of cost?No, it would count as +5 (25k gp) + improved acid resistance (42k gp) = 67k gp.


But adding say spell resistance 13 (+2 cost modifier) would then make the armor +7 for the purposes of cost?Again +7 + improved acid resist = 91k gp.

[elonin]

Also, don't forget about the time required for the upgrade.

[montoya]

OK I think I got it now. Thank you.