Would an item of x/day True Strike be balanced?

[AnonymousPepper]

Not the mythical epic-level Item of Continuous True Strike - which WotC emphatically declared should cost upwards of 400kGP, the forumlas be damned! - but a much more tame x/day affair - say, 1 or 2 per day?

If so... I'm looking at the DMG and I can't for the life of me figure out what it would be priced.

[Kazudo]

An item of True Strike 1/2/3 times a day is pretty balanced. It's essentially just any spell storing item that can be charged with one (or a few) 1st level spells. The cost (since it's a custom magic item) is up to DM approval by nature, however the ballpark cost would depend on what KIND of item you wanted to make (ring, wondrous, armor, etc)

[Snowbluff]

1/2 would be totally fine at all levels. Really, since it takes a standard action to use, I wouldn't be too concerned with giving more at higher levels. A wand of it is only 750 gp.

[Nihilarian]

There's already one. Ghostwalk, I think?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) is Table 7-33 on page 285 of the DMG.

Command Word activation is a standard action, and costs Spell Level x Caster Level x 1,800 gp. For charges/day, that price will be divided by (5/charges). So 1 charge/day divides it by 5, 2 charges/day divides it by 2.5 (5/2), 3 charges/day divides it by 5/3, etc. You can also multiply it by charges/day then divide it by 5 to get the same result, so 1800/(5/3) is 1080, but (1800 x 3)/5 is also 1080.

Note that if the item requires Craft Wondrous Item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftWondrousItem) then the minimum caster level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel) is 3rd, because that's the minimum you need to meet its prerequisites. So at 2/day you're looking at a cost of 2,160 gp, and it requires a standard action to activate.

[HunterOfJello]

True Strike Guantlets in the MiC cost 3500g and give 1/day True Strike. Since this item already exists in one of the books, this is the price you would go with.


Gloves of the Master Strategist from Ghostwalk gives 1/day True Strike and also works as a pair of Gloves of Storing for 3600g (iirc).



True Strike isn't as broken an ability as you may think. Since it only works on 1 attack and takes a standard action to set up, it really doesn't have an extremely high cost/benefits value by default. When used with specific class abilities and other things it can definitely become amazing, but it needs to be heavily combo'd before it provides an overwhelming advantage.

[NoACWarrior]

Just for some quick pricing tips for wands and wondrous magical items:
Wand / Spelltrigger (50 charges) 750*CL*SL, or 15*CL*SL per charge (no daily limit)
Command Word (5 charges per day) 1800*CL*SL or 360*CL*SL per daily charge (anyone can use so long as they know the command word)*
Use Activated (5 charges per day) 2000*CL*SL or 400*CL*SL per daily charge (anyone can use)*
Continuous 2000*CL*SL*X where X is 4 if the spell lasts for rounds, 2 if it lasts for minutes, 1.5 if it lasts for 10 minutes at a time, or 0.5 if it lasts for hours (you must also add in the cost of any bonuses as well)

Command Word or Use Activated can also be put on a universal charge limit - divide the cost by 2 for a universal charge limit of 50, this lifts the daily charge limit of 5 at normal price effectively becoming a wand which everyone can use. You can also reduce the amount of universal charges the item can hold. You can also re-apply 1-4 daily uses to a CW or UA item which has a universal charge limit (caution, most DMs will not be happy about this type of price modification).


*note that the DMG has custom pricing with an implied infinite usage at no modification of daily uses, if you are a DM do not let the PCs do this.
Instead tell the PCs that a no modification to daily uses is equivalent to 5 daily charges.


For "Command word Googles of True strike 3/day" it would cost 1800*1*1*3/5 (1800*CL*SL*3daily/5daily) or also 360*1*1*3 (360/daily*CL*SL*3daily)

[NoACWarrior]

Note that if the item requires Craft Wondrous Item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftWondrousItem) then the minimum caster level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#casterLevel) is 3rd, because that's the minimum you need to meet its prerequisites. So at 2/day you're looking at a cost of 2,160 gp, and it requires a standard action to activate.

By that reasoning Lvl1 wands would cost 5x as much, since the CL required for wand creation is 5...

[HunterOfJello]

By that reasoning Lvl1 wands would cost 5x as much, since the CL required for wand creation is 5...

Yup. A magic item can also have multiple creators and can be created so long as the group of creators all satisfy the total prerequisites. Therefore a level 1 wizard who can cast True Strike can meet up with a level 20 Druid with Craft Wondrous Items and create Gauntlets of True Strike.

I always thought the idea of a wizard kidnapping members of random races just to satisfy the prerequisites of item crafting for race-specific items was hilarious.

[NoACWarrior]

Well that and... limiting one's caster level, so long as that CL is a legal level to cast said spell, it can be used to craft with.

Otherwise a lvl 10 cleric by himself would have 7500 GP cure light wound wands and curse the day he went above level 5.

But yes, Jello the idea that you have to kidnap lower level spell casters is a pretty fun one. :smallwink:

If you are interested Pepper, there are other rules for item creation as well that HunterofJello here has touched on.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

By that reasoning Lvl1 wands would cost 5x as much, since the CL required for wand creation is 5...

"For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of an item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell and not higher than her own caster level. For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the creator. The minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet the prerequisites given."

For potions, scrolls, and wands, it can be any caster level that's high enough to cast the stored spell, regardless of the item creation feat's prerequisites. For other magic items that are not of those three types, the minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet its prerequisites, which includes the item creation feat.

[AnonymousPepper]

True Strike Guantlets in the MiC cost 3500g and give 1/day True Strike. Since this item already exists in one of the books, this is the price you would go with.


Gloves of the Master Strategist from Ghostwalk gives 1/day True Strike and also works as a pair of Gloves of Storing for 3600g (iirc).



True Strike isn't as broken an ability as you may think. Since it only works on 1 attack and takes a standard action to set up, it really doesn't have an extremely high cost/benefits value by default. When used with specific class abilities and other things it can definitely become amazing, but it needs to be heavily combo'd before it provides an overwhelming advantage.

Like... say... a +1 Exit Wound Great Crossbow? :smallbiggrin:

[AnonymousPepper]

Actually, I just realized. Why bother, when an eternal wand of True Strike explicitly costs 820gp unmodified, and as a Warforged you can throw it in a wand sheath to make activating it a free action?

[HunterOfJello]

Actually, I just realized. Why bother, when an eternal wand of True Strike explicitly costs 820gp unmodified, and as a Warforged you can throw it in a wand sheath to make activating it a free action?

Wand Sheaths don't let you activate wands as a free action. They simply let you activate it using only a mental command instead of a verbal and somatic command. The action is not changed.

[Segev]

Honestly, an AT WILL item of True Strike - perhaps a heavy crossbow that would strike true after its name is whispered over it - would be only 1800 gp. That's a command-activated item emulating a 1st level spell cast by a 1st level caster.

This avoids being broken simply by virtue of taking a full standard action to activate and applying to only one attack. Great for a sniping crossbow; not so great for something used in the thick of combat.

[Troacctid]

Wand Sheaths don't let you activate wands as a free action. They simply let you activate it using only a mental command instead of a verbal and somatic command. The action is not changed.

Also, don't eternal wands only have 2 charges/day?

[AnonymousPepper]

Also, don't eternal wands only have 2 charges/day?

Yeah, but I was only going to have my Warforged Artificer make a 2/day item anyway.

Although, good to know it's not a free action, I could have gotten myself in a sticky situation and had the book thrown at me.

[NoACWarrior]

"For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of an item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell and not higher than her own caster level. For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the creator. The minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet the prerequisites given."

For potions, scrolls, and wands, it can be any caster level that's high enough to cast the stored spell, regardless of the item creation feat's prerequisites. For other magic items that are not of those three types, the minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet its prerequisites, which includes the item creation feat.

Although the existence of 1 item doesn't disprove what you are saying...
What about Elixir of Vision from DMG, it lists a CL2 which is otherwise impossible under your assertion... it also lists that it requires craft wondrous item as a feat.

Edit: adding more walls of text cause I don't like adding posts...

From the SRD

While item creation costs are handled in detail below, note that normally the two primary factors are the caster level of the creator and the level of the spell or spells put into the item. A creator can create an item at a lower caster level than her own, but never lower than the minimum level needed to cast the needed spell. Using metamagic feats, a caster can place spells in items at a higher level than normal.

Our interpretations of prerequisites are quite different... Where as you include the crafting feat, I do not. I use the SRD's general statement as the prerequisites of magic items created, in that the prerequisite caster level must be at least high enough level for each spell cast. I suspect that the statement about prerequisites you have given pertain to those listed in the DMG, with specific magic items.

But back to a Lvl 1 item- using a command word cure light wounds salve with 50 charges would result in a cost of 1k with my interpretation, but will result in 3k with your interpretation. The difference in interpretation is not distinguishable at levels higher than 2.