Understanding the Concept behind creating Magical items (3.5)

[TheSethGrey]

I just don't get it and I am starting to feel rather dumb, so I understand the basics of making a magical item, get the feat, calculate the costs and all that jazz, but when it comes to making anything better then a +1 Flaming Sword I get lost.

So, say I want to make a Ring that whenever I say a key phrase shoots out some sort of spell, any spell. Or a breastplate that has a spell in it that buffs the user. Is the spell consumed on use? How often can I activate a spell of these kinds?

Are there a limit to how many of a certain property I can put on a magic item? For example, multiple instances of fire resistance for those trips to the center of a volcano.

I understand it's possible to make magic items that boost main ability scores such as Strength, but is there a cap for how high you can boost it, besides your wallet. Thanks in advance for all your help, I'm just starting to get into 3.5 and I love how complex it feels, though I often feel very overwhelmed.

[afroakuma]

So, say I want to make a Ring that whenever I say a key phrase shoots out some sort of spell, any spell. Or a breastplate that has a spell in it that buffs the user. Is the spell consumed on use? How often can I activate a spell of these kinds?

You can make such an item that lets you use the spell at will, or which is permanently imbued with the properties of that spell. You can also make such an item that can unleash the spell only a few times per day, or only a set number of times before it will function no more. You could even make such an item one-use. The costs to do these things will vary - it is much more expensive, for instance, to have a magic item that works forever than one that will eventually fail. The rules for those costs are available in the DMG and the SRD.


Are there a limit to how many of a certain property I can put on a magic item? For example, multiple instances of fire resistance for those trips to the center of a volcano.

It is not intended that the same property be able to coexist on one item - a weapon is either flaming or not flaming; armor that is doubly fire resistant has improved fire resistance, not two iterations of the standard fire resistance property. Note that properties such as bane can vary and if so varied can coexist on an item (e.g. a weapon cannot be double goblinbane, but can be goblinbane and orcbane).


I understand it's possible to make magic items that boost main ability scores such as Strength, but is there a cap for how high you can boost it, besides your wallet.

For non-epic items, a maximum enhancement bonus of +6 can be provided to a single ability score, and a maximum inherent bonus of +5 can be applied to a single ability score.

[Fable Wright]

So, say I want to make a Ring that whenever I say a key phrase shoots out some sort of spell, any spell. Or a breastplate that has a spell in it that buffs the user. Is the spell consumed on use? How often can I activate a spell of these kinds?
First, look to find if there is already an item published with the traits you're looking for. For example, a Ring of Telekinesis (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rings.htm#telekinesis) allows you to shoot out Telekinesis at-will as a Standard action by shouting out a command word. You can use this ability an unlimited number of times per day. If you want to make a breastplate that has a spell in it that buffs the user, check the description. For example, a breastplate that has the Ethrealness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicArmor.htm#etherealness) enhancement on it would allow you to use Etherealness once per day. When you rest for 8 hours after using it, you will be capable of activating the ability again, but not before. On the other hand, if you use a Wish from a Luckblade (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#luckBlade), it's gone, and it doesn't recharge. In general, if the item is noted to have a specific number of uses, then the uses don't recharge, and if no limit on the number of uses is specified, the item can be used at will.


Are there a limit to how many of a certain property I can put on a magic item? For example, multiple instances of fire resistance for those trips to the center of a volcano.
First off, according to the rules, any amount of fire resistance, even Fire Resistance 1, makes you immune to damage from being submerged in lava. No, that doesn't make logical sense, but it's there. Second, you can only add a given property to a given weapon once. You can't have a flaming flaming sword, or an armor of fire resistance and fire resistance. However, if your wallet is large enough, you can add any number of separate qualities to the items.


I understand it's possible to make magic items that boost main ability scores such as Strength, but is there a cap for how high you can boost it, besides your wallet.
The cap on it is, before epic levels, +6. In order to improve it from this +6 bonus, you require the Craft Epic Wondrous Item feat, and the price is increased to (Enhancement Bonus)2*10,000gp instead of (Enhancement Bonus)2*1000gp.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

[Turelim]

You can start reading this:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm

When Creating Magical Armors or Weapons you can only add Armor/Weapon Properties to them. or enhancing the item.
Let make an example.
You want a +1 Greatsword, if you check the table "Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values" in the link above you will see that the cost is "Bonus Squared x 2000gp" in this case, the cost of the enhancement would be:
12x2000gp=1x2000gp=2000gp.
Don't forget to add the cost of the Masterwork weapon.

If you want to upgrade the weapon to +2 Greatsword would be the same formula:
22x2000g = 4x2000gp=8000gp.
But you have a +1 greatsword, so you can remove the cost of the +1 enhancement from the final cost of +2 enhancement.
8000gp - 2000gp = 6000gp
The +2 Greatsword in the end would cost you 6000gp.
You can upgrade a Weapon or Armor to +10, but the maximum enhancement of a Weapon or Armor +5, the other +5 can be added by Weapon/Armor Properties.
Remember some properties had fixed price, so you need to make sure them doesn't exceed the maximum base price. for a +10 Weapon: 200,000gp.

In the same page you can locate how to calculate the base price of magic items depending on how the spell will be casted.

In Magic Item Compendium there are more complete rules for adding more capabilities to magic items, like more spells in the same item, or enhancement bonus there.

[TheSethGrey]

First off, according to the rules, any amount of fire resistance, even Fire Resistance 1, makes you immune to damage from being submerged in lava. No, that doesn't make logical sense, but it's there. Second, you can only add a given property to a given weapon once. You can't have a flaming flaming sword, or an armor of fire resistance and fire resistance. However, if your wallet is large enough, you can add any number of separate qualities to the items.



Is there a way to stack Fire Resistance by enchanting say your armor with Fire Resistance and then enchanting a ring to have fire resistance? Or would that not work?

[Fable Wright]

Is there a way to stack Fire Resistance by enchanting say your armor with Fire Resistance and then enchanting a ring to have fire resistance? Or would that not work?

Fire resistance from multiple sources overlap unless noted. So, you could have both a ring and armor with fire resistance, but all that would do is ensure that you had fire resistance if one or the other was dispelled.

[Urpriest]

In general, there are two things you can ask about: how a character makes a magic item, or how a DM creates the stats for a new magic item so that characters can make them. Those are two very different questions. Which one are you asking about?

[Ferronach]

Is there a way to stack Fire Resistance by enchanting say your armor with Fire Resistance and then enchanting a ring to have fire resistance? Or would that not work?

I believe that Fire Resistance and Protection from Energy (Fire) stack

[TheSethGrey]

In general, there are two things you can ask about: how a character makes a magic item, or how a DM creates the stats for a new magic item so that characters can make them. Those are two very different questions. Which one are you asking about?

Both I think. xD