Recharging Staff Cost

[Ruethgar]

How much would a recharge mechanic on a staff cost? I tried to reverse the pricing on Briar Staff from Dragon 326, but it is far too cheep for the spells alone. I could just combine the Briar Staff with something to steal that mechanic, but I would rather be able to apply it separately. The only other way I know to recharge items is Artifact Lord and which I suppose using Arms and Equipment in a round-about sort of way could be considered as applicable for 15,000 as with applying feats(35,000 if you consider the other abilities required).

[Extra Anchovies]

As in, increasing the number of charges held by a staff? You could probably homebrew a spell that does that for staffs and wands, requiring XP expenditure of 1/1250th of the item's cost per charge restored (1/50 charges)*(1/25 item's cost in XP).

[Ruethgar]

That would easily remove charges from being a problem at all. I was thinking something more along the lines of Briar Staff which regains 1/week if buried in a forest, or Artifact Lord for 1/day as a swift action for your 12th or 21st feat.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Dragon Magazine #338 has the Imbued Staff ACF (for wizards and sorcerers, replaces familiar) and Recharge Staff feat (expend 5 spell levels to increase charges on your imbued staff by 1, needs Craft Staff).

The Briar Staffs recharge mechanic is way to clunky to be used in actual gameplay anyway, most of the time. The other method of absorbing spells like a Rod of Absorbtion is reserved for artifacts afaik, but you could try to talk your DM into allowing it for the price of the rod.

[Ruethgar]

Danke, Recharge staff looks like a fine option.

[Bronk]

Two more things to think about:

The epic feat 'master staff' would let you use spell slots instead of charges, so that at least the staff wouldn't run out and become worthless.

In old Forgotten Realms fluff, a character with the right knowledge could attune to the Myth Drannor mythal and recharge their magic items that way.

[ericgrau]

The very first thing to check is do you need a recharge mechanic? I've never had a staff run out or even come close in an entire campaign. Ever. Encounters are astoundingly brief in D&D, and an entire campaign has astoundingly few of them. Items that get burnt and are gone forever are actually a major advantage in D&D that are usually superior to permanent items, and vastly superior to unlimited X/day spell items for the same gp. They are not some major problem to be avoided or mitigated.

That said, a few homebrew options would include:

Find crafting cost of staff, find crafting cost of recharged staff, subtract, pay difference, requires craft staff feat.
Use pathfinder staffs.
Similar to PF, give staffs 5 charges per day instead of 50 charges total. Or something part way in between with a penalty to make up for the synergy. E.g., start with only 30 charges total but recharge 1 charge per day (not 2 charges a day as you might expect). Or start with 10 charges total/max but recharge 2 charges a day. This kind of recharging would be automatic and free.

[Bronk]

How much would a recharge mechanic on a staff cost? I tried to reverse the pricing on Briar Staff from Dragon 326, but it is far too cheep for the spells alone.

Well, it looks like it would be pretty expensive. I think your best bet would be to convince your DM to add additional properties to the Briar Staff.

So far, we have several methods of gaining or retaining charges.

1: Epic level feat: Master Staff
2: Epic level magic: Mythal (needing info from an NPC, then either time travel or braving a demon infested city, or making your own mythal with that power)
3: Epic level feats and abilities together: Artifact Lord Epic Destiny
4: Minor Artifact: Staff of the Magi
5: Being an artificer with the proper feats and salvaging spent items to make a new one.
6: Briar Staff from Dragon Magazine
7: Homebrew stuff

Also, the briar staff says in its description that other staffs don't regain spent charges.

Comparing the Briar Staff to the Staff of Frost:

Frost: Three spells, levels 4, 4 and 5, doesn't recharge, costs 56,250 gold

Briar: Three spells, levels 1, 3, and 5, does recharge, costs 139,500 gold

Difference is 83,250 gold.

So, maybe about that much, if your DM is being generous with fluff? Or if you're the DM, and you're being generous with fluff?

[Ruethgar]

The Briar staff is too cheap for the spells without the recharge mechanic and thus I would not want to use it as a measure for pricing. But as long as we are listing ways to mitigate charge use, Dragon 342 Clerics of Magic can get one free charge per two cleric levels per day. Costs a feat, domain, your turn/rebuke undead ability or a special item.

[Fax Celestis]

If you're planning on fighting with that staff, you might want the Eilservs School feat from DotU.

[nedz]

As in, increasing the number of charges held by a staff? You could probably homebrew a spell that does that for staffs and wands, requiring XP expenditure of 1/1250th of the item's cost per charge restored (1/50 charges)*(1/25 item's cost in XP).

You should be able to use a Limited Wish, or possibly a full one, to recharge a Staff


Limited Wish

A limited wish lets you create nearly any type of effect. For example, a limited wish can do any of the following things.


Duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 6th level or lower, provided the spell is not of a school prohibited to you.
Duplicate any other spell of 5th level or lower, provided the spell is not of a school prohibited to you.
Duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 5th level or lower, even if it’s of a prohibited school.
Duplicate any other spell of 4th level or lower, even if it’s of a prohibited school.
Undo the harmful effects of many spells, such as geas/quest or insanity.
Produce any other effect whose power level is in line with the above effects, such as a single creature automatically hitting on its next attack or taking a -7 penalty on its next saving throw.


Using 1. (or maybe 3.) under 6.

1 Wish = 1 Charge I think.

[Bronk]

The Briar staff is too cheap for the spells without the recharge mechanic and thus I would not want to use it as a measure for pricing. But as long as we are listing ways to mitigate charge use, Dragon 342 Clerics of Magic can get one free charge per two cleric levels per day. Costs a feat, domain, your turn/rebuke undead ability or a special item.

Right, the 80K ish gold is what it looks like they're charging just for the slow as mud recharge ability.