Unslotted items and slot locations?

[Hiro Quester]

If I have an item that is unslotted, are there rules that say I could not add it to a chain around my neck that already has an item on it? Or would this being having two items in the neck slot?

In my case I have just obtained a pearl of wisdom; an unslotted periapt of wisdom we obtained from an encounter's treasure. Could I add it to the chain that holds my amulet of mighty fists?

I could just carry it in my pocket, but my PC is a druid. Adding the pearl of wisdom to the necklace that holds my amulet, means I can easily wear these two items in wildshape on the same chain.

[GilesTheCleric]

If I have an item that is unslotted, are there rules that say I could not add it to a chain around my neck that already has an item on it? Or would this being having two items in the neck slot?

In my case I have just obtained a pearl of wisdom; an unslotted periapt of wisdom we obtained from an encounter's treasure. Could I add it to the chain that holds my amulet of mighty fists?

I could just carry it in my pocket, but my PC is a druid. Adding the pearl of wisdom to the necklace that holds my amulet, means I can easily wear these two items in wildshape on the same chain.

You're probably aware of MIC 233 which states that you can add "common effects" like +x increases to existing items with no extra increase in cost. Items like the Strand of Prayer Beads and Chronocharms support the idea of variable slotted items, though those are a GM-adjucation type deal.

[Hiro Quester]

You're probably aware of MIC 233 which states that you can add "common effects" like +x increases to existing items with no extra increase in cost. Items like the Strand of Prayer Beads and Chronocharms support the idea of variable slotted items, though those are a GM-adjucation type deal.

Yes. that was my original plan, to get + WIS added to the Amulet. But since this unslotted pearl fell into my lap, and since we will be far from civilization for a long while (and so far from anyone able to enchant items like that), I'm using this pearl in the meantime.

I'd like to add it to the amulet's chain, because the only alternative way I can think of for an animal (e.g. a leopard, my currently favored default wildshape form) to carry an unslotted pearl is to put it "where the sun don't shine". It's a big ask of a party member to help me carry the item there.

[ExLibrisMortis]

The magic item slots are mostly abstract. There are no specific rules about where you can and can't put slotless items. As long as they're 'on your body', you gain the benefit.

You could always swallow the pearl each day, or implant it, but that's not much more savoury than your own idea.

[shaikujin]

Unslotted items costs twice as much and explicitly do not occupy a slot.

So an unslotted Periapt of Wisdom +2 would cost 8,000 gp instead of 4,000 gp.



That means clipping or gluing it to your amulet will work and will not cause you to be wearing 2 amulets.



Alternatively, since getting items enchanted might be difficult, pick up the ancestral relic feat. Designate your amulet as the relic and sacrifice the pearl to increase the abilities of your relic by 8,000 gp. Spend 4,000 gp value to let it grant +2 Wisdom. Spend the other 4,000 gp on other abilities.

[Necroticplague]

Where you are wearing an item and its associated magic item slots aren't related. An unslotted item is still unslotted even if it physically takes up space on the body. As far as the rules care, glue your periapt of wisdom to your helmet, still takes up your neck slot. Conversely, wear that unslotted pearl on your necklace chain, still doesn't take up a body slot.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A slotless item never occupies one of your limited magic item slots, no matter where it is 'worn' on your body. A slotless item on a chain worn around your neck never occupies one of your item spaces on your body, so your neck item slot is not occupied by it, and you can still wear any other neck-slot item with it. You can wear dozens of things around your neck, it would be no different from wearing one or more mundane necklaces with a neck-slot magic item.

[Curmudgeon]

As far as the rules care, glue your periapt of wisdom to your helmet, still takes up your neck slot.
Dungeon Master's Guide, page 214:
MAGIC ITEMS ON THE BODY
Many magic items need to be donned by a character who wants to employ them or benefit from their abilities. It’s possible for a creature with a humanoid-shaped body to wear as many as twelve magic items at the same time. However, each of those items must be worn on (or over) a particular part of the body.
I'm afraid the rules do care. Glue the Periapt to your helmet and it won't function.

[GilesTheCleric]

The magic item slots are mostly abstract. There are no specific rules about where you can and can't put slotless items. As long as they're 'on your body', you gain the benefit.
I think ExLibrisMortis has the best idea here. Attaching it to an existing item for convenience doesn't seem like it breaks any rules. Actually, I had just been thinking about that in regards to the Wilding Clasp (MIC 190), and animal item slots (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031125a).


Although it's easy to imagine an animal benefiting from magic equipment beyond a simple saddle and a suit of barding, fitting a mount's physiology to the list of item slots available to characters is not an easy task. Try the following variant list of item slots for quadruped animals (and other monsters when appropriate).

One skull cap or helm
One pair of lenses or goggles
One collar
One saddle blanket or vest
One saddle or jacket
One belt or strap worn in front of or over the haunches
One pectoral or harness worn over the chest or shoulders
One pair foreleg bracers
One pair of foreleg shoes or mitts -- hoofed creatures wear shoes and creatures with paws wear mitts
Two rings -- creatures with toes wear rings on the toes and creatures with hooves wear "rings" just above fore hooves
One pair of hind leg shoes or mitts -- hoofed creatures wear shoes and creatures with paws wear mitts

Also, here's the line from the DMG that ExLibrisMortis was referring to:
Some items, such as a necklace of fireballs, can be worn or carried without taking up space on a character’s body. If it's worn without taking up a magic item slot, then it has to be some article of clothing (essentially all of which are pre-defined slots), so putting it in the same slot as an existing item seems like the likeliest solution for "wearing" it. Ergo, putting it on the same chain should be completely acceptable.

If the Pearl is the same as a real-life pearl (ie small and weighs very little), then once you're back in civilization you could perhaps buy an inert ioun stone (50gp iirc?), then duct tape sovereign glue it to the stone. If your GM is willing, you might also find one in the wilderness.

[Hiro Quester]

Thanks all. I'll attach it to the necklace.

Though since wilding clasps are not available in our game (Core plus PHII, DMGII and Stormwrack only), sovereign gluing it to an inert ioun stone is a very good option. That way it will remain even when I wildshape in an emergency situation and don't have time to remove items and have party members reapply them. As soon as I got it I wished it would have been an ioun stone, which is the same price.

An expensive option though, unless we are using SG for me other purpose. (SG needs 1000p of salve of slipperiness per use.)

[Curmudgeon]

Though since wilding clasps are not available in our game (Core plus PHII, DMGII and Stormwrack only), sovereign gluing it to an inert ioun stone is a very good option.
That scheme would never fly in a game I DM. You're assuming (1) an inert Ioun Stone still circles the head, when your DM doesn't permit access to a sourcebook which says this; and (2) an Ioun Stone has excess weight-bearing capacity, which is clearly not stated in the rules. An Ioun Stone can be grabbed and stowed away by an owner even with Strength 1, which means its carrying capacity must also be negligible.

Better run this by your DM to see if it's still "a very good option".

[Hiro Quester]

That scheme would never fly in a game I DM. You're assuming (1) an inert Ioun Stone still circles the head, when your DM doesn't permit access to a sourcebook which says this; and (2) an Ioun Stone has excess weight-bearing capacity, which is clearly not stated in the rules. An Ioun Stone can be grabbed and stowed away by an owner even with Strength 1, which means its carrying capacity must also be negligible.

Better run this by your DM to see if it's still "a very good option".

Of course. But we do already have our human barbarian using an inert ioun stone with a light spell on it as a light source in dark places. So DM has already okayed that an inert ion stone still orbits.

But yeah, regarding (2), a pearl might be too much for an ion stone to bear.

And honestly, since the Sovereign glue/ioun stone adds some to the cost, so I'll probably just add it to the chain that holds my amulet. I was just principally admiring the ingenuity.

[Curmudgeon]

But we do already have our human barbarian using an inert ioun stone with a light spell on it as a light source in dark places.
That's one of the dumbest ideas which many players still seem awfully fond of. Just think about it: half the time the light is shining right in your eyes, and the other half of the time your head is creating a shadow where you'd like to look. :smallfrown: