Most Badly Priced Items

[Mendicant]

Which 3.X items do you consider the most badly priced? This could be stuff that is way too cheap for how game-altering it is, like a Candle of Invocation, or items that are either cost prohibitive for their effect or just an extremely inefficient use of resources compared to common alternatives. Potions are a pretty good example of the latter circumstance.

For me, a particularly annoying instance of a badly priced item is the Horn of Valhalla. 50 grand! For a couple of low-level barbarians once a week! The stuff you could have gotten with that 50 grand, oh my god. I love the flavor of a HoV, but it is not worth 50,000 GP unless one of those third level barbarians has a crystal ball in his pocket.

[Telonius]

Dust of Sneezing and Choking. Almost an insta-kill for 2400gp.

[frogglesmash]

Dust of Sneezing and Choking. Almost an insta-kill for 2400gp.

But it's a cursed item which means it's bad.

[Rethmar]

Ring of Regeneration is 90000g.

Heals 1 HP per hour, but at least it'll regenerate limbs if you were wearing it at the time of the amputation. :smalltongue:

[AnonymousPepper]

Aboleth mucus. Not a poison. DC19 save or die (effectively) with no cure save an Air Breathing spell (or a Water Breathing spell and a lake or something). 20gp.

[Necroticplague]

Silithar healing blood. The fast healing it gives isn't big enough to matter except for out of combat healing at the level you can buy it, and wands of Vigor have been effectively doing the same thing since at least 6 levels ago for way less.

Actually, most FF grafts in general are way overpriced, with a small handful of exceptions. The Eberron grafts are much more reasonable.

[AnonymousPepper]

Silithar healing blood. The fast healing it gives isn't big enough to matter except for out of combat healing at the level you can buy it, and wands of Vigor have been effectively doing the same thing since at least 6 levels ago for way less.

Actually, most FF grafts in general are way overpriced, with a small handful of exceptions. The Eberron grafts are much more reasonable.

Can't you get the FF grafts for free by binding the right type of outsider though?

[heavyfuel]

While not as bad as some already mentioned here, the Ring of Freedom of Movement has always bothered me.

Should cost: 4*7*2000*1.5 = 84'000 GP. Actually costs less than half of that for blanket immunity against way too many things.

[Brookshw]

Ladders and 10' poles.

[Segev]

There's the classic Candle of Invocation, which forgot to price in the XP cost of the Gate spell and thus is the cheapest source of wishes in the game by the RAW.

I tend to think all of the Carpets of Flying are overpriced, too.

[Telok]

The assorted low end teleportaion boots from the MIC. You know something is an issue when everyone in the party except the scout (who has skirmish boosting boots) has the same boots.
Of course you can compare that to the cloak that casts Dimension Door once a day for 10,000 gp. 5/day short teleports for ~2,000 is a bit too good and once a day ~700 feet for ten grand isn't good enough.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Either Winged Boots (for being overpriced) or Winged Mask (for being under priced). They are identical except the Mask is at will and costs 3000 less gold.

[Mendicant]

Aboleth mucus. Not a poison. DC19 save or die (effectively) with no cure save an Air Breathing spell (or a Water Breathing spell and a lake or something). 20gp.

Yeah, I had mentally misfiled that away years ago as a poison. When I saw it mentioned again here and discovered it wasn't a poison, in a guide to cheap items, I almost did a spit take.


I tend to think all of the Carpets of Flying are overpriced, too.
This is true about most of the flying items IMO. Flight is a "you must be this tall to ride" ability in D&D. If you're going to make it as ubiquitous and necessary as D&D does, you need to make it affordable for people who can't do so on their own power.

[Venger]

amulet of mighty fists. way too expensive for a couple lousy pluses.

basically anything in the DMG. rod of lordly might, holy avenger, etc. they're all grotesquely overpriced for what they do, even without taking power creep into account.

[Starbuck_II]

Apparatus of the Crab: way too expensive for its effect.

[Aleolus]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Gloves of Storing from the dmg. 90k to havve one item shunk to invisibility in your hand? When there is a better version of them for less in the MIC?

[Agincourt]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Gloves of Storing from the dmg. 90k to havve one item shunk to invisibility in your hand? When there is a better version of them for less in the MIC?

They are overpriced, but they are 10,000 GP (10k).

[Necroticplague]

There's also the even cheaper Gloves of the Master Strategist, which is a glove of storing that also gives true strike 1/day, but only costs 3600.

[Rubik]

Any extradimensional storage aside from the haversack and (obviously) enveloping pit. Spend thousands of gp on what amounts to a pack mule you can buy for 8 gp? No thanks.

[Aleolus]

I don't think the bags of holding are overpriced, especially considering they are infinitely more convenient than a mule, but I don't agree with the weight on them

[Necroticplague]

Any extradimensional storage aside from the haversack and (obviously) enveloping pit. Spend thousands of gp on what amounts to a pack mule you can buy for 8 gp? No thanks.

The Enveloping Pit may win for capacity, but it really loses in usability. You need to fold unfold it, then climb in, retrieve item, and climb out. So even being optimistic, is takes 2 whole rounds to get anything out of it. On the bright side, it's big enough you could feasibly make it into a portable base.

And now I wonder about making a gigantic dungeon entirely out of several nested/branching pits. The dungeon IS the loot!

[Gale]

I tend to think all of the Carpets of Flying are overpriced, too.

I just yesterday realized there were flying carpets in D&D but was disappointed with how expensive they are. Although, it did give me the idea to hide them in plain sight of PCs. Somehow I doubt most players would bother to investigate a carpet.

[Segev]

The Enveloping Pit may win for capacity, but it really loses in usability. You need to fold unfold it, then climb in, retrieve item, and climb out. So even being optimistic, is takes 2 whole rounds to get anything out of it.I tend, when going this route, to simply open it on the back of a tower shield, put some sort of a door or hatch on it, and then either put a wondrous item of friend shield on it or make it an Animated Shield. Then I have Unseen Servants who "live" in the space and go fetch things for me from it.



On the bright side, it's big enough you could feasibly make it into a portable base.

And now I wonder about making a gigantic dungeon entirely out of several nested/branching pits. The dungeon IS the loot!That does sound like fun!


I just yesterday realized there were flying carpets in D&D but was disappointed with how expensive they are. Although, it did give me the idea to hide them in plain sight of PCs. Somehow I doubt most players would bother to investigate a carpet.If they're anything like the parties I've been in, they'll cast detect magic at every opportunity, realize the carpets are magic, and take them for later identification.

[ksbsnowowl]

If they're anything like the parties I've been in, they'll cast detect magic at every opportunity, realize the carpets are magic, and take them for later identification.

Subject them to an Animated Object rug earlier in their characters' careers*, and they might just run away. Remember that Animated Objects in the MM are only there via use of the spell, which may well have been made permanent. Both AO's and a carpet of flying would detect as magical with an aura of Transmutation.

* The animated rug in the Forge of Fury 3.0 adventure killed one PC and an animal companion in my party, without breaking a sweat.

Sure, it won't completely prevent the PC's from noticing and looting flying carpets, but it sure as heck might make them wary of the idea...

[Zaq]

95% of potions are overpriced. (That might even be 100% of potions, but eh, I'll leave a fudge factor in there.) I understand that they wanted to somehow make them worse than scrolls to make up for the fact that anyone can use them, but they're way too expensive to ever buy them at full price, considering how sharply limited they are.

It's a shame, because I love the thematic idea of potions. I'd love to see some solid homebrew that made them worthwhile, but I don't think I've ever purchased a book-standard potion with any character I've ever played. (I'm not even 100% sure that I've ever seen a character use a potion, though I'm willing to accept that I may simply have never noticed.) If I want a magical effect that my class doesn't give me, I buy a scroll or a wand and either invest in UMD or hand it off to a friendly caster. Or I look for a wondrous item that has a similar effect. Potions just plain aren't efficient enough to be worth the hassle.

[Segev]

I'd love to see some solid homebrew that made [potions] worthwhile.I won't promise it's "solid," but I did make an attempt (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?331743-3-5e-D-amp-D-PF-Alchemy-and-Potions-would-this-expansion-of-the-skill-be-balanced) a few months ago.

[Zanos]

Can't you get the FF grafts for free by binding the right type of outsider though?
Sibriexs have 3/day instant grafting for free, but I think it's for fiendish grafts only.

I think it mentions in the Silthilar lore that they might be willing to graft you if you let them experiment on you. Probably not the most enticing path, and dependent on your GM, but if you want some work done for cheap...

They are Chaotic Good, for what it's worth.

[danzibr]

Aboleth mucus. Not a poison. DC19 save or die (effectively) with no cure save an Air Breathing spell (or a Water Breathing spell and a lake or something). 20gp.
Beat me to it for ridiculously undervalued.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Gloves of Storing from the dmg. 90k to havve one item shunk to invisibility in your hand? When there is a better version of them for less in the MIC?

They are overpriced, but they are 10,000 GP (10k).

There's also the even cheaper Gloves of the Master Strategist, which is a glove of storing that also gives true strike 1/day, but only costs 3600.
Dang, beat me to it for overvalued, too.

[Rubik]

Mirrors of opposition. With the right setup, you can use them to copy all the equipment you have an unlimited number of times.

Including greater artifacts.

[frogglesmash]

I think 20,000 gp is a little cheap for a thought bottle seeing as it's more or less designed to be abused.

[MesiDoomstalker]

What about Hank's Energy Bow (a working link I cannot find at the moment)? Always struck me as underpriced.

[Venger]

The Enveloping Pit may win for capacity, but it really loses in usability. You need to fold unfold it, then climb in, retrieve item, and climb out. So even being optimistic, is takes 2 whole rounds to get anything out of it. On the bright side, it's big enough you could feasibly make it into a portable base.

And now I wonder about making a gigantic dungeon entirely out of several nested/branching pits. The dungeon IS the loot!

huh?

enveloping pit is to carry around all your vendor trash in. for anything you want to use in combat, like the dust of choking and sneezing, or dust eggshell grenades, store it in your handy haversack to make efficient use of the action economy.


What about Hank's Energy Bow (a working link I cannot find at the moment)? Always struck me as underpriced.

here you go (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a) whenever you find a rotted link to this or anything, just change the www to "archive" (no quotes) and you'll be all good.

it's not underpriced, archery is just unfairly nerfed and unable to do anything, so our baseline for normal is unreasonably low. this doesn't let an archer catch up to a higher-tiered character. not even close. it's incidentally why all rangers are named hank regardless of background.

[Mendicant]

I won't promise it's "solid," but I did make an attempt (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?331743-3-5e-D-amp-D-PF-Alchemy-and-Potions-would-this-expansion-of-the-skill-be-balanced) a few months ago.

Thanks, I checked it out and it seems plenty good enough. Certainly better than the SQ where nobody who knows better uses potions.

[TheCrowing1432]

Surprised no one has mentioned the infamous Nighstick yet.


7,500 for what amounts to two Extra turning feats, which according the the item creation rules, feat items cost 10k each, so realistically, nightsticks should cost around 20k.

Now to make it even more stupid, we have the vague stacking rules.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Surprised no one has mentioned the infamous Nighstick yet.


7,500 for what amounts to two Extra turning feats, which according the the item creation rules, feat items cost 10k each, so realistically, nightsticks should cost around 20k.

Now to make it even more stupid, we have the vague stacking rules.

Minor nitpick; Nightstick gives 4 Turn Undead attempts, which is the same as Extra Turning. Still underpriced at only 7.5k, but not nearly as much.

[Max Caysey]

Well... The Vest of the Archmage at 200k is about 700k too little...

I have also always found the pricing of staves to be too high...

[nedz]

Use Activated Item: Sword of True Strike

[Story]

7,500 for what amounts to two Extra turning feats, which according the the item creation rules, feat items cost 10k each, so realistically, nightsticks should cost around 20k.

The custom item pricing rules are only guidelines. I think it's easier to just ignore them entirely.


Use Activated Item: Sword of True Strike

See above

[DarkEternal]

I remember there being some item which can feed your mount pretty much everywhere all the time if you want. Like a bag you put over it's mouth and it eats from it. And it cost like 15k or something stupid like that.

[SimonMoon6]

Rod of Lordly Might: 70,000 gp

Seriously, who would buy this? Yes, it has some nice versatility. It can change from one weapon to another weapon. Okay, the +4 battleaxe option is nice. That would be about 32,000. The other weapons have smaller bonuses. You could simply buy a second weapon if you wanted one.

It also acts as a pole, a compass, and a ladder. That's... not something I'd pay thousands of gold for.

It can also do a touch attack for 2d4 damage, with a will save for half. I guess if you *really* need a touch attack... Oh, and you can only do this once a day because it would be too powerful otherwise.

It can also do a touch attack for a hold person with a DC 14 will save. Lame. And you also can only do this once a day.

It can also do Fear within 10 feet, DC 16 will save. And again, only once a day.

I mean, I *guess* if you were a completely mundane character who no way to do touch attacks or save-or-dies against people with low will saves... but no... spend the money somewhere else! Take a level of cleric and buy a wand or two!

[Segev]

Rod of Lordly Might: 70,000 gp

[snip]

I mean, I *guess* if you were a completely mundane character who no way to do touch attacks or save-or-dies against people with low will saves... but no... spend the money somewhere else! Take a level of cleric and buy a wand or two!

I'm in near-full agreement. I do understand the urge to price it as if it were each of those weapons; after all, if you bought them separately, it would cost somewhere around there! However, it just isn't worth it, and the variety is only worthwhile if you can really use it.

It should be significantly more powerful, with more of its abilities at-will, for the price it is.

[nedz]

I'm in near-full agreement. I do understand the urge to price it as if it were each of those weapons; after all, if you bought them separately, it would cost somewhere around there! However, it just isn't worth it, and the variety is only worthwhile if you can really use it.

It should be significantly more powerful, with more of its abilities at-will, for the price it is.

It's a very old item — OD&D. It was naff, and overpriced, in AD&D 1E.

[Segev]

I am afraid you've used a term with which I'm unfamiliar: what does "naff" mean?

[Venger]

I am afraid you've used a term with which I'm unfamiliar: what does "naff" mean?

naff is british slang, since nedz is english, it's not a dnd/rpg term. it just means "uncool"

[Segev]

Neat, learn something new every day. I'll have to keep an ear open for it when watching such things as Doctor Who.

[Bad Wolf]

Neat, learn something new every day. I'll have to keep an ear open for it when watching such things as Doctor Who.

In nine hundred years across space and time I've never met anyone in Doctor Who who said naff.

And I'd like to nominate that elven hand that granted at will mage hand for like 5000.

[Venger]

Neat, learn something new every day. I'll have to keep an ear open for it when watching such things as Doctor Who.

you'll probably see it more on skins or misfits since it's more of a young person/chav thing to say than on a show like dr who or downtown abby.


In nine hundred years across space and time I've never met anyone in Doctor Who who said naff.

And I'd like to nominate that elven hand that granted at will mage hand for like 5000.

hand of the mage only costs 900gp. do you think it's too cheap? why?

[nedz]

naff is british slang, since nedz is english, it's not a dnd/rpg term. it just means "uncool"


you'll probably see it more on skins or misfits since it's more of a young person/chav thing to say than on a show like dr who or downtown abby.

Sorry, thought it was quite well known and it is quite an old word now.

It means duff — does that help ?

[Rubik]

It means duff — does that help ?Duff sucks.

I prefer Fudd.

[Telok]

It's a very old item — OD&D. It was naff, and overpriced, in AD&D 1E.

I was actually quite good in previous editions. Mr. Fighter had a lance, spear, pike, mace, and sword all in one place, a +4 weapon for critters only hit by +# weapons. Occasional monsters were resistant or immune to slashing, bludegoning, or whatever. Ladders were often useful if you didn't want to keep fooling with ropes and grappling hooks and you couldn't depend on always flying everywhere. It could bar or open doors and saves were based on the hit dice of the target instead of a dc.

These days it's all changed. Dr/magic is trivial, you power attack past everything else. The save dc is too low to matter and more stuff is immune anyways. You have to specalize in using a paticular weapon, often with custom enchantments to fit your feats, so multiple types aren't any good. And easy magic everywhere makes ropes, ladders, and doors pretty much useless past level six or so. Plus since you weren't buying and selling magic items wholesale before 3e it was never a "buy" item, you quested or looted it. Post 3e it's too expensive to show up in random treasure at levels were it isn't crap and nobody in thier right mind would buy it anyway.

Most of the 'on a crit' weapon enchantments are horribly overpriced. Elemental damage ones are bad because you go from 8kgp for a +1 +1d6 damage weapon to 18kgp for a weapon that either does +1d10 less than 1/4th of the time or +3d10 less than 1/10th of the time. Congratulations, 10kgp for about +1 damage. The ones with saves are even worse because of the crap dc.

[Venger]

Sorry, thought it was quite well known and it is quite an old word now.

It means duff — does that help ?

yeah, americans aren't 100% on british slang, you're not out of bounds at all.


Duff sucks.

I prefer Fudd.

i understood that reference (https://simpsonswiki.com/w/images/thumb/9/90/FuddOnTap.jpg/250px-FuddOnTap.jpg)

speaking of food and drink, murlund's spoon. what kind of grognardy game does it think you're playing that there are so many darn items to obviate eating trail mix? why are they all o expensive.

[Aleolus]

I was actually quite good in previous editions. Mr. Fighter had a lance, spear, pike, mace, and sword all in one place, a +4 weapon for critters only hit by +# weapons. Occasional monsters were resistant or immune to slashing, bludegoning, or whatever. Ladders were often useful if you didn't want to keep fooling with ropes and grappling hooks and you couldn't depend on always flying everywhere. It could bar or open doors and saves were based on the hit dice of the target instead of a dc.

These days it's all changed. Dr/magic is trivial, you power attack past everything else. The save dc is too low to matter and more stuff is immune anyways. You have to specalize in using a paticular weapon, often with custom enchantments to fit your feats, so multiple types aren't any good. And easy magic everywhere makes ropes, ladders, and doors pretty much useless past level six or so. Plus since you weren't buying and selling magic items wholesale before 3e it was never a "buy" item, you quested or looted it. Post 3e it's too expensive to show up in random treasure at levels were it isn't crap and nobody in thier right mind would buy it anyway.

Most of the 'on a crit' weapon enchantments are horribly overpriced. Elemental damage ones are bad because you go from 8kgp for a +1 +1d6 damage weapon to 18kgp for a weapon that either does +1d10 less than 1/4th of the time or +3d10 less than 1/10th of the time. Congratulations, 10kgp for about +1 damage. The ones with saves are even worse because of the crap dc.

Actually, the burst enchantments you still get the 1d6 all the time for. The entry says "functions as x, except also bursts on a crit".

[Venger]

Actually, the burst enchantments you still get the 1d6 all the time for. The entry says "functions as x, except also bursts on a crit".

right, that's what he said: they have a constant +1d6 and then also a d10 or whatever based on crit range as explained here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#flamingBurst)

[nedz]

I was actually quite good in previous editions. Mr. Fighter had a lance, spear, pike, mace, and sword all in one place, a +4 weapon for critters only hit by +# weapons. Occasional monsters were resistant or immune to slashing, bludegoning, or whatever. Ladders were often useful if you didn't want to keep fooling with ropes and grappling hooks and you couldn't depend on always flying everywhere. It could bar or open doors and saves were based on the hit dice of the target instead of a dc.

I remember them turning up, in loot, and getting ignored. Post 1E—UA, with weapon specialisation, players usually preferred the extra attacks to switching weapons and the occasional monsters were dealt with using their spare weapons. Flying was always ubiquitous even in AD&D — past low levels. Maybe it was just the groups I played with but RoLMs were regarded as an anachronism.

[Telok]

I remember them turning up, in loot, and getting ignored. Post 1E—UA, with weapon specialisation, players usually preferred the extra attacks to switching weapons and the occasional monsters were dealt with using their spare weapons. Flying was always ubiquitous even in AD&D — past low levels. Maybe it was just the groups I played with but RoLMs were regarded as an anachronism.
I probably played at tables with less blingy loot than yours. That and we ditched the weapon proficency system early because of the darts/daggers issue. Someone had programmed the loot tables into a computer (on 5+1/2 inch floppies!) and we ran strictly random loot, not much flying to be had. Plus the ladder function had storm giant level strength for pushing and could go 50' with a two ton weight limit. The fear effect was six feet, on the table. So 72" range fear, save vs spell. You could rout an army with that. But if your party is already flying and you have your specific specalized magic weapons it's extraneous to have the rod.

Oh hey, how much would you pay for a magic chain shirt that had bonuses that worked off of druid wildshaping? There are two or three of those things in the magic item compendium.

[nedz]

I probably played at tables with less blingy loot than yours. That and we ditched the weapon proficency system early because of the darts/daggers issue. Someone had programmed the loot tables into a computer (on 5+1/2 inch floppies!) and we ran strictly random loot, not much flying to be had. Plus the ladder function had storm giant level strength for pushing and could go 50' with a two ton weight limit. The fear effect was six feet, on the table. So 72" range fear, save vs spell. You could rout an army with that. But if your party is already flying and you have your specific specalized magic weapons it's extraneous to have the rod.

We just tended to have several Wizards, with Fly spells, in most parties; or people would get re-incarnated with Wings :smallamused:; the rest would have items.

[Bronk]

In nine hundred years across space and time I've never met anyone in Doctor Who who said naff.

And I'd like to nominate that elven hand that granted at will mage hand for like 5000.

Heh, except for Ace, who said it all the time!

I think the Iron Flask is pretty badly priced at 170K... The chances it has something powerful in it is low, and the DC is fixed at a point where it'll mostly affect lower level monsters.

[Segev]

you'll probably see it more on skins or misfits since it's more of a young person/chav thing to say than on a show like dr who or downtown abby.
[QUOTE]Cassandra called Rose a "chav" at one point; I never heard Rose use "naff."

[QUOTE=nedz;19381181]Sorry, thought it was quite well known and it is quite an old word now.

It means duff — does that help ?

Doesn't help me any; not heard that one, either. Sorry. ^^;

My linguistic background is solidly midwestern USA English. (Not the version that says "Warsh your clothes," the version that's trained in newscasters as 'unaccented.')

[Optimator]

The Ring of Regeneration, for sure.

[Endarire]

Helm. Of. Brilliance. DMG/SRD. It's over 100K for an item that can EXPLODE FOR AOE DAMAGE! Just gimme something safe and cheap, like, oh, any of its functional components. Gimme the 125K needed to buy a single Helm of Brilliance and I can raise an army!

Mind you, the DMG has some of the worst-priced items in 3.x. Remember, 2E was an edition that emphasized giving away magic items as in-game rewards instead of having them be purchased. Depending on your GM you could find and even buy such items, but price and availability were GM fiat, even if the books suggested prices.