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Business Scrub
2015-07-01, 02:22 PM
Hello brewers in the playground!

I've been creating some custom magic items, but I haven't done too much of this before and would like a hand with some of the specifics. (Item Pricing, etc.) I generally understand how the table on the SRD works, but some of these items have additional properties that don't fit those formulas.

This pearl is rated for a spell level 1-9. It generally functions like a Pearl of Power, except that the spell it restores to the user can be of any level up to the rating.
(IE, a Pearl of Variable Power III can restore one spell per day of either 3rd, 2nd, 1st or 0th level)

This amber sphere can be activated with a command word once per day. When activated, it summons an illusionary eye that functions as the Prying Eyes spell, except that it is always limited to just 1 eye, and can report auditory information as well as visual.

On command this cloak can shimmer with any or all colors of the rainbow. The hypnotic pattern it creates grants the wearer a +5 enhancement bonus on perform(Dance) checks. Additionally, 3 times per day, it can save the wearer from death. When an attacker makes a successful attack roll, the wearer may activate the cloak as an immediate action. The wearer makes a perform(Dance) check and replaces his AC with the result for the purposes of that single attack. Relevant temporary modifiers, such as a +4 versus ranged attacks for being prone, apply to this perform(Dance) check.

(This would be crafted via the alter fortune spell)

These armbands carry all the force and fury of a storm into your weapon. The armbands function continuously, but only if there wearer has at least one prepared [air] or [electricity] spell remaining. The armbands give a Sacred bonus equal to half (rounded down) the level of the highest applicable spell prepared to attack and damage rolls made with a ranged weapon.

As an immediate action, the cape prepares to absorb the next spell directed at you. Until the beginning of your next turn, the cape attempts to dispel the next spell that targets you or includes you in its area. You make a dispel check (1d20+15) against the normal DC (10+spell's caster level). If the dispel check succeeds not only is the spell dispelled, but it is consumed by the cloak and redirects the spell's energy into the wearer. At the start of your next turn, the spell's energy is used, and is treated as being expended for the purposes of the Arcane Strike feat. (max +5/+5d4)
If the dispel check fails (or if no spell is cast before the beginning of your next turn) the charge is wasted. A Cape of Spell Consumption functions 3 times per day.

Thanks for your time!

AmberVael
2015-07-01, 04:37 PM
I think I would give the Pearl of Variable Power the same price (or very close to the same price) as the Memento Magica from the MIC (page 164). The Memento Magica is the spontaneous version of the pearl of power- so it can do this already, since a spontaneous caster can just use up a higher level slot to cast a lower level spell.
Price: ~[(level^2) * 1,500] gold
As a side thought, it might be fun to consider a charged version of the variable pearl of power. That is, it works like those items that have multiple charges per day, which can be spent in varying amounts to achieve more or less powerful effects. So if you have a 3rd level variable pearl of power with five charges, it might refresh a 1st level spell for 1 charge, but a 3rd level spell for 5 charges.

The Everpresent Eye I would price like a 1/day 5th level spell. While you lose out on the awesomeness of like 10 eyes at once, getting auditory information is good- and the fact that its illusory is potentially really nice. An illusory eye can't be destroyed nearly as easily, and could even probably move through solid surfaces since it isn't actually a physical object. It sounds like an improved Arcane Eye, which is a 4th level spell. If that's not what you intended with the illusory thing... maybe do it anyway, just to make it a bit easier to price? Plus it makes the item more reliable, since your one use per day can't go up in smoke by some bad accident.
Price: ~16,200 gold

The cloak I am less certain of. Howeeeeveeer.
The skill bonus is easy to calculate. Follow the formula, its 2,500.
The other is more interesting- it mirrors the design of a lot of maneuvers, so I'd look at them for inspiration. The 2nd level maneuver Wall of Blades lets you replace your AC as an immediate, but uses an attack roll instead of a skill check, and must be used before you know whether they've hit or not.
The Demented One made a more close fitting maneuver, Roulette Parry, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?75548-Feeling-Lucky-Punk-Discipline) which uses Profession (Gambler) for AC and works on attacks after you see their roll, but it only works against melee attacks.
So if this was a maneuver, I'd probably call it a level 3 maneuver, combining the best aspects of Wall of Blades and Roulette Parry. 3/day is about once per encounter... and a once per encounter Maneuver use item costs 3,000 gold. That seems a bit low to me, honestly- and it fails to take into account that you'd need to meet prerequisites for a 3rd level maneuver (which your standard person wouldn't), and if you meet them there would be opportunity costs for using the ability. I think if mark it up a bit it'd be a good comparison though.
Price: ~7,000 gold

I think I'll leave the armbands alone, because a scaling, exotic typed bonus to attack is something I can't even think of good comparisons for in terms of pricing.

Business Scrub
2015-07-02, 01:23 PM
Thank you! I didn't know about memento Magicas, but that looks like a pretty good template to base it off.

The Prying Eye that Everpresent Eye makes was intended to be harder to destroy, and that actually seems cheaper than what I was thinking.

I imagine the cloak should cost more than 9500 as well, but that sounds pretty close. That sort of seems like the thing that's up to a fair bit of GM decision as well.

I was least sure about the Armbands anyway. I think I can come up with a more fitting item.

In case there's anyone else out there that wants to input, I added one more item:

As an immediate action, the cape prepares to absorb the next spell directed at you. Until the beginning of your next turn, the cape attempts to dispel the next spell that targets you or includes you in its area. You make a dispel check (1d20+15) against the normal DC (10+spell's caster level). If the dispel check succeeds not only is the spell dispelled, but it is consumed by the cloak and redirects the spell's energy into the wearer. At the start of your next turn, the spell's energy is used, and is treated as being expended for the purposes of the Arcane Strike feat. (max +5/+5d4)
If the dispel check fails (or if no spell is cast before the beginning of your next turn) the charge is wasted. A Cape of Spell Consumption functions 3 times per day.