Help me make a magic Spiked Chain?

[bean illus]

I am not the best at magic item creation, partly due to my predisposition to skill monkeys and clerics. I am working a Factomeleon that can craft items, and was wondering about the spiked chain.

I prefer to make a build that is mostly Core+(ii) and SRD+OGL, 1st party, and then adjust it to DM's shenanigans level. So most of what i will do will be in that source, with ideas for adding 1 or 2 other books feasible.

The character is a dual caster with Smiting Spell feat, but SS reduces by one slot, so Spell Storing helps (or not?)

Spiked Chain with following qualities:

Skillful: Gives EWP
Spell Storing: x3 Store 3rd level spells (add 3 times)
Reach: Is this called stretch? where's it from?
Sizing: To change with me when enlarged, right?
Bonus: +4 probably all i can afford for one weapon?

It's likely i have some of that wrong. Please tell me what you think.

[Darrin]

The character is a dual caster with Smiting Spell feat, but SS reduces by one slot, so Spell Storing helps (or not?)


Smiting Spell increases the spell level by one. I'm not sure how that interacts with Spell Storing... because although it occupies a higher slot, it doesn't actually count as a higher-level spell unless you Heighten it. On the other hand... you could then load metamagics onto a lower-level spell, cast it into a Spell Storing weapon, and destroy your enemies with what is effectively a much higher-level spell. Might be a DM's Call there.



Spiked Chain with following qualities:

Skillful: Gives EWP
Spell Storing: x3 Store 3rd level spells (add 3 times)
Reach: Is this called stretch? where's it from?
Sizing: To change with me when enlarged, right?
Bonus: +4 probably all i can afford for one weapon?


What's your budget? I'm not sure if your +4 enhancement includes the previous abilities or if you want that on top of Skillfull/Spell Storing.

Anyway, let's back up a bit. To enchant a weapon:

1) Pay for a +1 enhancement on a masterwork weapon. This means your base cost is 2,300 + cost of the weapon. All magic weapons must have a +1 enhancement bonus before you can add any additional weapon properties to them.

2) Add additional weapon properties to calculate the total enhancement bonus. Skillful is a +2, so on top of the +1 you already have, a +3 weapon costs 18,300 GP. This includes the 2,300 GP you spent on the first +1/masterwork, but not the original cost of the weapon.

You can't add Spell Storing more than once. Or rather, there's nothing in the text that says you can add this property more than once... but the magic item creation rules are "guidelines", so you may ask your DM to allow this. If he allows this, then each Spell Storing counts as +1, so if we add those three on top of Skillful and the original +1, you have a +6 weapon, which now costs 72,300 GP. Or, you could treat the first Spell Storing as a +1 enhancement, and then add the same effect as two Rings of Minor Spellstoring, which cost 50,000 GP each. Although this is more expensive in the short term, spending a fixed price means you're not adding to the weapon's enhancement bonus, so it would be a +4 weapon instead of a +6 weapon. This makes it cheaper to add additional abilities later in the game. (A weapon can only have up to a +10 maximum enhancement bonus).

If you want Skillful, three Spell Storings, and a +4 enhancement bonus, then that's actually a +9 weapon and costs 162,300 GP, and is pretty close to being considered an artifact or epic weapon (+200,000 GP).

3) Add fixed cost abilities. Sizing is a flat 5,000 GP. I don't know what you mean by "Reach" or "Stretch". The spiked chain is already a reach weapon, so you don't need to pay for that. I've never heard of a weapon ability called either Reach or Stretch, but there is something in the MIC called Shadowstrike that will increase your reach by +5' for a single attack. It's a flat 5,000 GP, but I'm not sure if it's really worth it. On the other hand, flat cost enhancements are preferable to +X enhancements because its cheaper to add enhancements later. (To increase a +6 weapon to a +8, you pay the difference between a +6 and +8 weapon. Flat cost abilities aren't part of calculating that difference.)

[Nifft]

Sizing: To change with me when enlarged, right?


Normally when you are the target of Enlarge Person, all your equipment enlarges with you.

I mean seriously, thing about your pants.

Or armor: you'd die otherwise.

[Thurbane]

I mean seriously, thing about your pants.

http://i59.tinypic.com/30mmx4k.jpg

[Rubik]

normally when you are the target of enlarge person, all your equipment enlarges with you.

I mean seriously, thing about your pants.PHRASING! xxx

[ericgrau]

PHRASING! xxx


http://i.imgur.com/UPZewQz.jpg

[Rubik]

Add the ringsword quality from the Arms & Equipment Guide for a mere 4,000 gp. It allows you to wear another ring by attaching it to the weapon. It's a legal way to get more spell storing on.

[edit] Oh, and a close-fighting blade from Races of the Wild. Add that to the chain and attach a ringsword quality to it, too.

[OldTrees1]

Tooth of Leraje (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060302b&page=1) (ToM, 21.6Kgp): 1/day Greater Magic Weapon +5 for 20 hours(20 cl)

[Mith]

Off topic, but I just had to note that there are 31 teeth in that list, which makes it enough for you to conceivably equip all of the teeth simultaneously. Not that that would likely work out well for you, but it is possible. Though your remaining tooth might be the only thing left of you when you try this.

[BowStreetRunner]

You state 'mostly' core. So I am not sure how much this will help. The spiked chain I normally find myself using is a Dwarvencrafted (RoS 159), Adamantine (DMG 283), Living Chain (MH 42, not MIC 53). I then stack other properties on top as needed. I've gotten in the habit of using Dwarvencrafted Adamantine weapons ever since I invested half my WBL into a single weapon and had it sundered. Any other methods of increasing Hardness and HP of your weapon would be worth considering as well, such as the Hardening spell (SC 109).