Pricing the swallow whole ability?

[TheCorsairMalac]

I'm making a custom magic item that grants the swallow whole special attack. I'm not certain how to price this item. Please share your insights!

At first glance, it seems like a powerful ability... but it's usually only usable on creatures much weaker than the player. So it doesn't greatly increase their combat power, it's just another way to stomp on goblins.(1 goblin, to be clear.) Am I underestimating the power of swallow whole?

... the amulet grants them ... the swallow whole ability, like a dire shark. If they begin their turn grappling with an opponent smaller than them, they can swallow the opponent with a successful grapple check. A swallowed creature is considered to be grappled, while the swallower is not. A swallowed creature can cut free by dealing 1/4 the swallower's max hitpoints of damage to their insides with a light slashing or piercing weapon(AC 10 + ½ swallower's natural armor), or it can try to escape the grapple. If the swallowed creature escapes this grapple, success puts it back in the original grapple, where it may be swallowed again. Each round a creature remains swallowed it takes 1d6 + the swallower's strength modifier bludgeoning damages and 1d6 + the swallower's constitution modifier acid damage. The wearer's interior can hold 1 opponent a single size smaller than them, and twice as many per size category smaller than that. When full, the wearer must wait 24 hours before using this ability again.

If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent held in its mouth (see Improved Grab), it can attempt a new grapple check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey, and the opponent takes bite damage. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the swallowing creature. Being swallowed has various consequences, depending on the creature doing the swallowing. A swallowed creature is considered to be grappled, while the creature that did the swallowing is not. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon (the amount of cutting damage required to get free is noted in the creature description), or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + ½ its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker’s mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.

[MisterKaws]

There are a LOT of growth methods, so you should probably keep that thing's price as high as possible, otherwise, you'll have dragon-swallowing cat-form Incarnate tibbits. Also, swallow whole requires holding an opponent with your mouth, which, per RAI, would require you to have a bite attack, which means this item must give two constant abilities to be given to a player, increasing it's price even further.

[Tvtyrant]

I would probably just compare it to similar magic items. For 1 a day probably about 4,000 GP based on items which grant feats and spells, for at-will 13,000 based on the monks belt.

[TheCorsairMalac]

There are a LOT of growth methods, so you should probably keep that thing's price as high as possible, otherwise, you'll have dragon-swallowing cat-form Incarnate tibbits. Also, swallow whole requires holding an opponent with your mouth, which, per RAI, would require you to have a bite attack, which means this item must give two constant abilities to be given to a player, increasing it's price even further.

Size increasing cheese is a potential issue. Noted. (Though, I don't think swallowing dragons will work. Lots of natural attacks, breath weapon. They'd tear their way out.)

I think it would be reasonable for a character to bite their opponent in a grapple. As for 'holding' their enemy with their mouth... that's where the magic comes in.

[The Viscount]

For comparison, Bite of the King is a 8th level spell that basically is swallow whole on any creature your size or smaller. You can use that as your base to price the item.

[Troacctid]

I'd eyeball it in the 2000-4000 gp range--appropriate for a character around level 7 or 8. It's a fairly narrow ability, only usable once per day, and the toughest enemies will likely be immune to it, so you don't need to be too conservative with your pricing.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Grappling is not, generally, a very overpowered strategy, so you don't have to worry about breaking something there.

I would consider removing the 1/day restriction, instead requiring an hour rest or so to digest a creature once it's dead, less for smaller creatures. It's still 1/encounter, but you don't have to worry as much about having it available.

I do agree about the bite attack, though. Swallow Whole doesn't make a whole lot of sense without a bite and Improved Grab for that bite attack. If you feel that a bite attack is too strong, you could build in a drawback to keep the price low. For example, you could give the bite no reach.