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Heliomance
2015-12-01, 06:54 AM
Interplanar Rangefinder

This narrow, lightweight spyglass has markings on the lenses allowing easy calculation of distance. It functions as a normal spyglass, except that you know the exact distance of anything that you view through it. It may be attached to a ranged weapon, so long as it is one that is held relatively still to fire and large enough to require two hands - bows, crossbows, and long guns are fine, slings are not. If used in this manner, it shows the correct spot to aim at, automatically adjusting for wind and local conditions. All range penalties with the weapon are halved, as are penalties due to wind, though the maximum range is not extended.

The Rangefinder may also be adjusted to allow vision into adjacent planes. This sight may see into the Ethereal plane (and, assuming ammunition capable of hitting them, allow you to shoot Ethereal creatures with no miss chance), and into any other planes that are locally coterminous.

Strong Divination.
Cost: 20,000 GP.
To create: Greater Scrying, Caster level 15, 10,000 GP, 4,000 XP


Wormhole Ammunition
This special and very expensive ammunition is not designed as a weapon. It can be made as an arrow, bolt, bullet, or most thrown weapons. When fired, the projectile tears a hole through space, forming a Gate between the point where it was fired from and the point where it impacted. This Gate lasts two minutes, and may only be used for travel, not for calling a creature.

If the ammunition is fired from a weapon with an Interplanar Rangefinder attached, it may be fired into any plane viewable through the Rangefinder.

Strong Conjuration.
Cost: 2,000 GP per unit of ammunition.
To create: Gate, 1000 GP, 400 XP

Debihuman
2015-12-01, 09:21 AM
Your wormhole ammunition is far too cheap; the cost is at least Spell Level X Caster Level X 50 and the ammunition is not reusable.

Gate spell is level 9 and requires caster level 18. 9 x 18 x 50 = 8,100 gp plus the cost of the masterwork ammunition itself.

I'm fairly sure your interstellar rangefinder was likewise miscalculated: Spell Level X Caster Level x 2,000 (use activated).

Greater Scrying is 7th level and requires caster level 13. 7 x 13 x 2,000 is 182,000 gp plus the cost of a masterwork spyglass.

Debby

Temotei
2015-12-01, 09:39 AM
wormhole ammunition is far too cheap cost is at least Spell Level X Caster Level X 50 and the ammunition is not reusable.

Gate spell is level 9 and requires caster level 18. 9x18x50 = 8,100 gp plus the cost of the ammunition itself.

That 2,000 gp is for a single arrow, bolt, bullet, or shuriken. So the custom item cost would be 9*17 or 9*18 and that's it. No x50 multiplier because there's a single piece of ammunition. That makes it 153 gp or 162 gp in value by the estimation rules and that's for a full gate spell, though I would say that's woefully underpriced.

This is also for a very limited version of gate. If you don't have the 20,000 gp enhancement for the ammunition, it only functions on your plane and within range of your weapon (And you have to hit the square you want to hit, though I doubt that it's much of an issue given the AC of an empty square...even if you miss, it'll land close enough.). If you do have the enhancement, it only functions on your plane to a plane you can see with the enhancement. It also doesn't allow the calling function.

Unless you can recover this ammunition (I assume it's destroyed upon use, though by a strict reading you might have a 50% chance of recovery), the price compared to a gate scroll seems...fair, I guess. It seems alright with the enhancement, and not very good without, considering the limitations.

On the rangefinder: Does it simply ignore all wind effects or does it halve the penalties associated with them (and therefore not do anything when in winds strong enough to make your attacks "impossible"). What about gravity effects? Does it allow you to ignore heavy gravity's effects on your maximum range? What about light gravity? Do you automatically lose the range bonus?

Debihuman
2015-12-01, 10:07 AM
Actually it would be 9x18x6.2 for the cost of a single arrow. However, it can be other things beside an arrow, thus the cost should be based on what it does rather than what it looks like. It doesn't actually function as ammunition, it instead creates a "gate for travel." If it looked like a pair of scissors I'd still maintain the x50 gp cost: 8,100 gp to open a two-minute gates spell. A scroll of gate costs 8,845 gp so the ammunition is slightly cheaper. YMMV. And yes, it's a single use item. To make it reusable would be more expensive.

Debby

Temotei
2015-12-01, 10:21 AM
Actually it would be 9x18x6.2 for the cost of a single arrow.

Derp.


However, it can be other things beside an arrow, thus the cost should be based on what it does rather than what it looks like. It doesn't actually function as ammunition, it instead creates a "gate for travel."

That's fair.


If it looked like a pair of scissors I'd still maintain the x50 gp cost: 8,100 gp to open a two-minute gates spell. A scroll of gate costs 8,845 gp so the ammunition is slightly cheaper. YMMV. And yes, it's a single use item. To make it reusable would be more expensive.

I still maintain that this is somewhat more expensive than it should be, custom magic item creation rules notwithstanding. Slightly cheaper than a scroll that allows you to use another function and goes to many, many more places and doesn't require another 20,000 gp component to actually go anywhere at all besides your own plane is not cheap enough, in my opinion.

That said, the phrase "YMMV" is very fitting here. What works for one campaign/player/DM may not work for others. I just think as a player I would never pay 8,000+ gp for a single piece of ammunition that has a super-limited gate on it and as a DM I would feel as if I were cheating players out of wealth-by-level if I counted it as 8,000+ gp in their pockets.

Heliomance
2015-12-01, 11:17 AM
I didn't consult the pricing guidelines at all for these items, I just eyeballed it as "what do I think this is worth?"

As for the Rangefinder, it absolutely shouldn't be priced as a use-activated item of Greater Scrying, because that's not even remotely what it does. It's a Wondrous Item with a custom effect that happens to have Greater Scrying as a prereq for creation.

As for wind effects, I actually forgot those were a thing. Yes, it should probably halve those too. It doesn't actually do anything to the shot itself, so it shouldn't do anything about "impossible" wind levels, it just provides an "aim here" guide, compensating for range, wind, etc.

Temotei
2015-12-01, 11:52 AM
I didn't consult the pricing guidelines at all for these items, I just eyeballed it as "what do I think this is worth?"

As for the Rangefinder, it absolutely shouldn't be priced as a use-activated item of Greater Scrying, because that's not even remotely what it does. It's a Wondrous Item with a custom effect that happens to have Greater Scrying as a prereq for creation.

As for wind effects, I actually forgot those were a thing. Yes, it should probably halve those too. It doesn't actually do anything to the shot itself, so it shouldn't do anything about "impossible" wind levels, it just provides an "aim here" guide, compensating for range, wind, etc.

Cool. I think it's fine, then, price-wise.

Durazno
2015-12-01, 12:56 PM
You specified that it can't be used for calling a creature, which makes perfect sense; the gate can only open where you shoot it, after all. It did make me imagine a situation where you shoot an arrow through time and space and it lands at a Pit Lord's feet by chance. "Oy!" you cry, waving your hand through the gate. "Get over here!"

A possible restriction that came to mind, if you wanted to really strictly enforce "no calling" limitation, is making it so that travelers can only go in the direction your shot flew, and nothing can come the other way. (I imagine this would make it cheaper, though.) It'd make them more dangerous to use, too!