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Tyger
2007-06-16, 09:11 PM
OK, fully acknowledging that RULE ONE of magic item pricing is "compare & DM approval", do the formulas for item creation work like so:

Phantom Steed statuette:

Once per day use at caster level 8, unslotted item.

Use activated so: 3 (spell level) x 8 (caster level) x 2000 (standard) / 5 (one charge per day) x 2 (no space limitation).

Total cost is 19200 gp.

Is this math correct? Seems a bit high. That's 32 scrolls of Phantom Steed at that level.

Dark Knight Renee
2007-06-16, 09:27 PM
19,200 seems about right by the math, though it DOES seem steep.

I did this a while back for a campaign world I made too big for easy travel. I came up with CL 8th, 8,640gp, but I also used command word instead of Use Activated. I'm also unsure how I came up with this number. Possibly Rule 0.

Edit: Looks like I missed the Item Slot bit in my original calculation, whether on purpose or not I can't say. My version is (by the correct math) only slightly cheeper, at 17,280 gp. Personally, I think it wouldn't be all that game-breaking to cut the price, especially since without a number of these things equal to the number of party members you have, it's almost worthless for travel purposes.


Wonderous Steed: By casting down the item and speaking the command word, the statuette becomes a Phantom Steed, as the spell. Usable 1/day, CL 8th, 8,640gp. (Speed 160, 15 hp, lasts for 8 hours a day, can carry one rider plus 80 lb.)

Shoyliguad
2007-06-16, 09:52 PM
The maths fine its just as a DM and a player i find that to be too expensive and alot better to just grab a nice mount like an Asperi...

Call Me Siggy
2007-06-16, 09:59 PM
Ya know, there are a few things like this in the Magic Items section in Dungeon Master's Guide...People these days, never checking the Wondrous Items section, I've nothing against a +5 sword, but there are other things...

Look at the Figurines of Wondrous Power. Specifically, Obsidian Steed, Onyx Dog, and Ivory GOat of Traveling/

Tyger
2007-06-16, 10:14 PM
Ya know, there are a few things like this in the Magic Items section in Dungeon Master's Guide...People these days, never checking the Wondrous Items section, I've nothing against a +5 sword, but there are other things...

Look at the Figurines of Wondrous Power. Specifically, Obsidian Steed, Onyx Dog, and Ivory GOat of Traveling/

Obsidian Steed: Hmmm... 10% chance of it taking me to the Lower planes and stranding me there. Thanks but no thanks.

Onyx Dog: Hmmm... human, so no riding this little fellow.

Ivory Goat of Travelling: Not bad, but only 24 hours of riding per week, with a one day downtime after that. And land based only with all that implies. Thanks but no thanks.

The other figurines have similar drawbacks.

In comparison, the Phantom Steed item would be upgradable (i.e. at higher levels you could upgrade it to gain the Water Walk, Air Walk and eventual Flight abilities), moves faster (pretty much one of the fastest movements in the game, topping out at 240', has a duration of (to start) 8 hours per day, every day with no downtime, and, oh yeah, won't dump me in Hell and leave me to roast. :smallsmile:

And yes, as was pointed out, this ought to be Command Word, which makes it 17,280. Otherwise I'd have to be carting around a horse sized statue! :smallamused:

Draz74
2007-06-16, 10:21 PM
... in which case you might as well switch to a Stone Horse (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#stoneHorse).

That is kind of unfair, though, isn't it, how spells that are pretty lame at low caster levels but very cool at higher caster levels cost so much to turn into items.

Citizen Joe
2007-06-16, 10:27 PM
You could do this with Mount instead of Phantom steed for a quarter the price for the same duration. Of course you'd lose out on the speed and terrain bonuses.

Breaon
2007-06-16, 11:49 PM
Phantom Steed at 12th? (14th (?) - I don't have my phb handy to check) level is about the sickest non-teleport travel spell possible. I think we estimated it at 250 mph.

Dark Knight Renee
2007-06-17, 12:58 AM
Where'd you get 250 mph? I know the speed is 240, which seems to be more about 27.3 mph for overland travel. Now, taking the hustle or run actions would be much faster... but still not 200+ mph (run action is at... 109 mph :smalleek:)

sleeping fishy
2007-06-17, 01:09 AM
Phantom Steed at 12th? (14th (?) - I don't have my phb handy to check) level is about the sickest non-teleport travel spell possible. I think we estimated it at 250 mph.

check again, the phantom stag in the spell compendium is a druid 5 spell... kinda the same but tougher, and faster!! caps out at 300 ft!

TheOOB
2007-06-17, 01:15 AM
Where'd you get 250 mph? I know the speed is 240, which seems to be more about 27.3 mph for overland travel. Now, taking the hustle or run actions would be much faster... but still not 200+ mph (run action is at... 109 mph :smalleek:)

If I'm correct, D&D miles tend to be around 1,000ft.

Tyger
2007-06-17, 07:52 AM
You could do this with Mount instead of Phantom steed for a quarter the price for the same duration. Of course you'd lose out on the speed and terrain bonuses.

Well, the speed, terrain bonuses, water walking, flight... the sole reasons for wanting the item in the first place. Mount will have a movement of 50-60, Phantom Steed - 240 (at 12th level). Plus if this horse dies, no biggie, another one tomorrow.

Pauwel
2007-06-17, 08:51 AM
240 ft./round = 27 mph

1 round = 6 seconds
1 hour = 3600 seconds = 600 rounds
600 * 240 ft. = 14,400 ft.
1 mile = 5280 ft.
14,400 / 5280 = 27,3

A much easier way of calculating this is to go like this:

Mph = feet per round / 10

which makes it 24 mph rather than 27.
Remember, though, that this is the walking a speed. By hustling you can double the speed, just like normal movement.

PinkysBrain
2007-06-17, 09:03 AM
IMO unslotted multiplier shouldn't really apply in a case like this (since you could simply have it slotted, use it and take it off anyway).

Citizen Joe
2007-06-17, 11:16 AM
It would have to get slotted onto the feet then, and you couldn't control it if you weren't wearing those boots. If it were a ring or something then it would be a 1.5 multiplier rather than 2.

EDIT: note that if you want all those bonuses it needs to be made at the specified caster level
8 for sandy, muddy, swampy (speed 160)
10 for waterwalking (speed 200)
12 for air walking one round, good for chasms (speed 240)
14 for flight, avg maneuverability (speed 240)

As to the MPH, there's a table in the SRD which basically makes it movement/10 = mph for distance travel. Thus in a typical 8 hour travel day (CL 8 item) you get 128 miles travelled. At CL 12 (max speed) you travel 192 miles in an 8 hour day and then force march (likely killing the steed, avg 4 points damage per hour) for another 96 miles for a total of 288 miles in a 12 hour day. Horse usually dies at the end but it would have anyway. Rider probably takes some non-lethal damage and would be very hungry... goodberries maybe? And you'll probably want a rope trick device to get some sleep or maybe a secure shelter. Is there one of those that makes food for you? That would rock.

EDIT EDIT:
Maybe you could make it a saddle rather than the whole horse and then do command word activated. Actually, a saddle would be slotted for a horse, thus you could do the put the saddle on the horse and use a command word to temporarily transform the horse into a phantom steed. Would that be cheaper?

EDIT EDIT EDIT:
Wait, did I just make Battle Cat from Masters of the Universe?

Matthew
2007-06-17, 08:22 PM
If I'm correct, D&D miles tend to be around 1,000ft.
That's an interesting one. As far as I am aware the D&D Mile is 6,000 Feet, a result of multiplying up the 30' Speed per 6 Seconds on the Overland Travel Tables.

i.e.

30' per 6 seconds = 300' per Minute = 18,000' per Hour...

...which, for some reason, translates into three miles per hour in the book, which in turn means 1 D&D Mile = 6,000 Feet. It makes for easier calculations, anyway, and interestingly is approximately the same as the Nautical Mile.

Tor the Fallen
2007-06-17, 09:21 PM
Why not buy a wand of it, and have your caster cast it for you? Or better yet, buy a pearl of power, and let your caster use it after he's made the steed for you?

Citizen Joe
2007-06-17, 09:29 PM
I think a wand would be more expensive than the actual item. I also think there may be an attempt to avoid the use of UMD.

Tyger
2007-06-17, 09:40 PM
Oh no, this is for me, and I am the caster. I love this spell, but can't justify a third level spell slot for it at this time. Later in life, its likely a non issue, but for now spell slots are more valuable than gold. :)