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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Circle Dance, The Item



archon1212
2016-12-18, 06:50 AM
I am just posting a rough draft of a item some NPC wizards are trying to use in my game to find the BBEG (on the basis that all items/class ect should have good solid rules text, even if the players are never going to care), in order to get a rough Idea of the balence and pricing. Thier main issue is one of finding someone with firsthand contact.

Talisman of Location:
This item essentially resembles a compass as large as your hand, and made from brass inlayed with pyrites and amazonite, though its needle fails to point north. 1/week, the stone can be held to someone's heart, and it will become attuned to one person that is visualized by the user, whom they have met in person. Until reattuned, the compass will point in the direction of attuned person (or their dead body), so long as they are on the same plane, no matter who currently holds it.
CL7th, Moderate divination; Price: 6000gp; Prerequisits: Circle Dance; Cost to create 3000gp + 240xp

What do you guys think?

qwertyu63
2016-12-21, 09:33 PM
It looks like a solid item with a great effect. I haven't done any math, so I could be wrong, but that price feels a bit high to me.

Temotei
2016-12-21, 10:49 PM
Does it work on dead targets?

archon1212
2016-12-22, 01:17 AM
It looks like a solid item with a great effect. I haven't done any math, so I could be wrong, but that price feels a bit high to me.

I priced it as a 1/day circle dance effect, If memory serves me right. It is a bit expensive, since it doesn't directly make you better at combat, but it has a lot of plot realated power, to allow PC's to get it trivally would probably be a waste. Maybe drop it down to 4000gp?


Does it work on dead targets?

As I am currently running it, Yes it does - it locates thier body. Should I clarify/change that?

Temotei
2016-12-22, 02:37 AM
As I am currently running it, Yes it does - it locates thier body. Should I clarify/change that?

A little clarification never hurts, especially when the referenced spell does not work with corpses. :smalltongue:

I think the price is fine for many games. I'd be cautious with lowering the price any--it's a powerful divination effect with few counters. I'm assuming nondetection stops the item from functioning given its specific magic items bit. If there is no way to stop the item from functioning properly short of dispelling effects and antimagic field the price could probably be raised a small amount and I wouldn't bat an eye.

It's hard to price an item like this since its power is so campaign-dependent. For campaigns in which this type of effect won't destroy a DM's attempts at storytelling or whatever, 6,000 gp is probably fine.

I suppose you wouldn't have to price it if you made it an artifact and maybe added an effect or two...:smallamused:

archon1212
2016-12-22, 07:13 AM
A little clarification never hurts, especially when the referenced spell does not work with corpses. :smalltongue:

I think the price is fine for many games. I'd be cautious with lowering the price any--it's a powerful divination effect with few counters. I'm assuming nondetection stops the item from functioning given its specific magic items bit. If there is no way to stop the item from functioning properly short of dispelling effects and antimagic field the price could probably be raised a small amount and I wouldn't bat an eye.

It's hard to price an item like this since its power is so campaign-dependent. For campaigns in which this type of effect won't destroy a DM's attempts at storytelling or whatever, 6,000 gp is probably fine.

I suppose you wouldn't have to price it if you made it an artifact and maybe added an effect or two...:smallamused:

Clarified about the dead bodies (which works becuase of the nature of the plot which caused this item's creation), and corrected a typo while I was at it.

Nondetection, or any other effect which foils divinations in general, work fine on this item (does that also need to be stated - I thought it was a given).

My general policy for such items is to try to not write plots which can be interrupted by the item's existance (If it exists and is currently in the parties hands).

I'm somewhat leery about making it an artifact - mostly becuase I like things to have definate rules for thier creation, and if you have a magic item creation system, you should use it to make magic items.

qwertyu63
2016-12-22, 08:49 PM
I priced it as a 1/day circle dance effect, If memory serves me right. It is a bit expensive, since it doesn't directly make you better at combat, but it has a lot of plot realated power, to allow PC's to get it trivally would probably be a waste. Maybe drop it down to 4000gp?

You priced it as 1/day, but the effect is 1/week. Also, I don't think you meant this, but...


the stone can be held to someone's heart, and it will become attuned to one person that is visualized by the user.

I first assumed that it was intended to attune to the "someone" whose heart it's held to, but a strict reading of this means that I hold it to any old heart and then pick anyone to track. If that is what you meant, then the price needs to go up. If not, it needs to come down.

archon1212
2016-12-22, 11:22 PM
You priced it as 1/day, but the effect is 1/week. Also, I don't think you meant this, but...

I first assumed that it was intended to attune to the "someone" whose heart it's held to, but a strict reading of this means that I hold it to any old heart and then pick anyone to track. If that is what you meant, then the price needs to go up. If not, it needs to come down.

I reduced the frequency to 1/week to make it less useful, because yes, you can attune it to anyone the person used has met. I just clarified about having met, which makes it less powerful. As noted earlier, In some campaigns, this will be very powerful. In others, not so much. How much do you think it is worth, then?