Continuous True Strike Item

[GiantFlyingHog]

So a friend of mine rolled up an artificer for our next campaign, and naturally has been looking into making items. He now has plans for making an item with a continuous True Strike enchantment. Is this legal? The SRD gives different prices for various continuous items based on duration, but it doesn't say anything about spells with a duration of one round.

[Thurbane]

Custom items are always at the discretion of the DM. Pricing given is guidelines only, and says to look at similar items/bonuses when calculating prices.

True Strike is a fairly common spell for people to go "LOL what I can get +20 to attack all day?", and then look at the pricing charts to come up with some ridiculously low cost.

Here's a previous topic: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?168806-Continuous-True-Strike-for-2000gp!

[Silva Stormrage]

So a friend of mine rolled up an artificer for our next campaign, and naturally has been looking into making items. He now has plans for making an item with a continuous True Strike enchantment. Is this legal? The SRD gives different prices for various continuous items based on duration, but it doesn't say anything about spells with a duration of one round.

No it is not legal and you should hit your player over the head with the DMG if he tries to pull that on you.

The custom item guidelines are just that. Guidelines. DM has final say over any and all custom items and I believe their is even an example in the DMG discussing how an item of continuous shield should be more than 2k because an item that grants +4 shield bonus is much more expensive.

Essentially while he is correct the cost guideline for a continuous 1st level spell is 2k. 1 (Caster level) * 1 (Spell Level) * 2000, no where in the rules does it say that he is entitled to make any and all custom items he wants for that price. In fact the rules say the DM has to approve each and every custom item he tries to make and that the DM can increase or decrease an item's cost as necessary.

[InvisibleBison]

There's nothing wrong with a continuous item of true strike, because the spell specifically states that it applies to your next single attack roll. If you had a continuous item of true strike, you'd receive a +20 bonus to the next attack roll you made before the end of the round after you put it on. After that, you'd just register differently under detect magic.

A use-activated item of true strike, on the other hand, is just bonkers and shouldn't be allowed.

[Anxe]

If you actually wanted to design an item that did that we need a reference point. Lesser Bracers of Archery is good. It's 5000GP for +1 to ranged attacks using an unusual bonus type. Only functioning for ranged weapons is probably worth about 15% off. Maybe the creators rounded and the original cost was 6000GP?
We can assume that the formula for this bonus is the same as for bonus magic items:
Bonus squared × #000 gp

So for an unusual bonus type to attack we get:
Bonus squared × 6,000 gp

20 x 20 x 6000 x 10 (inevitable epic magic item modifier) = 24,000,000gp

Enjoy!

Alternative snarky answer for such a player, "Sure you can get one of those items. In fact, all your enemies already have them."

[GiantFlyingHog]

No it is not legal and you should hit your player over the head with the DMG if he tries to pull that on you.

The custom item guidelines are just that. Guidelines. DM has final say over any and all custom items


Custom items are always at the discretion of the DM. Pricing given is guidelines only

This is kind of what I needed. I figured this would apply, but wanted the approval of the Playground, given that he's likely to listen to you more than he is to me. Also, I'm a fellow player, not the DM, and our conversation sort of ended with "I won't do this if you can find a rule that says I can't" so I should be able to convince him now.

[Telonius]

This (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050118a) is the relevant article you'll want to refer to.


So, what would our example ring of true strike be worth? Insight bonuses aren't included on Table 7-33, but a weapon bonus has a cost equal to the bonus squared x 2,000 gp, so a +20 weapon would cost 800,000 gp. One can argue that the ring isn't quite as good as a +20 weapon because it doesn't provide a damage bonus. That, however, ignores the very potent ability to negate most miss chances. Also, the ring's insight bonus works with any sort of attack the wearer makes. On top of all that, the insight bonus stacks with any enhancement bonus from a magic weapon the wearer might wield. Still, 800,000 gp is a lot of cash and the lack of a damage bonus is significant, so some price reduction is in order. A 50% reduction might be in order, or 400,000 gp for the ring.

Would you pay 400,000 gp for a ring of true striking? I would if I could afford it. At a price of 400,000 gp, our mythical ring of true strike is something only an epic-level character could afford. That's fine, because epic play is where the ring belongs.

[Crake]

People keep forgetting that true strike is a discharged spell. Once you attack, you have to reactivate it to get your +20 attack bonus. If you want to spend a standard action to reactivate the item every other round, then sure. It's not really different from getting an item of any other 1st level spell. You're basically halving your attacks in exchange for +20 to your first attack each round that you do attack. I'd say that's perfectly fine.

And remember, the item wouldn't cost 2,000gp unless it was use-activated, meaning it would only last a single round when activated. If they wanted it to last ALL the way until their next attack (an essentially "continuous" duration), then it would cost 8,000gp, there's a *4 multiplier for spells with durations measured in rounds.

Now, if the player was expecting a free +20 on every attack ever, then yeah, you can go ahead and give them some rediculous price like that wizards article says.

[Silva Stormrage]

This (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050118a) is the relevant article you'll want to refer to.

Going to be honest 400k seems pretty cheap for it still. With cost reduction you can get that down to like 90k with a little effort.

[emeraldstreak]

If a continuous item has an effect based on a spell with a duration measured in rounds, multiply the cost by 4. If the duration of the spell is 1 minute/level, multiply the cost by 2, and if the duration is 10 minutes/level, multiply the cost by 1.5. If the spell has a 24-hour duration or greater, divide the cost in half.



Duration: See text
...
You gain temporary, intuitive insight into the immediate future during your next attack. Your next single attack roll (if it is made before the end of the next round) gains a +20 insight bonus.

As far as the RAW is concerned, True Strike cannot be made into a continuous item because they have to be modified by spell duration in rounds and True Strike lacks one.

[Fizban]

Also, I'm a fellow player, not the DM, and our conversation sort of ended with "I won't do this if you can find a rule that says I can't" so I should be able to convince him now.
If you have a player that is taking the attitude of "I am going to do it unless I'm specifically forbidden to," that's probably going to cause a problem eventually. Your DM should be reminded that they are in charge of the rules, not whatever RAW a player demands because it was printed in a book.

'Cause you just know this guy's gonna go nuts once he hears about Planar Binding Efreeti.

[Calthropstu]

If you have a player that is taking the attitude of "I am going to do it unless I'm specifically forbidden to," that's probably going to cause a problem eventually. Your DM should be reminded that they are in charge of the rules, not whatever RAW a player demands because it was printed in a book.

'Cause you just know this guy's gonna go nuts once he hears about Planar Binding Efreeti.

As a gm, I see nothing at all wrong with binding efreeti.
Just keep in mind it may bite you in the ass.

[Crake]

Going to be honest 400k seems pretty cheap for it still. With cost reduction you can get that down to like 90k with a little effort.

Well, once the price goes over 200k, it should technically hit the status of an epic item, meaning it should get a x10 markup