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View Full Version : 3.5 Pricing help - Clockwork Hive



Malapterus
2017-12-18, 12:43 PM
I have an idea for an item that would probably be for a Warforged or a golem-commanding wizard.

It's a nice little extradimensional holding space in the form of a metal backpack. Inside is a swarm of Clockwork Menders!

The owner can call the swarm out and direct it with mental commands. It can retreat back into the 'hive' and use its repair ability on itself. I can call the swarm in and iut whenever I want, but it's always the same swarm so if it's hurt or debuffed it comes out that way.

Summon Clockwork Mender Swarm is a level 1 spell. It would be nice to Maximize it so the swarm has max HP.

What would be a fair price for this?

How could I upgrade it later for a higher HD swarm?

Morphic tide
2017-12-18, 03:50 PM
First, I need to correct you on Summon Clockwork Mender Swarm. It's actually a 4th level spell, the referral to Summon Monster 1 is a thing most summoning spells do to skip a bunch of rule specification. Second, statistics for crafting single Clockwork Menders as Homunculi exist:

Construction

A clockwork mender is made of bronze, steel, silver, gold, and a pint of the creator’s blood. The materials cost 400 gp.
Creating the body requires a DC 15 Craft (blacksmithing) check.

A clockwork mender with more than 1 Hit Die can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds 2,000 gp to the cost to create.

CL 5th; Craft Construct, Mending, Repair Light Damage; Price — (never sold); Cost 1,250 gp + 68 XP.

I'd actually have the Hive be a Homunculus(or, more usefully, a more standard Golem that has the option of being made as a Homunculus, like Clockroaches, because Homunculi can't be sold) of its own type, rather than a standard magic item, so that it can have a decent chunk of the mechanical complexity of producing Swarms of varying number and power shifted to hit dice scaling. It also lets the thing defend itself and come with some "fun" options, like producing Clockroaches instead of Clockwork Menders for responding to people hunting you down with a sudden volley of breath weapons. "not suitable for combat" my arse, 3d4 Acid damage in a 30ft line is more than enough