magic item crafting rules for activation speed

[ciopo]

Greetings giants :)

I have been looking for crafting rules to adjudicate cost of use-activated/command word woundrous items, but I have failed to find any :( So i turn to the community for help!

Here is a baseline example : suppose I would like to make a "poor man" boots of haste, crafting it per SRD rules but sticking to the minimum caster level instead of the existing item.
spell level * caster level * 2000gp / (5/# charges per day)
comes out that some boots of haste(cl5) once per day costs 3*5*2000/5 = 6000gp, it just so happen to fit very nicely with being half the cost of the cl10 haste that the Boots of haste cost.

BUT , since it is not otherwise stated in the item description, activating these poor man boots of haste would be a standard action, even if flavorwise the use-activated action is the same ( tap the heels )

So... anyone know any written down rules about giving a price to "different speed of activation" for magic items? preferably first party.

thanks in advance

[Asmotherion]

My reading is that use-activate are always linked to an action; this can be a free action (such as pushing a button, or performing something within the limitations and parameters of a free action) or a standard action (for example Run or make an attack roll to activate, or any other action within the limits and parameters of a standard action). You choose what type of action exactly; for examle you have to specify that holding the item facing downwards, with thumb facing upwards, or that you need to make an attack roll with it or that you need to mentally offer praise to a specific deity/outsider to activate it... you get the picture...) it takes at creation, with no extra cost (non-factor) and the type of action is determined by you.

PS: There might be some obscure rule that overides this, but to the best of my knowlage, that's how it works.

[Saintheart]

Use-activation comes in one of two types: either an item's activation is subsumed in its use (e.g. the magic item that is worn giving you a continuous effect like the Bracers of Strength +2, magic effect happens from the moment you put 'em on) or it's a standard action to activate otherwise.

Boots that you click together before you get the Haste effect would be a standard action activation, because per the SRD "If the use of the item takes time before a magical effect occurs, then use activation is a standard action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#useActivated)."

Boots that you can mentally activate to bring on the effect are no action activation, because:


Many use-activated items are objects that a character wears. Continually functioning items are practically always items that one wears. A few must simply be in the character’s possession (on his person). However, some items made for wearing must still be activated. Although this activation sometimes requires a command word, usually it means mentally willing the activation to happen. The description of an item states whether a command word is needed in such a case.

Mental activation = at least arguably no time before a magical effect occurs, hence no standard action activation. But it's still a use-activated item, thus, the 2,000 gp multiplier.

A Command Word item is different again, and runs at a [level]x[CL]x1,800 gp formula. That's in the SRD.

[Kalkra]

I think also that use-activated items are only in effect while in use, as opposed to command word, where you activate it and it lasts however long it lasts.

[Asmotherion]

Use-activation comes in one of two types: either an item's activation is subsumed in its use (e.g. the magic item that is worn giving you a continuous effect like the Bracers of Strength +2, magic effect happens from the moment you put 'em on) or it's a standard action to activate otherwise.

Boots that you click together before you get the Haste effect would be a standard action activation, because per the SRD "If the use of the item takes time before a magical effect occurs, then use activation is a standard action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#useActivated)."

Boots that you can mentally activate to bring on the effect are no action activation, because:



Mental activation = at least arguably no time before a magical effect occurs, hence no standard action activation. But it's still a use-activated item, thus, the 2,000 gp multiplier.

A Command Word item is different again, and runs at a [level]x[CL]x1,800 gp formula. That's in the SRD.


"Boots of Speed: As a free action (https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Free_Actions), the wearer can click her boot heels together,"

In this example, we see they are activated as a free action by clicking the heels together.

Even if it took a standard action instead, it could easily be something related to the spell (for this example a run action).

Setting a command word activation would put the item into the command word way of calculation, unless the command word can be spoken as a free action; So, as opposed to a regular command word item witch you activate as a standard action and can actually use/benefit of it's effect on the next turn (for a non-instantaneus effect), this can be used the same turn, witch is why it's more expensive. Hope this explaination makes sence, 'cause I'm kinda half asleep right now and it would really pain me to re-check my entire post... :/

[Troacctid]

Here's the relevant passage, for the folks who don't know about it.

Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise. However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, regardless of the type of magic item, unless the item description specifically states otherwise.
Any custom item is not going to have an item description to state otherwise, so they will always default to the spell's normal casting time. Want to make it quicker? Simply adjust the price to use the quickened version of the spell. For haste, that would be equivalent to a 7th-level spell, with a minimum CL of 13, total price of 2000/5 * 13 * 7 = 36,400 gp. Alternatively, in this specific case, you could save some money by using swift haste (2000/5 * 2 * 4 = 3,200 gp), or by making it an intelligent item with the haste greater power (+25,000 gp).

FYI, the "use-activated" category is also deprecated as of Magic Item Compendium, which split it into mental, manipulation, and no activation.

[Biggus]

Greetings giants :)

I have been looking for crafting rules to adjudicate cost of use-activated/command word woundrous items, but I have failed to find any :( So i turn to the community for help!

Here is a baseline example : suppose I would like to make a "poor man" boots of haste, crafting it per SRD rules but sticking to the minimum caster level instead of the existing item.
spell level * caster level * 2000gp / (5/# charges per day)
comes out that some boots of haste(cl5) once per day costs 3*5*2000/5 = 6000gp, it just so happen to fit very nicely with being half the cost of the cl10 haste that the Boots of haste cost.

BUT , since it is not otherwise stated in the item description, activating these poor man boots of haste would be a standard action, even if flavorwise the use-activated action is the same ( tap the heels )

So... anyone know any written down rules about giving a price to "different speed of activation" for magic items? preferably first party.

thanks in advance

I'd been thinking of asking a similar question myself. In the Magic Item Compendium there are three short-range teleport items (Anklet of Translocation, Bolt Shirt and Boots of Big Stepping) which are all based on Dimension Door but all have different activation times (Swift, Move and Standard actions respectively). I've been trying to work out how the activation time affects the price, if anyone has any ideas I'd be very interested.

[Troacctid]

I'd been thinking of asking a similar question myself. In the Magic Item Compendium there are three short-range teleport items (Anklet of Translocation, Bolt Shirt and Boots of Big Stepping) which are all based on Dimension Door but all have different activation times (Swift, Move and Standard actions respectively). I've been trying to work out how the activation time affects the price, if anyone has any ideas I'd be very interested.
When MIC came out, they released a behind-the-scenes post about how they designed the items in the book. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. https://web.archive.org/web/20161031214823/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20070316a

[ciopo]

thanks everybody for the feedback, that quote from the DMG in particular fits my needs perfectly, since it was "custom items to cast spells X times per day" that I've been having a headscratch about