[3.5] Recharging Items

[Thurbane]

Hey all.

Are there any rules in 3.5 for recharging charged magic items? Ideally not looking at alternate rules like those in UA, but an actual spell, ability or item that can do it.

As always, 1st party, non-PF, non-Dragon mag sources preferred.

Specifically NOT looking at using whatever the utterance is that mends broken magic items. :smalltongue:

Cheers - T

[Afghanistan]

Sorta, kinda? There is the Power Surge Infusion from the Eberron Campaign Setting (page 114). It provides one temporary charge per 5 caster levels. It costs 5xp per level of the highest level spell in the wand/staff/charged item.

[Saintheart]

There's the Glowstone out of Magic of Faerun: it's an artifact, but it's specifically for recharging staves and other charge-based spell-trigger items. It has 1,000 charges at creation which are used up as you recharge your items.

One way I've seen cited is Ancestral Relic (BoED) where the relic in question is a charged magic item. The argument - it's not explicit RAW - is that if charges in an item have a monetary value (the proof for that being that a partially-charged wand has a smaller market value than a fully-charged one) an Ancestral Relic could be recharged by meditating money into it the same way you can meditate weapon qualities and whatnot.

And I know you're not looking for Dragon Magazine feats, but Dragon 338's Imbued Staff has some feats tied to it, one of which is, aptly named, Recharge Staff. Only allows you to recharge your Imbued Staff, but it's there.

There's also good old Thrall of Fraz'Urbluu (Dragon 333) allows you to take CON damage rather than use a staff charge.

[Heavenblade]

The channel charge feat from lost empires of Fauren lets you make a UMD check - each tein you activate a charge based item - if you make it you can spend spell slots instead of charges

[ShurikVch]

It's a Dragon, but still: #338 have Recharge Staff feat - it required 12th level, Craft Staff (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftStaff), and Imbued Staff as your Familiar

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Rules Compendium, page 86:


Charged and Single-Use
Some items have a limited number of uses or charges before
their powers are permanently depleted. Others function
only a single time. After you use up the last charge or use of
one of these items, it becomes a nonmagical object. Partially
depleted charged items can’t be recharged.

[Bphill561]

Rules Compendium, page 86:

I am pretty certain that is the general rule the poster is trying to get around with a specific rule.

[Psyren]

It's roundabout, but an Artificer could salvage a partially charged item and use his reserve to more cheaply craft a fresh one?

[Nyowov]

I think that might not be possible without recharge staff. Combine that with red wixard of Thay and you could get lots of extra slots to recharge.

[TheCount]

Briar Staff (Dragon 326, p. 76): Godawfully pricey at 139,000 gp, but with one feature that makes it more useable for Eilservs School types: it regenerates charges if you leave it buried for a week in a forest at least a mile wide.

From Saintheart's guide to quarterstaffs.

[Vizzerdrix]

Hmm... I think it is complete Scoundrel that has a spell for recharging spell slots by draining magical items. Siphon, I thought it was called. Not what you wanted, but I`m mentioning it for completion.

[Thurbane]

Thanks for looking into this everyone. Doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of RAW options out there.

[Malphegor]

A fairly common houserule I’ve seen is that you can recharge the item, using the generic item creation rules for whatever item type it is to cost up the amount of charges you’re putting into it again. So artefact level items probably can’t be recharged except by Act Of Plot, but your Wand of Magic Missile can be recharged rather than replaced cheaply enough.

[Thurbane]

Just stumbled on something looking at a monster mentioned in an unrelated topic.

The Nishruu (LeOF p.186) has this quality:


Charge Magic (Su): When a nishruu is slain, its body dissipates and drifts away. Any charged magic item in contact with it when it dies gains an 1d6 additional charges.

Being an outsider, you could grab one with Planar Binding or similar.

So there you go - a RAW, if a little cheesy, method of recharging magic items.

[Ruethgar]

Dragon Magazine again, but the Improved Domain(Magic) lets a Cleric use half their level in charges per day. Technically should be able to get it multiple times by giving up Turn, second domain, a feat, some WBL for potentially 2*cleric level in charges per day.

[Nifft]

You can use some items as spell sources to craft a fully-charged copy of that item.

Doesn't work for all items, of course, and you'd need access to the [Item Creation] feat, but it's a decent way for e.g. a Binder and a Rogue to keep up their wand supply.

[Cruiser1]

The feat "Wand Surge" from Magic of Eberron allows you to use an action point instead of a charge, when using a wand or staff. Great for expensive spells, like that staff of Wish. Combine with ways to get action points, like casting Unfettered Heroism, for free wishes. :smallwink:

[Quertus]

Just stumbled on something looking at a monster mentioned in an unrelated topic.

The Nishruu (LeOF p.186) has this quality:



Being an outsider, you could grab one with Planar Binding or similar.

So there you go - a RAW, if a little cheesy, method of recharging magic items.

"Why did you build a 'Ring of Three Wishes and Feather Fall'?"

"Watch this trick!"

-----

"Hold my beer."

"Why is your best mug actually a polymorphed… you're killing me again, aren't your?"

-----

And now I want to write a spoof about an optimizing Wizard and a Nishruu named Kenny.

[Ruethgar]

I was just thinking of an Otherworldly Lesser Aasimar with the non-epic Eternal Hero feat and Assume Supernatural Ability:Charge Magic. You just flat out murder yourself every day to charge your magic items 1d6 charges per day.

Edit: Make sure he’s wielding a Legendary Elvencrafted Bow Bladed Neck Bladed Lute-Bow for a potential four wand chambers. A longbow works just as well and RAW for Elvencraft, but you lose Bardic Music.

[Quertus]

I was just thinking of an Otherworldly Lesser Aasimar with the non-epic Eternal Hero feat and Assume Supernatural Ability:Charge Magic. You just flat out murder yourself every day to charge your magic items 1d6 charges per day.

Edit: Make sure he’s wielding a Legendary Elvencrafted Bow Bladed Neck Bladed Lute-Bow for a potential four wand chambers. A longbow works just as well and RAW for Elvencraft, but you lose Bardic Music.

My Google-foo is failing me - the non-epic Eternal Hero?

Speaking of when we can get this to come online, how many HD does a Nishruu have?

And does its Charge Magic ability actually necessitate that it is actively holding the items to be charged? Is the whole "4 wand chambers" thing really necessary?

[Thurbane]

Speaking of when we can get this to come online, how many HD does a Nishruu have?

The have 9HD.

Could you Polymorph, use the Assume Supernatural Ability feat, and have an ally standing by with the Revivify spell?

1000gp a pop could be a bargain if you load up on charged items.

[Ruethgar]

The Epic Destiny feats normally use your Epic feats until 30, the non-epic variant uses level 12+. At level 12 an Eternal Hero non-epic destiny character gets to True Resurrect themselves are their body or a spawn point 1/day free.

https://web.archive.org/web/20090602124646/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080428&pf=true

Nishruu have 9HD.

[Thurbane]

If the DM frowns upon Otherwordly and Lesser Aasimar, Neraph is an option for a LA +0 Outsider race.

[Ruethgar]

If the DM frowns upon Otherwordly and Lesser Aasimar, Neraph is an option for a LA +0 Outsider race.

Also a more fitting option considering the chaotic association and that you’re shapeshifting into another being of chaos. I generally just pick Lesser Aasimar to add Spark for the juicy +4 Cha. Lesser Fey’Ri for demonic theme.

[Thurbane]

I can forsee a few flaws with my Revivify plan though.


When a nishruu is slain, its body dissipates and drifts away.

Depending on the DMs reading, that is going to be problematic.

Also, the creature inherently absorbs magic cast at it, and drains charges from items by contact - still, as a supernatural ability, Polymorph wouldn't grant Absorb Magic by default.

The draining of charges becomes more of an issue in Binding one, though.