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Bassikpoet
2008-04-24, 04:32 AM
So, i want to design an item that has two conflicting intelligences (an evil and a good). Each have specific abilities and have equal ego scores. Depending on whether the item is used for good or evil, the corresponding intelligence will become the dominant (think of it as a d20 roll with + mods for good actions and - mods for evil ones. 10 or below= evil intelligence. 11 or higher = good intelligence). Question is...Should this item be treated, cost wise, as if it were a single intelligent item, or two items? It is an all evil or all good situation. They can't share power and therefore only one set of attributes will be accessible on a single day. Does this sounds like a good idea or am I just asking for trouble?

aberratio ictus
2008-04-24, 05:21 AM
I think that's a quite cool idea.

Like you said, it is an "all evil or all good situation", therefore I would say you can treat is as a single intelligent item.

Talic
2008-04-24, 05:39 AM
Give it one set of abilities. Give it two different special purposes (which share the same power).

Next, make the item for good. Calculate costs for the intelligence portion of the item.

Make the item for evil. Calculate costs for intelligent portion of the item.

Add 25-50% of the costs for the cheaper item onto the more expensive one, to account for difficulties in crafting, additional possible triggers for special powers, and the like.

SoD
2008-04-24, 08:57 AM
Make it a double weapon (for example-double falchion). Make it a +4 intelligent holy/+4 unholy intellient weapon. And let chaos ensue.

Mewtarthio
2008-04-24, 11:21 AM
Give it one set of abilities. Give it two different special purposes (which share the same power).

Next, make the item for good. Calculate costs for the intelligence portion of the item.

Make the item for evil. Calculate costs for intelligent portion of the item.

Add 25-50% of the costs for the cheaper item onto the more expensive one, to account for difficulties in crafting, additional possible triggers for special powers, and the like.

Only one intelligence is dominant at a time. Thus, the item is actually worse than a normal intelligent item, because the player can't control when it is active. Therefore, it should be cheaper.

Chronos
2008-04-24, 02:07 PM
For purposes of making it, it would be more expensive. But this probably isn't relevant, because it sounds like you're putting it in a treasure hoard for your party, and it probably wasn't made that way deliberately (I think the rules say that items can become intelligent without the intent of their maker, and even if the rules don't say that, you can).

For purposes of tracking the value of the party's loot, though, it should be at most the same value as a normal single intelligent item, since the wielder only benefits from one intelligence and set of abilities.

Suropej
2008-04-24, 05:37 PM
Give it one set of abilities. Give it two different special purposes (which share the same power).

Next, make the item for good. Calculate costs for the intelligence portion of the item.

Make the item for evil. Calculate costs for intelligent portion of the item.

Add 25-50% of the costs for the cheaper item onto the more expensive one, to account for difficulties in crafting, additional possible triggers for special powers, and the like.


I disagree with this because somehow I don't believe anyone would actually craft something like this.

It sounds much more like an "ancient lost artifact" or some cursed item that got a good character trapped inside it during use or something.

If a price were to be attached, I'd go with what Chronos said and keep it at it's normal price. If any negative stuff happens when the alignment changes or negative levels then it might be a little cheaper.

Binkatron
2008-04-25, 06:54 AM
There are rules in the Book of Exalted Deeds about turning "evil" magical items into items that "good" players can use. Perhaps somebody tried to reform this magical item and was only partway successful with unusual side effects?