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View Full Version : [3.5] Dwarven Whsitle: What would you price this item? Is it even useful?



newbDM
2008-09-19, 04:34 PM
Dwarven Whistle
(AKA the Dwarf Whistle)

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f173/celestialkin/sc000585fc.jpg

How it works:
Dwarven Whistles are specially crafted whistles, which create a powerful and very specific high-pitch shriek only audible by dwarves and duergar.
This sound can be heard for up to a 2,000ft radius.
A combination of the shriek's precise frequency, and the secret methods used by dwarves to craft these items gives the sound created the remarkable (yet baffling) ability to pass through solid matter as if it were nonexistent.
These whistles are commonly crafted by dwarven craftsmen of all subraces for their clan's guards. They are also occasionally used by dwarven military officers, and those few dwarfs who take to the seas are never without a few aboard. However, dwarves stubbornly guard the methods of this item's creation from the other races. They consider it an important racial secret for fear this technology could be used against them.
These items are neither magic nor psionic in nature, but instead are a testament to the dwarven mastery of crafts.



First off, sorry for making so many threads here in such a short period. I need to get some work done for my upcoming gaming session in eight days, so I am going here for help. I really appreciated the help so far. Thank you!


So...what would you guys as DMs price this? Is it even worth pricing out, or are we talking PHB/Arms & Equipment Guide level gear (around a gp or so)? Is there any real benefit to this item?


I designed it after talking to on of my players yesterday over the phone. His PC is a dwarven legendary captain, who has three iron clads in ranks (along with 3 sailing ships, and a galley). He is also the official admiral of a fledgling kingdom (the kingdom is only one Small City, one fortified keep, and around 6 thorps/hamlets/vilages strong) which he has sworn to protect with his very small fleet (at least I believe it is relatively small. what should I compare it to?). Anyway, yesterday I called him up to ask him (hidden between other questions) about what protocol he had in mind if an attack were to take place. He had an idea about having a guard at all times near the port village's square with a whistle. At first I was like "Wait, a whistle?!", but then he started to describe of how in his days as a bouncer he would be able to call for help from all the way in the front/outside of the building to the very back of the club through the music and such with a simple high-pitched whistle. This got me thinking (although I still doubt that was possible) for this little item.

However, I am not sure if this thing will actually be that useful (if at all).

What do you guys think?


As always, thanks in advance for any help!

Draken
2008-09-19, 05:29 PM
Hmm... 2 silver?

Zeta Kai
2008-09-19, 05:49 PM
It doesn't say so in the description anywhere, but is that thing supposed to look like an anvil?

Aside from that, back on topic, I'd say that the sound-ignoring-stone thing would be worth a few gold pieces. It's not a reusable effect of near-magical quality, but it's use in-game would probably be fairly limited, given it's off nature, & the sparse RAW for sound effects. I'd say 5-15gp.

Draken
2008-09-19, 06:12 PM
I wouldn't price them on gold pieces because, mastery of craftsmanship or not, these items are supposed to be wore by many guards and scouts and etc. Making it cost gold would make these far to expensive to be really cost effective I guess (NPCs get less wtb than PCs :smalltongue:).

So 2-5 silver. Maybe 1 gold piece. 1 gold is actually a lot of money.

sigurd
2008-09-19, 08:26 PM
I think you'd get more fun out of the item if you concentrated on one significant dwarven whistle that looked like your picture.

In the game at large whistles are lumped with childrens toys as not normally being super important. A whistle with special abilities would be different. What does the ultra high note do?

- summon creature
- open door\vault
- raise boat

All sorts of things would be possible to make the item more 'note worthy' :) and help you enjoy your illustration.


Sigurd

Icewalker
2008-09-19, 08:43 PM
Probably not too expensive. If it's a treasured dwarven secret though you could just give him one and drop the price, and not let anyone else have one. Seems like it'd be negligible anyways, if he's powerful enough to own a fleet and tracts of land.

afroakuma
2008-09-19, 08:48 PM
Since it's meant to be used by dwarves, for dwarves, I wouldn't bother pricing it. Dwarves would only craft them to be used by those dwarves who would NEED to alert others with a stealth whistle, and forcing them to pay for the good of the clan seems counterproductive. Also, the fact that they don't test as magical or even make noise (to non-dwarves) makes it unlikely there would be a secondary market for them.

newbDM
2008-09-27, 05:18 PM
It doesn't say so in the description anywhere, but is that thing supposed to look like an anvil?

Yeah. I am so happy someone noticed it. :smallbiggrin:

I was worried it was a flop. I am still very new to sketching.

Prometheus
2008-09-27, 07:07 PM
It's an item crafted only by one culture, takes a great deal of craftmanship to produce, and is guarded carefully. Regardless of its use, that alone puts it in the realm of an uncommon masterwork tool, so 100 g for masterwork and probably double that depending on how common it is. Of course, if a dwarven character wanted it for their starting equipment, I'd say it would be a quarter of that price.