Eldritch Shards - Magic Items for Warlocks [PEACH]

[Walkabout]

I was thinking about one-shot items for warlocks (actually I think about warlock magic items all the time): How about specially enchanted Eberron shards (or just crystals of some sort if not set in Eberron) that contain the essence of a single blast shape or eldritch essence invocation -- or any warlock invocation for that matter, but primarily the ones that apply to eldritch blast.

Based on the Rod of Eldritch Power from Complete Mage p.127, which allows 5 uses per day of one specific blast shape or eldritch essence, I was thinking that maybe 1/50th the cost of each rod (least, lesser, greater, dark) might be a good starting point for cost.

So, for example, an eldritch shard with sickening blast (a least invocation) would be 1/50th of a least rod of eldritch power (4000gp cost) or 80gp. Then we round it up a little for the cost of the eberron shard (or just because?) to say 125gp? A lesser eldritch shard would be 400gp (1/50th of 16000 = 320 + a little more), a greater would be 1000gp (1/50th of 32000 = 720 + a little more) and a dark shard would be 2000gp (1/50th of 64000 = 1280 + a little more).

If extended to include non-blast invocations, they'd have a flat duration of 1 minute or 5 minutes, I'd say.
Whaddya think?
Ridiculous? Outrageous? Right on? Hit me!

[lightningcat]

Are you thinking to use them like an additional focus/material component when using your edritch blast (i know warlocks don't have either) or more like an alternate type of scroll.
The scroll idea would work well for the non-blast invocations...
Either way I like the idea. But the costs might be a bit off, I'd have to check.

[Walkabout]

Are you thinking to use them like an additional focus/material component when using your edritch blast (i know warlocks don't have either) or more like an alternate type of scroll.
The scroll idea would work well for the non-blast invocations...
Either way I like the idea. But the costs might be a bit off, I'd have to check.

More like scrolls or potions, but also similar to those Skill Shards or whatever they're called.
I'd say they'd require Deceive Item, UMD "yada" and Craft Wondrous?

[The Mentalist]

I think you're spot on with it(Other than maybe the round up thing.). I think that just a base + to damage would be a good thing too.

Maybe 1d6 least, 2d6 lesser, 3d6 greater, 4d6 dark.

[Walkabout]

Thanks.
I hadn't actuallly considered shards for bonus damage, but I suppose it'd be a simple matter of figuring out based on a chasuble of fell power.

[Zaydos]

I like the idea (I like warlocks). I'd have actually based their cost off of scrolls instead of the rods, though. Although a 1 use Dark Invocation might or might not be as useful as a 1 use spell of its level. This doesn't work too well with the extra damage idea, though, and you need the extra damage shards.

[Walkabout]

I'm trying to think why I went with basing it more off of rods and one-shot wondrous items than scrolls and I think it has to do with the fact of when different invocations are available to be used; it doesn't coincide completely with spell levels.

I'm glad the idea seems to be positively received. I appreciate the input so I can make these truly viable tools for gameplay.

[zagan]

Yes, this seem like a very nice idea. I really like the warlock myself. it would be most useful at low level of course and for those invocation that you rarelly use.
The price seem just right.

Now, I'm going to make a warlock themed vestige.

[Walkabout]

Yes, this seem like a very nice idea. I really like the warlock myself. it would be most useful at low level of course and for those invocation that you rarelly use.
The price seem just right.

Now, I'm going to make a warlock themed vestige.

Thank you. I think it adds a nice touch of cheap versatility to the warlock -- who's usually limited to 3 invocations per grade without using feats for Extra Invocations or the homebrew rules we use RL that give 5 Leasts and 4 each of Lesser, Greater and Dark.
And THANK YOU! Warlocks are my second favorite class BEHIND Binders.

[Walkabout]

Any other thoughts, comments or concerns?

[DragoonWraith]

These are awesome.

I think you're spot-on for the costs - scrolls do cost a Wand/50 + a bit, really. So this is pretty sweet.

[PId6]

How about some Eternal Wand types as well? Ones that can be used 1 or 2/day? Most warlock invocations are all day buffs anyway, so you rarely need to cast it more than once each morning. 2/day invocation items can be priced about the same as the 5/day rods, since invocations need not be used nearly as much.

[Walkabout]

Nice idea. I'll have to think about how to implement that.
There are several warlock items in the Magic Item Compendium, and they're pretty affordable, too. I'm trying to keep from stepping on those toes too much.