Warlock's Imbue Item - Explain, please..

[Zieu]

Hey there, I've stumbled upon a class that essentially uses a very slightly altered version of the Warlock's Imbue Item ability (just a different skill used and no spell requirements), but for the life of me I cannot find a source explaining the function of the ability in question. Clearly my Google-fu is weak.

I know it has something to do with item creation, but I have zero familiarity with that territory as well; info on that front would be appreciated too.

Cheers.

[MammonAzrael]

Essentially Imbue Item lets warlocks create items without knowing the spells needed to create said item. The fake knowing the spell with the proper skill check.

[Zieu]

Ah ok, great. So...the decription for the altered version I using mentions still having to pay XP and GP costs. Those must come from the item creation part.....where do I find those rules?

[MammonAzrael]

Creating Magic Items.

Note that the rules are general guidelines. You should not be making Rings of Continuous True Strike for 2000 gp.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Ah ok, great. So...the decription for the altered version I using mentions still having to pay XP and GP costs. Those must come from the item creation part.....where do I find those rules?

All info on Warlocks is on Complete Arcane, and they still need to pay XP and Gold cost to craft items, the only thing that Imbue item changes, is that you don't need to cast the spell.

IIRC you need to do an UMD check with DC 15+spell level for items requiring Arcane spells and 20+spell level for items requiring Divine spells.

[Zieu]

Haha, of course not...I've heard a topic or two about that subject, but I'm just looking at augmenting (enhancing?) armour I'm already using. Not sure if it works like that, but I'll give it a read over and make sure.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Oh and I forgot something, unless the class feature you are mentioning changes imbue item somehow, You still need the magic item creation feats.

[Zieu]

Oh, yeah, that's mentioned in the altered description. Feat + spellcasting requirements are taken care of. But let me run one trial item creation GP cost by you:

Command word-activated (ring/necklace/etc of) Shield spell twice/day:

Shield: Command word + 1st level spell, caster level 1 = 1,800gp

Twice/day = (5/2 times a day) = 1,800gp/2.5 = 720gp?

That seems pretty cheap. I can't be doing that right.

[MammonAzrael]

You're doing it right. And yes, 1st level spells are the most prone to abuse with the custom magic item rules. Using the rules as laid out you can make a Ring of Continuous True Strike for only 2,000 gp. +20 to hit, for ever and always, for only 2,000 gp.

Note that your ring takes a standard action to activate due to being a command word, and will only last 1 minute, as it has a CL of 1.

So it isn't insane, but quality 1st level spells are some of the best to put on custom magic items.

[Urpriest]

You're doing it right. And yes, 1st level spells are the most prone to abuse with the custom magic item rules. Using the rules as laid out you can make a Ring of Continuous True Strike for only 2,000 gp. +20 to hit, for ever and always, for only 2,000 gp.

Eh, this one's a bad example, since usually people interpret such an item as giving you the option to get +20 to one attack all day, rather than +20 to all attacks, since True Strike's "applies to one attack" restriction has nothing to do with it's duration. Still, a use-activated item sword of True Strike also gets the point across. But use-activated is generally a pretty borked category anyway without DM intervention.

[MammonAzrael]

Eh, this one's a bad example, since usually people interpret such an item as giving you the option to get +20 to one attack all day, rather than +20 to all attacks, since True Strike's "applies to one attack" restriction has nothing to do with it's duration. Still, a use-activated item sword of True Strike also gets the point across. But use-activated is generally a pretty borked category anyway without DM intervention.

Fair enough. (Though my reading is that it applies to the "next single attack roll" If it is always active it will always apply to your "next single attack roll." So, essentially, every attack, since each attack is your "next single attack roll.")

But we can agree that it is borked, and requires Rule 0, with no need to derail the thread arguing about it.

[Urpriest]

Anyway, Zieu, you don't need to read that part, since you're not making custom items. The rules before that table (coupled to the rules in the feats) specify what you need to do to make a magic item, and magic item costs and the like are listed in their descriptions. Just use pregenerated item types and you'll be fine.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Okay, to further enchant an already magic item, goes as follows:

Say you have a +1 Mithral Chain Shirt you've got lying around, and you are wanting to give it Fortification as well.

Now, Fortification is a +3 equivalent, which means it's going to be a +4 armor when you're done with it, for purposes of determining cost.

Right now, you're looking at magic on the item worth 1k, and you're wanting to increase that to 16k. That makes it a difference of 15k. That means it's gonna cost you 7.5k in raw materials and 600 xp. It'll also take you 15 weeks of uninterrupted item creation.