Perfect Gift for the Wizard in your life

[henebry]

I'm looking for a good Magic Item for an 8th level wizard with a fondness for Lightning Bolt and a Shocker Lizard familiar.

I have a sketch of the thing, I just don't know what it does.

It was crafted from the teeth of a Blue Dragon, and it is gripped using the leather strap at the far right. But what does it do and how does it work? Is is a Shocking Blast melee weapon? Is it a wand or staff with charges of lightning bolt or orb of electricity? Is it a metamagic rod?

When I look through the list of magic items in the DMG, it's quite clear to me what a fighter might find useful (armor, weapon) but not nearly so clear what a wizard might want.

The Wizard in question has 23,000 gp to play with. I've considered founding a legacy (I do have Weapons of Legacy) but again I'm not clear what a 8th level Wizard most needs.

[the_tick_rules]

what about that book of boccob that has infinite pages or something?

[henebry]

I have no idea what you're talking about. Where can I find this book of boccob? What does it do?

[mikeejimbo]

I would say that it's a melee weapon, kind of like a dagger, except that when it hits an enemy it also does electricity damage.

And it would have this added benefit: If you make their touch AC, but not their normal AC, then it would still do the electricity damage if the target is wearing armor made from a metal that conducts.

Which brings up a good question: Is mithral conductive?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Actually, wearing metal armor can cause a faraday cage, negating the effects of electricity. Look it up. It's science.

[mikeejimbo]

Actually, wearing metal armor can cause a farady cage, negating the effects of electricity. Look it up. It's science.

Oh yes, physics.

And lo! A catgirl dies....

[Viscount Einstrauss]

A lot of us here are DM's. We're like catgirl mass murderers.

[mikeejimbo]

Actually, I think they all died over in that Magic and Physics thread, so it doesn't really matter.

[Flabbicus]

A katar that has multiple charges of electric spells and deals electricity damage on impact?

[Ikkitosen]

You could keep it simple and make it add +X CL to any spell with the lightning descriptor.

[Athenodorus]

It could function as a (normal) "rod" of Metamagic (Empower) for Lightning spells only. That is, it would allow the casting of up to 3 lightning spells per day, up to spell level 6th, as if affected by the Empower Spell feat.

Normal empower mm rod costs 32,500 gp, I am sure a lot of that would go away due to the lightning-only restriction, but not sure how much.

Also to be considered is Quicken metamagic, but I would only have that function for up to 3rd spell level.

[henebry]

Lots of good ideas, many quite creative. Any idea how to price them?

You could keep it simple and make it add +X CL to any spell with the lightning descriptor.

Can you think of a precedent for this? Or for the idea of a metamagic rod that only affects spells with the electricity descriptor? Or for a weapon that does its energy damage (but not its weapon damage) on a successful touch attack? A precedent would help to price them (and to get them past my DM).

Side question, for those with experience playing wizards: how useful is a wand of lightning bolt? What about a staff? I know the staff has the advantage of allowing you to employ your full class level when casting; my question is how valuable is this vs. the extra expense of a staff? Is either one a must have for a wizard who likes to play a role in combat?

[Toliudar]

How about a "weapon" that does touch attack electricity damage. For the wizard who's stuck in melee, and might otherwise never hit anything: a hand-held weapon that does damage as an empowered shocking grasp (or something) on touch.

[Jewish_Joke]

It looks like a katar, (which means sorcerors would be proficient in it) and so I would give it the shocking property and allow it to function as a metamagic rod for either empowering lightning spells, as Athenodorus so kindly pointed out, or perhaps an energy substitution.

[krossbow]

get'm a cheese log.

[NullAshton]

Perhaps a staff of maximized lightning bolt? With 50 uses, it's 24,750, and with 25 uses, 12,375. Perhaps with some way of recharging it, such as going to a mountain during a thunderstorm and letting it get struck by a lightning bolt.

And the plus side of that is that it helps the fighter by doing direct damage! In addition to being a supercool FPS-ish weapon!

[Ramza00]

I have no idea what you're talking about. Where can I find this book of boccob? What does it do?

Its a relic in Complete Divine, combine that with the magic book in the DMG where you don't have to pay for scribbing pages, and the wizard is set for life.

[Ikkitosen]

Can you think of a precedent for this?

Orange Ioun Stone adds 1 to your CL for all purposes. This would be, what, 20% of that price or something? So 30k for the all-round one down to 6k for a +1 or...

24k for a +2 CL item that affects spells with the [Electricity] descriptor only. Sounds good - 2 extra damage dice

[Ramza00]

Agony +2 200 BoVD nonstacking, 1-use
Ambrosia +2 200 BoED nonstacking, 1-use
Robe of Arcane Might +2 21,000 EbExp 1 school
Rod of Elemental Might +2 9,600 gp CM 1 element, wu jen only
Terran Brandy +2 500 BoVD 1-use
Vial of the Last Gasp +1 2,200 CA 1-use


http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=615672

[henebry]

It could function as a (normal) "rod" of Metamagic (Empower) for Lightning spells only. That is, it would allow the casting of up to 3 lightning spells per day, up to spell level 6th, as if affected by the Empower Spell feat.

Normal empower mm rod costs 32,500 gp, I am sure a lot of that would go away due to the lightning-only restriction, but not sure how much.

I'm leaning toward this option, but I'm not sure how much of a discount to propose for a Metam rod that only empowers spells with the electricity descriptor. Electricity is 1 of 5 forms of energy, and there are other spells which benefit from "Empower" that aren't even energy spells. On the other hand, my Wizard already likes lightning spells, so a rod limited to electricity would be useful in casting a significant fraction of his spells, perhaps as much as 1 in 2.

[Divides]

I'm leaning toward this option, but I'm not sure how much of a discount to propose for a Metam rod that only empowers spells with the electricity descriptor. Electricity is 1 of 5 forms of energy, and there are other spells which benefit from "Empower" that aren't even energy spells. On the other hand, my Wizard already likes lightning spells, so a rod limited to electricity would be useful in casting a significant fraction of his spells, perhaps as much as 1 in 2.

I, myself, would lean towards either 30% (which I believe has been given as the default for limiting an item to a specific race/class... unless I'm horribly off here), or 50% (which just feels about right to me).

Just guesses, though. (You could even make an argument for a 1/6th value... although that may attract item crafting cheese-weasels :-p.)

[Deathcow]

+1 Shocking punching dagger that allows the use of the spells Shocking Grasp (3/day) and Lightning Bolt (1/day), both at 8th caster level.

What the price tag would be, I'm too lazy too look up. I'd guess somewhere in the range of 20,000-25,000 offhand, although I'm probably very wrong.

[henebry]

I would say that it's a melee weapon, kind of like a dagger, except that when it hits an enemy it also does electricity damage.

And it would have this added benefit: If you make their touch AC, but not their normal AC, then it would still do the electricity damage if the target is wearing armor made from a metal that conducts.

Which brings up a good question: Is mithral conductive?

Okay, this looks to me like a combination of a +1 Punching Dagger w/ Shocking and a use-activated item that deals Shocking Grasp.

Pricing the first half is fairly straightforward: 8,000 gp to cover the +2 (for +1 & Shocking) and 302 gp to cover the masterwork punching dagger.

Pricing the second half is fairly easy too, but I'm a novice so I'd like feedback. Spell level = 1 and Caster level =5 (to ensure 5d6 damage/hit on a successful touch attack). It's a Use-Activated item with unlimited charges, so that gives a multiplier of 2000. I don't think it should get a multiple ability bonus or penalty, but I'm not sure. Assuming I haven't forgotten anything, that's a total cost of 10,000 gp for the 5d6 Shocking Grasp touch attack.

That's a total cost of just 18,302 gp. Not bad. But I'm worried that I'm doing the second half wrong. By this calculation, it's only a bit more expensive to buy an unlimited-use touch attack that does 5d6 than to buy an unlimited use weapon that does just d4 + d6, and has a lower chance of a successful hit.

[Zeal]

Rod of Energy Substitution (electricity)?

[AtomicKitKat]

It looks like it could count as a triple-fang dagger. Maybe give it dagger stats, and when you hit, you roll d3(or half a d6) to see how many blades(fangs) hit. Each fang deals dagger+1d4(or whatever a shocking grasp does) electric damage.

[Divides]

It looks like it could count as a triple-fang dagger. Maybe give it dagger stats, and when you hit, you roll d3(or half a d6) to see how many blades(fangs) hit. Each fang deals dagger+1d4(or whatever a shocking grasp does) electric damage.

1d6 per level, max 5?

Or, I think what you're looking for would be just 1d6, no?

[axraelshelm]

As a spellcaster player, theres nothing like receiving a ring of elemental control or a greater spell storing item. Ring of wizardry also good.

[AtomicKitKat]

1d6 per level, max 5?

Or, I think what you're looking for would be just 1d6, no?

Yeah, 1d4+1d6, per dagger. Probably multiplying the xd4s on criticals.

[God_of_Luck]

what about that book of boccob that has infinite pages or something?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems...tm#blessedBook

[PinkysBrain]

Greater Lightning Lance from LoM (only not Grell specific obviously). 18K, 5d6 ranged touch attack (no save) and arcs to a secondary target ... nice backup weapon to have.

Weapon of Legacy is always possible, but the ritual cost tables for casters are pretty painful ... also it entirely depends on how much the DM is willing to work with you in creating it, if you can only take the options from the tables they are rather weak. If you can also take all the options from the existing legacy weapons they become better, and if you can use existing items and custom item pricing guidelines they are really nice (we use a rather harsher version of the custom magic item guidelines which don't allow custom magic items to completely sidestep slot pressure issues, so weapons of legacy in effect present extra slots ... becoming very valuable).