Glasses of Detect Magic vs. Permanencied Detect Magic

[Tyger]

Maybe I am missing something here, in fact its quite likely. What would be the advantage to getting Detect Magic made permanent over having a magic item that does it?

Permanent Detect Magic costs 500XP, and is subject to a Dispel Magic at any time.

A pair of Continuous or Use Activated Detect Magic spectacles cost 1,000 gold, or 500 gp and 25 XP to make yourself. Not subject to Dispel Magic but would be subject to loss or theft.

But 500GP is a lot easier to generate than 500XP. Or is there something I am missing here?

[Zherog]

While I generally agree that going with permanency is a bad idea, one thing it does do is free up an item slot.

In addition, the XP is easier to make up than you might think. the 3.5 rules allow a character who falls behind to "catch up" as long as the lag in XP puts them a level behind the rest of the party.

[Tyger]

True, but our DM uses a flat XP award for the entire party, despite the now 2 level disparity between our highest and lowest level characters.

That aside... even if you have mulitple sets of lenses or goggles, you can easily swap them out at need.

[Zherog]

So, your DM's houserule makes a standard part of the game function worse. Got it.

Swapping works most of the time, but not always. You really can't envision the need to be able to detect magic and also use an item in the eye slot at the same time?

[bugsysservant]

Well, you can just enchant the glasses to do both. I believe it costs 1.5 times the original cost of the lower level effect, but that still doesn't up it much.

[Zherog]

Indeed. That's a completely valid option when making magic items.

As I said in my first post, I agree permanency often isn't the best way to do things. But there are reasons for it.

[bugsysservant]

Do you mean Permanency? Because I don't think Contingency has been mentioned.

[Tyger]

So, your DM's houserule makes a standard part of the game function worse. Got it.

Trust me, its an issue we have been begging him on for a long, long time.

And I forgot about the multiple effects on a single item. And with the MIC rules for similar body slot affinity enchantments not costing the extra 1/2, this just became even more likely.

So Permanecy has fallen further behind.

[Zherog]

Do you mean Permanency? Because I don't think Contingency has been mentioned.

I don't know what you're talking about...

[Dausuul]

If permanency couldn't be dispelled, it would be worth considering, though I'd spring for arcane sight rather than detect magic.

Since permanency can in fact be dispelled, it's not even remotely worth it. Go with the glasses instead.

[Riffington]

The glasses are way better, because you can take them off.
Walking around with Detect Magic all the time... you'd go insane.

[Zherog]

A ring of counterspells with dispel magic in it is one way to make permanency more attractive. And while the ring isn't worth the price just for that reason, it is worth the price if you regularly cast a series of buff spells at the beginning of the day. In that situation, you're probably going to want the ring anyway, to avoid losing all your buffs.

[MrNexx]

One thought... make your glasses multifunctional. My usual is Glasses of Reading and Detecting Magic. But I could see adding something like "Detect Secret Doors" to them, to make them even more useful.

[Roderick_BR]

If you are willing to burn a feat, and have the Player's handbook 2, there's a feat to get Detect Magic at will.

[MrNexx]

If you are willing to burn a feat, and have the Player's handbook 2, there's a feat to get Detect Magic at will.

Feats are more valuable than gold and XP, when you get right down to it. The ability to DM at will is nice... but I'd rather spend a bit of gold than a feat.

[namo]

Permanency is always available, whereas custom items and their pricing depend on DM fiat.

Also note that you can another spellcaster to cast the Permanency on you if you don't want to pay for XP. It's still more expensive (1 XP -> 5 gp) than an item. If the item is ok, definitely go for it.

[Saph]

But 500GP is a lot easier to generate than 500XP. Or is there something I am missing here?

The only thing you're missing is that custom magic item creation is a notoriously dodgy business, especially if you use the table you're using, which is a vague estimate and is infamous for creating hideously unbalanced items (e.g. the Ring of True Strike). Hence many DMs are harsh on custom item requests.

Personally, I just use a wand of detect magic instead. 375 gold, half that if you make it yourself, and it'll take you a very long time to burn through 50 charges, especially if you cast detect magic from your spell slots as well and only use the wand as a backup. I made one for my wizard at level 5 and it's still got 25 charges left at level 12.

- Saph

[Indon]

Permanency can be dispelled, but glasses can be sundered.

Personally, for purely mechanical reasons I'd go with Permanency because it's cheaper and you could simultaneously wear other lenses, but it's minor enough that character flavor would be likely to decide it for me.

[Tyger]

Yeah, its looking more and more like the glasses (or some variant) is the way to go.

And I am picturing more a jewlers monocle style thing... one that would only be brought out when you actually want to look for magic. Thus the Use Activated part. And that way you can have your usual (though I have none there at the moment) goggles or lenses, and just push them up on your forehead and pull out the lens when you want to see if something is magical.

And yeah Saph, the wand would be the way to go, but this character has Craft Wondrous, not Craft Wand, and our DM doesn't let us buy magic items... not so far anyway. But that is a great idea, and a good use of resources.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Caster Level. Generally, a magic item of detect magic has the spell at CL 1 while a permancied magic could have the spell at any caster level you cast it. And since nondetection and some other stuff require CL checks...

And as others said, glasses can be sundered. A supernatural permancy cannot be dispelled.

[Tyger]

A supernatural permancy cannot be dispelled.

Good points, except the above... Permanency spells can be dispelled. Its their greatest weakness.

[MrNexx]

Permanency can be dispelled, but glasses can be sundered.

Yes, but that involves sundering my FACE.

If you're sundering my glasses, I don't think I'm terribly concerned about it anymore.

[TheOOB]

In my games I allow all spellcasters to use detect magic, read magic, light, and prestidigitation(arcane)/cure minor wounds(divine) a number of times per day as spell-like abilities equal to caster level plus ability mod in addition to normal 0 level spells per day.

The idea is that these are the basic building blocks of any magicians education, and they should have access to them pretty much at will.