Magic Item Calculator?

[Crissa]

Hey, is there a calculator somewhere of how to make a magical item for D20?

I'm so lost when reading the books, and the SRD seems even less able to deal with my questions (it doesn't even have wealth-by-level, but constantly refers to it!)

So, taking Frank's Maginomicon; Polymorph Version 2: Fixed Forms spell, I have a: level 1 Bard spell 'Become Humanoid'; caster level ?; Spell completion item; 1/day effect; and I'd like the effect to be Permanent (so that it'll last a day or so); and no disguise use: Joe the Human always becomes Joe the Merfolk or Joe the Halfling, but he changes to their movement type. (Transmutation as opposed to Illusion)

How do I do this?

-Crissa

[Fwib]

Use-activated or continuous: Spell level × caster level × 2,000 gp

so: 1x2(minimum for a bard level 1 spell)x2000gp=4000gp

I think. 4k might be a little cheap for that effect. I'm not sure....

from http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cr ... cItems.htm

[Crissa]

Yeah, Fwib, that's obviously not the answer.

Because that's the same as the 'Hey, I have my Truestrike blahblah...'

We're missing the multiplier for caster level, and I don't see the divisor for being spell-completion (requires having it on your spell-list) there, or a way to make it last longer. Of course, having it last only as long as the ring is on should be cheaper than moving it to permanent, but...

Argh.

Why isn't there a nice chart like in 3.0 saying each level of spell gets so much dice, effects need a spell of this level or add a level to a spell except up to this level, where are the details?

Help, K, Frank?

-Crissa

[Iaimeki]

1159297888[/unixtime]]Use-activated or continuous: Spell level × caster level × 2,000 gp

so: 1x2(minimum for a bard level 1 spell)x2000gp=4000gp

I think. 4k might be a little cheap for that effect. I'm not sure....

from http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cr ... cItems.htm

There's also a 1.5x cost modifier for a spell with a 10 min./level duration, so 6,000 gp. For a slightly beefier version of what is essentially a hat of disguise, that number doesn't seem far off to me.

[Iaimeki]

1159301063[/unixtime]]Yeah, Fwib, that's obviously not the answer.

Because that's the same as the 'Hey, I have my Truestrike blahblah...'

We're missing the multiplier for caster level, and I don't see the divisor for being spell-completion (requires having it on your spell-list) there, or a way to make it last longer. Of course, having it last only as long as the ring is on should be cheaper than moving it to permanent, but...

Argh.

Why isn't there a nice chart like in 3.0 saying each level of spell gets so much dice, effects need a spell of this level or add a level to a spell except up to this level, where are the details?

Help, K, Frank?

-Crissa

The magic items creation rules, as WotC has emphasized over and over, are guidelines, not hard rules, to prevent the true strike silliness.

Fwib included the multiplier for caster level (it's two). As for the rest, the item creation system doesn't address any of those things. Spell-completion items are one-use (all spell-completion items are scrolls or morally equivalent to scrolls), and spell-trigger items have charges (all spell-trigger items are wands, staffs, or morally equivalent to the same). There's no way to increase the durations on spells from spell-trigger, spell-completion, or command-word items except increasing the items (or the user's) caster level, or ruling that it's possible to build items with metamagicked spells, so you could make an item with Extend or Persistent built-in and soak the cost for the higher spell level and caster level. A continuous item does work so long as it's worn, so I don't understand that. There's also no mechanism beyond permanency for making spells permanent.

Basically, the item creation rules don't seem to include the case you want.

[Crissa]

Why the heck aren't they harder, faster?

'To prevent silliness, we didn't include rules that disallow this case' is the dumbest reason I've ever heard so far. Why do we buy their books, exactly? So that we can find out that they decided that it would be too much work to actually answer a darn question?

1159302916[/unixtime]]Basically, the item creation rules don't seem to include the case you want.

That probably explains the number of magic items I've gotten in 3.x play is sharply lower than the number in 2.x.

*grumble*

-Crissa

[Crissa]

Refugee's BroochA small gold trinket, favored by Bards travelling in far lands to either fit in or stand out. The source of these items have been lost, but there are rumours that a Bard bested a Demon to gain their ability to fit in with a populace.
It has one charge per day, which encloses the user in a transmutation effect, changing them to a likeness of another race within plus or minus one size category. The user exchanges size and movement modifiers, but otherwise does not gain any other abilities or stats of the mimiced race. The spell gives a +10 Disguise bonus towards being the race, but cannot be used to mimic a specific, or even different, person. The effect lasts as long as the brooch is worn. Items up to no encumberance change to fit the new form - but anything not worn, such as weapons and tools, do not change.
Charges: 1/day
Activation: Spell trigger: Theoretical spell Human Form, Bard or Wizard spell list Alter Self, Polymorph.
Duration: (D) - remove item.
Aura: 2nd level, Transmutation
Weight: --
Cost: 1200 gold?

Well... Why doesn't anyone answer? So, wands are spell trigger... Maybe I can figure this out, Frank-like...

Spell Level * Caster Level * ...

[*]Spell trigger, 50 charges: * 750

• Continuous or Unlimited (100 charges): * 2
  
• Daily Limit (50 charges): * 1

[*]50 charges: * 1/2

[*]Once per Day: * 1/5

Okay... So, it doesn't say, but it does say. How confusing. So, to add charges, you halve, to take charges away, you double.

Therefore:

[*]Spell Trigger: * 1500

But the effect is continuous...

[*]Spell Trigger, Continuous: * 3000

But I have no need of an item that lets me roll 20 every other round all day. Talk about sniper... Anyhow.

[*]Spell Trigger, Continuous Effect, Slotted, 1/day charge: * 600

Then we put in numbers:

[*] 1 * 2 * 600 = 1200

Yay! Right?

-Crissa

Of course, whether you'd let someone have a 12,000 gold sword that could always Truestrike next round, given you give up this round and have the spell on your list..

[erik]

That item seems to be worth a lot more than 1200 gp.

I'd call this in the neighborhood of combining slippers of spider climb with a hat of disguise for utility purposes. It's actually better and worse than that, but hey, it's pretty darned close. Somewhere from 5k gp to 7,500gp seems about fair depending upon how much dumpster diving is allowed in the campaign world.

You potentially get swim speed (aquatic elf/locathah), climb speed (I'm sure they're out there, OA monkey people maybe), infiltrate races, fly speed (raptoran), and 40' movement (catfolk). Basically an item that encourages dumpster diving for humanoid fits. Being able to change size is pretty huge and someday someone will make a large humanoid race (if not done already), then all bets are off.

Since you're making an item for your own campaign, you really don't have to make something that is priced by guidelines for different campaigns. Just figure out what abilities one can potentially have in your world, and price per usefulness.

[Username17]

What you're running up into is the fact that the magic item creation guidelines are crap.

The goal was to create a setup by which characters could not afford items that granted bonuses or abilities that were appropriate for characters of higher level. A laudable goal I suppose, but it runs into some immediate and obvious problems:

• A bonus does nt have the same kind of impact as an ability, and converting one to the other enough times runs people into invincibility/RNG problems.
  
• If a character can't afford a piece of gear that's higher level, that probably means that they can't afford two pieces of level appropriate gear, and that's boring.
  
• Geometeric bonus costs will never mean shit as long as slotless items exist.
  
• Some 17th level abilities are actually worth giving up 153 first level abilities. Some of them.

And that's insoluale. The broach of merfolk transformation, which when you put it on turns you into a mermaid version of yourself, is probably appropriate treasure for a ~3rd level party. It's not that you couldn't give it to a first level character without breaking things, it's that none of the other characters would be able to follow our new mermaid on her adventures at least until 3rd level (and possibly 5th). So giving out such a broach to a low level party is destructive to party dynamics - you don't want to do it.

But honestly, who cares? It's a broach that makes you automaticall tall enough to adventure in a dangerous location, but at any particular level you would be adventuring somewhere so that's essentially just a story effect.

It's not worth any money at all if that cuts into your bonuses. We're working on this problem for Book of Gears. It's pretty complicated. What we're looking at right now is making all stuff like that provide bonuses, and all bonus-producing items give some sort of story benefit.

-Username17

[Crissa]

Yeah, it's for a Fourth Level party, Frank.

Sure, you can dumpster-dive for abilities... Assuming you want to use them, that they're in the game, etc, etc. In this case, it's the opposite - it's a ring to move a Merfork into a dry-land party. ...Which kinda cuts out the dumpster-diving.

-Crissa

[Crissa]

Why isn't there a table that says something like...

Code: Select all

Level 1;       2;       3;       4;       5;...[br] d4;     2d6;   lvld6;       ...[br]etc[br]

That says what size of effect and what would add or subtract to a level, instead of list upon list of spells which aren't even balanced against each other? (Who'd ever choose Fins to feet when it's the same level and duration as Alter Self? Why isn't it longer?)

-Crissa

[Fwib]

I have no idea why they dont try to balance spells against each other and level.

Perhaps Frank will save us?

All hail Frank, Messiah of D&D!

[Zherog]

1159314046[/unixtime]] Of course, whether you'd let someone have a 12,000 gold sword that could always Truestrike next round, given you give up this round and have the spell on your list..

If I'm remembering correctly, Sword and Fist had a bow that was basically this, and for around that price I believe. It was, essentially, a never-ending wand of true strike, so you could get your +20 every other round.

But it's been a long time since I've looked at S&F, so I could be misremembering.

[Fwib]

1159568216[/unixtime]]

1159314046[/unixtime]] Of course, whether you'd let someone have a 12,000 gold sword that could always Truestrike next round, given you give up this round and have the spell on your list..

If I'm remembering correctly, Sword and Fist had a bow that was basically this, and for around that price I believe. It was, essentially, a never-ending wand of true strike, so you could get your +20 every other round.

But it's been a long time since I've looked at S&F, so I could be misremembering.

Indeed, the Bow of True Arrows, for 4kgp.

[Zherog]

hey, look at that! The old man's memory still works - at least once in a while.