Help Pricing Item - Death Touch from Death Domain

Aluvial · Nov 16, 2010

I have found a guantlet item in Rappan Athuk that grants +2 to Strength and +1 damage per level to a character with the Death Touch ability (which is derived from the special Death domain ability).

What would you price this item at?

I have it at +4,000 for the Strength and I have no idea where to begin with the extra +1 HP per level for such a specific ability.

Thanks,

Aluvial

Aluvial · Nov 16, 2010

I have found two items that might help...

One is the Statuette of the All-Father from Dragon 323, p. 88 which essentially gives you the Strength Domain, plus spells for only 2,000 gold. (underpriced?)

The other are called Gloves of Sand Shaping from Sandstorm, p. 134, which gives you the granted power (no spells) of that domain, (shaping sand (yea!)) for 15,000 gold. (overpriced?!?)

Aluvial

Dandu · Nov 16, 2010

For something that gives +2 to strength and +1 to damage/level, I'd price it at 3,000 gp.

Aluvial · Nov 16, 2010

Dandu said:
For something that gives +2 to strength and +1 to damage/level, I'd price it at 3,000 gp.

Do you see other items that grant +1/level? I can't seem to find any...

I do know that there is a 28.57% increase from 3.5 to 4.5 on average damage... not that that helps me...

Aluvial

Dandu · Nov 16, 2010

What the... why did I put down 3,000? That's not even the cost of a +2 item.

Sorry, I think 7,000 would be a more appropriate price.

Jeff Wilder · Nov 17, 2010

Damage is one of the benefits of Strength, so I think you start there, by asking yourself what percentage of the benefit of Strength does damage equate to? (You'll have to estimate, obviously.)

The +2 to Strength is 4,000 gp. A +4 to Strength would be 16,000 gp. The difference is 12,000 gp.

Personally, I'd put the damage benefit of Strength at about one-third, or 4,000 gp. (The damage won't be multiplied with a two-handed weapon, e.g., but nor would it be modified for a light weapon, so that's a wash.)

I'd give a slight price break due to the restricted nature of the item -- to people with the Death domain -- but only slight. Restrictions like that are not as limiting in practice as a lot of people think. Call it 10 percent, or 800 gp.

Final item cost, 7,200 gp.

Note that there are other ways to approach this (e.g., considering damage bonus as part of the benefit of an enhanced weapon, instead), but IMO it's better to go with Strength, because that way you can justify not upping the cost of one of the components due to stacking effects in one body-slot.