Interesting new item... not sure how to price it.

Arravis · Apr 8, 2004

I'm looking over the item creation rules, and I'm not sure how to go about pricing this item...

First of all I'm not sure what "affinity" this would fall under... and how to avoid the extra +50% cost increase for an item not matching the body slot affinity. The item could be anything, a hat, a bracer, etc. Anyway, here's what I would like it to do:

This magical item allows the user to take any object he's holding and place it in the very air around him. With a willed command an object in hand may be "placed" in the air within one-foot of the user's body. The object stays in that position, relative to the subject's body. Thus, if a dagger were place two inches from the user's hand, it would move as the user's hand moves, always staying two inches from his hand. The object may be retrieved by simply touching it once again.

Any number of objects may be "placed" in this fashion along the user's body, as long as their total weight does not exceed 50 lbs. These 50 lb's do not count against the user's encumbrance, and do not affect his movements; the objects simply slide along the body until they return to their original position. If an object is large enough, it provides cover. Since this can be used to place items in easy to reach areas, objects "placed" in easily accessible spots may be retrieved as a free action

mikebr99 · Apr 8, 2004

Arravis said:
Thus, if a dagger were place two inches from the user's hand, it would move as the user's hand moves, always staying two inches from his hand. The object may be retrieved by simply touching it once again.

How? It keeps moving...

Mike

Arravis · Apr 8, 2004

You have to use your other hand. Hey, it's magic... don't throw logic at me

Tatsukun · Apr 8, 2004

Whoa, images of a sorcerer with an array of wands floating at his fingertips. Players yelling “I just touch it as a free action and use the spell”. . .

Well, I guess that’s like granting the quickdraw feat (but better, as it would effect nearly anything, wands, scrolls, healing potions, whatever).

Then, maybe prestidigitation or mage hand could do something like this, but the total weight would be much lower.

The cover thing is like the “dancing” quality for a shield, which uses animate objects as the base spell, so maybe that should be in the mix too.

Overall, it seems like a neat object (I would make it a glove), but I would need to think long and hard before I let it in my game. It seems ripe for abuse.

Maybe it could effect only non-magical items?? That would help.

-Tatsu

Arravis · Apr 8, 2004

A wand is a spell completion item, activating it is a standard action, regardless of how easy to reach it is, so that's self-regulating.

The cover isn't like a shield, because a shield has to be actively used. To be effective a shield must be used to block, etc. Cover is a nice boon, but it's a two edged sword. The cover goes both ways, so in melee the player has cover but so does the creature against the player. Also, if a target has cover relative to you, you can't take AOO's against it. Again, this goes both ways. So it's quite different from a shield in all those ways.

Arravis · Apr 8, 2004

So, no guesses on price, guys?

der_kluge · Apr 8, 2004

I find that the best way to price magic items is to first create whatever power it has as a spell first, assuming no such spell already exists.

So, build the spell first, and then I can price it as a magic item.

Arravis · Apr 8, 2004

Yeah... I see your point, but I don't know if it's any easier. There aren't any spells that I know of that are comprable to that ability nor am I sure what level spell it would be.

kpdezend · Apr 9, 2004

Arravis said:
So, no guesses on price, guys?

I would base it off of a few more factors. Can a placed item be grabbed by an opponent as easily as the user? (You put your potion of healing out for easy retrieval, and then the baddie takes it. Probably with the same DC or easier than grabbing an Ion stone.) This seems fair. If this is the case (without looking at any books) and it can old affect non-magic items, and it is gloves (taking a space on the the body that cannot be used for other magic items, unlike Ion stones/etc.), I would say 2,000GP. If it affects Magic items, I would say roughly 1,000Gp for every Magic item you want it to hold. If other people cannot grab it, I would add +10,000GP.

Again, these numbers are just off the top of my head, but it is what seems fair to me.

Alternatively, maybe this would make a neat attribute for a weapon. A +1 equivalent for the weapon to stay next to the user (not fight like the dancing property) and additionally, if said weapon was dropped due to a natural one and then a failure of a dex check, the weapon would instead stay next to the user, and not invoke the attack of opportunity to pick it up. I would even say that this would apply to disarms with a weapon (although a disarm by a unarmed person (monk) places the object in the opponents hand if s/he wishes).

my 2 cents,

Kent

Arravis · Apr 9, 2004

My idea was that it could be grabbed by anyone, just like Ioun Stones

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Interesting new item... not sure how to price it.

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