Improving Magic Items

Currently my group and I have some disagreements as to the formulas for how magic items are improved.

First off, from the SRD: “A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions. The cost to do this is the same as if the item was not magical. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal sword minus the cost of a +1 sword.

If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character’s body the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection +2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.”

The understanding of my group is that when Armor is improved with Armor Special Abilities that have a Base Price Modifier listed in gold pieces, the Base Price Modifier is multiplied by 1.5, because Armor is listed under the list of Body Slots.

For example (and for clarity / generality, I’m not including the MW cost or base price of the armor / weapon and all prices listed are in gp) the way I read it, the cost of improving a +1 suit of armor to a +1 Slick suit of armor would cost 3,750 (the same cost as the Base Market Price Modifier): the cost of the improved armor (1,000+ 3,750 = 4,750) minus the original (1,000). By their understanding, since the armor occupies a body slot and is having an additional ability put onto it, it would be 5,625 (Base Market Price Modifier x1.5): improved (1,000 + 5,625 = 6,625) minus the original (1,000).

The application of these rules to rings / Wondrous Items has also come up, for instance, what would be the cost of improving a +1 Ring of Protection to a +2 Ring of Protection? As I understand it, with armor (which, again, has a Body Slot), the cost of going from +1 to +2 would be 3,000 (4,000 for +2 minus 1,000 for +1). Would the same follow for the Ring of Protection (8,000 for +2 minus 2,000 for +1 = 6,000)? Same thing for enhancement bonuses from the various Gloves, Gauntlets, and Capes. As I understand it, there is no “additional ability”, the modifier is just being changed. You do not have a +2 (+1) Ring of Protection, you have a +2 Ring of Protection, the same way you do not have a +2 (+1) suit of armor.

Compare this to the example given in the SRD, Ring of Invisibility / Protection +2. The Ring does not lose anything from the “of Protection” Ability by adding the Invisibility Ability to it; it duplicates exactly the abilities of both a +2 Ring of Protection and a Ring of Invisibility. Thus should “Additional Abilities” refer to “Abilities that duplicate those of an item which would occupy the same slot” or “Any modification to the enhancements granted by the item”?

Along the lines of the Ring of Protection, what happens when you upgrade from a +1 Slick suit of armor to a +1 Greater Slick suit of armor. Assuming that the Base Market Price of a +1 Slick Armor is 4,750, what would the cost of improving it to a +1 Greater Slick Armor? Since the Base Price Modifier of Greater Slick is +33,750 (for a Total Market Price of 34,750), should the cost to upgrade be 30,750?

These rules are terse enough that they do need some interpretation. Here's how I handle it:

- Abilities can be added to item types for which they are associated in the DMG (armor abilities on armor, rings powers on rings, boot powers on boots only.)
- If you're upgrading to an existing item in the DMG, the total cost is just the same (no 50% surcharge for: +1 sword --> +2 sword, +1 armor --> +1 slick armor, +1 ring of protection --> +2 ring of protection, etc.)
- If your end result is an item not directly described in the DMG, then you take the 50% surcharge (50% surcharge for: ring of invisibility --> ring of invisibility and protection, boots of haste --> winged boots of haste, etc.)

In short, the final market price of the item should be the same regardless of whether it was made from whole cloth or improved in steps. It's just in the case of nonstandard items you couldn't get directly out of the DMG that you need special DM adjudication (such as the suggested 50% surcharge).

But, you'll find a lot of differences of opinion here.

dcollins said:

These rules are terse enough that they do need some interpretation. Here's how I handle it:

- Abilities can be added to item types for which they are associated in the DMG (armor abilities on armor, rings powers on rings, boot powers on boots only.)
- If you're upgrading to an existing item in the DMG, the total cost is just the same (no 50% surcharge for: +1 sword --> +2 sword, +1 armor --> +1 slick armor, +1 ring of protection --> +2 ring of protection, etc.)
- If your end result is an item not directly described in the DMG, then you take the 50% surcharge (50% surcharge for: ring of invisibility --> ring of invisibility and protection, boots of haste --> winged boots of haste, etc.)

In short, the final market price of the item should be the same regardless of whether it was made from whole cloth or improved in steps. It's just in the case of nonstandard items you couldn't get directly out of the DMG that you need special DM adjudication (such as the suggested 50% surcharge).

But, you'll find a lot of differences of opinion here.

Click to expand...

You're right. The 50% increase is, as far as I can work out, already applied to the armour enchantments. Compare, for instance, a ring of elemental resistance (minor). 10 resistance, 12000gp. Look at the same enchantment on armour: 10 resistance, 18000gp.