Boots of Striding and Springing got nerfed bad

[Kae'Yoss]

Seems like 1.5 is the right multiplier.

Hm... That's what the sidebar on p.282 in the DMG says, too. But The table on p285 says "Multiply higher item cost by 2" for multiple different abilities.

 

[ForceUser]

Boots of Striding and Springing, Improved:
These boots increase the wearer's base land speed by 30 feet. In addition to this striding ability (considered an enhancement bonus), these boots allow the wearer to make great leaps. She can jump with a +10 competence bonus on Jump checks (not including the +12 bonus from the wearer's increased land speed).
Faint transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wonderous Item, expeditious retreat, creator must have 10 ranks in the Jump skill; Price 22,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Craft notes:
Skill: Jump +10, cost is 10 x 10 x 100 = 10000
Spell: expeditious retreat, spell level 1, caster level 1 (no benefit from choosing a higher caster level), cost of 1 x 1 x 2000, duration is in rounds, 2000 x 4 = 8000, second ability in single item slot, 8000 x 1.5 = 12000
Caster level for the item is 7th because you need to be at least 7th level to have 10 ranks of Jump.

How's that?

Sounds about right. Good luck finding a person with 10 ranks in Jump and Craft Wondrous Item!

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Cheap at twice the price in a game where combat tactics matter. Slightly less usefull in games where the orcs seem to be able to gate in at charge range.

I know the feeling there. Last night's session:

DM: "Make a spot check"
Us: "Ok."
DM: You see guards in front of you. The attack for *rolls* 17 points of damage.

*grumble*

 

[Fedifensor]

Actually, Expeditious Retreat has a duration of 1 min/level, so the Boots would only have a final x2 multiplier, for a final cost of 4000gp. Which is way too underpriced for the benefit, under the new limited maneuverability of 3.5e.

I had a solution to that, which would help bring into line all of the low-level spells. Don't allow the caster level on a permanent item to be any lower than the minimum level necessary to take the feat (3rd for Craft Wonderous Item). Thus, the Boots of Expeditious Retreat would cost 12,000 gold instead of 4,000.

This means that any item that gives a permanent benefit of a 1st level spell would cost a minimum of 6,000 gold, and spells with a powerful effect over a short duration would cost more (a Cloak of Shield would cost at least 12,000 gold). This still doesn't cover the discrepancy between mage armor and Bracers of Armor +4, but it comes a lot closer.

As an aside, if you just take the difference in duration between shield and mage armor, and apply the cost modifier on Bracers of Armor, then Bracers of Shielding +4 would be 32,000 gold (duration of minutes versus duration of hours). By the DMG rules, Bracers of Shielding could cost as little as 1 x 1 x 2000 x 2 = 4000 gold. So there's still a lot of kinks in the system.

 

[Taloras]

Yeah. Balance suxxors.

Balance? Their idea of balance is to bring the most powerful stuff to the level of hte weakest, not meet in the middle. Bah.

 

[bret]

Boots of Striding and Springing, Improved:
These boots increase the wearer's base land speed by 30 feet. In addition to this striding ability (considered an enhancement bonus), these boots allow the wearer to make great leaps. She can jump with a +10 competence bonus on Jump checks (not including the +12 bonus from the wearer's increased land speed).
Faint transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wonderous Item, expeditious retreat, creator must have 10 ranks in the Jump skill; Price 22,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Craft notes:
Skill: Jump +10, cost is 10 x 10 x 100 = 10000
Spell: expeditious retreat, spell level 1, caster level 1 (no benefit from choosing a higher caster level), cost of 1 x 1 x 2000, duration is in rounds, 2000 x 4 = 8000, second ability in single item slot, 8000 x 1.5 = 12000
Caster level for the item is 7th because you need to be at least 7th level to have 10 ranks of Jump.

How's that?

Good luck finding a Bard with the correct feats and the spell. Otherwise, it is a cross-class skill for Sorcerers and Wizards. Need to be multiclassed or level 17 to have 10 ranks in jump.

Arcane Tricksters are your best bet.

 

[Caliban]

Balance? Their idea of balance is to bring the most powerful stuff to the level of hte weakest, not meet in the middle. Bah.

One of the goals of the 3.5 revisions seems to be to reduce PC mobility. Just about everything that increased your mobility has been reduced, removed, or increased in price. Even 5' steps are not as effective.

 

[The Little Raven]

This is strange... the boots of striding and springing use the multiple different abilities costing x1.5, and they use the striding ability (which is less expensive) as the secondary power, while the Jump bonus is the primary one.

Skill Bonus (+5 Jump): 5 x 5 x 100 = 2,500 gp
Continuous Spell (Longstrider, CL 1st): 1 x 1 x 2,000 = 2,000 x 1.5 = 3,000 gp (multiple different power)

And that comes out to 5,500 gp. If the skill bonus was secondary, it would have come out to 5,750 gp. If it used the x2 method listed on the table, the Jump bonus would be multiplied, and they would cost 7,000 gp.

And the "improved" boots, if you use the same basic logic they used with the normal ones...

Skill Bonus (+10 Jump): 10 x 10 x 100 = 10,000 gp
Continuous Spell (Expeditious Retreat, CL 1st) 1 x 1 x 2,000 = 2,000 x 1.5 = 3,000 gp (mutiple different power)

For a final price of... 13,000 gp.

Seven League Boots: These boots increase the wearer's base land speed by 30 feet. In addition to this striding ability (considered an enhancement bonus), these boots allow the wearer to make great leaps. She can jump with a +10 competence bonus on Jump checks.
Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, expeditious retreat, creator must have 10 ranks in the Jump skill; Price 13,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Since it's CL 7th, it has a moderate aura, not a faint one.

And even if you reverse them (making the skill bonus secondary), they cost 17,000 gp, which sounds a little better to me.

 

[Spatzimaus]

I had a solution to that, which would help bring into line all of the low-level spells. Don't allow the caster level on a permanent item to be any lower than the minimum level necessary to take the feat (3rd for Craft Wonderous Item).

Heh, I'm even worse about it. IMC, we use these rules:

1> Minimum caster level equals the level needed for the Feat (like you said).
2> All effects on the item must have the same caster level.
3> Craft Wondrous Item can't be used for unlimited-use or continuous items (other than items that just provide numerical bonuses, such as the stat-booster items, Bracers of Armor, skill boosters, etc.) If you want those sorts of items, get a Ring, Rod, etc. For all those existing unlimited-use items, change to 5/day.
This was based on the infamous "quacks like a duck" rule. I'll change it somewhat when I get a better hang of the 3.5 changes.

Anyway, to the original topic: the 3.0 BoSS were insanely good. With one cheap little item that could be made by any 3rd-level Wizard or Sorcerer (or some Clerics), you could instantly gain Monk-like mobility. In my experience, everyone could be put into four categories: slower than 30', 30', 40-50', and "ludicrous speed" (60'+, which means Monks only). Moving from one category to another is a major boost in a game where combat involves a grid map. The old boots allowed you to move two categories.
(Why is the jump from 50' to 60' so important? It allows you to charge a 30' mover who's flat-out running away. It allows you to partial charge or move-n-attack someone who's double-moving. It allows you to outrun a horse.)

They errata the price to 6k. Still, everyone seems to buy them.
They add the Boots of Skating in the PsiHB that give a +0 (uphill)/+15' (flat)/+30' (downhill) bonus for 2000 gp. I'm sure the price of those will go up in 3.5E too, since it's based on a 1 min/level spell.

I'm happy with the change.

 

[Fedifensor]

Good luck finding a Bard with the correct feats and the spell. Otherwise, it is a cross-class skill for Sorcerers and Wizards. Need to be multiclassed or level 17 to have 10 ranks in jump.

Arcane Tricksters are your best bet.

Nope, Eldritch Knights. One level behind a pure wizard in spellcasting capability, and gets Jump as a class skill.