Feat-Granting Magic Items?

[kreynolds]

I have to agree with other posters that a set formula does not work with all feat-granting magic items. However, in my experience, it works with a great many of them. Really depends on how valuable the DM thinks the granted feat is. In my campaigns, I use this formula...

10,000 gp (+5,000 gp per prerequisite feat not required to be possessed by wearer).

Works fairly well for most feats. A good example of a feat this doesn't work well for, in my opinion, would be any of the feats that grant a +2 bonus to two skills. That's a fairly small bonus to two skills, and not worth 10,000 gp, I think.

The formula is definately heavy on the first feat, I think, but when you select a feat that has three or four prerequisite feats, the value isn't that bad, in most cases. I don't think I've ever been able to apply this formula and just be done with though.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

Aw hell yeah, local advice.

 

[Mistwell]

Here are some items from MIC that might help you come up with some guidelines.

Mobility property for Armor (Pg. 13)
Feat: Mobility
Additional abilities: None
Cost: +1 armor bonus

Crystal of Arrow Deflection
Feat: Deflect Arrows
Additional abilities: +2 AC vs. ranged attacks
Cost: +5000 gp

Precise property for Weapon
Feat: Precise Shot
Additional abilities: Applies to that weapon only
Cost: +1 weapon bonus

Sundering property for Weapon
Feat: Improved Sundering
Additional abilities: +1d6 damage on sunder attacks
Cost:+1 weapon bonus

Whirling property for Weapon
Feat: Whirlwind Attack
Additional abilities: 3 x day only
Cost: +1 weapon bonus

Mask of the Tiger (pg. 200)
Feat: Track
Additional abilities: Low-Light Vision
Cost: 4000 gp (Face)

Panther Mask (pg. 201)
Feat: Run
Additional abilities: +5' to land speed if wearing light or no armor
Cost: 2700 gp (Face)

Gloves of the Balanced Hand (pg. 105)
Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting (see add'l abilities)
Additional abilities: If already have two-weapon fighting, then gain Improved 2-Weap Ft.
Cost: 8000 gp (Hands)

Helm of the Hunter (Pg. 194)
Feat: Far Shot
Additional abilities: +5 spot, 1 x day low-light vision and darkvision for 4 hours.
Cost: 9000 gp (Head)

 

[Mistwell]

I have to agree with other posters that a set formula does not work with all feat-granting magic items. However, in my experience, it works with a great many of them. Really depends on how valuable the DM thinks the granted feat is. In my campaigns, I use this formula...

10,000 gp (+5,000 gp per prerequisite feat not required to be possessed by wearer).

Works fairly well for most feats. A good example of a feat this doesn't work well for, in my opinion, would be any of the feats that grant a +2 bonus to two skills. That's a fairly small bonus to two skills, and not worth 10,000 gp, I think.

The formula is definately heavy on the first feat, I think, but when you select a feat that has three or four prerequisite feats, the value isn't that bad, in most cases. I don't think I've ever been able to apply this formula and just be done with though.

Given the examples we have from various official WOTC sources, I think your formula in general will come out too high. In fact, it seems almost double what it should be.

 

[anon]

10,000 gp for feat.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

There are suggested guidelines in the Arms & Equipment Guide (in a sidebar near the back) for pricing magic items that replicate feats.

In a nutshell, it's 10,000 gp plus 5,000 to 10,000 gp per pre-req of the feat. You're also advised to reference magic items that provide similar powers to make sure the price isn't out of line (you know, the step that most players routinely overlook ).

 

[kreynolds]

Given the examples we have from various official WOTC sources, I think your formula in general will come out too high. In fact, it seems almost double what it should be.

Oh, I agree. As I said, it's definately heavy on the front-end.

I typically only use this for items that grant multiple feats. I made an "epic" pair of swords at one point that granted a total of 8 feats. In and of themselves, the feats were no big deal, but when wielded by the high-level rogue in the game, it was devastatingly ugly.

The previous poster found a similar formula in A&EG. I must have seen that at some point, applied it, and stuck with it.

 

[Deset Gled]

There's a belt in A&EG that gives a +2 enhancement bonus to Con and the Great Fortitude feat for 10,000 gold. That's two powers in one item.

There's an ioun stone that gives the Alertness feat for 10,000 but ioun stones are not body-slot specific, so they cost more.

Frankly, I think items like this are pretty stupid. Great Fortitude and Alertness are both feats that grant a flat, numerical bonus. What possible reason could there be for making the item grant the feat instead of the bonus, other than to make the game needlessly complicated?

Generally speaking, I think that items that grant feats are pure cheese, unless the item is intelligent.

 

[kreynolds]

I like items that just grant cheese. Seriously, I have to agree with you somewhat. The only reason I could see a magic item specifically granting a feat is that the bonus granted by the feat would not stack with the feat if it was selected. For example, a +2 to two skills feat on a magic item is okay, but why not just grant a +2 bonus to two skills then? Sometimes it doesn't make sense to me, but in other cases, like Rapid Shot or Armed Deflection, it can be nice flavor for a magic item.

 

[Mistwell]

10,000 gp for feat.

Given I just cited a ton of existing items that grants a feat for much less than that (ALL were less than that), and many of which were less than HALF of that, I think we can conclude that 10K is too much for a single feat in most circumstances.