Handicapped Magic Items

[Lizard Lips]

I have a 4th level party. One of them is playing a bard, and I'm having a tough time finding decent magic items for her. She's the arcane spell caster of the group, and doesnt want to get involved in melee. I also have an archer ranger who will be snagging any ranged magic items. I'd like to give the bard a wand or something, but anything useful in combat is above the recommended gp levels. I would really like to hand out handicapped magic items.

Sometihing like a wand of summon monster III (fire elemental only), that can only be recharged by dipping it in a pool of lava. That's a lot more restrictive than the vanilla summon monster III wand... would there be a gp discount on such an item? I also wanted to send them off to fight a witch. Witch's ride brooms, but I don't want to hand out a broom of flying, so i figured maybe this witch's broom only works on nights of the new moon. Since it only works 1/60 the time a normal broom of flying works (30 days in a month, only usable during the night of one of those days), would you chop its price down by 1/60?

 

[Notmousse]

The first I'd offer no discount whatsoever. It's more a wonderous item (and in fact Eberron has something similar) with potentially limitless uses.

The second I'd discount, but not as heavily as that. I'd make it 10% normal cost. While it's only useful for a short time it's a potent item when it can be used.

 

[Jack Simth]

Don't be handing out handicapped items; scrolls and low-charged wands are probably more ideal (remember - a wand gets used up, so it's less valuable if there were only a handful of charges left when the previous owner violently stopped needing it).

 

[Dross]

Try this:
Wand of Spell Converting:
This wand does not have any charges of its own. Instead it is powered by the wielder’s own spells. A spell of the appropriate level or above is absorbed by the wand and converted into the spell placed in the wand. The spell can only be of the same type (arcane, divine) and level as the spell in the wand.
Cost to Create: spell level x caster level x 1000 gp, spell to be placed in the wand.

Choose any spell on the bards list that can be used in combat.

Alternatively, what weapons will the ranger-archer be using? Give the bard a magical light crossbow (of equal or lower power than the ranger's weapon) since the ranger would rather a bow (and lets face it, PCs should be happy to work with hand-me-downs).

As for items that do not do the usual amount, yes there should be a discount, but not a strait 1/60th as for the broom. While an interesting idea, WOULD the bard use it given all the restrictions?.
Lets see of the top of my head.
Useable for 3 nights (or moonrise) over the full moon.
While riding:
A use of barding music while on the broom produces a crone's cackle = scare spell.
useable #/night Mage Hand, Sound Burst, Message.
Other possible spells are scorching ray (magic faerun), magic missle.

You coud also have other poswers appear later on, or have the caster levels for the spells rise as the bard gets closer.

The wand of fire elemental summoning is a different matter for me. I'd go half price.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Low charged wands can be good, just remember what you handed out when planning later adventures though. Early on in our campaign I gave the group a Wand of Dimension Door with 5 charges. So far they have only used 3 charges but the wand has turned what I thought were 2 really difficult challenges into cakewalks for the party.

Having said that I would rather that the party used the limited use items at their disposal rather than hang onto them like pack rats as some groups I have played in have done (I'm guilty of this too!)

Olaf the Stout

 

[Mistwell]

A wand of Grease, or Web, goes a long way for battlefield control.

Heck, if you have a player who likes to think about all the possibilities of a spell, a wand of silent image can be pretty useful as well!

 

[Shyloc]

One of them is playing a bard, and I'm having a tough time finding decent magic items for her.

Make it a musical item, that way no one else will take it. Now the Lyra of building might be going to far, but say a Lute of pain? --> 1d6 Ranged Sonic Damage

 

[mvincent]

I have a 4th level party. One of them is playing a bard, and I'm having a tough time finding decent magic items for her.

I wouldn't force her into combat if she doesn't want it, but here are some options that would allow her to participate and be effective:
1) Arrows (even if you already have an archer, the party is likely to find more than one decent bow... not that a magical bow is needed to be effective).
2) She can use charm person to acquire a fighter-type ally (which she could roll for, thus participating in battles).
3) At 5th level, she could do the same with charm monster (which lasts for days)
4) A Bag of tricks is even better than summoning monsters
5) Recommended wands (each are 1st level and so very inexpensive): cure light wounds, Hideous Laughter, Sleep, grease, charm person.

 

[Bad Paper]

How about a scroll of Harmonic Chorus and/or Tactical Precision? Cheap, handy buffs. What kind of price range are you lookin for?