House Rules to deal with the XP Penalty for item creation

[Bagpuss]

Although both the casters in my group, have take item creation feats, neither of them are now using them, as the other non-caster have convienced them that they aren't worth the XP penalty, as they will end up levels behind the rest of the party.

I can kind of see their point as well. So now they feel they have wasted feats. Has anyone else come across this situation and do you have house rules for it?

Why is the penalty there in the first place?

 

[hong]

Just use the FRCS rules for awarding XP. They fix all sorts of problems, not just this one.

 

[Bagpuss]

Just use the FRCS rules for awarding XP. They fix all sorts of problems, not just this one.

Okay what are the FRCS rules for awarding XP.

 

[hong]

Okay what are the FRCS rules for awarding XP.

You will find them in the FRCS.


Hong "thankyew, I'll be here all week" Ooi

 

[Bagpuss]

Hmm doubt I'll spend £30 just for some XP rules. Besides if they are what I think they are, then it still means that a "crafter" will still level slower than an ordinary character, although they will tend to catch up eventually they will always be about a level behind the rest of the party.

So again, does anyone have some House Rules or OGL rules that would deal with this problem?

 

[Fenes 2]

I don't have PCs with item creation feats in my campaign, but if I had I would just wave the xp costs in favor of exotic components you have to quest for. (We don't use xp in our campaigns anyway.) This not only serves as a way to control the amount of items entering the campaign - I'd control new magic items anyway - but also gets me a nifty adventure hook for free.

 

[Bagpuss]

I'm thinking of going with a system where all party members can contibute to the XP cost, what problems do folks forsee in doing that?

 

[Fenes 2]

Do the party members can contribute, or do they have to?

 

[Bagpuss]

Can they don't have to. At the moment they feel its a bit unfair that the cleric has to pay the xp cost to make a sword for the fighter for example.

 

[Piratecat]

Wow, that's surprising. Every single xp I've ever put into item creation has been worth it. I've definitely ended up on the whole more powerful than I would be otherwise, and (even better) I can make my own cool stuff.

In my opinion, if they choose not to use the feat, that's their perogative; but I've found nothing wrong with the system at all. If you allow all spellcasters to contribute (and I wouldn't do this, not without an extra feat on the spellcaster's part) you're going to have the PCs making significantly powerful magic items.

Of course, our group cooperates pretty closely. My cleric enchants the fighter's armor, because he knows that it will help the fighter (a) live, and (b) keep him safe. That's reward enough.