How would you cost a permanent Death Ward item?

[Rackhir]

I wouldn't allow it at any cost, personally. The fear of sudden death is about the only thing that keeps very high-level characters in check. Even if I did allow it, I wouldn't let it be a commodity item that every player could get.

FWIW, I'd feel the same way about letting everyone have a permanent mind-blank, or True-Sight, or similar items that would protect against whole classes of spells.

Well it wasn't quick, but 3 greater stone golems and a maralith did effectively manage to take down the Frenzied Berzerker with the aformentioned armor. So there ARE other ways to keep the far of death in PCs, even if it isn't quite as quick.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I'd be more concerned with it pretty much neutering undead in the game.

 

[shilsen]

There is a limited death ward armor ability in Player's Guide to Faerûn. I don't have it here, but IIRC it just triggers a death ward the first time in a day you're exposed to something that would make it relevant. I'll see about checking it up when I get home.

Interesting. I'd definitely like to know what it costs.

I'd be more concerned with it pretty much neutering undead in the game.

That's definitely one of my concerns about the armor.

 

[Staffan]

Found it:
Death Ward: This armor's magic confers a death ward effect on the wearer once per day for a duration of 7 minutes. The protection automatically takes effect the first time the wearer is exposed to a negative energy or death effect in the course of a day.
This armor property replaces both the death ward and the negative energy protection special abilities described in Magic of Faerûn.
Moderate necromancy; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms & Armor, death ward; Price: +2 bonus.

 

[shilsen]

Found it:
Death Ward: This armor's magic confers a death ward effect on the wearer once per day for a duration of 7 minutes. The protection automatically takes effect the first time the wearer is exposed to a negative energy or death effect in the course of a day.
This armor property replaces both the death ward and the negative energy protection special abilities described in Magic of Faerûn.
Moderate necromancy; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms & Armor, death ward; Price: +2 bonus.

Thanks a lot, Staffan.

If that has a +2 cost, which seems appropriate to me, I'd say that +4 for an always-on version like the Soulfire armor is a bit cheap.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Thanks a lot, Staffan.

If that has a +2 cost, which seems appropriate to me, I'd say that +4 for an always-on version like the Soulfire armor is a bit cheap.

The Death Ward special property basically gives you an automatic Death Ward spell for one combat per day (I can't imagine a combat lasting more than 42 rounds ). Unless your party has 4 or more combats each day, +4 doesn't seem particularly cheap to me. +1 Death Ward armor would be ~9,000gp, while +1 Soulfire armor is ~25,000gp. Just about three times as expensive, for on average three times the uses per day. If you have fewer than three combats a day, Soulfire armor is actually more costly than the Death Ward armor, for what you're getting.

This all assumes, of course, that you believe (as I believe you said you did,) that the +2 Death Ward price tag is appropriate.

 

[Antoine]

The ring of freedom of movement sets a troubling example :
40 k for an everlasting 4th-level cleric spell (with a basic duration of 10 min./level).

Then should a ring of death ward cost a mere 53-some thousand gp ?

 

[Obscure]

Complete Arcane also has Death Ward armor which protects the wearer from one death effect per day (including energy drain and inflict spells). Cost is +1 effective bonus. Looks balanced to me. Permanent Death Ward seems like a bad idea.