Value this Item!

[Centaur]

This has some significan't value to characters in any campaign where roleplaying is highly emphasised but where you could be attacked at any time.

The concept is simple, the magic item is a "Mannequin" for lack of a better name. The character binds it to him by placing a small amount of blood into a receptical that is mounted where the heart should be (maybe spends some XP as well?). Thereafter, the Character can then spend one action to "Switch Outfits". What this means is that anything on the Mannequin would be teleoported to the character while anything he is wereing or carrying would be teleported to the Mannequin. This "Captain Power" like effect could be used as many times as desired, allowing the hero to switch back and forth from his "Formal Wear" to his "Combat Clothing" as needed.

It is inspired from the fact that most magical items that characters end up with are found, not crafted and therefore, after a few adventures, the characters all start to look like walking second hand stores rather than the heroic Champions we make them out to be.

Thoughts?

 

[Terraism]

I know I grew up in the eighties, because I keep thinking "Power Extreme!" and a funny beaming up of armor.

That said - I'd say it's certainly more powerful than Gloves of Storing, which are 10,000 gp - each. So twice that, 20,000 gp, and another twice for being slotless. I'd say right around there is a decent guess - since it's not an object that actually *does* anything, more than 40,000 would be harsh. Call it a full-round action to 'shift,' as it were, and it should be good.

 

[UltimaGabe]

20,000?

Please tell me you were talking about Copper Pieces.

Game-mechanic-wise, this thing isn't even worth a thousand gp. It provides a power relatively in line power-wise with 0-level spells. It lets you change your clothes. That's it. Some of your clothes may be magical, and some may not, and theoretically it could be used to hide/retrieve a certain magic item, but it involves losing all of your already-worn magic items for the time being. So sure, if you left your Belt of Giant Strength +6 at home on your mannequin (which you'd have to be dumb to do) you could use a Full-round Action to retrieve it. However, your Cloak of Resistance +4, gloves of Dexterity +2, Helm of Teleportation, boots of Speed, and suit of +5 Full Plate (which you're currently wearing) get taken back home too.

This item is NOT more powerful than a Glove of Storing. A Glove of Storing doesn't remove all of your clothes and magic items whenever you use it. This item does. A Glove of Storing could be used to store that +2 Vorpal Scimitar you just found for later use, or Disarm an enemy and then hide his weapon so he can't get it back. This thing could store something as well, but it would have to be a worn item, and any time you tried to get that sword back, you'd lose all your stuff. All of the things that a Glove of Storing is useless for are lost in this item, and all of the disadvantages of a glove of storing are magnified.

I'd set it at 5,000 gp at most.

 

[Centaur]

20,000?

Please tell me you were talking about Copper Pieces.

Game-mechanic-wise, this thing isn't even worth a thousand gp. It provides a power relatively in line power-wise with 0-level spells. It lets you change your clothes. That's it. Some of your clothes may be magical, and some may not, and theoretically it could be used to hide/retrieve a certain magic item, but it involves losing all of your already-worn magic items for the time being. So sure, if you left your Belt of Giant Strength +6 at home on your mannequin (which you'd have to be dumb to do) you could use a Full-round Action to retrieve it. However, your Cloak of Resistance +4, gloves of Dexterity +2, Helm of Teleportation, boots of Speed, and suit of +5 Full Plate (which you're currently wearing) get taken back home too.

This item is NOT more powerful than a Glove of Storing. A Glove of Storing doesn't remove all of your clothes and magic items whenever you use it. This item does. A Glove of Storing could be used to store that +2 Vorpal Scimitar you just found for later use, or Disarm an enemy and then hide his weapon so he can't get it back. This thing could store something as well, but it would have to be a worn item, and any time you tried to get that sword back, you'd lose all your stuff. All of the things that a Glove of Storing is useless for are lost in this item, and all of the disadvantages of a glove of storing are magnified.

I'd set it at 5,000 gp at most.

While I can see what you mean, I think you missed the whole point of the item.

The intention is that you leave ALL your magical items on the Mannequin and you walk around in your tailered but otherwise nonmagical clothing. That way when your at the Dukes Formal Ball, you don't look like a reject from Uncle mikes Antique Store, you look like someone who is supposed to be there!

Then, when the Bad guys attack the Party, you call for your equipment and within one round, your all suited up and ready to go.

It's also great for when the party is on the road, and camping in the wilderness, if the camp is attacked in the middle of the night, it only takes one round to don your full Plate, shield and helm rather than fight in your skivies....

REMEMBER: Your stuff is teleported, so you can have it all locked up in an obscure location ANYWHERE on the same plane...

 

[Conaill]

Not to mention the storage possibilities: everything you're wearing or carrying gets teleported! That means a Str 16 character could effectively "store" up to 460 lb of stuff (can lift 2x Heavy load).

The comparison with Gloves of Storing is very apt, except that the GoS can only hold 20 lb each. With this thing, you can be in full armor, large shield and loaded Xbow with a snap of your fingers. I don't think too many people bother to get *two* GoS, so 20,000 gp may be a bit much. But it should be at least 10,000 gp...

 

[Trainz]

- If a character is captured and goes in jail, *poof*, fully equiped for his escape.
- An assassin wearing rags gets hired as a servant at the castle. He's quickly frisked, but there's nothing on him. At night fall, he goes near the king's chambers, *poof*, kills guards, kills king.

I'm sure there are many more applications this thing can have. Minimum 30,000 IME.

When trying to estimate items, there's one neat little trick when in doubt: how much are my players willing to pay for it ?

If an item is, by the book, 10,000, but your players would gladly pay 100,000 and giggle away with the awesome gadget they got, then that should give you a hint that it's probably more than 10,000.

 

[UltimaGabe]

I still think that it's far, FAR less useful than a Glove of Storing. Considering the dummy's almost always going to be far away from you, it's usable once per adventure. You can get your stuff from it, and then you're done. It has no use for you for the rest of the adventure.

True, it could be useful in several situations. In almost every other situation, however, or once you've used it, it's taking up space in your attic.

Alright, 6,000. Final offer.

 

[the Jester]

Mmm... I'm saying closer to 40K than the 6K you're estimating, UltimaGabe.

I can think of several pcs I've had over the years for whom it would be well worth it.

 

[Khaalis]

I agree with Jester. Though the "Intent" of the item is relatively harmless and seems limited in its use, you have to look at the "Potential" use of the item when determining the cost. The implications of the item, even though usable only 1/day are very impacting on the game.

However, on top of that, you also have to look at the magic involved as mentioned earlier.

Per the SRD

Glove of Storing: This device is a simple leather glove. On command, one item held in the hand wearing the glove disappears. The item can weigh no more than 20 pounds and must be able to be held in one hand. While stored, the item has negligible weight. With a snap of the fingers wearing the glove, the item reappears. A glove can only store one item at a time. Storing or retrieving the item is a free action. The item is held in stasis and shrunk down so small within the palm of the glove that it cannot be seen. Spell durations are not suppressed, but continue to expire. If an effect is suppressed or dispelled, the stored item appears instantly.
Faint transmutation; CL 6th; Craft Wondrous Item, shrink item; Price 10,000 gp (one glove).

This item holds only 1 item of up to 20 pounds and sells for 10K. The proposed item can hold an infinite number of items and weight. Add to it that the Glove is faint transmutation because it merely shrinks the item not translocates it. The item in question, however, would be at Least moderate conjuration (teleportation). Thus it needs compared to an item more similar in function, not purpose.

Again from the SRD

Helm of Teleportation: A character wearing this device may teleport three times per day, exactly as if he had cast the spell of the same name.
Moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, teleport; Price 73,500 gp;Weight 3 lb

This is a more appropriate item to use as a model than the Glove of Storing.

Considering that the item has a specific use and is usable only once per day, I would agree that it would be less than the Helm by roughly half as just an off the cuff guess, thus 36,750gp.

However, when applying the SRD suggested item creation tables for GP cost we get the following:

Spell Level 7 (Teleport Object), Min. Caster Level = 13th
Command Word = SL (7) * CL (13) * 1,800gp = 163,800gp
1/Day = Total (163,800) / 5 = 32,760gp

That is the fairest and closest I see coming to the price of the item in question.

JMHO