Do you like XP costs for magic item creation?

[justanobody]

Why in the hell would you loose things you have learned because you created something new? That is exactly what learning is for, and each new thing you create you actually learn more from creating it because of trial and error, not lose knowledge because of creating it.

No. I don't buy that lose XP for any reason bit when something is created magic or otherwise. It just make no logical sense. It is also why they invented residuum for 4th so XP was not spent, but some other form of "currency" to expend when creating magic items.

I say toss out the whole spend XP to make things form any game.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I do not like XP costs for creating magic items. Imo, experience points should only be used to determine when a character levels and, therefore, XP costs for creating magic items (along with XP costs for spells and level drain) were a bad idea.

This I agree with much.

But then again, I also game in a classless system where players use their XP to actually buy the character they want (see the sig if you're interested). So, I am not a typical 3.x gamer because I use XP for something more than WotC intended.

Having said all that, it is something I can live with as a gamer, too. It certainly isn't a deal-breaker for 3.x in my book. Not a favorite aspect, but then neither are the grappling rules. I can get over those, too.

 

[Andor]

I like it themantically. The wizard is placing part of his strength into the item, depleting his future power in return for some item of utility. This is very Tolkeinesque.

I also like it better than a con loss because it actually impacts his spellcasting rather than mysteriously making him prone to chestcolds.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I like it themantically. The wizard is placing part of his strength into the item, depleting his future power in return for some item of utility. This is very Tolkeinesque.

Oh. My. Gawd.

Someone else gets it too. And by 'it', I don't mean da troof or whatever, just a particular perspective on this game design feature.

Because yeah, this is how I've always seen it. Right from the first reading. So maybe it was (and is still?) naive of me to think it might've even been made that way for such a reason, and not for game balance and all that. . . but either way, it's still how it reads to me.

Anyway, that's totally the reason why I think it's an awesome system feature.

As for unlearning skills, etc., that would only actually happen (in this level-based system) if they lost a level because of it. And, uh, I've never seen anyone - or heard of anyone - doing this to a character. . . not even a NPC.

So yes, they lose part of their essence - though not in a permanent way, really - but not so much their skills or knowledge. Not at all.

It's all down to interpretation though, as I've already admitted. And maybe I'm just stubborn that way.

 

[Vegepygmy]

There need to be some mechanism that prohibits abuse of magic item manufacture. XP cost seems to be as good as any.

Yep. XP works better than most of the proposed alternatives I've seen, so I like it.

 

[sinecure]

XP cost is Level Drain. I don't think Level Drain should be part of magic item creation.

Except when it is Artifacts. Then you should lose levels & age prematurely & any other horrible thing that comes with creating Artifax.

 

[justanobody]

Yep. XP works better than most of the proposed alternatives I've seen, so I like it.

What? I ask this to all that say XP loss is the way to handle the power loss of the wizard to keep him in check.

XP loss is so temporary that it could cripple the game at the same time. There really isn't a limit to the amount of XP you can make, and one character could sit and create a slew of higher level magic items for the party, then convert his level 1 self into a follower, and make a new character or quit.

With CON loss you had a much larger connection to the wizard putting a piece of his own energy and self into the item. Permanent CON loss is nothing to sneeze at when Mr Scruffy comes after you!

 

[Zsig]

As far as comparisons goes, I think it should work somewhat like Negative Levels, and not Level Drain.

 

[Psion]

I don't love it, but I certainly don't get/agree with the hate.

Yeah, it sucks losing XP. I get that. But you can't have something for noting.

The rationalization gap... I don't have that. If you can see a bridge between personal essence as a supernatural quality that can be tapped and experience, then I sort of wonder how you have come to enjoy fantasy gaming in the first place.

 

[FireLance]

I don't mind it as an option, but I'm not really keen on it being the only way or even the default way to make magic items. Even in 3e, I adopted an XP-less, everyone levels up at the same time gaming convention, so I converted XP costs to gp costs in any case.