Hello everybody, I started a new campaign with my friends after having not played for four years. I am a little rusty I guess, but I had a question I couldn't find an answer to in my core rulebooks. I want to create an item, lets say its a first aid manual or something of that nature. I want this Book to give the user a permanent 2 skill ranks to Heal after they spend a certain amount of time studying it (3days) and as long as it doesn't put their ranks over the maximum for their current level. Now, I was curious how much you think such an item should be worth. I would like to make other books like this as well, but I am just unsure as to how much they should be worth. What is the gold value of one skill rank? Thanks for any advice.
Books which grant Skill Ranks
- Thread starter Nosada
- Start date
the Jester
Legend
I think that items that grant permanent skill ranks, or permanent bonus feats, are a little sketchy and hard to valuate properly. For instance, 2 ranks in Heal is practically useless to a low-Wisdom rogue who's never going to take ranks in it, while it helps a high-Wis character with no ranks a fair amount.
Also, not all skills are equal (I think anyone would rather have 2 ranks in Spot or Tumble than 2 ranks in Profession: Carpenter or Use Rope).
Though I'm not saying not to make such an item, I think it's really hard to come up with a solid answer to "How much should this cost?".
Also, not all skills are equal (I think anyone would rather have 2 ranks in Spot or Tumble than 2 ranks in Profession: Carpenter or Use Rope).
Though I'm not saying not to make such an item, I think it's really hard to come up with a solid answer to "How much should this cost?".
Yes you bring up good points. I can tell that some skills are strictly better than others, and some are more useful to certain characters than others. As for Heal, only 1 out of my 3 PCs have heal, so I thought just in case it might be good if another PC had a bit of skill in Heal. I am giving the PCs a bit more power than the standard, because it is a small party of 3(wish I had more). We have a Rogue, Druid and Barbarian.
the Jester
Legend
It's easier to balance an item that gives a bonus to a skill, rather than actual ranks.
Michael Silverbane
Adventurer
Personally, I would price something like that at (granted ranks) cubed times 1,000 gp, with a book granting 5 ranks being the absolute limit. So such a book would cost as follows - 1 rank, 1,000 gp - 2 ranks, 8,000 gp - 3 ranks 27,000 gp - 4 ranks, 64,000 gp - 5 ranks 125,000 gp.
Also, ranks granted by such books would not stack with each other. So if you read a book granting 1 rank, you would not be able to benefit from another book granting 1 rank, but would have to find a book that granted 2 or more ranks to gain any benefit from it.
Also, ranks granted by such books would not stack with each other. So if you read a book granting 1 rank, you would not be able to benefit from another book granting 1 rank, but would have to find a book that granted 2 or more ranks to gain any benefit from it.
That's not a bad way to do it. I wonder if something like this has already been done.
Michael Silverbane
Adventurer
I based it (more or less) off of the books which grant an inherent bonus to an ability score. The main difference being that I use a cubic wealth progression in the games that I run, so cubing stuff is sort of my primary method of determining how much stuff should cost.
Wicht
Hero
You might check out this PDF too
Be carefull with skill ranks, it might get abused for prestige requirements. My thought it simply make it a "Learning" bonus or something, that way the rank thing wont be abuse they still get the bonus and maybe even create different levels of the books, apprentice, expert master and so on, (with rank requirements or level requirements).
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
