D&D 3E/3.5 3.5E item pricing

[hong]

So anyway, I still can't quite get my head around the new item pricing formulas.

Suppose I want to make something that combines the powers of greater bracers of archery, boots of speed, and a +2 enhancement bonus to Dex. Call them "bracers of the machine-gun archer" or whatever. Assume for the moment I'm not worried about item slot affinities.

Is the price for this new item:

25000 * 1.5 + 12000 * 1.5 + 4000 = 59500 gp (price of everything but least expensive item is increased by 50%)

25000 + 12000 * 1.5 + 4000 * 1.5 = 49000 gp (price of everything but most expensive item is increased by 50%)


Does it depend on the order in which the powers are added? So if I start with greater bracers of archery and add the speed and Dex bonuses later, the final price is different than if I'd started with something else?

 

[CRGreathouse]

I think the price is 25000 + 12000 * 2 + 4000 * 2 -- the errata changed +50% to +100%, and the most expensive component isn't increased in price.

 

[hong]

Hm, wasn't aware of that change.

 

[kreynolds]

I think the price is 25000 + 12000 * 2 + 4000 * 2 -- the errata changed +50% to +100%, and the most expensive component isn't increased in price.

Actually, I think it's 25000 * 2 + 12000 + 4000. That's what the table indicates...

"Multiple different abilities&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspMultiply higher item cost by 2&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspHelm of brilliance"

From what I've heard, the table is correct and the Behind The Curtain: Magic Item Gold Piece Values was not updated.

 

[Philip]

"Multiple different abilities: Multiply higher item cost by 2 (Helm of brilliance)"

The item creation costs are still nonsense.

Suppose I have a Robe of the Archmagi (75,000 gp.), and I wanted to add the power to give +2 on my Hide skills checks. It would cost 75,400 ADDITIONAL gp. to add the +2.

Better sell the old one and make the damn thing from scratch, it would cost you less.

It should have been:
"Multiple different abilties: Multiply ALL lower items costs by 2. "

There is just no way that a Helm of Teleportation with +5 on Spot would suddenly more than double in price.

 

[James McMurray]

Plus, with the new properties costing double, you're pretty much guaranteed to be better off just getting the new item you want as a completely different slotless item. You still pay twice the cost, but you're less susceptible to dispel magic effects and can sometimes get off cheaper if the effect you're looking for has a lower caster level than the original item.

 

[Pax]

Indeed.

Which is why, James, the Exodus will be sticking with the 50% rule. Makes much more sense, encourages characters to have a few mutlifunction items instead of ten-foot-long lists of tiny one-purpos baubles.

IOW, a few powerful toys, instead of being decked out like a tree at christmas.

 

[kreynolds]

Suppose I have a Robe of the Archmagi (75,000 gp.), and I wanted to add the power to give +2 on my Hide skills checks. It would cost 75,400 ADDITIONAL gp. to add the +2.

Better sell the old one and make the damn thing from scratch, it would cost you less.

Nope. It would cost you the exact same, whether you create it from scratch or add the skill bonus later. 150,400gp (75,000*2+400) if you create it from scratch, or 75,400 to add it to a 75,000gp cloak, which gives a total of 150,400gp. There's no savings there, except how much you have to spend at once, and in this case, it might be easier to add the bonus later if you're having a hard time digging up that much cash.

 

[kreynolds]

Plus, with the new properties costing double...

As I mentioned above, the Behind The Curtain wasn't updated to reflect the changes in the table, so the new properties don't cost double on a slotted item. Instead of increasing the cost of new abilities, you just double the cost of the most expensive, then add the regular cost of the new abilities, as the table indicates.

 

[coyote6]

Where was this errata/clarification posted?

IMO, the table doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and also doesn't match the costs of the items that are in the book.

I suppose that means that, if the table is correct, there will be a quite a bit more errata. Shock, shock.