Adding a feat to a magic item

[Kalendraf]

Actually, you should look at what the feat does and see if you can simulate it. Aug Summoning gives your conjured critters +2 Str and +2 Con. That sounds like 1/2 Bull's Strength and 1/2 Bear's Endurance. Cast automatically on the conjured critter. So I'd price it as a 2nd level spell * the staff's caster level * 1800 gp (use activated). I would also require Craft Wondrous Item since the effect is not a spell cast from the staff but as part of the staff's activation.

I like your line of thinking here. However, there's a couple issues...

First, Augment Summoning actually provides +4 to STR and +4 to CON, so it is in fact similar to Bull's Strength + Bear's Endurance being cast automatically on the summoned critter. So it is like having 2 spells cast on the creature.

Second, the duration of a summoned critter (1 rnd/level) will invariably be the limiting factor for the spell duration. Thus, the duration of buff spells (1 min/level) on the critters will be limited by the duration of the summoned creature. Hence the staff caster level isn't really factor here for that duration, so I would suggest that the cost can be reduced to the minimum CL for that spell.

Price would be 2 (# of spells) x 2 (spell level) x 3 (min CL) x 1800 = 21600 gp.

Expensive, yes, but considering the cost of a staff (usually 50K+ or so) it doesn't seem that far out of line either.

 

[palleomortis]

Hey, anyone who had to read that, sorry. I had a friend get on. But I started to read aboute your prob. I don't have any advise for the dm, but for the player... why not save all the troble, and just BUY a staff like the one you want. then you dont have to waste a feat, and the dm could just say that the seller, who ever that would be, had all of the needs in question. Or am I taking this all wrong?

 

[Hodgie]

I personally think that even the 21.600 gp is a bit low. If you want to price it as spells you must take into consideration that although the duration is greatly reduced, it is cast as a free action on as many summons as you create. I was also under the impression that all costs should be doubled because you are adding it to an existing item.

If you price it as a feat you are allowing the druid (already short on feats) to not have to take the feat, but also to not have to take the pre-req which is not the greatest feat to begin with. Likewise, other items that grant the feat seem to do it a limited number of times per day.

I think the metamagic rods are the best measure presented thus far. Not only do they vary in price based upon how high of spell level you want it to apply towards, but they also suggest uses/day.