Combining Items

[Eltern]

Are there any specific rules for pricing the combined the effects of various wonderous items? Ex. A robe of the Archmage with a pocket that acts like a Type I bag of Holding.

Now, you can say
"Ok, you have them both, just add them together for 77,500 gp"

OR "Dude, that item is more powerful than both items individually, because they're -together-, meaning they take up less slots! Give me 80,000 gp"

OR "Dude, that item is as powerful as both items, but since they're -together-you're more vulnerable. All your eggs in one basket and whatnot. Give me 77,000 gp"

I think all three arguments make sense, but each case is a litte different. If both (or all three, four, and so on) items are slotless, then the second argument doesn't really have any sway. If only ONE of the items fills a slot, then it still doesn't. However, if even just two fill different slots, or the same slot, then that's pretty big. Also, in cases like this example, the third argument will work best if they're all slotless, but the actual discount will differ greatly depending on the item's price relationships to each other. For instance, if the Bag of Holding in the robe was Type IV instead of I, I would think maybe 83,000 gp might work, as now giving a 2,000 gp discount won't drop the price of the addition to virtually zero. But I would only discount this much because the robe itself cost so many times that of the Bag of Holding.

Thoughts? Yes, "Just ad hoc it" is probably the best answer

Eltern

 

[Delemental]

I'd generally agree with you.

I'd say just add costs for combining two slotless items (portable hole and decanter of endless water), or even a slotted item with a slotless one (robe of magi and bag of holding). I'd charge a premium for combining two slotted items (robe of magi and belt of giant's strength), and an especially large premium if they're combining two items that would go in the same slot (robe of magi and robe of eyes).

I also wouldn't really allow more than two-item combos. More than that, and you lose the point of body slots altogether.

 

[scrubkai]

On page 282 of the DMG there is a sidebar about combining Powers in an item.
Per those rules:
If they are spell-like functions that aren't similar and the powers are equivelent to slotless items, then you just add the cost together of the two items.
If they are slotted items (AKA a Belt of Strength and Dex) then add 50% to the combined cost.

In general I've found that combining items should be allowed, but can quickly become unbalancing for your game if not watched closely. So for that reason I normally tack on a couple thousand gold premium each time people combine items in my game, and put limits on how much Magic a mortal made item can hold.
(After playing one campaign with a Vorporal Dragon Bane Sword + 3 that gave Save +4 and AC + 6, we all kinda agreed to never do that again.)

Sure the DM can always take the item away from the player if the item is too powerful, but from what I've seen that normally just ends up causing the player to feel like his character just got hosed.

 

[Sejs]

(portable hole and decanter of endless water)

...so it's a Portable Well? That's awesome. I am so putting that in my game.

 

[shilsen]

...so it's a Portable Well? That's awesome. I am so putting that in my game.

What he said. Yoink!

 

[Eltern]

Hmmm...portable wells Neat.

Once you start to put real weapons into the mix I think everything goes real wrong real quickly, yes. Nobody gives discounts at all, this is interesting.

IMCs there's been about three or four characters that wanted to combine slotless items for a coolness factor, like the psion combined all his dorjes into a staff using ectoplasm. No real game benefit, just cool. Cleric/monk put his ioun stones on his string of prayer beads. For these instances I just combined the costs, didn't discount them, either.

Hmm, sure I had a point in there...