Crafting weapons questions.....

[ogre]

To all ye crafty guru's.
I've got a couple questions with crafting magic items. The first, I know has been covered, but I want to make sure before I start playing this PC. The CL listed in the items description is NOT the caster level to make the item, correct? That would be listed later, after feats, spells etc., such as the 12th level requirement to make a Spell Storing weapon for instance.
When making a weapon, what do you do when you want to add the specific weapon qualities (not the spacial abilities) to an already existing sword. For instance, I have a +2 sword, but what if I want it to be like a Shatterspike sword, adds a +4 to Sunder. Is that a + bonus, making the sword have a +3 bonus (not enchantment of course, but for determining value) or higher? How do you determine the + bonus; does it even gain one or is that only for enhancement and special abilities?

Here's the weapon spelled out.
+2 adamantine greatsword.
Shock, keen and shatterspike abilities. The +2 was "given' as part of the PCs starting wealth, so that part is free. What would these additions cost a crafter?
Here's my take.
Adamantine 3000 / 3 = 1000
+2 -8000
+3 keen
+4 shock
32,000 for a +4 weapon
shatterspike cost 2315
32000 - 8000 = 24000 /2 = 12000 + 1000 + 2315 = 15,315gp to craft.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[UltimaGabe]

To all ye crafty guru's.
I've got a couple questions with crafting magic items. The first, I know has been covered, but I want to make sure before I start playing this PC. The CL listed in the items description is NOT the caster level to make the item, correct? That would be listed later, after feats, spells etc., such as the 12th level requirement to make a Spell Storing weapon for instance.

Allow me to be the first to respond: You are CORRECT. Every new printing of the rules seems to change this, but the only sensible and non-contradictory way to play it is that the Caster Level entry is NOT a prerequisite. If it was, there would be no reason to specify the caster level prerequisite of Spell-storing weapons or Ioun Stones (as you pointed out). Also, that means you can't make Universal Solvent (a 50gp item) until you're 20th level, or 1st-level Pearls of Power until 17th level (though all that Pearls of Power have listed as a prereq is the ability to cast spells of the level in question- but what 17th-level caster ISN'T going to be able to cast 2nd or 3rd level spells? I mean, come on)!

First, the CL entry was listed as a prerequisite. Then, they posted the errata, saying, "oops! it isn't a prereq" and then, once the next printing of the book came out (3.5), they said that it IS a prereq. Then they errata'd that, saying "oops! it isn't a prereq" then, a Rules of the Game article came out, and said it IS a prereq. I don't recall them correcting that, because that would require the left and right hand to know what the other is doing. And we can't have that, can we?

 

[ElectricDragon]

The 315 of the 2315 is for a masterwork longsword, already paid for by the free +2 enhancement. The resulting 2000 would add onto the 32000.

So
32,000 + 2,000 = 34,000 - 8,000 = 26,000/2 = 13,000 +1,000 = 14,000

Ciao
Dave

But: adamantine must be added to a new weapon, not to one already made. This material replaces steel not coats it.

 

[frankthedm]

To all ye crafty guru's.
I've got a couple questions with crafting magic items. The first, I know has been covered, but I want to make sure before I start playing this PC. The CL listed in the items description is NOT the caster level to make the item, correct? That would be listed later, after feats, spells etc., such as the 12th level requirement to make a Spell Storing weapon for instance.

It certainly seems like the last word wotc has given us is that caster level is a requirment at least for weapons.

Caster Level for Weapons
The caster level of a weapon with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met.

 

[ogre]

Ahh, thanks for that insight UltimaGabe I had no idea it was such a contradictory issue! I'm with you though, it is rather silly to have an ambiguous CL to create items, like for soveriegn glue as you mentioned. Not to mention the fact the crafting magic feats are almost useless at low levels is this was the case. I can completely understand the enhancement bonus limitation, but why limit abilitites simply tied to a spell-like effect?
Anyway, I intoduced the PC last night and the DM had no issues with the weapon and armor I made, so I guess there's no worries.
Electricdragon- ahh thanks for pointing out the MW aspect, hadn't realized that. I do realize that adamantine is not an 'add' feature, I was just doing that because this is a new PC, so the +2 gift was part of his starting gear, not the actual sword itself. Basically, I got that part for free and could build the weapon to suit from there.
FrankDM- yeah, I mulled over that part, but.. it mearly implies that a special ability automatically has a CL. What's confusing is that certain items actually list a CL as a prerequisite and in the Caster Level description it fails to mention this is a prerequisite, but more the level the item resists effects. This makes more sense to me anyway, take sovereing glue, that stuff should resist effects @ 20th level, why not? Its stable and nearly unalterable, whereas, something like boots of speed is not. The CL requirements seem to follow this logic anyway.
Thanks for the input all.