Enchanted Arrows

[orion90000]

Hi Guys I wanted your input on how much a Magic Arrows that explodes in glitterdust would cost. Please provide your methodology as well. I tried to break down the sleep arrow from DMG but the numbers kept coming out wrong.

I have a Human Fighter/Rogue build and wanted to make use of ranged sneak attacks. Blindness is one of the best ways to pull this off.

 

[Dandu]

Price as Spell Storing arrows with a spell already imbued in them.

 

[KerlanRayne]

I'd say 450 gp. Take the Glitterstone from the MiC and make it an arrow instead. That's how much it costs.

 

[Persiflage]

Strictly speaking, I don't believe that spell storing can be conferred on ammunition; or at least, that the benefit of doing so is iffy at best. According to the text of the ability, the wielder of the weapon gets to cast the spell stored as a free action at the time the weapon strikes. Of course, you're not wielding the weapon at the point when you hit your target...

If your DM does allow it to work, it has to be the most efficient method in terms of cost: spell storing is only a +1 property, so you get fifty for the price of a +2 weapon (assuming the arrows have to be enchanted to +1 first).

Considering there's no CL limit, that's a pretty sweet deal compared to a wand, not to mention the fact that you'll get multiple shots per round. On that note, if your DM does allow spell storing arrows, don't be terribly surprised if he or she insists on a standard action for one shot, just "because".

If it's not allowed then just treat the arrows as generic magical items: single use, use-activated. Spell Level x Caster Level x 50gp a pop (base price).

 

[Vegepygmy]

If all it does is duplicate a glitterdust spell (and is not also a +1 arrow or anything like that), I'd call it a 50-charge use-activated spell effect: spell level (2) * caster level (3) * 2,000 / 2 = 6,000 gp for 50 charges. So an individual arrow would have a market price of 120 gp.

If it were also a +1 arrow, I'd add 2,350 * 1.5 = 3,525 gp (70.5 gp per arrow) to the price, for a total of 190.5 gp.

 

[Dandu]

Strictly speaking, I don't believe that spell storing can be conferred on ammunition; or at least, that the benefit of doing so is iffy at best.

Ah, but you're not making spell storing arrows, you're just pricing them as if they were spell storing arrows.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

As Persiflage noted, for a single use, use-activated spell effect item, the standard base formula is:

(CasterLevel)x(SpellLevel)x50gp.

So for glitterdust (SL=2, CL=3), that comes to 300gp.

Not sure why that calculation is so much cheaper than the MIC glitterstone (450gp) mentioned by KerlanRayne upthread. Maybe the designers thought that particular item function was too powerful for the standard price and needed a price boost?

In any event, I'd personally work from one of those numbers (300gp or 450gp). Or just average all numbers cited so far in this thread. It really just depends how common the DM want anti-invis grenades to be. Pricing magic is (obviously) more of an art than a science, anyway.

 

[frankthedm]

It really just depends how common the DM want anti-invis grenades to be. Pricing magic is (obviously) more of an art than a science, anyway.

Would that not be Anti Invis & Blinding grenades?

 

[orion90000]

Thanks for the input. Yeah 300 gp is about what I was looking at too. I was thinking that for balance (multiple shots per round) that it could only affect the target.

I learned from doing a dungeon crawl a while back that glitterdust is a rogue's best friend.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I kind of like that hyper-localized take on it.
Out of curiosity, what will you rule if the attack misses the target?