I just bought the Expanded psionics handbook.
I do not understand why there are different feats for magic item creation. Let's take the example of Craft psionic arms and armor.
Background: To create magic weapons, each power is assigned an "enchancement equivalent". For example, the "Defending" power is equivalent to +1 bonus, and "flaming" is also a +1 bonus. To create a weapon which is only +1 to hit and damage, you pay 2,000gp. To create a +1 defending weapon, you pay the same price as a +2 weapon - 8,000 gold. A +1 defending flaming weapon costs the same as +3 - 18,000gold. If you don't understand this "geometric nature" for pricing magic weapons, the rest of this post won't make sense to you...
Without considering Psionics, if a player has a +1 defending weapon, and wants to add "flaming", he pays an arcane/divine caster with the proper feat the difference between the +2 and the +3 equivalents to make the upgrade - 10,000 gold. (18k minus 8k)
If psionic weapon powers and "magic" weapon powers are different, then a player with a "magic" +1 defending weapon, could pay a psionic caster with the proper feat to just make a brand new +1 flaming weapon on top of his defending weapon, at a cost of 8,000 gold. Of course, the +1 enchancement bonuses do not stack, but its still cheaper over all, and the end effect is the same - a +1 flaming defending weapon.
I don't know which powers are available to psionic casters to place into weapons. Suspend your disbelief for a second to see the point of my post - a player can have a "+3 equivalent" weapon for cheaper cost, if psionic and magic are different. Now, apply the same theory to a +10 equivalent weapon, which would normally cost 200,000 gold ... if you psionics and magic are different, then the player can make the equivalent weapon by combining a +5 and a +6, at a total cost of 122,000 gold (50k +72k). (yes, I know you need two magic item creators instead of only one.)
This doesn't sit well with me - both from a balance standpoint as well as from a "psionic-magic transparency" thing.
I know it can be solved with a House Rule, but it seems that, RAW, it's whacky.
Possible house rules:
1) craft arms and armor is only 1 feat. it works for divine, arcane, and psionic casters.
2) the weapon and armor "equivalents" on the magic side apply to the psionic side. therefore, upgrading a +2 equivalent "arcane" weapon to +3 equivalent weapon still costs 10k, even if the upgrader is psionic.
I like number 1 better, but as I am new at this, I humbly ask the board for their opinions...
I do not understand why there are different feats for magic item creation. Let's take the example of Craft psionic arms and armor.
Background: To create magic weapons, each power is assigned an "enchancement equivalent". For example, the "Defending" power is equivalent to +1 bonus, and "flaming" is also a +1 bonus. To create a weapon which is only +1 to hit and damage, you pay 2,000gp. To create a +1 defending weapon, you pay the same price as a +2 weapon - 8,000 gold. A +1 defending flaming weapon costs the same as +3 - 18,000gold. If you don't understand this "geometric nature" for pricing magic weapons, the rest of this post won't make sense to you...
Without considering Psionics, if a player has a +1 defending weapon, and wants to add "flaming", he pays an arcane/divine caster with the proper feat the difference between the +2 and the +3 equivalents to make the upgrade - 10,000 gold. (18k minus 8k)
If psionic weapon powers and "magic" weapon powers are different, then a player with a "magic" +1 defending weapon, could pay a psionic caster with the proper feat to just make a brand new +1 flaming weapon on top of his defending weapon, at a cost of 8,000 gold. Of course, the +1 enchancement bonuses do not stack, but its still cheaper over all, and the end effect is the same - a +1 flaming defending weapon.
I don't know which powers are available to psionic casters to place into weapons. Suspend your disbelief for a second to see the point of my post - a player can have a "+3 equivalent" weapon for cheaper cost, if psionic and magic are different. Now, apply the same theory to a +10 equivalent weapon, which would normally cost 200,000 gold ... if you psionics and magic are different, then the player can make the equivalent weapon by combining a +5 and a +6, at a total cost of 122,000 gold (50k +72k). (yes, I know you need two magic item creators instead of only one.)
This doesn't sit well with me - both from a balance standpoint as well as from a "psionic-magic transparency" thing.
I know it can be solved with a House Rule, but it seems that, RAW, it's whacky.
Possible house rules:
1) craft arms and armor is only 1 feat. it works for divine, arcane, and psionic casters.
2) the weapon and armor "equivalents" on the magic side apply to the psionic side. therefore, upgrading a +2 equivalent "arcane" weapon to +3 equivalent weapon still costs 10k, even if the upgrader is psionic.
I like number 1 better, but as I am new at this, I humbly ask the board for their opinions...
