Feat or PrC: Retain Essence

[Anthelios]

Since there has been no reply to my post http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=206068 asking about the existence of such a feat, I am pretty sure I was correct in my original assumption that no such feat exists. So, its time to make one.

As a feat I think it could be pretty straight forward, but I don't know about a balance issue. Lets see what you guys think.

Retain Magic Essence [Item Creation]
Like the artificer, you can strip the magical essence from a magical item and store its power to create new items.
Requirements: Any two Item creation feats, caster level 5
Effect: With a full days work you can destroy magical items, absorbing the experience used to create the item and storing it in a special reservoir pool. This pool initially starts at 0, but does not change when you level. When creating magic items you can choose to use the experience stored in this reservoir first.
Special:This feat can be selected as a wizard's bonus feat.

Hows it look to you guys? Anyone got an idea for a prestige class?

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

Sounds ok, but if you plan on allowing players to play Artificers (as the class), you may want to limit this feat to a 2:1 conversion to pool ratio. (IOW, for every 2 xp the item was worth, the player gains 1 into his craft pool with this feat) Otherwise I think few people (Though I don't know your group ) will want to play an artificer, since this feat emulates their most convenient class feature.

If you just want this ability available, and don't give a hoot about the Artificer class, then this is a fine feat. It lets the party turn all the worthless loot found into usable things. (Potions and Scrolls at the least are a fine choice with this.) Turn all the dead villain's Unholy longswords into potions of Cure Serious Wounds.

 

[Anthelios]

Normally I'd be fine with artificers, I just don't think they fit into Greyhawk that well. Without an ancient continent holding lost schema to discover and exploit.. its just not the same thing.