Gauntlets of Uber-Strength

[UltimaGabe]

I was trying to make a pair of gauntlets for an NPC Cleric in an upcoming campaign, but I'm not sure how to price it.

The Gauntlets of Uber-Strength
These dull grey iron gauntlets appear normal ordinary and nondescript until donned. Once worn, however, they take on a shiny black exterior adorned with cruel black spikes, capable of performing amazing feats of strength, as well as destroying anything in their path. When both gauntlets are worn on the hands, they act as adamantine spiked gauntlets that deal damage as a Heavy Mace of the wearer's size (but for all other purposes, such as proficiency, feats, or handedness, they count as spiked gauntlets), except that the damage is both Bludgeoning and Piercing. In addition to this quality, the gauntlets can grant the wearer a +10 enhancement bonus to strength for one round. This ability is usable once per day, and requires a free action to activate, and this ability also only works when both gauntlets are worn.
Strong Transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Bull's Strength, creator must be a Cleric with the Strength Domain; Price: ?

The Cleric in question does not have the Strength Domain, nor do I want him to have the Strength Domain- I just wanted him to be able to use the Granted Power (or at least something like it) to instill some fear in the low-level PCs when he's first encountered. Any ideas on pricing?

 

[UltimaGabe]

I edited the post to clarify a few things and fix some errors. Anyway, at the moment, I'm setting the price at 10,000 gp- probably too low in some respects, but considering it's for an NPC I figured it isn't too necessary to get the exact price down right now. I'm still open to suggestions, or any sort of feedback at all, for that matter.

 

[moritheil]

I edited the post to clarify a few things and fix some errors. Anyway, at the moment, I'm setting the price at 10,000 gp- probably too low in some respects, but considering it's for an NPC I figured it isn't too necessary to get the exact price down right now. I'm still open to suggestions, or any sort of feedback at all, for that matter.

I would be concerned with getting the price right, because if I were a PC in that campaign, my thoughts would immediately turn to, "How can I deprive that NPC of his neat signature item and abuse its powers for myself?"

You would then need to know its gp equivalent to check your party's wealth:level ratio.

 

[evolved]

sneak up on cleric who doesn't have enough skills to keep up spot and listen stab quickly with favored pointy object or slam repatedly with favored blunt object or a combination just make sure he's out before he knows anything is up then take gauntlets quickly and run like hell

 

[UltimaGabe]

sneak up on cleric who doesn't have enough skills to keep up spot and listen stab quickly with favored pointy object or slam repatedly with favored blunt object or a combination just make sure he's out before he knows anything is up then take gauntlets quickly and run like hell

Well, he's probably going to be the main bad guy of most of the campaign, and he's a considerably higher level than them- at their first enounter, he's going to be level 10, with lots of lower-level mooks, against a group of 3rd-level PCs- and most of their encounters with him, for the first half of the campaign, is gonna consist of him beating the crap out of them and then leaving with whatever he or they were after. That tactic, then, isn't going to arise much.

And, for what it's worth, he's got a +15 in both Listen and Spot, so they won't be sneaking up on him for a while.

 

[domino]

I don't know how the once a day per round thing works, but I know that under normal circumstance, a +10 to any attribute makes it an epic item. Which is REALLY costly.

 

[ARandomGod]

I don't know how the once a day per round thing works, but I know that under normal circumstance, a +10 to any attribute makes it an epic item. Which is REALLY costly.

But one round once per day is SO different from +10 to an attribute (all day) that it's not really comparable at all.

10K sounds relatively sound. Really it's an adamantine heavy mace with one special ability... In general you should price things according to their functionality. So price this as an adamantine spiked mace that can cast a custom spell once per day... the main cost consideration there is how much would that spell cost to cast once per day.

 

[brehobit]

So basic abilities are:
* +10 STR 1/day as free action.
* Extra damange (say +2 on the average)
* Does two types of damage.

I'd say the first would be a reasonable 4th level spell if you changed it to a "swift" action rather than free (which I very much recommend). So cost is 4*7*2000/5=14,000. Seems a bit high but I think it is okay.

+2 damage is about the same as a +1 bonus. So add 1 to the enchantment level (2000 GP if the thing is otherwise unenchanted). With the 2 types of damage, I'd think for a second about moving it to +2, but I think +1 is about right.

So assuming these things were otherwise +1 (so you can add the +1 bonus) I'm getting 14,000+8000+300+change for base cost or around 22,300.

Note that this is doing both a bit more (+1 enchantment) and less (swift not free action).

On the Epic argument, can't a cleric with the strength domain already do this at level 10?

 

[UltimaGabe]

On the Epic argument, can't a cleric with the strength domain already do this at level 10?

Yes- but it's slightly irrelevant. A Cleric with the strength Domain COULD do this on his own, but the item would let him do it a second time per day. However, this item isn't meant for (nor is it limited to) a Cleric with the Strength Domain, so it is therefore irrelevant.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I hope to include these gauntlets in an upcoming game.