Healing spells and use activated items= 1d8 per round?

[Voneth]

I am probably missing something in the DMG, but would woould a use actived magic item with a Cure Light Wounds offer 1d8+1 every round to it's owner?

Or would it offer a permanent 9 hit points? Or could you use cure light with a max spell feat bonus to make a more expensive item that would offer 9 permanent hit points?

 

[demon_jr]

what item are you enquiring about?

 

[Voneth]

I am talking about creating a use-activatioin item with a healing spell.

 

[Petrosian]

Why in the world would you want to add such a thing to your campaign?

Adding such items would provide near infinite between combat healing, which, at least to these GM eyes, tosses a lot of balance out the window. parties able to find 10 minutes alone would be typically able to heal 550 hp, which would serve to restore a party to full health between fights until very high levels.

So, for what reason do you seek to make these items available in your game?

 

[Voneth]

That's why I was asking about it. I was getting some feedback on the idea other had for such an item.

And I would hate to think that something this obvious would have escaped WotC playtesters.

There are several other ways to think of it:

A cleric standing behind someone can usally pump out enough heal spells for an average fight.

The character now has a DR of 4.5.

I can make the fellow make the item command activated, but that is pretty much the same thing.

And in most game I play, parties usually do heal up fully between fights. That might explain why in our current game I am 15th level after 2 years of playing.

 

[Someone]

That's why I was asking about it. I was getting some feedback on the idea other had for such an item.

And I would hate to think that something this obvious would have escaped WotC playtesters.

Note that listing every different combination of spell, bonus and type of magic item is the same as listing the entire possible list of magic items, and that would make a pretty big book. That´s why they warn you that easy and fast rules are not always accurate (in fact they rarely are) and you´ll have to use (un)common sense.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Under the basic DMG item creation rules, yes, you could make an item that cast Cure Light Wounds every round.

But you won't. EVER.

Some spells just aren't meant to be unlimited-use. For example, I could make an item that continuously gives the Shield spell, or one Magic Missile per round, or gives a free True Strike per round. These would also just be 1800-2000 gp. But, no one in their right mind would put these in a campaign.

This is why the Boots of Springing and Striding keep having their price changed (they're up to 6k now, right? And everyone STILL wants them) This is just one of those areas where the DM has to step in and say "No, you can't have that" or "Okay, but it costs 20 times what you thought it would" to keep things balanced.

Frankly, the whole concept of "unlimited charge" items upsets me. It's the same problem people have with Persistent Spell: spell duration is one of the ways you balance a spell, but suddenly changing it to a flat 24 hours (or permanent, for items) changes that balance.

Especially for items, where you can lower caster level. What's the difference between a CL 1 Shield spell and CL 10? Just duration, but if it's always on that doesn't matter.

---------------------------------------

Here's what I did. You can try something similar.
1> An item's caster level can't be less than what is needed for its spell prerequisites (this is in the book). The Feat is also a prerequisite. Therefore, IMC, every item's caster level can be no less than what is needed for the Feat in question. So, a Wondrous item has a minimum caster level of 3, which affects prices, spell durations, etc.
2> Wondrous items can no longer have continuous effects or unlimited uses. You want something like that, go get a Ring (which have a minimum caster level of 12), under the "quacks like a duck" ruling.

Then, split everything into two groups:
>Command-Activated: takes a partial action to activate, and you get 5 uses per day at book price (360*caster level*spell level per use)
>Use-Activated: free action, you get 4 uses per day at book price (500*caster level*spell level per use)

So, the Boots of Springing and Striding give you 4 free-action uses of Expeditious Retreat per day, and each use lasts 3 minutes, for a price tag of 6500 gp (6000 for the spell, 500 for the jump bonus)

Now, back to your original question:
If you made a Bandage of Yondalla (command-word casts Cure Light Wounds), it'd cost 5400, be used 5 times per day, and heal 1d8+3 points. Still a useful item, but a lot more balanced.
(Then there's the Band-Aid of Pelor, which casts Cure Minor Wounds as a free action 1/day; it's used to stabilize people, activates when you slap it on them, for only 750 gp)

Edit: fixed incorrect price on the Band-Aid

 

[Darklone]

Spatzimaus, we love you.

 

[Petrosian]

And I would hate to think that something this obvious would have escaped WotC playtesters.

it did not escape wotc playtesters.

look thru the wotc books and you will not find one such item as one of their items.

matter of facy, you will not find a single rules saying "these can be made."

Wotc playtesters did not miss it. they said no.

**********

Read the DMg and Tome and blood. All that fancy chart is is a starting point for a Gm to assigm values for items not already in the books that HE DECIDES TO ADD TO HIS GAME.

That chart is not a PERMISSION GRANTED sign for making any item that can be built.

If the Gm decides a every round forever cure item would be good for his game, then he can try and use the chart to determine a price.

***************

Even for assigning the price, after using the chart, the final step is to compare it to other already priced items. They specifically mention wondrous items as being unreliably priced by the chart.

So, after the Gm, in a fit of brain-deadedness, decides "hey! this would be a good thing to have in my game", after he uses the chart and comes up with ~2k, he then should compare it to other items. When he does that, he will clearly see this is one of the items which the chart fails. (At which point he breaths a sigh of relief that he did all the steps and did jnot just think "have chart must use it blindly.")

**************

The chart is not PERMISSION.

If a gm allows such an item into his game, he deserves what he gets.

 

[dcollins]

Very well put, Petrosian.