Help: Magic item pricing

[monboesen]

My players have finally realized that item creation feats are very good and begun to make stuff themselves. As neither they or I have much experience with this aspect of the game and they of course are being clever and greedy I’m having trouble pricing the items they want to make.

For instance one player has proposed a Belt that increases Str, Dex, Con and Int by +2.

Should the Base price be:
Int +2: 4000*1,5 (no affinity): 6000
Str +2: 4000*0,75 (multiple similar abilities): 3000
Dex +2: 4000*0,5 (multiple similar abilities): 2000
Con +2: 4000*0,5 (multiple similar abilities): 2000
=13000 gp

or
Int +2: 4000*1,5 (no affinity): 6000
Str +2: 4000*1,5 (multiple different abilities): 6000
Dex +2: 4000*1,5 (multiple different abilities): 6000
Con +2: 4000*1,5 (multiple different abilities): 6000
=24000 gp

They are also into making stuff like an amulet that can cast Shield 3/day with a caster level of 1.

Base Price
1*1*1800/(5/3): 1078 gp

That seems mighty cheap for a gizmo that more or less provides a +4 shield bonus to AC thirty minutes a day. Usually enough for what combat they might see in a day.

 

[Thanee]

Shield only has a 1 minute duration. Such an item seems fair to me.

Ok, one thing, that is very important: Be VERY wary about any continuous spell items (especially 1st level). These often break the limits of magic item creation (i.e. boots with continuous expeditious retreat costs only 4k, 7k if you include continuous jump (CL 1st) as well, compared to boots of striding and sprining, this is a joke)!

I would only allow these after careful consideration, or judge the price according to the effect (i.e. the above boots should cost something like 20k).

Another good example is protection from evil. It's certainly ok, to have an item cast the spell a couple times per day, but having it continuously active is a tremendous advantage.

Also, if the effect of the spell resembles any of the specific costs listed in the table (i.e. bonus to AC, save bonus, skill bonus, etc) then you should generally use the given formulas instead of the spell level x caster level formula!

Anyways...

The second approach for the belt seems right (they are definitely different abilities (if they work at the same time and both provide a bonus, they usually are different abilities)). 24,000 gp.

The first obviously cannot be right, since it is cheaper than the four items (which need four slots not just one!) combined.

Bye
Thanee

 

[mikebr99]

FYI...

Belt of Magnificence (MH p.42)
The belt adds a +2, +4, or +6 enhancement bonus to STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, & CHR scores.
Strong transmutation; CL 18th, craft wondrous, all appropiate buff spells; Price 25,000gp (+2), 100,000gp (+4), 200,000gp (+6).


Mike

 

[Thanee]

Heh. Guess they figured there are diminishing returns after the third or fourth different stat increase, as rarely someone will benefit as greatly from each of them.

Bye
Thanee

 

[dcollins]

My players have finally realized that item creation feats are very good and begun to make stuff themselves. As neither they or I have much experience with this aspect of the game and they of course are being clever and greedy I’m having trouble pricing the items they want to make.

The simplest thing in this regard is to stick with the book and only allow crafting of items that are already in the rules. "New items" are always House Rules and your game drifts more away from the core game the more you allow.

In particular, there's a particular set of spell abilities that do not appear in the core rules that clever players are always trying to pull over on new DMs. In particular: items of shield, mage armor, cure light wounds, protection from evil, mind blank, and skill bonuses to Spellcraft and Use Magic Device. Watch out for those.

More here: www.superdan.net/dndfaq3.html