Help me creating a relic

[Shin Okada]

As a DM, I am thinking of putting the following original relic in my campaign. Give me advice and opinions, and help me deciding the cost of this item.


Bracers of Platinum Scales [Relic]
Price (Item Advice) : 99,000 gp (20th-level)
Body Slot : Arms
Caster Level : 20th
Aura : Strong (DC 25) Transmutation
Activation : --
Weight : 1/2 lb.

This pair of platinum bracers have engraves which resembles scales of dragon.

Any weapon you hold and any natural weapon you have are treated having Good and Lawful alignment for the purpose of overcoming DR. This power functions if you are Lawful Good, Neutral Good, or Lawful Neutral.
Relic Power : If you have established the proper divine connection, Any weapon you hold and any natural weapon you have gain both "Dragon" bane and "Evil Outsider" bane abilities.
To use the relic power, you must worship Bahamut and either sacrifice a 6th-level divine spell slot or have the True Believer feat and at least 11 HD.
Cost to Create : 49,500gp, 3,960XP


My reasoning for calculating the cost is as follows (using guideline in MIC, not that in CD).

Basic "Alignment" properties are like 2 Align Weapon spells (good and lawful) and 2 Align Fang spells (good and lawful) activating 24-hr/day.

So,
Align Weapon (good) = Spell Level 2 x Caster Level 3 x 2,000 =18,000 gp
Align Weapon (lawful) = Spell Level 2 x Caster Level 3 x 2,000 x 1.5 =27,000 gp
Align Fang (good) = Spell Level 2 x Caster Level 3 x 2,000 x 1.5 =27,000 gp
Align Fang (good) = Spell Level 2 x Caster Level 3 x 2,000 x 1.5 =27,000 gp
= 99,000 gp in total

For the relic power, the most similar spell I can think of is a 4th-level spell Undead Bane weapon, which gives Undead Bane ability to a weapon. Now, it gives 2 kinds of bane abilities to both manufactured weapons and natural weapons. Thus, roughly equal to four 4th-level slots. As Versatile Spellcaster feat can convert two spell slots into a single 1-level higher spell slot, I have decided to make it a 6th-level slot.

Give me any suggestions, ideas, criticism, etc. for making this item a balanced one.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kask]

Relics & artifacts aren't meant to be balanced. Are you just trying to create a high level magic item?

 

[Shin Okada]

Relics & artifacts aren't meant to be balanced. Are you just trying to create a high level magic item?

A kind of. I am trying to put strong magic items, useful for L 17-20 characters and for fighting against CR 20+ dragons (and demons).

One of the PC in the party happen to be a Pious Templar of Bahamut. So it is a good chance to give him a chance to use his True Believer feat. He has qualified the requirement of Pious Templar by taking Weapon Focus (Bite) and not using Heavy Pick (his mini has a greataxe). So, a powerful pick does not work.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

One thing I'd keep in mind is that the price premium for stacking abilities on items typically assumes that the abilities are useful concurrently. (Not just theoretically usable concurrently, but practically useful concurrently.) When that's not the case, you -- as DM -- should adjust the price premium downward as you see fit.

 

[Shin Okada]

Hmm I found Angel Helm in MIC. It costs only 10,000 gp and give all the melee attacks Good Alignment, alongside some spell-like abilities. Maybe giving alingnment to melee attacks should be much cheaper?

Maybe I should not use spell effects for calculating "Alingnment" part abilities and just compare it with other items.

MIC has 2 items which let the user overcome onte type of DR component, Gauntlets of Weaponly Arcane (Silver) and Ring of Adamantine Touch (Adamantine). Both of them cost only 6,000 gp.

If I use those items for comparison, Good/Lawful property may cost, say, only 6,000 + (6,000 x 1.5) = 15,000 gp or so?

 

[Sigurd]

I think its a great item. I wouldn't sweat the cost so much. Its a relic-mostly priceless.


If you want to up its power you could ad DR5/Fire if that is the most prevalent dragon breath type in your campaign.

btw. I'd definitely like to borrow the item for my campaign world.

I'd half the gold creation value and add the fire resistance. Remember multiple resistances don't stack and DR5 Fire is not that large. I'm also going to reduce the requirements on the relic power to a devout prayer to Bahamat. Characters must have a background and alignment acceptable to the deity to receive this blessing.


Sigurd

Unique items are better explained by skill and story than just gold value.

Unable to intervene personally to stop a ravaging dragon, Bahamut is said to have brought a quantity of rare metals to a smith of great skill. "If you believe in the future of your settlement you will take no other commissions and work on no other project for a year and a day." The smith closed his shop and worked tirelessly to shape the metals, despite the outrage of the defending soldiers. Just over a year later the prince of the region came personally to demand the smith resume work. His task finished the smith told his story and revealed his creations to the wonderment of all.

 

[Sigurd]

Bracers of Platinum Scales [Relic]
Price: 50,000 gp (20th-level)
Body Slot : Arms
Caster Level : 20th
Aura : Strong (DC 25) Transmutation
Activation : --
Weight : 1/2 lb.

This pair of platinum bracers have engravings of dragon scales and prayers to Bahamat.

Unable to intervene personally to stop a ravaging dragon, Bahamut is said to have brought a quantity of rare metals to a smith of great skill. "If you believe in the future of your settlement you will take no other commissions and work on no other project for a year and a day." The smith closed his shop and worked tirelessly to shape the metals, despite the outrage of the defending soldiers. Just over a year later the prince of the region came personally to demand the smith resume work. His task finished the smith told his story and revealed his creations to the wonderment of all.

Any weapon you hold and any natural weapon you have are treated as having Good and Lawful alignment for the purpose of overcoming DR. This power functions if you are Lawful Good, Neutral Good, or Lawful Neutral.
The wearer receives DR5 fire resistance.
Relic Power : If devout prayer brings Bahamats blessing, any weapon you hold and any natural weapon you have gain both "Dragon" bane and "Evil Outsider" bane abilities.
To use the relic power you must be at least ninth level and worthy in the eyes of Bahamut.
Cost to Create : 25,000gp, 3,960XP

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I think its a great item. I wouldn't sweat the cost so much. Its a relic-mostly priceless.

There's some misunderstanding in this thread about relics. a 3.5 relic is not the same as a 1E relic ... a 3.5 relic is a fairly standard magic item with a tie to a deity. A 3.5 relic gets a cost break due to the need to "power it up," with either a feat cost or divine spell slots).

In short, relics need to be designed and balanced like any magic item, which is why the OP sought advice.

 

[Kask]

There's some misunderstanding in this thread about relics. a 3.5 relic is not the same as a 1E relic ... a 3.5 relic is a fairly standard magic item with a tie to a deity. A 3.5 relic gets a cost break due to the need to "power it up," with either a feat cost or divine spell slots).

In short, relics need to be designed and balanced like any magic item, which is why the OP sought advice.

My bad, I guess I haven't read that splat book. Nothing in core about it.