How would you price the following?

[shilsen]

One of my PCs just obtained a ring with the following powers:

Thrice per day, the wearer can apply any one of the following metamagic feats to a spell of up to 3rd level while casting, without increasing a spell's casting time or using a higher level slot:

Empower Spell
Energy Substitution (Acid)
Enlarge Spell
Extend Spell
Silent Spell

Additionally, once per day, the wearer can apply any one of the above metamagic feats to a spell of up to 6th level.

The wearer of the ring can cast Detect Magic, Prestidigitation and Unseen Servant 3/day each.

The ring also provides a +5 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks.

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How much would you price the above ring at?

 

[Thanee]

About 40,000 gp.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pyrex]

Spells -> 2700

Spellcraft -> 2500

Rod of Lesser E.Sub(Acid) -> 1,500 *.5
Rod of Lesser Extend -> 3,000 *.5
Rod of Lesser Enlarge -> 3,000 *.5
Rod of Lesser Silent -> 3,000 *.75
Rod of Lesser Empower -> 9,000
Lesser Metamagics Total: -> 15,000gp


1/3 Rod of E.Sub(Acid) -> 1,834 *.5
1/3 Rod of Extend -> 3,667 *.5
1/3 Rod of Enlarge -> 3,667 *.5
1/3 Rod of Silent -> 3,667 *.75
1/3 Rod of Empower -> 10,833
Metamagics Total: -> 18,167

Metamagics + 1.5*LesserMetamagics + 1.5*Spells + 1.5*Spellcraft = 48,467gp

Edit: Oops, my values were wrong as I was using the wrong price base... *tries again*

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, let's use the patented Patryn of Elvenshae Make It Separate Then Smash It Together System of Item Pricing and see what we get!

First on the list, the metamagic rod parts:

Empower Spell, Lesser: 9,000 gp
Energy Substitution (Acid), Lesser: 1,500 gp (1/2 1-level MM rods)
Enlarge Spell, Lesser: 3,000 gp
Extend Spell, Lesser: 3,000 gp
Silent Spell, Lesser: 3,000 gp

Now, we'll make a "Ring of Lesser Metamagic." Since these all draw on the same pool of charges, we'll give the lower-priced powers the ol' Multiple Similar Abilities discount. This brings us to:

Empower Spell, Lesser: 9,000 gp = 9,000 gp
Energy Substitution (Acid), Lesser: 1,500 gp * .5 = 750 gp
Enlarge Spell, Lesser: 3,000 gp * .75 = 2,250 gp
Extend Spell, Lesser: 3,000 gp * .5 = 1,500 gp
Silent Spell, Lesser: 3,000 gp * .5 = 1,500 gp

Ring of Lesser Metamagic Total: 15,000 gp

Then, we've got the higher level version. We'll divide those costs by three, to represent the 1 / day limitation:

Empower Spell: 32,500 gp / 3 = 10,833 gp
Energy Substitution (Acid): 5,500 / 3 = 1,833 gp
Enlarge Spell: 11,000 / 3 = 3,667 gp
Extend Spell: 11,000 / 3 = 3,667 gp
Silent Spell: 11,000 / 3 = 3,667 gp

Using this, we'll create a "Ring of Metamagic," granting the cheaper powers the same discount from above:

Empower Spell: 10,833.3 gp = 10,833
Energy Substitution (Acid): 1,833 gp * .5 = 917 gp
Enlarge Spell: 3,667 gp * .75 = 2,750 gp
Extend Spell: 3,667 gp * .5 = 1,833 gp
Silent Spell: 3,667 gp * .5 = 1,833 gp

Ring of Metamagic (1 / day) Total: 18,167 gp

Now, each spell is calculated separately. I'll assume a CL of, say ... 12 ..., and that they are Command-word Activated (Spell Level * CL * 1,800 gp / (5 / Uses)):

Ring of Detect Magic: 0.5 * 12 * 1,800 gp / (5 / 3) = 6,480 gp

Ring of Prestidigitation: 0.5 * 12 * 1,800 gp / (5 / 3) = 6,480 gp

Ring of Unseen Servant: 1 * 12 * 1,800 gp / (5 / 3) = 12,960 gp

And, last but not least, the Competence bonus to Spellcraft (Skill Bonus ^2 * 100 gp):

Ring of Spellcraft: 5 * 5 * 100 gp = 2,500 gp

So, in the end, we have 6 items we are smashing together:

Ring of Lesser Metamagic: 15,000 gp
Ring of Metamagic (1 / day): 18,167 gp
Ring of Detect Magic: 6,480 gp
Ring of Prestidigitation: 6,480 gp
Ring of Unseen Servant: 12,960 gp
Ring of Spellcraft: 2,500 gp

The most expensive is the Ring of Metamagic (1 / day), so that cost stays the same. The rest are multiplied by 1.5, for being additional powers on a slotted item:

Ring of Lesser Metamagic: 15,000 gp * 1.5 = 22,500 gp
Ring of Metamagic (1 / day): 18,167 gp = 18,167 gp
Ring of Detect Magic: 6,480 gp = 9,720 gp
Ring of Prestidigitation: 6,480 gp = 9,720 gp
Ring of Unseen Servant: 12,960 gp = 19,440 gp
Ring of Spellcraft: 2,500 gp = 3,750 gp

...

For a grand total of: 83,297 gp

EDIT: Oops - Energy Sub is a 0-level adjustment. Fixed it above.

 

[Pyrex]

Heh, now that I fixed my math it looks like we're about the same excepting I defaulted to CL1 for all the spells. Certainly looks like the spells need to go to keep the cost down.

 

[shilsen]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Heh, now that I fixed my math it looks like we're about the same excepting I defaulted to CL1 for all the spells.

An item has only one caster level. It's interesting to note that the existing metamagic rods have a caster level of 17. That would significantly increase the price above.