Item Creation Formulas

[Kestrel]

Just sitting around thinking...you know, that thing ya do when bored out of your fricking skull.

Formulas and items. Really, just more limitations to the Item Creation feats. This idea came to me while reading Monte Cook's FAQ on Magic Item
creation.

The idea is pretty simple. Just because you have the ability to create magic items (due to the creation feats) doesn't mean that you know how to make a particular item. Just like a wizard may have the ability to cast spells, but doesn't necessarily know the spell formula to cast.

My idea is that to create a magic item, you will need a formula to do so. Or create one on the fly. All that magic items in the DMG have a formula, and these formulas can be obtained just like the magic items themselves, in cities and places of learning. I'm thinking the formulas aren't that expensive, generally 10% of the Market Value of the item itself, but are necessary for creating that particular item. If you don't have one, then you have to create one. Creating one takes cash, a lab, and time. I'm
thinking that the cost for creating a new formula will be 25% of the Market Value of the Item. Time is the same, 25% of the time required for creating the item itself. It requires a lab, just like the alchemical lab (same cost and size), and a safe workplace.

The end result is something you can use to create a new magic item (one that doesn't exist currently) and a formula that you can sell if needed.

Just an idea I'm thinking of putting in my game. Feel free to flame away

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I always assumed that a formula is needed, but I think the cost of it will be included in the material price. (No need to make it more expensive).
This can explain why some magic items (artifacts) cannot be recreated - the formulas are all gone.

But developing new formulas to create new items might be a good idea. Probably, this should be made similar to creating new spells (inplay). Though the question is: What would be the DCs to create new magic items? What might be the cost for a new formula (10% of the later price seems fair.)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Claude Raines]

I agree with Mustrum_Ridcully that the formula discovery is inherent in the cost of making the item. However, I think it might be interesting to allow characters to find the formula and then reduce the price of making that sort of item by some amount between 10% and 25%. This would be a nice way to encourage players to create magic items. The experience point cost shouldn't be reduced however.

Formulas could make an interesting reward other than the actual magic items themselves. (After ransacking the evil wizard's lab, the characters find little actual items but do come across a formula to create magic carpet, etc.) And selling formulas could definitely become a side business.

To just invent a formula, I would require some sort of spellcraft, profession, or craft check with a DC of 15 + highest spell level or something of that nature. The 25% time and money requirement to just invent a formula sounds reasonable. The price to create a formula should be equal to (or higher than) the savings it gives. Thus it is just as (or more) expedient to create the item without researching the formula first, but once they've found the formula (by creating the item or otherwise), the always get a small savings to the creation of the item hereafter.

 

[hong]

Formulae are fine. I think they should be implemented via roleplaying, though, as opposed to a generic bump to the cost to create. So for example, if I want my wizard to create some winged boots, I might have to go to a library in a far city, or consult with a sage, to find out what's needed. In this case, I find out that I need (as per DMG) the Craft Wondrous Item feat, the fly spell, 6000 gp, 480 XP and 12 days. The same would hold if I wanted to create some other item that wasn't in the books -- you still have to do basic research if you want to make up stuff that's new.

IMO this is more interesting and has more potential for plot hooks than just reducing stuff down to gp and XP.