Item pricing question <answered by Sage and CS>

[Thanee]

Both of them. In most cases, use the table (mutlible abilities are usually worth more than either ability alone).

Now that's an accurate answer!

Oh, and for the record, I'd use a mixture of both the table entry and the text, increase the cost of all but the lowest cost ability by +50%!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Gog]

Here's a bit of trivia for ya' though...do you remember what Caliban's name is?

I do, but not from the boards I don't recall ever seeing it here.

Lance

 

[kreynolds]

I do, but not from the boards I don't recall ever seeing it here.

He accidentally included his name here when he "signed" one of his posts. When I asked about it (being the complete ass I was), he edited it out.

 

[kreynolds]

Now that's an accurate answer!

Yeah. I'm this close to just saying "screw it" and using the rules for item creation in the Artificer's Handbook. I finally picked it up, and except for one very huge epic level flaw, it's an awesome system. The layout of the book is hell, but the system seems rock solid. If you see it in your local gaming store, definately give it a few flips.

 

[dcollins]

No input from you folks? Man, this forum is just dyin'.

I've noticed (and felt) the same thing. It's funny that this slide-off in interest has occurred in the months following the release of 3.5.

 

[kreynolds]

I've noticed (and felt) the same thing. It's funny that this slide-off in interest has occurred in the months following the release of 3.5.

Well, activity on the WotC boards has skyrocketed, as far as I can tell. Strangely enough, it also seemed to die off even more roughly around the release of the miniatures. I guess everyone went out to get second jobs so that they could start picking the damn things up.

 

[Ferret]

So you add them bit by bit? 1.5 X whatever then X 1.5 then X 2?

 

[Spatzimaus]

I've noticed (and felt) the same thing. It's funny that this slide-off in interest has occurred in the months following the release of 3.5.

Well, I figure it this way: D&D isn't really getting much of an influx of "new" players, so this board has two distinct populations. There are the old farts who have discussed all of these rule quibbles to death, and new people who either ask simple questions or come up with fantastic "new" ideas like Telekinesis on a barrel of arrows, or Whirlwind Attack and a bucket of snails... this isn't really conducive to a good conversation.
Then 3.5E comes out. It fixes a few of the things that used to cause annoying threads, like Harm, and it makes some changes that are really worth talking about, like the new Ranger, but most of the material didn't change. So, other than the first week when everyone who didn't have the books wanted info, there's not much to talk about.
These days, my group only checks the boards for two reasons:
1> To trade ideas. And by "trade" I usually mean "read the story hours of people like Piratecat and Sagiro and figure out what ideas we can steal".
2> To get more peoples' opinions on house rules we're still trying to fine-tune.
When I see rule threads pointing out a flaw in the rules, more often than not my response would be "sure, it's a problem, but we already house-ruled that away". Not a constructive response, so why post it?

 

[kreynolds]

So you add them bit by bit? 1.5 X whatever then X 1.5 then X 2?

Here's the answer I got from CS about that...

-----Original Message-----
From: Wizards Customer Service [mailto:custserv@wizards.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 9:12 AM
To: Reynolds,Kelly
Subject: RE: Magic Item Pricing...


Got a question about Item Slot Affinities. The Behind the Curtain: Body Slot Affinities states "Wondrous items that don't match the affinity for a particular body slot should cost 50% more than wondrous items that match the affinity."

The table in the sidebar states that gloves have an affinity to quickness and belts to physical improvement. Does a dexterity bonus have an affinity to quickness, physical improvement, or both?

-Well, since the most prominent Dex boosting item are gloves of dexterity, I'm going to say quickness.

If a dexterity bonus has an affinity to quickness but not to physical improvement, then a belt of dexterity +4 would cost 24,000 gp instead of 16,000 gp, right?

-Something like that. However it is up to your DM, as the final arbiter of the game, what the price of the item is. It is well within their rights to increase the value if they so choose.

Now, I'll use the example of the Belt of Strength +4 and Dexterity +4 (from Behind the Curtain: Magic Item Gold Piece Values). Assuming a dexterity bonus does not have an affinity to physical improvement, its price would be increased by 50% for being on a belt. Also, because these are nonsimilar powers, the second power, Dexterity, has a 50% price increase. So, that puts the price of the belt at 40,000 gp.

So do both of these price increases, second non-similar power on a slotted item and item slot nonaffinity apply? If so, in what order and how do they apply?

-Technically... you would apply the cost as if you were creating two separate magic items... 16,000 gp for the belt of giant strength +4 and then you add a belt of dexterity +4 is 24,000 gp (16,000 gp plus 50%), and then you add the two together to get 40,000 gp plus 50% for a total of 60,000 gp magic item.

Do you first apply the second nonsimilar power penalty, adjusting the price of the Dexterity bonus up to give a new total for the belt of 40,000 gp, then apply the nonaffinity penalty, adjusting the entire price up 50%, for a total of 60,000 gp for the belt?

Or does the nonaffinity penalty only applie to the Dexterity portion of the belt, effectively doubling the cost of the Dexterity bonus?



*******************************************
Chris
Wizards of the Coast - Customer Support
Website: <http://www.wizards.com>
Game Support Phone: 1-800-324-6496
Monday through Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM PST
Corporate Phone: (425) 226-6500
*******************************************

So, the nonaffinity penalty would apply to the entire item, not just the portion of the item that lacks affinity.

Personally, I'm very disheartened by all this. It's sloppy and cumbersome, uses penalties that stack like no other in the entire game, and not to mention that it results in extremely expensive items. Here's what a command word item with one 3rd-level effect, one 2nd-level effect, and one 1st-level effect, all at CL 5, would be priced as, depending on what you go by...

Table
1st power; 3*5*1,800*2; 54,000
2nd power; 2*5*1,800; 18,000
3rd power; 1*5*1,800; 9,000
Total: 81,000

Sidebar
1st power; 3*5*1,800; 27,000
2nd power; 2*5*1,800*1.5; 27,000
3rd power; 1*5*1,800*1.5; 13,500
Total: 67,500

Both
1st power; 3*5*1,800*2; 54,000
2nd power; 2*5*1,800*1.5; 27,000
3rd power; 1*5*1,800*1.5; 13,500
Total: 94,500

...Now, the "Sidebar" price is what we are all used to, but the "Both" is apparently official. If any of those did not have an affinity to the body slot in question, their total price would increase by yet another 50%.

The more I look at this, the closer I get to dumping the DMG as an official source for pricing items in my games and instead going with the AH.

 

[Piratecat]

What's AH stand for?