Lower Item Creation Costs?

[Zathraas]

Magic items can be created with restrictions that lower the cost, but can they be made with multiple restrictions? Ie, both a required skill and an alignment to lower the cost by 40%? Skill, Alignment and Class lowering by 70%???

From the SRD: Once you have a final cost figure, reduce that number if either of the following conditions applies:
—Item Requires Skill to Use: Some items require a specific skill to get them to function. This factor should reduce the cost about 10%.
—Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use: Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the cost by 30%.

 

[mikebr99]

Yup... there's rules for it... but I doubt your DM would go for it. I wouldn't... YMMV

Mike

 

[Zathraas]

Anyone know if the Magic Item Compendium has much to say on this?

 

[Mistwell]

Anyone know if the Magic Item Compendium has much to say on this?

It does not have anything to say on that subject.

Restrictions are not usually very useful for lowering the cost. If all you are doing is making a restriction to limit it to a race or a class or something else your character actually meets, just so your character can make it cheaper and use it but an enemy could not remove the item from you and use it, then it shouldn't be cheaper to make. In fact, one could make a reasonable argument that it should be MORE expensive to make an item that works for you but is unlikely to work for your foe if the foe happens to get ahold of it.

On the other hand, if you are adding a REAL restriction on the item, like "lose 1 hp with every use" or take some other form of damage or you become slowed or fatigued or deafened or something like that, THEN I would think the price can be lowered.

 

[frankthedm]

In fact, one could make a reasonable argument that it should be MORE expensive to make an item that works for you but is unlikely to work for your foe if the foe happens to get ahold of it.

On the other hand, if you are adding a REAL restriction on the item, like "lose 1 hp with every use" or take some other form of damage or you become slowed or fatigued or deafened or something like that, THEN I would think the price can be lowered.

Good ideas.

 

[Geoff Watson]

I'd say that those restrictions wouldn't reduce the cost to create an item, as the creator would just choose limitations that don't affect him (or whoever he was making the item for).

I would reduce the sale price a bit, as it would be harder to find a suitable buyer (unless the seller does the work to find the buyer rather than going through a middleman).

Geoff.

 

[Zathraas]

Our group decided, like many groups it seems, to ignore this part of the basic rules for item creation and I think it is the right decision all around. My guess is that the initial designer thought process was that by adding restrictions, the amount of people who would bother buying the item is reduced, so the item might not be worth as much, but I think in play, characters or NPCs will find someone who meets the criteria and that person will pay the normal price. In fact, someone who meets several restrictions for an item he wants, restrictions that are not common, might even pay more, as Mistwell suggested.

One player in our group even found the standard restrictions potentially problematic because if the players started getting all their items crafted for a specific class, alignment and skill combo, then the DM might decide that their opponents are going to be just as money conscious and the bulk of their items will be for evil characters who have 5 ranks in Craft: Altars to Evil Deities.

I really like the idea of having real in-game disadvantages to an item that might lower the cost some, or even just to give characters second thoughts. They would border on cursed items except they would be useful for the intended purpose, just have a downside

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I've always disliked the rule for lowering costs, because character inevitably expect a major price break on something that should be a price increase.

But hey, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Set up a campaign set around an evil cult and have 90% of thier magic items only usable if you worship XXX. That way the evil guys get 30% more stuff and the party gets no boost in power from defeating the cult. Works well.

 

[Corsair]

I've always disliked the rule for lowering costs, because character inevitably expect a major price break on something that should be a price increase.

But hey, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Set up a campaign set around an evil cult and have 90% of thier magic items only usable if you worship XXX. That way the evil guys get 30% more stuff and the party gets no boost in power from defeating the cult. Works well.

Except for the bard, rogue, and anyone else with Use Magic Device.

 

[moritheil]

It does not have anything to say on that subject.

Restrictions are not usually very useful for lowering the cost. If all you are doing is making a restriction to limit it to a race or a class or something else your character actually meets, just so your character can make it cheaper and use it but an enemy could not remove the item from you and use it, then it shouldn't be cheaper to make. In fact, one could make a reasonable argument that it should be MORE expensive to make an item that works for you but is unlikely to work for your foe if the foe happens to get ahold of it.

On the other hand, if you are adding a REAL restriction on the item, like "lose 1 hp with every use" or take some other form of damage or you become slowed or fatigued or deafened or something like that, THEN I would think the price can be lowered.

I did something similar in my campaign. Players wanted to make barbarian-only items, so I ruled that in order to really be barbarian only, they would have to be use-activated, triggering on rage. (You can see a few of the results on my web site.)