Otterscrubber
First Post
If you are making a magic item with a skill bonus, what is the formula? Also, what is the cap for pre-epic? Thanks, I just dont have my DMG with me atm.
Magic Item creation formula needed
- Thread starter Otterscrubber
- Start date
jgsugden
Legend
Formulas for magic items do not work. A +20 bonus to swim and a +20 bonus to use magic device are entirely different in terms of the power gained by the character.
The only way to get a balancced item is to design it and then compare it to other items in the DMG. If you'd clearly rather have the item you just made than one that costs 5,000 gold in the DMG, compare it to higher priced items. If the item you made is less useful than a 75,000 GP item, look at lower price items. If you do this, you can probably work it down to a fairly reasonable price. It isn't scientific, but it tends to lead to better prices than formulas.
The only way to get a balancced item is to design it and then compare it to other items in the DMG. If you'd clearly rather have the item you just made than one that costs 5,000 gold in the DMG, compare it to higher priced items. If the item you made is less useful than a 75,000 GP item, look at lower price items. If you do this, you can probably work it down to a fairly reasonable price. It isn't scientific, but it tends to lead to better prices than formulas.
Otterscrubber
First Post
Are you saying there is no formula in the DMG for doing this? Or is this your opinion of the 3.5 magic item creation guidelines?
Otterscrubber
First Post
Thanks orco42, that's what I was looking for.
I understand what the others mean, an items price should reflect its value. However value for some items is extremely subjective. Case in point, the item I am trying to price. I have a 19th level sorcerer who is looking to the future of epic levels and making epic spells. To do this requires a high spellcraft skill to do the really neat stuff. So a ring that adds a lot to my skill will be very valuable to my 19th level sorcerer, once he hits lvl 21 and takes the feat that allows epic spells. However, that ring is almost useless to him before that, as well as being useless to almost everyone else with a few exceptions. Not totally useless, if he had some of the improved counterspell feats (which he does not), but almost totally useless. Should it cost him less to make if he makes it before level 21, where it's value to him is extremely limited? What if he is making it for someone else, an NPC for example. The value is nothing to him then, should that cost him nothing to make? The subjective pricing breaks down at a certain point, that is why I was asking for the formula so that I would at least have a guideline.
I understand what the others mean, an items price should reflect its value. However value for some items is extremely subjective. Case in point, the item I am trying to price. I have a 19th level sorcerer who is looking to the future of epic levels and making epic spells. To do this requires a high spellcraft skill to do the really neat stuff. So a ring that adds a lot to my skill will be very valuable to my 19th level sorcerer, once he hits lvl 21 and takes the feat that allows epic spells. However, that ring is almost useless to him before that, as well as being useless to almost everyone else with a few exceptions. Not totally useless, if he had some of the improved counterspell feats (which he does not), but almost totally useless. Should it cost him less to make if he makes it before level 21, where it's value to him is extremely limited? What if he is making it for someone else, an NPC for example. The value is nothing to him then, should that cost him nothing to make? The subjective pricing breaks down at a certain point, that is why I was asking for the formula so that I would at least have a guideline.
dcollins
Explorer
I agree, this is one of the more broken aspects of the new item pricing guidelines. Different skills have wildly different actual gameplay valuations, and they're not reflected in that formula.
For example, everyone wants an item with one of 2 skills. They are (a) Use Magic Device (so they can use any arbitrary magic item), and (b) Spellcraft (so they can leapfrog up the Epic spell creations). Neither type of item was provided in the core rules. Neither was available to the playtesters of the Epic rules. I recommend not allowing these new items in normal campaigns, because they break certain important restrictions on character design.
For example, everyone wants an item with one of 2 skills. They are (a) Use Magic Device (so they can use any arbitrary magic item), and (b) Spellcraft (so they can leapfrog up the Epic spell creations). Neither type of item was provided in the core rules. Neither was available to the playtesters of the Epic rules. I recommend not allowing these new items in normal campaigns, because they break certain important restrictions on character design.
