Magic Item Power Limits

[The_Universe]

I was just skimming through the Online SRD, and noticed for the first time that the pricing structure for magic items has changed from 3.0! I don't know how in the heck I missed it for the past 4-5 months, but I did. The players in my game are just getting poerful enough to have some of the better magical items, and the treasure tables are starting to reward them with the ocaisonal magic weapon or piece of armor.

As I was looking through the tables, wanting to make sure that the dice did not give the players something so powerful that it would unbalance the game, I was trying to figure out the +x equivalent of the weapon. But those are gone, replaced by actual monetary values!

Is there still a +10 limit on non-intelligent/non-artifact magical items? If so, how do I figure out if a weapon meets or exceeds those limits? Am I just blind?

Help me En-world-Kenobi! You're my only hope!

 

[MichaelH]

If you look at the charts closely, you will notice that some are +x, while others simply add to the price of the weapon in gold pieces. There is still a +10 maximum for purposes of determining market value and an actual enhancement bonus maximum of +5.

 

[The_Universe]

Thanks for the response!

I saw what you're talking about when I looked at the chart the first time--however, my question remains. If, as I build the armor, I don't choose any of the "power enhancements" with a +x beside them, and instead choose only those with gold piece prices--can I then enhance them up to the total resources of the NPC (since the +10 total limit is now meaningless)? For instance, my NPC can choose any of the elemental resistance enhancements without contributing toward what was the upper limit of power (+5 regular enhancement, +5 for ability) in 3.0.

It doesn't seem like it's supposed to be this way, but maybe it is...

Does that clarify my question?

 

[The_Universe]

Sorry for the bump, but I really would like an answer to this question....


HELP ME, PLEASE!

Thanks!

 

[Scion]

Yep, that is the way it works. No worries Although having anyone dump all of their money into one item is generally a bad plan anyway.

 

[Lamoni]

Sorry for the bump, but I really would like an answer to this question....


HELP ME, PLEASE!

Thanks!

I know that my answer isn't official, but I interpreted it like you. For example the following armor would be legal...

Mithral Full Plate +5
Fortification, Heavy (+5)
Silent Moves, Greater
Acid Resistance, Greater
Fire Resistance, Greater
Cold Resistance, Greater
Electricity Resistance, Greater
Sonic Resistance, Greater

However, that would only cost you 474,250 gp. You could even add several more enhancements. I don't understand why they eliminated the +X bonus equivalent on so many enhancements, but they are priced so they aren't too unbalancing. I just never thought there was a problem with it the old way.

 

[Scion]

I just never thought there was a problem with it the old way.

I did but that was because most of the things they had just werent worth the plus they were given. There wasnt anything smaller than +1 and they, apparently, didnt want to make it strong enough to warrent it.

Still though, the item you listed is legal and cant be afforded until an incredibly high level.

The cost is so prohibitive as to make it laughable to some extent but at least it is an option. I'd rather have more options that arent broken then less options.

 

[ashockney]

Two thoughts on why they probably made these changes. (all non-official)

First, 5 or 10 points of resistance is nowhere near the cost required to take a +7 suit of armor to +8, so it worked fine at the low end, less so at the high end.

Second, the proliferation of elemental resistances. It really is required at higher levels, with so much power flowing around. Frankly, I was surprised they didn't put more powerful elemental resistance spells into the spell lists at higher levels, as the splatbooks held. You really need this kind of thing to survive well from 15th+.

 

[Conaill]

IIRC, you can only make items up to a market value of 200,000 gp before epic levels. Don't have a reference for you because I've never had a close look at the epic stuff, but that's what I've heard from several sources.

 

[Trainz]

IIRC, you can only make items up to a market value of 200,000 gp before epic levels. Don't have a reference for you because I've never had a close look at the epic stuff, but that's what I've heard from several sources.

Yup. From the SRD:

EPIC MAGIC ITEMS

While not truly an artifact, the epic magic item is a creation of such power that it surpasses other magic items. Epic magic items are objects of great power and value. The following are typical characteristics of an epic magic item. In general, an item with even one of these characteristics is an epic magic item.
• Grants a bonus on attacks or damage greater than +5.
• Grants an enhancement bonus to armor higher than +5.
• Has a special ability with a market price modifier greater than +5.
• Grants an armor bonus of greater than +10 (not including magic armor’s enhancement bonus).
• Grants a natural armor, deflection, or resistance bonus greater than +5.
• Grants an enhancement bonus to an ability score greater than +6.
• Grants an enhancement bonus on a skill check greater than +30.
• Mimics a spell of an effective level higher than 9th.
• Has a caster level above 20th.
• Has a market price above 200,000 gp, not including material costs for armor or weapons, material component- or experience point-based costs, or additional value for intelligent items.
An epic magic item that grants a bonus beyond those allowed for normal magic itemshas a higher market price than indicated by the formulas for non-epic items.
Epic magic items are not artifacts. They are not unique, though they are certainly very rare, and anyone with the proper item creation feats can build them. Even an epic magic item can never grant a dodge bonus, and the maximum inherent bonus that can be applied to an ability score is +5. An epic magic item cannot be created that uses or mimics an epic spell. A major artifact might be able to mimic such a spell, however.

So yeah. There's no rules forbidding you to include epic items before level 21st in your game, but as soon as you do, you are walking unchartered territory. I did it in the past, and it worked, but I had to be VERY careful about WHAT I introduced and what effects it had.

The armor described by Lamoni is an Epic Item, and only an epic caster (with the proper epic item creation feats) can make it.