Magic item price: Magical Thief's Tools!

[ARandomGod]

OK, I admit it now...I'm the guilty DM that first posed this question to Nail...I didn't realize a "simple" question was going to result in making PC cry...

Anyway, I believe ZB missed part of the conversation. The PC is going to have the tools made, at a price of 8,750 gp ( what can I say...they're in Silverymoon, where everything is better quality, but more expensive ).

The reason he didn't have them on the latest excursion was it was going to take a few days to have them created, and the PC would have had to go adventuring without his lockpicks if he chose to have his existing one's enchanted. So, he bought a second set, and is having them enchanted while he is away killing nasties.

Final product ends up having +5 to both Open Lock and Disable Device.

Thanks to everyone who put in their .02 worth!

Z

Wow, that IS overpriced!
It doesn't sound like they're better quality either. Or do they retain their original +2?
Nearly 9k for an item that you don't HAVE to have on you all the time, an item which is only useable in situations where you're NOT in a hurry, and you're only getting +3 (total, assuming you mean they only give +5) for the price?

For 5000k he could've kept his existing picks, and gotten two rings, one of open lock +5 (2500gold) and one of disable device +5 (2500gold). Put on one ring when opening locks, and take it off to out on the next when disableing device. For a total of +7 to both. And the whole operation shouldn't take a significant amount more time than sorting through your lockpicks for the different tools you need for different locks/devices anyhow.

 

[Nail]

Wow, that IS overpriced!

You mised the comment about Silverymoon?

For 5000k he could've kept his existing picks, and gotten two rings, one of open lock +5 (2500gold) and one of disable device +5 (2500gold). Put on one ring when opening locks, and take it off to out on the next when disableing device. For a total of +7 to both.

Well, technically 5100gp. And that's assuming he can find a Wiz 12 that has the Craft Ring feat.....okay, I admit it: I'm picking nits.

Seriously: this is one item that does two different things. As such, it carries a premium.

Should such an item ever be cheaper than separate items that collectively do the same thing?

 

[ARandomGod]

Seriously: this is one item that does two different things. As such, it carries a premium.

Should such an item ever be cheaper than separate items that collectively do the same thing?

(No, I saw that quote. And rook 'em for all you think is appropriate. After all, you gave 'em that gold, you decide what it's worth. You could always tell them one day that it's been discovered that their "gold" is only gold guilded lead.)

Actually, it's about 50 or 150 items that do two seperate things. The a set of thieves tools is just that, a set of tools, in a little toolbox, or pouch, or something. There are lots of different lockpick tools and lots of different disable device tools.

So there's no reason not to (and every reason TO) enchant two seperate MW thieves tools, one for open locks, and one for disable device. Then combine the two, because you don't use open lock tools when disabling devices. And, if I'm wrong and there's some redundancy, well, make the tools out of differently coloured metals, so that you can tell them apart depending on what function you're using at the time.

For that matter, I don't think that 8,750 gp is TOO unreasonable, but I do think that it would be unreasonable to say additionally that the +2 from MW tools is absorbed in the magic. IE I think that for that price it should be +7.

I mean, sure 8,750 is severely overpriced, but if things are overpriced, hey, that's life. But still, as I pointed out, you could easily get the same thing for much, much less. And you don't need rings, there are wonderous items that give competence bonuses for the same cost. So those teo (seperate) enchantments could easily be put on an armband.

Of course, I'd make this a thieves only magical item, which you'll note should give it an additional 30% off the base price, or 6125 from the calculations that gave 8,750.