Magic Item (Use Magic Device) pricing question...

[Xaynar]

Ok...I'm wondering how to price something like this and I'd like some input please. If I wanted to make a magic item, let's say gloves, that increase your Use Magic Device skill by 10 points how much would this cost?
It's obviously much more useful than say a Ring of Jumping or Elven Cloak or Boots (+10 to Hide/+10 to MS respectively). This is why I'm thinking much more than the DMG says of:
bonus squared x 20 (which would be 2000 gp)
It would be incredibly handy for a Rogue to have but is it too powerful? There is a spell in MoF page 134 called Wieldskill that gives you a +10 competence bonus on a skill check of your choice. If you have no ranks in the skill, you function as if you had 1/2 rank so you could be "trained" in the skill and use it.
So, if a fighter used these with no ranks in UMD, he would have only his Charisma bonus +d20 to try and use something. But if a Rogue picked them up, he would get +10 to his UMD skill (provided he had at least 1 rank in it). The thing is, I don't want a mid level Rogue running around with these things using wands, scrolls, staves, etc. with a very easy time activating them every time.
Example: A level 7 rogue with a 14 Charisma. He puts in 10 ranks of UMD, +2 Charisma, +10 Gloves for a total of +22. Even on a roll of 2 he gets a 24 and can activate any wand.

Thanks for any help on this!

 

[Destil]

I wouldn't allow this one, myself. As an exclusive skill, UMD is very very special, it's basicly a class feature for rogues & bards (though one with a skill point cost).

That said I think the most I'd allow would be a +2 competence bonus to the skill, at a cost of around 1.5k, though most likely I'd want to have other powers in such an item.

 

[hammymchamham]

Ring of Jumping is 2k and gives a +30 to a skill.

A "Concentration" third eye (a slotted item) for 2k gives a +10 to concentration checks (Psi handbook)

Being exclusive doesn't seem to effect the price in some WotC products, such as the Psi handbook.

2 Rings in the Psihandbook add to 2 skills that only Psions or Psi Warriors can get. Each ring costs 2000.

 

[Arnix]

Ring of jumping is a special case. There is not doubt in that. Since jump only gives you a bonus every 4 or so points, +30 is really +7.5 to any other skill. Yes, I know that there are circumstances of every 2 points, but there are also ones for every 8 points.


UMD is a very powerful skill. It infringes on other classes abilities. As such, I ruled in my games, that there are NO UMD +skill items. Think on this a little.

+10 skill item for UMD.
7 levels of rogue.
Chr 14

Thats a total of 22 UMD. Look up the rolls you need to make with a base of 22 in UMD. Then look at some of the items that you can active with it.


Arnix

 

[Xaynar]

That's kinda what I've been thinking. I mean, sure I can get +30 to Jump or +10 to Concentration but do those skills equal the amount of things you can do with +10 UMD? You now turn a level 7 Rogue into a Rogue/Wizard/Cleric and all he has to do is buy whatever wands of spells he wants. Now he can Sneak Attack, have a great amount of skills, cast haste (or any other mid to low Wizard spell), and even heal himself when combat is done. Sounds a little unbalanced to me!

 

[zorlag]

-

Also, items of Spellcraft should be very restricted if you plan on using Epic Levels...

Z.

 

[hong]

Ring of jumping is a special case. There is not doubt in that. Since jump only gives you a bonus every 4 or so points, +30 is really +7.5 to any other skill.

Besides which, jumping becomes rather overshadowed later on when people will usually be flying around.

 

[Shallown]

I had an item like this for a character who was fighter/rogue 4/8 and even though I tripled the price for the item since it was an exclusive skill It was still a bit much. Between that decent stats and every point I could put in the skill I could many times use any item I wanted. I bought wands to buff myself scrolls etc. Even though I might have to roll several times to activate something I often made it. It was sick so I would consider upping the price even more to at least 5X the price even then at higher levels it is still worth it.

Later

 

[hammymchamham]

Re: -

Also, items of Spellcraft should be very restricted if you plan on using Epic Levels...

Z.

Why? If so, you'll have to be near level 100 to pull some of those spells off. I think the designers of the ELHB assume wizards will have such items.