Magic Item XP cost?

[Garmorn]

I don't have a good in game reason. I just leave it as unexplained.

It does have a metagame reason. It helps control the magic level of the game. The first campain we started with 3ed our wizard made lots of items but fell almost 3 levels behind. The lost of levels was only partly made up by the power gained by the items. The next wizard player used a different approach. He rationed his expenitures to 10% of gained XP. By doing this the party had the items it needed and/or wanted while the wizard advancement felt more like 1st or 2nd edition.

There are others ways of controling the level of magic items that others have used. Maybe some one will post about one that works.

(edit to correct word)

 

[dave_o]

I really dig the XP rules. But then again, my campaigns tend to be way low magic, with something like a +1 Flaming Greataxe being pretty legendary.

I think it should take a cost to craft a magic item, and XP is a great way to do it. I take it as the magic-user infuses the item with an irrecoverable part of them, a bit of their soul, intellect, id, whatever.

So, if you're going low magic - they're nice.

Alternatively, you could maybe increase the gold costs, set up quests to get certain specific items necessary for the item (sort of like an XP cost), or maybe even have the magic-user take a penalty to certain stats for a time.

Or - let them tap into Powers That Were Not Meant For Man and experiance TENTACLED DOOM! GAAH-

 

[Moe Ronalds]

I use a system from DNW called the XP tithe for this sort of thing. Basically what you do, is the ammount of XP it would normally take is added to your tithe. A character who has an XP tithe to pay off, gains XP at half speed. That is, half of his XP goes to leveling up, the other half goes to paying off his XP tithe. This results in less paperwork in case the wizard loses a level, and it makes a bit more sense in-game.

Sorry if the above made no sense, my head is out of it today.

 

[Nightfall]

XP costs would prevent wizards from making item after item, I do agree with that. Though you would think time constraits would also keep PCs from going overboard.

You obviously never met some of my players. Back in 2nd edition without the XP cost, they would spend YEARS forging JUST the right magic items just so they would be ready to take on the great wyrm that had already burned half the continent to the ground. Believe time constraints don't mean much to some. XP costs, that hurts and I personally like it. Again I suggest if you want to give your PC wizards a chance, use the adhoc for spellcasting. Or just use a lot of power components. (Dragon hearts do a lot of good work in that respect.)

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I think it should take a cost to craft a magic item, and XP is a great way to do it. I take it as the magic-user infuses the item with an irrecoverable part of them, a bit of their soul, intellect, id, whatever.

Yep.

Alternatively, you could maybe increase the gold costs, set up quests to get certain specific items necessary for the item (sort of like an XP cost), or maybe even have the magic-user take a penalty to certain stats for a time.

Actually, I did all that, and kept the Experience Point cost, require the item to be hand-crafted at masterwork quality by the same person performing the enhancement (adding to the cost of time and Skill Points), and made the actual enhancement require a True Ritual ala S&S Ritual Rules (which includes a chance of failure). Very effective.

Or - let them tap into Powers That Were Not Meant For Man and experiance.

That's always an option as a, shall we say, "cheaper" alternative.

 

[s/LaSH]

The 'user pays' XP scheme works fairly well, actually. Why do I think this?

Here's a description that should make it all make sense:

Bob accumulates XP. When he has enough, he spends it on acquiring new abilities. Except there's no material cost this time, because he spends it on levels, not items.

If you're spending XP, you're gaining abilities. Isn't that what it's all about?

 

[Centaur]

DMG p. 96 "Variant: Power Components"

These rules can provide an excellent alternative to XP expendiatures when making Magic items.

Assume that the standard rules allow someone to make a magical item without any special or exotic components. If they want to avoid the XP cost, then they may need to find some specific component to offset this cost.

Examples could be the hide of a winter wolf for a cold resistance item etc...

This way, instead of costing them XP, it costs them extra time effort and danger to find the nessecary components in the first place.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Actually, if you compare the XP to the utility of a magic item (I don't care whether it's for you or a party member, what's actually useful is having it in your party) I find the XP cost to be laughably small. It's much more a psychological than a practical effect, and certainly anything but debilitating.

 

[idum]

The 'user pays' XP scheme works fairly well, actually. Why do I think this?

Here's a description that should make it all make sense:

Bob accumulates XP. When he has enough, he spends it on acquiring new abilities. Except there's no material cost this time, because he spends it on levels, not items.

If you're spending XP, you're gaining abilities. Isn't that what it's all about?

In general it means that you can choice to 'forget' a part of your life for to buy a piece of metal magically worked.

This is very far to be rpg-ish i think...

 

[Dr_Rictus]

In general it means that you can choice to 'forget' a part of your life for to buy a piece of metal magically worked.

Except for the fact that losing XP doesn't cause you to forget a darn thing.