more custom magic item price inquiries

[atom crash]

I'm trying to convert some weapon and armor special abilities to slotted magic items and need help in assigning a cost value to them.

Granting the user the mobility feat adds a +1 cost to magic armor. What would be the value/cost of having this ability on a pair of magic boots?

Adding 1d6 fire, cold or electricity damage adds a +1 cost to magic weapons. What would it be worth to have this ability on a worn magic item that confers the ability on all melee weapon attacks and ranged weapon attacks made within 30 feet? What if the additional damage was 1d4 instead? And what slot would or would not be appropriate for such an item: gauntlets, bracers, ring, amulet, helmet, belt, cloak or mantle?

 

[gnfnrf]

Granting the user the mobility feat adds a +1 cost to magic armor. What would be the value/cost of having this ability on a pair of magic boots?

10,000 gp, if you wish to allow items that grant feats at all.

Adding 1d6 fire, cold or electricity damage adds a +1 cost to magic weapons. What would it be worth to have this ability on a worn magic item that confers the ability on all melee weapon attacks and ranged weapon attacks made within 30 feet? What if the additional damage was 1d4 instead? And what slot would or would not be appropriate for such an item: gauntlets, bracers, ring, amulet, helmet, belt, cloak or mantle?

Very expensive... 40,000 gp or more.

--
gnfnrf

 

[atom crash]

Any reasoning behind those numbers you arrived at?

 

[gnfnrf]

Yes.

However, magic item pricing is an art, not a science.

For an item of mobility, there are two ways to price it.

First, treat it as a conditional dodge bonus to AC on an item. Ignoring for the moment that items are never supposed to grant dodge bonuses to AC, this is an "other" bonus type at +4, so we get 4*4*2500, or 40k.

Most conditional effects cut the cost by half or more, and this condition (AoOs due to movement) is pretty restrictive, so a quarter seems reasonable. That gets us 10k.

Second, consider the armor property. An incremental +1 bonus can cost any of the following marginal amounts.

3k, 5k, 7k, 9k, 11k, 13k, 15k, 17k, 19k

Exactly where in this range you choose is at what total armor enhancement it becomes cheaper to buy the item separately instead of add it to the armor. At 10k, it still makes sense to add it to +4 effective armor, but at +5 effective, you buy separately. That sounds right to me.


The other item is much more powerful, because unlike above, where there is no difference in play with the effect on armor or in another item, for this effect, having it separate from the weapon is very useful.

The same table applies, only weapon costs are doubled.

6k, 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k, 26k, 30k, 34k, 36k

Choosing the same sweet spot as above gets us 20k.

However, this item, at a minimum, will affect both the primary melee and primary ranged weapon of anyone who wields it. That essentially doubles its value right there. That is where the starting value of 40k comes from. However, it can be more valuable than even that to someone who likes to switch weapons a lot in combat, so it might be even more expensive. And it allows someone to switch weapons permanently, selling the old one, but keep the investment.

On the other hand, it only adds 3.5 average damage, so it can't be worth THAT much. A +6 Strength item adds 3 damage to melee and some ranged attacks and only costs 36k, and give bonuses to hit as well.

So, how much its worth exactly depends on how you value the flexibility of the item vs the ultimate limitation of its effects.

--
gnfnrf