Need help figuring out the ring creation rules

[Matthias]

I have been looking at creating my own ring magic items, and am trying to figure out the rules for the same. I attempt to reverse-engineer the Ring of Invisibility but can't get the 20,000 gp price that's listed for; the creation rules seem to give a result of 24,000 gp (Invisibility: Spell Level 2 * Caster Level 3 * 2,000 gp * 2 for a spell duration of 1 round/level = 24,000 gp).

Someone please explain where I have gone wrong?

 

[TheGogmagog]

Looks like you have the formula right. If I were creating the ring of invisibility for the first time, I would even put in a cost adjustment because it's so usefull, likely to be used several times per day, every day.

I would guess the spell duration went from 10 min to 1 min per level from 3 to 3.5 and they didn't re-calculate the price. That would turn the 24,000 into 18,000 , plus about 10%.

 

[dcollins]

Someone please explain where I have gone wrong?

Magic item pricing has guidelines, not rules. It's a design art, not a science. From the DMG:

Each of the magic items presented here was examined and modified based on its actual worth. The formulas only provide a starting point.

 

[Matthias]

hmmm

Ahh, I see.

So if I were to create a Ring of Greater Invisibility, the actual cost would be still greater than the "base price", yes?

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Yes .. or no. It's saying that it is up to the DM and their evaluation of its true worth.

In my opinion, a ring of True Strike 3/day is going to be much more interesting than a ring of Sleep 3/day. Especially at higher levels when nothing has 4 HD or less!

Perhaps the spells being chosen are silly, but I think they provide a point. If you run the formulas on both spells, they should cost the same amount of money. But ... one is going to have more value than the other. So what the rules are saying is its okay for the DM to jack up the price of the ring of True Strike a bit and to take the price of a ring of sleep down a bit.

That's why magic item creation rules are guidelines, not absolutes.

 

[TheGogmagog]

Yes and probably moreso. I'd suggest a good 25% price increase for usefulness. As mentioned, even the title of the table is Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values.

 

[Nail]

Sure, the formulas have difficulties. But really, they work surprisingly well considering how varied spells can be.

 

[Rassilon]

So if I were to create a Ring of Greater Invisibility, the actual cost would be still greater than the "base price", yes?

Obviously I don't know your group and DM, he may not care what you make, you may sit down with him to do that math, but it is worth emphasising that the final call is up to the DM.

DCollins is right, it really is an art not a science (Nail is also right, considering the variety that the item creation spells have to work with they do damn well).

Why I am saying all this? To preface my experience as a DM and as a player with experienced DMs: Ring of Greater Invisibility is very rarely made available to PCs. On my anecdotal, untested and un-benchmarked survey, it is typically considered an Epic item (i.e. worth 200,001gp or more) because the power it grants - effectively permanent invisibility that doesn't go away when you attack - is a nightmare.

That said, good luck !


Rassilon.

 

[Matthias]

Running the numbers for a Ring of Greater Invisibility, the estimated price did come out to be over 200,000 gp, it seemed. I agree, such a device is epic-level. Although it becomes much less useful if True Seeing is in play, which a few more powerful critters have. ]