New Type of Magic Item: Spell Conversion Item

[FireLance]

I've been thinking about a new type of magic item which would be quite useful for spellcasters. The item is keyed to a specific spell, and it allows a spellcaster who has that spell on his spell list to spontaneously cast that spell. If the spellcaster prepares spells (wizard, cleric, etc.), he must expend a prepared spell of equal or higher level. If he does not (sorcerer, bard), he has to use a spell slot of equal or higher level.

If the spell has an expensive material component or focus or has an XP cost, the spellcaster still has to provide the component or focus or pay the XP cost.

For example, a wizard could use a Ring of Magic Missile Conversion to spontaneously cast Magic Missile by expending any prepared spell of 1st level or higher. A sorcerer could do the same by expending one of his 1st level or higher spell slots. A bard or cleric would not be able to use it as Magic Missile is not on their spell lists.

With respect to cost, I would set it at spell level squared times 1000 gp. The reasoning is, the cost of an unlimited use, use-activated magic item is spell level times caster level times 2000 gp. Making it activate by spell completion should halve the cost, just like a scroll is half the cost of an identical potion. I would also rule that requiring the user to expend a prepared spell or spell slot further halves the cost. Since I want the cost to vary by spell level alone, I substitute twice spell level for caster level in the cost equation.

A spell conversion item that does not take up a slot, such as an Ioun Stone of Fireball Conversion would be double the cost, as normal.

What do you think? Is the cost balanced for the power? Would you use this type of item in your campaign?

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

1. It screws sorcs and makes them a less desirable class to play.

2. The price is off I think. When you cast a magic missle from a ring of infinate magic missles, you get one missle. Always. When you use one of these items you can get 5 missles. The price should be adjusted upwards because of this if you decide to have this.

3. It really increases the nuber of utility spells the average wizard will memorise. No wizard will memorise any attack spells if they can swap fireballs or lighning bolts, or at least memorise a lot less.

 

[twjensen]

I like it

1. Sorcerers are practically unplayable anyway.

2. The price is WAY wrong. The use activated items cost approx spell level squared * 4,000 GP (spell level * caster level * 2,000 works out about the same as spell level * spell level * 4,000). So these are 1/4 the price. 2,000 * spell level squared is probably better. [Meaning 1/2 price for the requirement of using up a spell to activate.]

3. There are lots of other magic items I could buy for 18,000 gold in place of a spontaneous convert to fireball, for example. [3 * 3 * 2,000]

4. I can now buy spontaneous convert to magic missile for 2,000 gold. hmmm... a wand of magic missiles caster level 5 is worth more. [over 3,000 for a fully charged wand] Price is probably still wrong.

How about spell level * max caster level * 1000? With max caster level being no less than the minimum required to cast the spell? [and actual caster level being the lesser of either the ring's level or the user level]

Then if I want a magic missile ring, it costs 1,000, takes a spell to activate, and generates one whopping missile. Or I could pay 5,000 GP for one that can convert for 3 missiles, [but a user of 3rd level would only get 2 out of it]. The fireball ring would be 15,000 for a 5D6 fireball, 30,000 GP for one that could deal 10D6. Again, the ring's user would have to be *capable* of casting a 10D6 fireball before the ring could work at that level.

[clarifying edits]

 

[Humanophile]

Yeah, the price is more than a little off, but I like the item in principle too. I don't see how it damages the sorcerer overmuch; wizards have a little more spellcasting variety, while sorcerers finally get their much-vaunted extra spells known. It might buff the wizard a little more, but I personally think that they could use it. Not in the raw firepower sense, but in the ability to "waste" a slot on a utility spell, reminiscent of clerics being able to heal without overdosing on cure spells.
I think it should be at least ... either 2000 * (spell level squared) or else 1000 * (2 * spell level squared), since this should be a huge bonus, but other than that, I'd like to see it worked out.

 

[FireLance]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I was trying to avoid bookkeeping by using 2*spell level as a substitute for caster level, but I do take the point that there is a great difference between a ring that converts a 1st-level spell to one magic missile and one that converts it to five.

twjensen's formula of spell level*max caster level*1000gp sounds about right. A spellcaster who wants to keep the power of his spell conversion item in step with his own should take the Create Wondrous Item feat and upgrade the max caster level by expending gold and xp.