Phylactery value?

[Ambrus]

In a recent adventure our party recovered a would-be lich's phylactery. It says in the Bestiary that it'd normally costs 120,000 gp to make one. Certainly some of that goes towards purchasing exotic components and such, but at least some of it has to be reflected in the construction of the phylactery box itself. Ignoring the part about it being made to house a necromancer's soul, anyone have any clue what the box itself might be worth on its own?

 

[BryonD]

The value is completely at the whim of the DM, just as it would be for any other piece of jewelry or decoration.

A Holy Avenger is also 120,000. But the sword itself is only a few hundred.

 

[Ambrus]

Good analogy with the vorpal sword, though it does lead one to wonder what exactly is being bought with that king's ransom.

Okay, so a simpler question: is there a puzzle box listed in some obscure 3.x equipment list for comparison? I seem to remember seeing one at some point...

 

[IronWolf]

Okay, so a simpler question: is there a puzzle box listed in some obscure 3.x equipment list for comparison? I seem to remember seeing one at some point...

The Adventurer's Armory has a puzzle box listed. It is also referenced on the PFSRD.

 

[Ambrus]

That'd be what I was thinking about. Thanks for the reminder.

Hm. "1 gp to 1,000 gp", that's quite the spread...

 

[IronWolf]

That'd be what I was thinking about. Thanks for the reminder.

Hm. "1 gp to 1,000 gp", that's quite the spread...

Yeah, I noticed that! Though I guess that makes sense, it could be anything from a simple, hastily crafted puzzle box for kids to a near work of art made to challenge even the most adept.

 

[frankthedm]

Yeah, I noticed that! Though I guess that makes sense, it could be anything from a simple, hastily crafted puzzle box for kids to a near work of art made to challenge even the most adept.

Few puzzle boxes are of comparable potency to a lich's phylactery.

 

[Cor_Malek]

Few puzzle boxes are of comparable potency to a lich's phylactery.

Out of curiosity, Ambrus - did you, by any chance, solve the puzzlebox?

 

[Burn_Boy]

This might be against the spirit of the thread but why do you need a value for the phylactery? Are you going to be able to sell that ANYWHERE?

Even if, for whatever reason, you wanted to sell it to a necromancer, each phylactery is specific to the Lich it's meant to create.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

This might be against the spirit of the thread but why do you need a value for the phylactery? Are you going to be able to sell that ANYWHERE?

Even if, for whatever reason, you wanted to sell it to a necromancer, each phylactery is specific to the Lich it's meant to create.

Exactly, though the image of a destitute lich trying to pawn his own phylactery is amusing....

Value if trying to sell a phylactery at the local pawn shop - 0 GP. The value to the lich if the PCs were trying to ransom it back to him... that might be some serious money. If the lich is dead then it might be good as proof of his death, but otherwise, it is worthless.

Alternately, if the lich is famous, then it might be worth something to a collector, but not as a magic item.

The Auld Grump