Please help with magic item pricing

[Tatsukun]

Hi all, a player IMC has a PC based around the idea of making magic items. In the last session, the player told me that he doesn’t want to make anything from the DMG (he wants to make up his own stuff). That’s ok with me, but I don’t have much experience with these rules.

First, he wants to make a set of glasses that are ‘detect magic’ all the time. He dove through the book and came up with a market price of 4,000 Gp (2,000 to make).

Is he right? Also, what kind of research costs are we talking here?

Thanks to all the more experienced DM’s out here!

-Tatsu

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

3.0 or 3.5?

AR

 

[shilsen]

Per 3.5:

That's a use-activated/continuous item, so it costs Spell lvl x caster lvl x 2,000 gp.

Since it's a 0-level spell, it costs half what a 1st lvl spell would, or 0.5 x 1 x 1 x 2,000 = 1,000 gp

The original spell has a duration of 1 min/lvl, so the price is multiplied by 2, and becomes 2,000 gp.

That's going just by the tables provided, but those are only guidelines, and you should feel free to tweak it as needed.

IMO, such an item should require concentration (as the spell does) to use, and the user should still have to make the appropriate spellcraft checks to work out what school a magical aura belong to.

 

[Ferox4]

As far as research costs go you could use the Researching Original Spells section of the DMG (p. 198). In this case 500 gp.

I agree w/ Shilsen about still having to concentrate.

 

[juliaromero]

Sounds like he's trying to abuse the rules a bit. I'd at the very least base this off Arcane Sight and not Detect Magic since this effect is much closer to that spell (which is 3rd level not 1st). You should also take into consideration the costs in experience and money to make Arcane Sight permanent using a permanency spell. I would assume they have about equal value ... the permanency doesn't use up a magic item slot (not that glasses are much of a slot) but it is more fragile to being disrupted and once it's gone you have to pay everything again. Actually for that reason and because you can give the glasses to someone else easily I would price them higher.

 

[Zad]

First off, you should be prepared for a lot of grey areas. The system of magic item creation is more art than science. It requires interpretation and judgement from the DM - it's not a simple formula.

The pricing is fundamentally correct. However what this is going to do is basically give the player the ability to use Detect Magic at will because they can't concentrate all the time and it takes time to "warm up".

For instance:

You detect magical auras. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.
1st Round: Presence or absence of magical auras.
2nd Round: Number of different magical auras and the power of the most potent aura.
3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Spellcraft skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura; DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + half caster level for a nonspell effect.)

So the player will need to heat up the spell each time. What it will not do is let the player see what magic items are on each person when they walk into an inn. This may not be what the player wants in which case they should check some of the higher level divinations like Arcane Sight.

 

[Ferox4]

Sounds like he's trying to abuse the rules a bit. I'd at the very least base this off Arcane Sight and not Detect Magic since this effect is much closer to that spell (which is 3rd level not 1st). You should also take into consideration the costs in experience and money to make Arcane Sight permanent using a permanency spell. I would assume they have about equal value ... the permanency doesn't use up a magic item slot (not that glasses are much of a slot) but it is more fragile to being disrupted and once it's gone you have to pay everything again. Actually for that reason and because you can give the glasses to someone else easily I would price them higher.

I understand your point, but requiring the use of Permanency for magic item creation sets a new precedent. The player is going to say, "Well there's no mention of it under the Craft Wondrous Items feat." And there is also no mention of it in any of the magic items descriptions that have a continuous effect.

As long as these "Goggles of Detection" are treated like Detect Magic and not like Arcane Sight it should be fine. The PC will still have to concentrate for 3 rounds and make Spellcraft checks to identify the school(s) of magic. It is up to the DM to ensure it doesn't get abused.

 

[dcollins]

I'd say the very first thing is to realize that you don't have to allow this if you're not entirely comfortable with it -- no place in the rules says that PCs get to invent their own items whenever they want. My recommendation is to say "No, Item Crafting feats allow you to make any item in the DMG, and that's plenty", and leave it at that. Much easier for you and much more certain to be balanced and playtested by professionals.

More: www.superdan.net/dndfaq3.html

 

[Ferox4]

My recommendation is to say "No, Item Crafting feats allow you to make any item in the DMG, and that's plenty", and leave it at that. Much easier for you and much more certain to be balanced and playtested by professionals.

More: www.superdan.net/dndfaq3.html

You are the moth drawn to the item creation candle. What took you so long?

 

[thatdarncat]

You are the moth drawn to the item creation candle. What took you so long?

I was actually kinda curious to see when he'd show up myself