Please help with magic item pricing

[Tatsukun]

almost...

Thanks everyone. This is slowly getting into my thick head. One more question…

Is “use activated” different from “always on”?

I think he wants this thing to just always be running, and if he concentrates on it (free action) he can start the spell’s effects (round one, two, three).

It sounds like what you guys are talking about is not always on, but rather “can cast Detect Magic (CL1) an unlimited number of times / day” but requires a standard action to start the round counter.

That’s cool with me, but it might not be what he wants.

Also,

I like that 500 Gp for research, but I night do it more as a role-playing thing than a ‘pay XXX Gp” thing.

Again, thanks all!

-Tatsu


P.S> We play 3.5

 

[Nightfall]

Thanks everyone. This is slowly getting into my thick head. One more question…

Is “use activated” different from “always on”?

It means the difference between having a wand that can cast detect magic versus an item that ALWAYS detects magic. That help?

 

[Geoff Watson]

Thanks everyone. This is slowly getting into my thick head. One more question…

Is “use activated” different from “always on”?

I think he wants this thing to just always be running, and if he concentrates on it (free action) he can start the spell’s effects (round one, two, three).

It sounds like what you guys are talking about is not always on, but rather “can cast Detect Magic (CL1) an unlimited number of times / day” but requires a standard action to start the round counter.

That’s cool with me, but it might not be what he wants.

Concentration is a Standard Action normally. Why should it be different here?

Geoff.

 

[Nightfall]

Concentration is a Standard Action normally. Why should it be different here?

Geoff.

Maybe he want to cast spells while using it? Just a guess Geoff.

 

[dcollins]

Is “use activated” different from “always on”?

"Use activated" is a superset of "always on". A potion, a sword of thundering, and a headband of intellect are all use-activated; only the last is always on.

Many use-activated items are objects that a character wears. Continually functioning items... are practically always items that one wears. (DMG ch. 8: "Using Items: Use-Activated", 3.0 DMG p. 176)