Pls help price this custom magic item + new spell

ARandomGod

First Post
As GM I made a custom spell for one of my players. He was a straight wizard, but put points in stealth, and wanted something early on to help with hiding.

Looking at the invisibility spell as a base, I created the first level spell "Fade". Gives a +5 'invisibility' bonus to hide, and grants the Hide in Plain Sight ability. Target: Self. Duration minute per level. (Illusion school)

(Edit: and the spell ends when you make an attack, as per the invisibility spell. The spell also does not require a shadow as the Shadow-Dancer's ability does)

(Invisibility bonus: I meant it wouldn't stack with the invisibility spell and 'See invisibility' would see this spell. Since it's a custom house spell, I didn't need to explain it super well.)

What do you guys think of this spell? How would you have done it differently? Would you allow it in your game (assuming you allow custom spells at all!) and if not what alterations would you make to have it be acceptable in your game?



Now that character is leaving us, but not in time! We've got a (divine) spellcaster with the craft wonderous items feat, and she's asking the wizard to help make a wonderous item of the spell. I also allow custom magic items (needless to say), but I wanted some help here with what you might price this item at? (And what body slot would you put it in? Or would you demand it be a ring, as with the invisibility spell?)

I know the 'base' suggestions for a continuous spell wonderous item. Caster Level times Spell Level, times two for being a minute per level spell, times 2,000 for continuous.
1x1x2x2,000 = 4000.

However relative power level should be looked at when making a continuous spell item. I based this relatively on the invisibility spell. An invisibility ring is 20K (and it's a ring only effect). I'm tempted to say that the continous effect must be a ring... but this is a less powerful spell. A cloak, cape, or mantle might be fine (or maybe bracers). Possibly with an additional cost for 'non-affinity slot' ...

I've already got some ideas on how I want to handle it, but I'd like to hear some additional opinions here. Chime in, and thanks for the help!
 
Last edited:

log in or register to remove this ad

When an item gives a bonus, one should use the bonus formulas instead of the spell formulas. Here you have an item that gives +5 to hide, which is worth 2,500 if it gives a competence bonus (the "standard" for skill items, like the "standard" bonus for save items is resistance). Since it's a different bonus type, I'd increase it to something like 3,500 gp. I would then add a little something for the Hide in Plain Sight effect, maybe double the cost to 7,000 (or 5,000 if you make it a competence bonus, which means it won't stack with a cloak of elvenkind).

A cloak would seem like an appropriate slot.
 

Hmm - well I thought it better then invisibility spell - you can attack, then return to hiding. An assassin, for instance, could kill several folks in a row, sneak up, study, then kill. So I gave a spell such as this a higher level... This would change the pricing issue dramatically.

Shadow Dance (Glamour) (Shadow) Illusion
Bard 4, Wizard 4
Components: V S
Dur: 1 MIN/LV
Target: Caster
TTC: Standard Action
Range: Personal
Save: None
SR: Yes (Harmless)

The caster gains a competence bonus of +1/LV to hide and move silent, as well as the Shadow Dancer’s supernatural ability to Hide in Plain Sight. So long as you are within 10’ of some shadow (other then your own), you may use the hide skill, even while being observed.



B:]B
 

Staffan said:
When an item gives a bonus, one should use the bonus formulas instead of the spell formulas. Here you have an item that gives +5 to hide, which is worth 2,500 if it gives a competence bonus (the "standard" for skill items, like the "standard" bonus for save items is resistance). Since it's a different bonus type, I'd increase it to something like 3,500 gp. I would then add a little something for the Hide in Plain Sight effect, maybe double the cost to 7,000 (or 5,000 if you make it a competence bonus, which means it won't stack with a cloak of elvenkind).

A cloak would seem like an appropriate slot.


2,500 for a bonus is pretty standard, I agree. So the only real thing to figure is how much is that Hide in Plain Sight actually worth? (And then it's combined with the +5 bonus, so one of the two should be priced at +50%... heheh. Or not. There are a lot of ways to go with this).
 

Beholder Bob said:
Hmm - well I thought it better then invisibility spell - you can attack, then return to hiding.

Very good point, Beholder. Something I missed in the original description. The first level spell I described ends when you attack, as per the invisibility spell. I made an edit to the post to reflect that.

In addition to that, thanks for the comment and the additional spell write-up!
^_^
 

My thoughts.

It's based on the invisibility spell, and works pretty much exactly like that... Minute per level, dispelled upon attack, only +5 to hide instead of +20 (or +40 standing still).

And, just because there are different rules as to how people handle invisibility, this spell grants the ability to hide in plain sight and +5 to hide (dispelled upon attack).

So on one hand it is granting hide in plain sight, on the other it's still a standard action to activate (although it's 'continuous' untill you attack). So you'd only get a sneak attack every other round and then only the first attack (as with the invisibiity ring). Of course, it's almost as powerful as the invisibility ring if you've got a high enough hide skill (and this guy does, of course).

I'm torn between pricing it at 8,000 or 10,000. Since the ring of invisibility is 20K and based around 'command word' as opposed to 'continuous'... 10K is probably the best price for a 'continuous' item. However since I normally play the ring of invisibility as if it were continuous anyhow I could price it at 8K and play it like I do the inviso ring.

Any other thoughts? Too much? Too little?
Since it's 'continuous' I'd allow it to have charges per day (lasting until an attack) at 1/5 of that price per charge/day. Meaning 2k per charge/day, or 1k to make per charge/day.
^_^
Come on people, I know you're highly opinionated! That's why I like you so much.
 

Remove ads

Top