Pricing Itimes with Initiative Bonus

[Snowy]

that sounds a pretty good spell to be having.

Whats the conditions on it?

 

[Nifft]

Magic of Faerun has a 1st level spell called Kauper's Skittish Nerves, which grants a +5 initiative bonus. At use activated pricing, an item for +5 initiative would in theory cost only 2000 gp.

That's a hotly contested theory, though the usual culprit is true strike.

-- N

 

[Goolpsy]

Initiave is.. is Essential! and if the items initiativ bonus stacks with dex.. IMBA (well^^)

i'dd go either with bonus squared * 1000
or
bonus squared * 2000

Initiative REALLY mean something

furthermore.. i would set a cap of 4, after that, it will be Epic (10 times as expensive)

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Thanks all. I think I'm going with the bonus squared x 1000 for now at least.

 

[Imperialus]

It seems to me that Dex is a HUGE ability -- ranged attack, AoOs, many skills, Init, AC and Reflex saves. Init is worth less than half. Perhaps items that boost Dex are underpriced... in fact, I'm almost certain they are.

-- N

I'd say most the stat boosting items are. Ever met a fighter that didn't have bracers of Strength. Ever seen a wizard without a headband of int? A sorc without a cloak of cha?

True, an item giving +10 inititive would be silly powerful but if you think about it it doesn't matter if you beat everyone else rolling an inititive of 15 or by rolling 29 you're still going first, at which point it doesn't matter any more. I think a lot of people assume inititive is more important than it actually is. This isn't like second edition shadowrun where a street sam with an inititive of 32 is going to get off a half dozen shots at some poor mook security guard who won't even know what hit him.

 

[Snowy]

/joke/
well if you get your mages initiative high enough two high level spells before anyone else acts, surprise and first round or even 3 or 4 delayed blast fireballs or whatever from the time stop you cast going first in the initiative, its pretty similar just kills most of an opposing army rather than one gaurd.
/end joke/

My thinking was more that an initiative item is going to be a "must have" item unless it has some penalties to it and the only simple one is cost (and its not a very good one at high levels where multiple millions can be obtained very very easily)

 

[Bront]

The value of initiative bonuses also depends on how your group works and thinks, as well as what you fight. It's more important when fighting fast creatures than slow ones if gaining initiative is the objective. From a tactical point of view, it helps to gain initiative from the standpoint that you can hold or ready an action first, but it's not life or death if you don't get it.

 

[HellHound]

I'd say most the stat boosting items are. Ever met a fighter that didn't have bracers of Strength. Ever seen a wizard without a headband of int? A sorc without a cloak of cha?

Plenty of times. In fact, my current campaign only has a single stat-enhancing magic item in play as we speak, at level 9.

 

[HellHound]

as a footnote to this discussion, what chakra would you asociate an initiative bonus with?

 

[Snowy]

I'd be tempted to go for either wisdom or dexterity as the closest parallels so its gloves or peripets. Doesn't seem exactly right to me though.