Level Up (A5E) Question about Crafting Magical Weapons.

[getquarked]

I'm going over a few things in the reddit, but I'll post it here since it might get an expert answer:

Abbreviations: AG = Adventurer's guide, TT = Trials and Treasures


Hypothetically, Lets say I want to make a +1 Longsword. I need a fine longsword, to start, since +1 weapons are uncommon, and uncommon magic items need a fine quality item to be crafted. (TT, 365, "Item Quality")

so for a Fine Longsword, the base cost calculation: A fine item always costs at least full price plus either 50% of the full price or 25 gold, whichever is greater.

So that's 45 then. The base magic item value is therefore, 545.

That calculation I think clearly arises from the production cost of fine weapons, which is +25 gp (AG 427, Crafting items table). So lets start back over

Fine longsword production cost: 25 (crafting items table, AG, 426-427)

Fine Longsword Material Cost based on value: 20 (AG 311, weapons table, AG 427, crafting items table) (Fine weapons have material cost of x1 normal weapon value.)

This means the value of the fine longsword is 45, and the base magic item VALUE is 545, [500 for uncommon +1 wep (magic items table, TT 332)+ 45 for fine longsword]
"Item Quality: The Costs for an item's quality are incorporated into base items cost"

Referencing TT for the magic item creation, page 364+365:

Special material cost: .25*545 (or a quest) = 136.25 (136 gold, 2 silver, 5 copper)

Base material cost: .5 * 545 = 272.5 (272 gold, 5 silver)

in total that gives us:

45 for the longsword (20 material, 25 production)

136.25 for special material (which could be replaced by a quest)

272.5 for base materials of magic item.

Grand total: 453.75, or 453 gold, 7 silver 5 copper.

Is this a correct reading of the rules to make a magic weapon?

( Ps. Mr author man, please incorporate something like this into the book, or an errata, or the gazette as an example thank you!)

 

[Stalker0]

I think we are going at this a little bit too complicated:

A +1 longsword is 500 GP. A +1 dagger is 500 GP. This isn't like armor that has individual prices for each thing, all weapons are the same price. This was probably done because weapons have a far tighter range of money than armor does, armor can get quite expensive.

A +1 longsword would take 250 GP in base components (I would assume the fine longsword being part of that). +125 GP if you don't want to quest for the components. so a total of 375 GP to craft.

 

[getquarked]

I think we are going at this a little bit too complicated:

A +1 longsword is 500 GP. A +1 dagger is 500 GP. This isn't like armor that has individual prices for each thing, all weapons are the same price. This was probably done because weapons have a far tighter range of money than armor does, armor can get quite expensive.

A +1 longsword would take 250 GP in base components (I would assume the fine longsword being part of that). +125 GP if you don't want to quest for the components. so a total of 375 GP to craft.

I think that my issue here then, is that a Composite Bow, which costs 200gp, only costs 500 gp to have the +1 version of, while the longsword is 20, costs 500 gp to have the +1 version of.

Getting a "Fine Compound Bow"costs 225 gp (200 for materials, 25 for the production cost) while a longsword would only cost 45. comparing that to the base item cost of 500 requiring materials of 250, its 25 gp of extra material, including reagents, for the composite bow, with longsword needing an extra 205 gp.

I suppose the thing i'm unclear about is that the "base components cost", since you specifically need to be making it fine. If the creating a magic weapon incorporates that, then youre right its probably just the 250 + special material cost.
It makes a lot of sense, I didnt actually see the armor table before I made this, and that seems to be pretty comprehensive. So i'm starting to think you're right with that solid 500 as the calculation point.

In this case, I guess the question is "whats the point of making a fine weapon ever if the cost is included into the build anyway" And, in turn, the DC for a fine weapon is 20, but magical items are 15; so does that mean you shouldnt EVER build a fine weapon?