hopeless
Adventurer
Okay I'm going to try to explain this apologies if its not too clear as I tend to be longwinded.
I'm about to run a Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign and have introduced a number of changes from core rules 3.0. I di have the 3.5 rules but they're still coping with 3.0 and I'd rather they have something they're familiar with than run the risk of having to carry even more books about.
Now I have never liked the rules as presented for Item Creation Feats, I don't mind so much about the spending xp even if I think its absurd but I have been rehashing this particular idea for a while and need another viewpoint (or two) to work out any weak points.
Now the way I see it, when a character selects an item creation feat (or in the case of a wizard is lumbered with one) they should have to make a skill check to create an item.
I had thought about making them all Craft skills but found alternatives may serve better,
For example;
Scribe Scroll (Profession/Scribe)
Brew Potion (Craft/Alchemy or Profession/Herbalist with Alchemy as a bonus if at 5 ranks+)
Craft Magical Arms & Armour (Craft/Armourer or /Weaponsmith (or others))
Craft Staff (Craft/Weaponsmith (masterwork staff) and Craft/Alchemy)
Forge Ring or Craft Rod (Craft/Ringsmith or /Alchemy*)
Temporary items are easier to make requiring a DC of 10 for 0th level spells (Scribe Scroll or Brew Potion) +5 per order of spell so its a DC of 15 for 1st and so on.
Permanent items are harder to make especially weapons and armour requiring a DC of 20 just to create a masterwork item (the first stage for enchanting armour or weapon) and needs a DC of 30 just to create a +1 item with a further DC of +5 above this to increase that bonus by another +1.
Thus a +5 item would require a DC check of 50 to be crafted and just to be clear the process works in stages so you can just create a +2 weapon, you have to first create a masterwork weapon (this can be bought at this stage) and then another check against a DC of 30 to enhance and then repeated each time the DC going up by +5 just so you can enhance it further by another +1. Any special abilities are treated by their effective plus bonus so a Sure Striking weapon that ignores DR of up to 5 is a +1 special ability so first the masterwork weapon is made or bought then enchanted to +1 and then the special ability added. And yes as laborious this process is it allows for botched creations and why cursed items exist which the current system more or less ignores.
Craft Rod is treated the same as a Staff which has to be masterwork quality beofre its special abilities are added. The DC for them is equal to 20+ 2x the caster level of the item and thats per special ability so it WILL take a great deal of time to manufacture a magical item.
By the rules I'm planning making such an item GRANTS you xp as a bonus for attempting the deed which makes the process work doing and more importantly explains why npcs can brew or scribe and spell they want without going down a level which whilst they may be npcs is really not fair if all you're trying to do is curtail the player's from abusing the system to create their own "goodies".
By turning it into a skill you force them to use these skills if they want to retain them as in my experience one player had some item creation feats and never used them until he was 11th level whilst I played a character who picked up both Scribe Scroll and Brew Potion whilst as a cleric and used them to keep the party equipped with healing potions and scrolls at his own cost which others might say is his own fault but I don't see why they should be punished for doign something that is in keeping with their characters when others merely ignore such feats simply keeping them when they think they're useful rather than having a legitimate reason for being able to create such extraordinary items when they've done nothing to merit such skill.
So what do you think?
Probably still too longwinded...
I'm about to run a Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign and have introduced a number of changes from core rules 3.0. I di have the 3.5 rules but they're still coping with 3.0 and I'd rather they have something they're familiar with than run the risk of having to carry even more books about.
Now I have never liked the rules as presented for Item Creation Feats, I don't mind so much about the spending xp even if I think its absurd but I have been rehashing this particular idea for a while and need another viewpoint (or two) to work out any weak points.
Now the way I see it, when a character selects an item creation feat (or in the case of a wizard is lumbered with one) they should have to make a skill check to create an item.
I had thought about making them all Craft skills but found alternatives may serve better,
For example;
Scribe Scroll (Profession/Scribe)
Brew Potion (Craft/Alchemy or Profession/Herbalist with Alchemy as a bonus if at 5 ranks+)
Craft Magical Arms & Armour (Craft/Armourer or /Weaponsmith (or others))
Craft Staff (Craft/Weaponsmith (masterwork staff) and Craft/Alchemy)
Forge Ring or Craft Rod (Craft/Ringsmith or /Alchemy*)
Temporary items are easier to make requiring a DC of 10 for 0th level spells (Scribe Scroll or Brew Potion) +5 per order of spell so its a DC of 15 for 1st and so on.
Permanent items are harder to make especially weapons and armour requiring a DC of 20 just to create a masterwork item (the first stage for enchanting armour or weapon) and needs a DC of 30 just to create a +1 item with a further DC of +5 above this to increase that bonus by another +1.
Thus a +5 item would require a DC check of 50 to be crafted and just to be clear the process works in stages so you can just create a +2 weapon, you have to first create a masterwork weapon (this can be bought at this stage) and then another check against a DC of 30 to enhance and then repeated each time the DC going up by +5 just so you can enhance it further by another +1. Any special abilities are treated by their effective plus bonus so a Sure Striking weapon that ignores DR of up to 5 is a +1 special ability so first the masterwork weapon is made or bought then enchanted to +1 and then the special ability added. And yes as laborious this process is it allows for botched creations and why cursed items exist which the current system more or less ignores.
Craft Rod is treated the same as a Staff which has to be masterwork quality beofre its special abilities are added. The DC for them is equal to 20+ 2x the caster level of the item and thats per special ability so it WILL take a great deal of time to manufacture a magical item.
By the rules I'm planning making such an item GRANTS you xp as a bonus for attempting the deed which makes the process work doing and more importantly explains why npcs can brew or scribe and spell they want without going down a level which whilst they may be npcs is really not fair if all you're trying to do is curtail the player's from abusing the system to create their own "goodies".
By turning it into a skill you force them to use these skills if they want to retain them as in my experience one player had some item creation feats and never used them until he was 11th level whilst I played a character who picked up both Scribe Scroll and Brew Potion whilst as a cleric and used them to keep the party equipped with healing potions and scrolls at his own cost which others might say is his own fault but I don't see why they should be punished for doign something that is in keeping with their characters when others merely ignore such feats simply keeping them when they think they're useful rather than having a legitimate reason for being able to create such extraordinary items when they've done nothing to merit such skill.
So what do you think?
Probably still too longwinded...
