Reusable identify item?

[Twowolves]

There's the Artificer's Monocle in Magic Item Compendium (originally from Player's Guide to Eberron, I believe). It allows an Artificer using Artificer Knowledge or a spellcaster using Detect Magic who has at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (arcana) to spend an extra minute examining an item and identify it as though using an Identify spell.

Cost: 1,500 gp. Unlimited uses.

I'm going to place either one or the other of these items in my next adventure. So long as there aren't any articifers in your world, the Articifer's Monocle is limited somewhat, to the number of times you cast Detect Magic.

Unless of course, you do like every party usually does and throws everything in a pile and then uses the monocle.

 

[MarkB]

I'm going to place either one or the other of these items in my next adventure. So long as there aren't any articifers in your world, the Articifer's Monocle is limited somewhat, to the number of times you cast Detect Magic.

Unless it's being used by a Warlock.

There are also a couple of other ways (a feat, possibly an item) to gain detect magic at will.

 

[Light Knight]

So is artificers monocle legit, no errata?

Seems awfully powerful, and why it be cheaper then the monocle of perusal?

 

[rexartur]

Eternal Wand of Identify (MIC). There is some debate about the cost but it is cheap by RAW, Identify 2x/day.

 

[Wyvernhand]

Artificer's Monacle is cheaper because it has requirements, and because the user has to expend some of their own energy. Monacle of Perusal, you simply put it on and look at stuff.

I don't make a character above ~3rd level who doesn't have an Artificer's Monacle, assuming relatively standard WBL allowed. The time and hassle it prevents is WELL worth 1500g. Possibly one of the most universally useful items ever printed. Not broken, but HIGHLY useable.

Really, once you get above level 12 or so, every dumb mook and their grandma has a +1 longsword. The week or so it would take to ID the loot from a semi-major battle does nothing but detract from the story. Its the same concept as infinite out-of-combat healing. Past a certain point, its not fun anymore to play accountant for certain things. Given at least 5 minutes of rest, just hand-wave it and move on with the rest of the action. Its more exciting that way, IMO.

 

[Dandu]

Question: Did anyone enjoy the part of Diablo 2 where you had to keep stocking scrolls of identify and ID drops?

 

[kitcik]

Sorry to go WAY off topic - but will DIablo 3 ever arrive???

I made like $1000 playing Diablo 2 and (of course) I would have done it for free!!

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Question: Did anyone enjoy the part of Diablo 2 where you had to keep stocking scrolls of identify and ID drops?

Nope.

All Hail Pathfinder (in this respect, at least)!

Why, yes, my 3rd-level Elven Magus can autoidentify any item with a caster level of 6 or less just by using Detect Magic.