Seeking rules for leveled items

[Sir Brennen]

Craft Soul Linked Item

I'm doing something similiar to the Dragon article in my campaign. I'm not crazy about the BoED feat, because, well... it's a feat. As Trainz pointed out, it would only affect SOME of the players - those willing to burn a feat to get such an item. I prefer to make this kind of feature available to all characters, regardless of feat choice.

In addition, I took the "player can add his own item properties" concept, and combined it with the "item crafter can use XP other than his own" idea which is frequently house-ruled as a feat or other variant. So I came up with the Item Creation feat Craft Soul Linked Item for my campaign.

Yes, that means it's another feat, but the PC's don't have to take the feat themselves; just have to find an NPC with it, or an item that already has the Soul Linked property. Most creators of permanent items would probably take this, since it takes most of the XP cost off of them.

Here's the link, but it is pretty long and has a lot of campaign specific details to it:

Craft Soul Linked Item

Though the feat's been renamed, I haven't had a chance to update the web pages yet, which still refer to it as Craft Bonding Item.

Short(ish) and sweet, here it is:

With the Craft Soul Linked Item feat, the Soul Linked property may be added to any permanent magic item for which a character has the appropriate Craft Item feat. Item must be minimum 1000gp in value.

Decide the maximum spell and caster level which any new properties may have. The market value of the Soul Link property is [base item's market value/10] + [Caster Level x Spell Level x 50gp]. The crafter of the Soul Link must pay 1/25 of this value in XP, and 1/2 in gold.

A caster can further restrict what properties can be added, such as only Evocation [Fire] spells, levels 1st thru 3rd, max caster level 7th. Additional restrictions do not affect the market value.

Linking to the item [no feat required] - night long ritual, 1000gp in material, 1/25 base items market value (not including Soul Link) in XP.

Adding properties to Linked Item - pay 1/2 of new property's market value in GP and 1/4 of this in XP, in a ritual lasting one night per 1000gp of the added property. Only one property may be added per level, and must be from spell list for creator of original Soul Link, subject to spell level, caster level and any other restrictions placed by the Link creator.

Exception: Bonuses to weapons, armor or rings may be added to items may ignore creator's class and level, but may not exceed [Linked-owner's character level / 3]

Note: Sometimes other requirements can be added to activate the Soul Link. In my campaign so far, a Ring of Fire Resistance required the PC brand himself with the mark of the Evil Elemental God of Fire before he could Soul Link (he declined), and a shield required its bearer to perform a completely selfless act in order to bond (the party immediately handed it to the paladin.)

 

[Crothian]

I just reviewed a pdf called Synergy Artifacts. It has artifacts that gain power as a character grows in levels. They are desinged to be given to characvters at low levels. It might be worth checking out for you.

 

[Kroax]

I just reviewed a pdf called Synergy Artifacts. It has artifacts that gain power as a character grows in levels. They are desinged to be given to characvters at low levels. It might be worth checking out for you.

Is it a book or something free on the internet? Where can I get it?

 

[Crothian]

RPGNow has the pdf for sale here:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=2437&

 

[Kalen_Darkstar]

Thank you all for the help.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

RPGNow has the pdf for sale here:

You forgot to mention the Demo, which gives a decent "image" of how the book works. There seem to be (in the demo, at least) two forms of items introduced.

The first is directly related to Character Level (if you're 5th Level, it does X, at 8th it does X and Y, at 12th it does X, Y, and Z, etc.).

The second are stackable items. One included example given relates to a Paladin's equipment: Boots, Cape, Gauntlet, Armor, and Shield. Each item is of minor or moderate power, but extra powers begin to "awaken" by the synergy of having two or more items. This immediately made me think of a Paladin slain by the servants of evil centuries in the past and his holy implements being dispersed around the world to prevent re-assembly, with a PC Paladin now questing to find and re-unite them (perhaps even fulfilling the mission of the slain Paladin).

Gonna have to download that next payday...

(Edit: Or we could just read your review... Duh.)

 

[Dirigible]

Also, there are covenant items in Midnight. They gain greater powers as the character that wields them increases in levels.

 

[krichaiushii]

Malhavoc's Book of Eldritch Might III has rules for the leveling of intelligent magic items. Not quite the same, but the general concepts might be looted.

 

[BluWolf]

I used these rules from Dragon to give a PC wizard a staff of the Magi at first level. It was his great great grandfather's. Unfortunately the campaign ended at fifth level and while the player had discovered what he had he never really got a chance to power it up to its full extant. He basically had light and detect magic at will.

I liked the hook as a GM and mt player got into it as well.

Very cool.