Sharing the XP cost for Magical Item Creation

[Holy Bovine]

I've been thinking that I'd like to make some changes to the way magical items are made in the campaign I run. Basically I want to allow the XP cost to be paid, in part, by a second person. My idea is this. Figure the item's GP & XP cost as normal. If a second person wants to share some of the burden of the XP cost then it is increased by 20% and allows the second person to pay up to half of the new total (with the wizard or sorceror paying the rest). Note that the GP cost would not increase.

I hope that is clear enough. Any thoughts or ideas on improvements or changes? Is it too powerful? Too debiliatating? Any help on this is greatly appreciated!

 

[Shayuri]

There's a variant rules very similar to this given in the Epic Level Handbook, as I recall.

I rather like it myself, but then I tend to play arcane casters with item creation feats.

The "risk" is that it can, in theory, allow magic items to proliferate a lot faster, since the main element to control their spread (exp cost) is mitigated. But to my mind magic items are already so common in most D&D worlds that this makes a good explanation. Perhaps it's a "lost talent," explaining why the ancient races used magic items for everything.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

I like your idea and plan to steal it for my current campaign (I want to encourage the players to make items).

One ramification you need to consider: Is the second person's contribution voluntary only? If not, you have a ready-made justification for slavery. I ran a campaign years ago where a large group of evil wizards supported slavers so as to have a ready supply of "raw material" for their creations. Virtually anything being created required some lifeforce and guess who supplied it? This gave the players some truly despicable villains to oppose.

On the other hand, what if so-called "good" nations are capturing large groups of evil humanoids (goblins, orcs, etc.) for the same purpose - would the players oppose such actions, setting themselves against the established kingdoms? What if the sacrifice of other creatures maintains some great defense spell, which would otherwise leave thousands of innocents vulnerable? Your one change can be taken in a lot of directions - it just depends on what you want from the campaign.

 

[Deadguy]

For my own campaign, I found that splitting the XP costs of item creation hasn't caused amy problems. I allow items with several creators - that is, those where more than one person provides the spells/creation feats - to share the costs evenly between them.

I also allow a single creator to divide the cost evenly with another person who voluntarily joins the creation process, even if that person possesses no magical skills of their own. I describe this as being prepared to give up their own blood and soul in the process. It is generally used by PC crafters working with other members of the party to make items for that person.

I haven't found it unbalancing to permit this, but then the players don't try and over-exploit it either. It has encouraged the crafters to make items for the party, and sicouraged unreasonable demands on the crafters. (For expensive items, the party is more likely to spend the extra gold and commission items from NPC crafters, even if the process will take extra time.)

I guess I am saying that you may not need the extra 20% XP cost to make the process of sharing a balanced one. It will depend on what you're aiming for and what your players are like.

 

[ichabod]

I created the following spell for my campaign, and I have no problems so far.

Transfer Essence
Necromancy
Level: Brd 3, Sha 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3.
Components: V, M, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One willing creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Transfer Essence allows a caster to power his spells and create magical items using a willing target's experience points instead of his own. The caster must still contribute at least 10% of the experience.
The target must be a willing target, under no compulsion, magical or otherwise. It must also have an intelligence of 3+. If these conditions are not met, the spell fails.
In the case of using the xp to cast a spell, the spell casting must be started within one minute of the end of this spell. Otherwise, the experience flows back to the subject of this spell.
In the case of creating an item, the subject must be with the caster at the start of each day's work, and this spell must be cast at that time.
Material Component: A small piece of the subject's body, such as a lock of hair or some nail clippings.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

I like the item creation slavery idea! Although there are rules for getting item creation XP through sacrifices in the Book of Vile Darkness.

And I've got an idea of a certain Loremaster who just might have to turn to evil and start sacrificing people to make some powerful items...

 

[der_kluge]

Here's a better idea - just wait a couple of months for MEG to release the Artificer's Handbook, and you won't have to worry about XP costs for magic item creation anymore.

 

[mikebr99]

Yoink!

Kewl spell ichabod! Consider it borrowed.

Mike

Transfer Essence
Necromancy
Level: Brd 3, Sha 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3.
Components: V, M, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One willing creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Transfer Essence allows a caster to power his spells and create magical items using a willing target's experience points instead of his own. The caster must still contribute at least 10% of the experience.
The target must be a willing target, under no compulsion, magical or otherwise. It must also have an intelligence of 3+. If these conditions are not met, the spell fails.
In the case of using the xp to cast a spell, the spell casting must be started within one minute of the end of this spell. Otherwise, the experience flows back to the subject of this spell.
In the case of creating an item, the subject must be with the caster at the start of each day's work, and this spell must be cast at that time.
Material Component: A small piece of the subject's body, such as a lock of hair or some nail clippings.

 

[Spatzimaus]

I use a Feat that does something similar (it's based on the one in the Netbook), and a custom PrC of mine gets a better version as a class ability.

You don't want to make it TOO easy, though; if the other person pays the entire XP cost, then you'll see the crafters making profit with no XP lost by selling outside the party.

 

[HellHound]

No offense to what looks like a superb product, but I REALLY like the XP cost system for making magic items in 3e.

I also use an XP sharing spell, identical to the one posted above, taken from the DragonLords of Melnibone book.