THE DRUNK DM or "The Gem of Timestop".

[xigbar]

Now here comes the interesting question... could you make this a "persistant' time stop in a vein similar to how bull's strength is persistant when placed on an item that gives +4 to STR?

I can't think of anything stopping permanency from working on the gem.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Oh, right. Seems he'd only have to be real eager, not overeager.

Most young men are, and would consider the risk worth the attempt.

 

[Empirate]

Now here comes the interesting question... could you make this a "persistant' time stop in a vein similar to how bull's strength is persistant when placed on an item that gives +4 to STR?

This is the reason magic item pricing must be considered a delicate art, instead of just applying a bunch of formulae and be done. How's a Belt of Constant True Striking sound to you? Or Gloves of Ultimate Wraithstriking? Or maybe Sakkratar's Triple Strike Ring?

 

[xigbar]

This is the reason magic item pricing must be considered a delicate art, instead of just applying a bunch of formulae and be done. How's a Belt of Constant True Striking sound to you? Or Gloves of Ultimate Wraithstriking? Or maybe Sakkratar's Triple Strike Ring?

This is why they made cursed items.

 

[Empirate]

No. Cursed items are a stupid, unnecessary part of the game, a holdover from previous editions, when the philosophy was very much " over the players at all costs" and very little "everyone at the table needs to enjoy themselves". That they're still in the game just proves that some old roots go so deep it's just very hard to get rid of them.

 

[Greenfield]

My version isn't cursed, per se. It's just an item with both good and bad points. Free use of a 9th level spell on a daily basis is no small thing. Even for high level casters, it frees up a 9th level slot that can be used for something else, since Time Stop is one of those "Gotta have it" spells.

And I have to say that I disagree with the ida that cursed items are just there to make PCs miserable. Properly used, they become plot hooks. If nothing else, they keep the game world from turning into candy-land, they keep the players on their toes.

Do you "identify" a magic ring by just popping it on your finger to see what it does? Watched a guy do that at a recent convention game. He didn't think anything of it, and was surprised when the other players objected. And yes, it was a mixed blessing kind of cursed item, and he paid for it.

No, literally, we made his character pay for the item, since he'd taken it from party treasure and couldn't return it.

The game has a number of items, feats and PRCs that fall into the "mixed blessing" category. Some are artifacts, some aren't but all add to the richness and depth of the game.