The Eye of St.Cuthbert : new magical item

[Malchior]

Can anyone help me with the creation of this magical item? I'd like to know if, 1. I have calculated correctly under 3.0 rules, and 2. how would it differ (if at all) under 3.5?

Thanks.

The Eye of St. Cuthbert

The Cleric Lucius Volkskull created this glass eye after his adventures in the lands of Ravenloft. He used it to replace his sightless left eye, and to aid in his struggle against evil undead and malignant demons and spirits.

The Eye of St. Cuthbert is a white, glass sphere the size of an eyeball for a medium sized creature. Instead of a pupil, it has a small symbol of St, Cuthbert.

The eye has two powers;

First, it acts as an Amulet of Undead Turning (DMG 207); “This holy item allows a cleric or paladin to turn undead as if she were four levels higher that her actual class level. Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, 10th-level cleric; Market Price 11,000 gp; Weight: -.”

Second, it allows the wearer unlimited use of the 0th level Cleric Light spell at will as a “use activated” spell of 6th level. The spell is centred on the eye itself and emits forward from that point.

The eye must be placed into an empty eye socket to be used.


Cost calculation (DMG 3.0):

Step one, “Amulet of Undead Turning”
(Cost to create a wonderous item is half it’s market value)
Since the Amulet of Undead Turning is a wonderous item, and has a listed market value of 11,000 gp, it's cost to create is 5,500 GP (11,000 GP / 2).

Step two: add “Unlimited, use-activated Light spell.”
The GP Base Value of an "amulet of Light" would be (Spell level x Caster Level x 2). This means that (since Light is a 0th level spell, and a 0th level spell is considered HALF the value of a 1st level spell, and he wishes to set it as Caster level 6) the GP value of the item is:

1 x 6 x 2000 GP = 12,000 GP/2 (for 0th level) = 6000 GP

This 6000GP is the base GP value of the item, which is equal to its Market Price. The cost to create is half the market price, thus the cost to create this item is 3000 GP.

(Note: Here is an excerpt from the description of Use-Activated on pg 176:
"...some items made for wearing, such as a ring of invisibility, must still be activated. Although this activation sometimes requires a command word (see above), usually it means mentally willing the activation to happen.")

Question: does item takes up a slot?

page 246 under Adding New Abilities it says:
Quote:
If the item is one that takes up a specific space on a character (see...pg 176) any additional power added to that item doubles the cost.

Eye socket is not a slot, though “goggles” is. This is understandable, since it would be difficult/impossible to strap a set of goggles over another set. However a set of goggles does fit over one’s eye sockets with no difficulty. ie. Darkvision/Low-Light Vision/My Light psionic ability, etc. do not hinder the wearing of goggles. While a magical “eye” might not function properly with goggles over it, it does not hinder the application of the goggles, and I would suggest it does not take up a slot.

Cost to add “Light” spell ability if “eye” does not constitute a slot: 3000gp
Cost to add “Light” spell ability if “eye” does constitute a slot: 6000gp

Total cost of the Eye of St. Cuthbert: 8,500gp or 11,500gp
XP cost: 680 or 920

 

[Pax]

This'd probably do better over in House Rules.

 

[Malchior]

Why would this be better in house rules? I'm not using my own rules to create a magical item, I am using the existing rules. The existing rules give the option of making magical items as part of the game, and since I want to make sure I have followed the rules properly, it seems to me it is fine in this forum.

 

[dcollins]

The magic-item prices are not rules, they are guidelines to help DM's invent new content. Pax is correct that all "new items" should be counted as House Rules. More: www.superdan.net/dndfaq3.html

 

[Malchior]

Ah. I see. My statement was based on the belief that PCs (not players) were capable of researching and creating magical items not alreay listed in the DMG.

So from a purely literal interpretation, yes, it would seem this thread is in the wrong forum.

However, I would argue that PCs (not players) should be able to research and create new magical items in game, and that this research and creation is supported by the DMG rules. Ultimately I suppose it is up to the moderator to decide. So, if the moderator thinks it should be elsewhere,so be it.

In the mean time, can anyone answer my original questions: 1. Is the item creation cost correct according to 3.0 rules, and 2. would it be different under 3.5?

 

[Pax]

It's not an issue of "do teh rules allow it" -- a new item, not in a published work, is inherently a house rule; what one GM woudl allow into his campaign, the next GM may never permit in her campaign.

I'd answer your questions about accuracy under 3.0 rules, but, I don't have the 3.0 books anymore ... so I can't.

Were I to be judging the price of this for my own campaign, however ... I would not count each ITEM as it's own entry. Instead, I'd break the idems down into their powers, and figure out the formula to use for each bonus or power.

Then I'd compile an ordered list of the powers, from most expensive to cheapest, and (thus) calculate the price of the new item "from scratch", applying all appropriate rules. In 3.5 rules, that would include a 50% or 100% markup for every power past the first, and an additional 50% markup for every power that didn't match the relevant item's affinity.

As for your more general questions: no, "eye socket" is not a slot, so the item is slotless -- but must be "worn" to have effect.