The "Price That Magic Item" Game!

[Mistwell]

The Magic Item Compendium radically changes the pricing on some old magic item, and introduces a lot (500) of new magic items that intentionally do not follow a fixed pricing formula.

So let's play a game. I'm going to post some magic items from that book (in groups based on a theme, like "Items for your Feet"), and you tell me what you think the price for that item should be (as if a PC purchased them, not made them).

You cannot look up the item in the Magic Item Compendium. No cheating. And I'd ask that you follow the spirit of that rule as well as the letter. You can use the pricing guidelines in the DMG, items in the DMG, or items in other books. But you cannot check the actual price in the MIC. That would spoil the fun.

After a few days, I will then close that group out, post the actual prices from the MIC, and we can all discuss if that is an outrageous price or not. Then, assuming the thread continues, I'll post another group.

I won't be posting all the text for an item, or all the items, just a summary of some selected ones. If I make a mistake in my summary by leaving something out, I apologize in advance.

 

[Mistwell]

GROUP ONE "THINGS FOR YOUR FEET"

1. Sandals of Sprinting - 3xday swift action to gain +30 enhancement bonus to land speed (max double your speed) until start of your next turn.

2. Boots of Sidestepping - 3xday swift action extra 5-foot step. Can use even if already moved, and doesn't prevent movement after use (even a regular 5' step).

3. Boots of Agile Leaping - Constant +Dex to Jump checks instead of Strength. If you have at least 5 ranks in Balance, constant stand up from prone as swift action, and standing from prone doesn't provoke attack of opportunity.

4. Cloudwalker Anklets - Constant Air Walk (as spell), can benefit from effect even if wildshaped.

5. Acrobat Boots - Constant +2 tumble checks. 3 charges/day enhancement bonus to land speed for 1 rd. Bonus depends on charges you expend: 1 charge = +10, 2 = +15, 3= +20.

6. Skirmisher Boots - 2xday make single extra melee or ranged attack using full BAB, after having moved at least 10 feet from space you started turn (mount movement doesn't count). Also, if you have the skirmash special ability (scout), constant +2 damage when skirmishing.

7. Quicksilver Boots - 2xday swift action to move up to your land speed (as if using a move action, but not taking your move action), and gain concealment against Attacks of Opportunity caused by that movement, and can move over liquid without falling into it as long as you start and end the movement on solid ground.

8. Boots of the Battle Charger - 2xday make charge attack as a standard action instead of full-round action. Can only move your speed, not double your speed. Must make the attack in the round you activate the boots. Also, if you have a magic item that grants enhancement bonus to Dex, you can move across terrain and through squares occupied by allies when making this standard action charge.

9. Boots of Swift Passage - 5 x day move action to teleport without error up to 20 feet in any direction (need line of sight and effect, can't be an object or creature in destination, cannot bring other creatures with you).

10. Steadfast Boots - Constant +4 bonus on checks to avoid bull rush, overrun, or trip. Also, if carrying two-handed weapon, constant treatment as if readied weapon against a charge (double damage if you hit), even if weapon cannot normally be set against charges.

 

[Slaved]

Just to make sure, is it ok if I give the maximum price I would be willing to spend for the item? Or is that not what you are going for?

 

[Mistwell]

Just to make sure, is it ok if I give the maximum price I would be willing to spend for the item? Or is that not what you are going for?

Sure. Any level of discussion about the items is fine.

 

[lottrbacchus]

great thread, i'm interested to see how it works.

i'd like participants to also post their math if they used a formula. 'normal' magic items are hard enough for me to figure out. how much extra is it for swift?

and teleport spell as a move action? that has to be huge! a ring of invisibility is, what, almost twice the calculatable price? i'd say this would have to be at least double.

[whine=i also want to point out how interesting it is #9 is teleport without error instead of dimension door. why do they have to use a spell 3 levels higher when you are only going 20 feet and have to be able to see the area? oh, that's right, because while everything else is getting ridiculously overpowered, dimension door remains stupidly broken.] WHERE IS MY PONY? [whine]

 

[Slaved]

Ok, I wrote out long descriptions for each and gave reasonings for the prices but then the post went away.

This will be much shorter unfortunately.

1. Sandals of Sprinting - 3xday swift action to gain +30 enhancement bonus to land speed (max double your speed) until start of your next turn.

Basically a first level spell. It is limited to making charges a little longer and maybe helping to flank now and then since the duration is so short.

The book says about 1kgp, I would likely not go above 300 or 350. They are nice early on but the boot slot has much better options than these.

2. Boots of Sidestepping - 3xday swift action extra 5-foot step. Can use even if already moved, and doesn't prevent movement after use (even a regular 5' step).

Since these allow a character to make a full attack and then move too far away for the other person to do the same I would not allow these.

3. Boots of Agile Leaping - Constant +Dex to Jump checks instead of Strength. If you have at least 5 ranks in Balance, constant stand up from prone as swift action, and standing from prone doesn't provoke attack of opportunity.

The first ability is almost a non-ability while the second is very nice. The are still taking up an important slot for melee characters though and tripping has not been very common by opponents in my experience.

My maximum, and only for a specific character type, would be 650gp. I still feel that +1 to all saves is stronger. If they were around 250gp or less they might be fun options to have for a good number of low level characters even if it did not come in handy.

4. Cloudwalker Anklets - Constant Air Walk (as spell), can benefit from effect even if wildshaped.

Now this is tough. The spell requires the dm to pay more attention to wind than may be normal, but that is a pretty minor factor and might enhance the game besides, but it is also not well defined for some situations such as tripping.

The book price would be about 84kgp I think, which is very hefty.

Being able to walk over embattlements and rain down death from above with ranged attacks more or less with impunity is a hefty benefit however.

It seems like an item that would not be too bad around level 8 - 12 though, depending on the game. So how about an even 32.5kgp? That way it is only really available awhile after all of the casters have some flying spells and a large number of creatures can fly besides.

At will flying like that is hard to judge though. In a campaign that is mostly outdoors and has enemies with poor ranged attacks they will ruin the game while in a dungeon crawl game they might not even be worth paying 5kgp for.

5. Acrobat Boots - Constant +2 tumble checks. 3 charges/day enhancement bonus to land speed for 1 rd. Bonus depends on charges you expend: 1 charge = +10, 2 = +15, 3= +20.

+2 tumble checks is nice but that is a pretty minor speed increase. Is this an unnamed bonus to tumble? If so then I'll go for the number as the other speed boosting boots and say 350gp. If it is named then that might go down depending on the type.

6. Skirmisher Boots - 2xday make single extra melee or ranged attack using full BAB, after having moved at least 10 feet from space you started turn (mount movement doesn't count). Also, if you have the skirmash special ability (scout), constant +2 damage when skirmishing.

So basically for a nonscout you can charge and make an extra attack twice a day, for maximal effect at least.

Every scout I have seen has been ranged but they could do that as well. +2 damage to all skirmish damage is nice though and it would be one of the few ways to get skirmish damage multiple times in a round. Move 10', shoot off 2 arrows at full attack with full skirmish damage +2, twice a day?

If I was a scout I think I'd be willing to pay 6kgp pretty easily. It would really depend on how much that +2 was increasing my damage though, the scouts I have seen generally had most of their damage coming from skirmish but choosing between the bow going from +1 to +2 or these boots the extra +1 wins out handily.

7. Quicksilver Boots - 2xday swift action to move up to your land speed (as if using a move action, but not taking your move action), and gain concealment against Attacks of Opportunity caused by that movement, and can move over liquid without falling into it as long as you start and end the movement on solid ground.

Two times per day move a little ways with a chance to avoid attacks of opportunity and to walk over liquid?

300gp, maybe.

8. Boots of the Battle Charger - 2xday make charge attack as a standard action instead of full-round action. Can only move your speed, not double your speed. Must make the attack in the round you activate the boots. Also, if you have a magic item that grants enhancement bonus to Dex, you can move across terrain and through squares occupied by allies when making this standard action charge.

I do not understand what some parts of this are doing, I am guessing that it was paraphrased and I am not getting it all. If you have a dexterity boosting item you can move across terrain? Difficult terrain perhaps?

Since all of characters I can think of that I have seen who had a dexterity boosting item would not want to charge most of the time this is an interesting problem.

Ignoring the rest being able to charge as a standard action basically opens up charging in the surprise round and allows a character with psionic meditation to regain focus before charging during a full round, in case that is helpful.

It looks like it would only be useful for one or two battles and only in very specific situations. Highly situational in fact, although the extra clause makes it better if you have a dexterity boosting item.

I would go for 3.5kgp I think. That way I could have 2 pairs so that I could actually rely on having the option available more than one battle a day since obviously I would be planning for it.

9. Boots of Swift Passage - 5 x day move action to teleport without error up to 20 feet in any direction (need line of sight and effect, can't be an object or creature in destination, cannot bring other creatures with you).

20' teleportation but need line of sight and effect, 5 times a day, move action needed.

500gp? Mostly just because it is a teleportation effect though. How often do you really need to get 20' from where you are but cannot just walk there? Basically only if you have a wall of opponents in the way I would imagine but then you are behind enemy lines. If you are a dexterity type guy you probably could just tumble, if you are a heavy hitter bull rush might carry you through. Those boots earlier that gave +30' enhancement to movement likely give you a +12 to your jump check anyway so with those instead you might have been able to simply jump over the people.

I like them though, but I cannot think of a situation I've seen in quite some time where they would have come in handy enough to have spent the money on them and carried them around instead of some other footwear.

Edited here..... I have to admit that I forgot about this being able to get a character out of a grapple. So that would actually give it a decent use 5 times a day. I would move this up to 8kgp with that in mind except that I would never pay that much for it. Once I could pay that much I would rather get some other option, such as a +10 to escape artist item, instead or be using spells to prevent the situation. So maybe 5kgp as an actual amount that I would be willing to pay.

10. Steadfast Boots - Constant +4 bonus on checks to avoid bull rush, overrun, or trip. Also, if carrying two-handed weapon, constant treatment as if readied weapon against a charge (double damage if you hit), even if weapon cannot normally be set against charges.

Banned. Not a chance. Ridiculous item.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Okay, I don't even own the book, so I don't even have any residual memories of pricing formulae, so let's see:

1) 1200 (I figure the Swift Expeditious Retreat is about the same level as normal Expeditious Retreat, so 2000 * 3/5)

2) 3000 (this is slightly more useful than +30 movement speeds in normal situations, so I priced it slightly higher)

3) 5000 (the Dex thing isn't major, but the kip up thing is enormous if you fight things that trip--it shuts tripping down completely. Ring of Freedom of Movement shuts down even more things completely, so I figured I'd price this relatively to its comparison value to RoFoM)

4) 40000 (not quite as good as Wings of Flying, but better in some senses, manoeuvrability issues for instance)

5) 800 (400 for the +2 to Tumble, 400 for the other thing)

6) 10000 (the 2/day ability is better than Haste for getting extra attacks, but it is only for 2 rounds a day, rather than 10 like Boots of Speed. However, the +2 damage while skirmishing is highly useful for Scouts. So to anyone who would possibly buy this, making it cost just a bit less than Boots of Speed looks right)

7) 50000 (I may be underpricing this. This is a gamebreaker in the hands of anyone who can use a full attack effectively because it can be used as a combination of Lion's Charge without needing to charge and concealment to make that even safer, plus it can be used for any other reason you need an extra Move Action, just like Hustle. I used the price of a 2/day Hustle x10 for putting a personal-only power in an item, then rounded up 2000 for the concealment)

8) 5000 (This is *much* less useful for charging than the last item. I don't really see much of a use for it except for sticking a +2 Dex onto it also and then giving them to your whole party to abuse the already abusive Warmaster's Charge with a White Raven initiator)

9) 30000 (This is basically the trump card you use to escape from being stuck in a Forcecage, a grapple, to cross a wall that your enemy conjured up, etc. I charged for Dimension Door instead of Tw/oE because of the short range, then subtracted about half due to taste)

10) 12500 (this is killer against charges, zombies, etc, and it gives a good bonus vs most other manoeuvres)

 

[brehobit]

Oohhhh, fun....

GROUP ONE "THINGS FOR YOUR FEET"

1. Sandals of Sprinting - 3xday swift action to gain +30 enhancement bonus to land speed (max double your speed) until start of your next turn.

Burns a slot and a swift action for a fairly minor ability (except when it isn't). I'll say 1,500GP.

2. Boots of Sidestepping - 3xday swift action extra 5-foot step. Can use even if already moved, and doesn't prevent movement after use (even a regular 5' step).

Basically the same as above, but VERY handy when it's handy (full attack followed by 10' step back so the dragon or whatever can't full attack you). 4,500GP.

3. Boots of Agile Leaping - Constant +Dex to Jump checks instead of Strength. If you have at least 5 ranks in Balance, constant stand up from prone as swift action, and standing from prone doesn't provoke attack of opportunity.

Very similar again. Useful when it is useful, and takes foot slot. Hummm.... 1,500.

4. Cloudwalker Anklets - Constant Air Walk (as spell), can benefit from effect even if wildshaped.

35,000. Always on fly is nice.

5. Acrobat Boots - Constant +2 tumble checks. 3 charges/day enhancement bonus to land speed for 1 rd. Bonus depends on charges you expend: 1 charge = +10, 2 = +15, 3= +20.

Humm... 1,500.

6. Skirmisher Boots - 2xday make single extra melee or ranged attack using full BAB, after having moved at least 10 feet from space you started turn (mount movement doesn't count). Also, if you have the skirmash special ability (scout), constant +2 damage when skirmishing.

Nice for a scout. 7,500?

7. Quicksilver Boots - 2xday swift action to move up to your land speed (as if using a move action, but not taking your move action), and gain concealment against Attacks of Opportunity caused by that movement, and can move over liquid without falling into it as long as you start and end the movement on solid ground.

I'm a bit clear on this. Do all those bonuses only work if use the twice a day?

8. Boots of the Battle Charger - 2xday make charge attack as a standard action instead of full-round action. Can only move your speed, not double your speed. Must make the attack in the round you activate the boots. Also, if you have a magic item that grants enhancement bonus to Dex, you can move across terrain and through squares occupied by allies when making this standard action charge.

Seems sorta weak actually. What do you get, a move action left? I guess it lets you set up a charge at a funny angle (move then charge) but only nice for a very limited set of characters. I'll go with 1,200GP

9. Boots of Swift Passage - 5 x day move action to teleport without error up to 20 feet in any direction (need line of sight and effect, can't be an object or creature in destination, cannot bring other creatures with you).

Does this provoke? Can use use in a grapple? If it doesn't provoke and you can use if "for free" in a grapple, I'd say something like 20,000, maybe 30,000. It would be a must-take for an arcane caster.

10. Steadfast Boots - Constant +4 bonus on checks to avoid bull rush, overrun, or trip. Also, if carrying two-handed weapon, constant treatment as if readied weapon against a charge (double damage if you hit), even if weapon cannot normally be set against charges.

No idea here. 3,000.
(Edit: reading everyone else's post, I'm not sure what this does. Do you get a bonus attack AS IF you'd readied an action and 2x damage on top of that? Or do you only get the bonus if you've readied an action? Or only if the charge provokes?)

 

[Eloi]

GROUP ONE "THINGS FOR YOUR FEET"

1. Sandals of Sprinting - 3xday swift action to gain +30 enhancement bonus to land speed (max double your speed) until start of your next turn.

250 gold, worth perhaps as much as 400 to a Scout or some crazed Barbarian.

2. Boots of Sidestepping - 3xday swift action extra 5-foot step. Can use even if already moved, and doesn't prevent movement after use (even a regular 5' step).

Very nice. 3000 gold, worth a thousand gold for each Full Attack I deny my (fumingly-mad) enemy.

3. Boots of Agile Leaping - Constant +Dex to Jump checks instead of Strength. If you have at least 5 ranks in Balance, constant stand up from prone as swift action, and standing from prone doesn't provoke attack of opportunity.

Not common to run into a Tripping fiend, so 2200 gold to turn a Thief into a bounding madman seems about right.

4. Cloudwalker Anklets - Constant Air Walk (as spell), can benefit from effect even if wildshaped.

This makes a Druid horribly fearsome. 42500 gp.

5. Acrobat Boots - Constant +2 tumble checks. 3 charges/day enhancement bonus to land speed for 1 rd. Bonus depends on charges you expend: 1 charge = +10, 2 = +15, 3= +20.

Eh.. 500 gold? The Tumble is nice, but there are better boots competing for this space.

6. Skirmisher Boots - 2xday make single extra melee or ranged attack using full BAB, after having moved at least 10 feet from space you started turn (mount movement doesn't count). Also, if you have the skirmish special ability (scout), constant +2 damage when skirmishing.

To a Scout, these are pretty dandy. Worth twice what the Sidesteppers are, 6000.

7. Quicksilver Boots - 2xday swift action to move up to your land speed (as if using a move action, but not taking your move action), and gain concealment against Attacks of Opportunity caused by that movement, and can move over liquid without falling into it as long as you start and end the movement on solid ground.

Doesn't use a move action, and you "walk on water" as a freebie (provided you're careful) - 45000 gold.

8. Boots of the Battle Charger - 2xday make charge attack as a standard action instead of full-round action. Can only move your speed, not double your speed. Must make the attack in the round you activate the boots. Also, if you have a magic item that grants enhancement bonus to Dex, you can move across terrain and through squares occupied by allies when making this standard action charge.

Not as good as it sounds. Very situational, 3850 gold and it's out the door.

9. Boots of Swift Passage - 5 x day move action to teleport without error up to 20 feet in any direction (need line of sight and effect, can't be an object or creature in destination, cannot bring other creatures with you).

400 per weenie-port per day, so 2000 gp. If you live in a deathtrapped area, it might even be worth it. I'd hold out for the Steadfast Boots myself.

10. Steadfast Boots - Constant +4 bonus on checks to avoid bull rush, overrun, or trip. Also, if carrying two-handed weapon, constant treatment as if readied weapon against a charge (double damage if you hit), even if weapon cannot normally be set against charges.

Wow. Worth every penny of 30000 gp until the last foe learns not to charge. If you routinely get in over your head and provoke charges against you, this is your best friend.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Before reading anyone else's:

1. Sandals of Sprinting - 3xday swift action to gain +30 enhancement bonus to land speed (max double your speed) until start of your next turn.

I'd say that's about equal to a 1st level spell. By the formula itself, it looks like it would come out to 1,080 gp, so we'll go ahead and round it down to 1,000 gp to make it nice and even. That's the cost of a +1 enhancement bonus added to a piece of armor, and that sounds about right. I would buy that item.

2. Boots of Sidestepping - 3xday swift action extra 5-foot step. Can use even if already moved, and doesn't prevent movement after use (even a regular 5' step).

The Spell Compendium has a very nice spell called slide that is a 1st level spell that moves a character within Close range 5' (no AoO). It's a standard action, but it the boots can only be used on yourself. I'd say that makes it about a 2nd level spell equivalent. That brings it to 2,160 gp, dropped to 2,000 for a nice evening. That looks good to me.

3. Boots of Agile Leaping - Constant +Dex to Jump checks instead of Strength. If you have at least 5 ranks in Balance, constant stand up from prone as swift action, and standing from prone doesn't provoke attack of opportunity.

Hmm... interesting. It's all situational. How much better is your Dex than Str? How likely is a PC to have 5 ranks in balance? To price it, though, we're going to have to assume that both of those are true, I think, so I'll price it the same as I would if both effects were constant, and I'll assume a +5 higher Dex than Str modifier.

Bonus squared x 5 x 100 is normal for a competence bonus, but this stacks with everything, since it isn't a bonus. I'll round it up to 3,000 gp for that. I know, though, that I would never pay that much for that. Jump just isn't that important. By the time your Dex outstrips your Str that much, well, jumping won't be much of a problem anyway. I'll halve it to 1,500 gp which still looks high to me, but I'll keep that.

Getting up as a swift action without an AoO... I don't know how to price exactly. It's definitely nice in certain situations. I don't see tripping done on PCs that often, though. I'm just going to make something up and say 3,000 gp for that ability.

So it comes out to 4,500 gp. Looks too high... who is going to use it unless they expect to be tripped? That could just be my game, though, so that's probably what I'd go for "officially." In my own game, it would probably be around 2,000 gp. Still don't know if anyone would buy it, though.

4. Cloudwalker Anklets - Constant Air Walk (as spell), can benefit from effect even if wildshaped.

Niiiiice. Fourth level continuous spell effects with 10 min/round durations come out to 56,000 gp. Wings of flying give 60' movement with good maneuverability, and these are obviously better. Add to that the wildshape feature. The Compendium question becomes "Would you buy it?" So, which is better, an item that lets you walk on air or a +5 weapon? I really can't decide. I'll just make them equivalent. I betcha the MiC is going to price it less than me, though. In the end: 50,000 gp.

5. Acrobat Boots - Constant +2 tumble checks. 3 charges/day enhancement bonus to land speed for 1 rd. Bonus depends on charges you expend: 1 charge = +10, 2 = +15, 3= +20.

I don't like this item as much as the 1st item. Tumble isn't that great a skill to enhance since all the DCs are flat, and the movement bonuses aren't as good. 750 gp.

6. Skirmisher Boots - 2xday make single extra melee or ranged attack using full BAB, after having moved at least 10 feet from space you started turn (mount movement doesn't count). Also, if you have the skirmash special ability (scout), constant +2 damage when skirmishing.

Good for more than a scout, because it will get you two attacks on a charge at your highest BAB twice a day. I can't think of a melee character I've seen played would wouldn't want these boots. After they're used up, you can switch to something else. The scout gets icing on the cake equivalent to weapon specialization. That ain't too shabby.

Boots of Speed give you 10 rounds of haste, which is the closest item I can think of to the extra attack this gives you, and those cost 12,000 gp. So instead of 10 rounds of haste, you get 2 rounds of 1 attack under certain circumstances. On one hand, you can't use haste on a charge, on the other, haste has other benefits. I'll call it a wash. Divide by 5 and you get 2,400 gp. Round up because of the skirmish bonus to 3,000 gp.

7. Quicksilver Boots - 2xday swift action to move up to your land speed (as if using a move action, but not taking your move action), and gain concealment against Attacks of Opportunity caused by that movement, and can move over liquid without falling into it as long as you start and end the movement on solid ground.

Oohhhhh! Okay... hmm.... Makes me think of dimension door, except quickened, shorter range, and personal only, but not quite because you are actually moving through threatened squares, albeit as if blurred. I'll say that's equivalent to a 6th level spell, two levels above dimension door.

2/day for a 6th level spell completion item is 47,520 gp. That's almost as much as a +5 weapon. The fact that you can use this to get a full attack off, even if its only 2/day, immediately, is huge. I'm going to round this one up to 50,000 gp even.

8. Boots of the Battle Charger - 2xday make charge attack as a standard action instead of full-round action. Can only move your speed, not double your speed. Must make the attack in the round you activate the boots. Also, if you have a magic item that grants enhancement bonus to Dex, you can move across terrain and through squares occupied by allies when making this standard action charge.

I'm not seeing the real benefit of the Standard Action charge. I must be missing something. You can charge in and tumble away... but people with tumble generally aren't wanting to charge in the first place. You can move to a charging position and then charge, basically allowing a turning charge, but then still not that great an ability. Nice, definitely. Not great. Same for charging through allies' spaces. Then it can only be used 2/day!

1,000 gp.

9. Boots of Swift Passage - 5 x day move action to teleport without error up to 20 feet in any direction (need line of sight and effect, can't be an object or creature in destination, cannot bring other creatures with you).

Remember where I mentioned slide above? There's also greater slide that is 2nd level that does this exact thing except on anyone in Medium range. That calculates to 10,800 gp. That's the cost of a cape of the mountebank. I'll call it fine, and round to 10,000 gp.

10. Steadfast Boots - Constant +4 bonus on checks to avoid bull rush, overrun, or trip. Also, if carrying two-handed weapon, constant treatment as if readied weapon against a charge (double damage if you hit), even if weapon cannot normally be set against charges.

Anti-charge boots. Not bad, not bad. I don't see that many bull rushes, overruns, or trips, but the double damage on a charge can be downright devistating, and gets better and better as you go up in levels. If the DM has a lot of charging enemies, this might be the best item given so far. 80,000 gp. Maybe higher because I wouldn't want to see it in my game.