This is... disturbing.

[Nik_the_Pig]

Well for a start you DM does IMHO have his figures way off base but unfortunately so do you.

0th spell counts as 1/2 for calculating, so it's
1/2 spell level * Caster Level 1 * 1800 gold pieces = 900 gp retail, or 350 gp + 36 xp.

For a start 1/2 900gp in 450 not 350 but the real headache is not adding in the charges per day as per footnote 5 in Item Creation for wonderous Items

(5 If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine as if it had 50 charges.)

With the cost being calculated as per: Charges per day = Divide by (5 divided by charges per day)

So 450gp and 36xp is fine for a 5 chage per day item but if you wanted this thing to work unlimited you end up with a:

(1/2 spell level * CL 1 * 1800 gp) / (5/100) =
18000gp value item costing 9000gp and 720xp to make

Not as cheap a prospect.

 

[Hypersmurf]

For a start 1/2 900gp in 450 not 350 but the real headache is not adding in the charges per day as per footnote 5 in Item Creation for wonderous Items

(5 If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine as if it had 50 charges.)

Uh, that's how you calculate costs of material components or XP components. (See the 5? That's a Footnote mark. Find the sentences that have a little superscript 5 on the table - those are what the footnote refers to.)

If it has 40 charges, it costs you 40x the cost of the component.

If it has unlimited charges, it doesn't cost you an unlimited multiple of the component cost... it costs 100x (for at will) or 50x (for N charges per day) the component cost.

That has nothing to do with the modifier to the total price for having a certain number of charges per day.

If your item has a base price of, say, 5000gp, but can only be used once per day, then you divide 5000 by 5/1 and end up with 1000gp.
Twice per day: divide 5000 by 5/2 for 2000gp.
Three times per day: 5000 by 5/3 = 3000gp.
Four times per day: 5000 by 5/4 = 4000gp.
Five times per day: 5000 by 5/5 = 5000gp.

But if you don't have a limit on charges-per-day, you don't get that discount. So there's no multiplier, and you have the original 5000gp price.

Limiting it to four times per day gives you a 1000gp discount, but limiting it to five times per day gives no advantage... so if you want five charges per day, you may as well just make it unlimited.

-Hyp.

 

[Nik_the_Pig]

My bad

Would have given Tilla a heart murmur on reading though!

 

[Endur]

What would you do?

I would buy a wand of magic missile. Simple and cost effective.

By the time you run out of charges, you should have enough money to buy another wand, or maybe even upgrade to a wand of fireball.

 

[RisnDevil]

Your dm also seems to have added some ad hoc cost to the caster level because his version also CREATES the bolts....

Your insande dm aside though, how much would it cost to have one of these made that DOES create the bolts (As in you do not have to have them in hand or at all) that can be used once for each ranged attack you have?

 

[James McMurray]

I'd say about the same as the base item itself, plus the cost of an everful quiver * 1.5 (I could swear I've seen one of those somewhere but I'm not sure where). Then multiply the whole thing by 2 to let it be used multiple times per round.

Another alternative would be to price it as a reloading repeating crossbow of proficiency plus the price of an everful quiver * 1.5. IIRC the croosbow bit would be +2 if it didn't have an enhancement bonus: +1 for reloading and +1 for proficiency. You end up with exactly the same effect in a different form. You might want to add a bit for the weight differential though, since a headband is much easier to carry around than a crossbow. Then again, it also takes up a slot, so you probably could just leave it as is.

 

[Nightfall]

Youch!! Wow. I know I did a few bone head things...but this!! *agog*

 

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

My bad

Would have given Tilla a heart murmur on reading though!

it did indeed - palpable palpitations

however, now I am extremely confused.

I say to you (those with a DMG and the knowledge and the willingness) - is this formula not correct?

HeadBand of Launch Bolt

0th level spell cast by a first level caster with command word activation, usable an unlimited number of times per day.

Spell Level * Caster Level * 1800 GP for retail
is
1/2 * 1 * 1800 = 900 GP retail.

To create the item:
1/2 Retail GP + 1/25 Retail GP in XP
is
1/2 * 900 gp + 1/25 * 900 in XP
is
450 gp + 36 xp?

Restricting to Mage Class only detracts 30% of the cost..

450 * .7 gp + 36 *.7 XP

315 gp + 25 XP


Is that correct for a 0th level spell? Or did I miss a multiplier for it being unlimited? (thought that only applied with a material or XP component in the spell?)

Also, you can't use it for each ranged attack. Activating a magic item is a standard action, multiple attacks would require a full round action that you don't have after activating this.

This item allows a mage to DUPLICATE the base effects of having a crossbow. Just like a crossbow, you have to supply the bolts the spell launches. Just like a crossbow, you don't get more than one shot off in a round (yes, I know, feats could get around it) but that's not what I'm looking for as a low level mage with a single attack anyway.

 

[dcollins]

I say to you (those with a DMG and the knowledge and the willingness) - is this formula not correct?

The formula is only correct if the DM says so. The pricing formulas are, unlike many parts of the PHB and DMG, not rules, they are only guidelines for the DM. I've provided references to this further up.

- Many DMs wouldn't allow instantaneous combat-oriented spells in an item without any limitation at all. You won't find any items in the core rules like that, and the pricing formulas aren't set up to deal with that.

- Many DMs wouldn't allow a deduction for a class-limitation that doesn't restrict your character in the first place.

 

[James McMurray]

I wouldn't allow the deduction for the restriction, but I would definitely allow the base item, since you're paying quite a bit more than a standard crossbow its worth to almost mirror the effects. The item is worth slightly more than a crossbow because it does not require loading.

I would tell the player not to take it as a given that all applications of the formula are equally valid, and that each item will be approved seperately. i.e. "there ain't no such thing as precedent."