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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nyeshet" data-source="post: 2735119" data-attributes="member: 18363">Well, technically it should be: Detect Thoughts [Sor/Wiz 2] 1800 * 2 * 1.5 = 5400Scrying [Sor/Wiz 4] 1800 * 4 * 1.5 = 10800Sending [Sor/Wiz 5] 1800 * 5 * 1.5 = 13500Teleport, Greater [Sor/Wiz 7] 1800 * 7 = 12600Total Cost = 42,300 gp (21,150 gp / 1,680 xp to make)However, this seems rather high considering (1) the as yet not deducted cost per use (1d4 + 1 Con), and (2) the highly specific target of use (ie: cannot use Detect Thoughts, Scrying, Sending, Greater Teleport on any one or any place - must use on the pictured person / place). In fact, considering its cost it is unlikely to be used by most more than two or three times per day (unless mid-level magical healing is readily available or multiple individuals are willing to pay the price), and its extremely specific target makes it again much less likely to see common daily use (in most instances, not in all). So perhaps treating it as akin to a Charged item and granting it a cost of 1000 gp * Spell level is more realistic. Then there is the fact that the spells associated with it are highly specific in their target, and some are chosen for flavor rather than common use, so perhaps the penalty for muliple spells should also be dropped (or limited to only 1.25x instead of 1.5x). This results in the following: (1x, 1.25x, 1.5x)Detect Thoughts: 2k or 2.5k or 3kScrying: 4k or 5k or 6kSending: 5k or 6250 or 7.5kTeleport, Greater: 7kTotal Cost: 18,000 or 20,750 or 23,500 gpSo I would call it around 20,000 gp [10,000 gp / 800 xp to craft] due to its cost per use (1d4 +1 Con dmg) and highly specific target (as painted, not any desired). Considering its cost the entire party is unlikely to have more than one or two of these around mid levels, and at high levels each party member may have (at most) no more than two or three each considering the cost and its drain upon resouces perhaps better spent on other magic items. So what do you all think? Does 20k sound about right, or should it be the prior 40k. Or perhaps I should average the two for about 30k for the item instead?[Edit]Well, it seems others have chimed in since I began working out the cost. So about 30k sounds reasonable? I hadn't considered the 'get out of jail free' aspect, but any jail made to hold magical beings (or those still possessing magical items) should have Dimension Anchor upon it anyway - negating the usefulness of that aspect of the card. I'm still not certain about 30k, simply because the Detect Thoughts / Sending is limited to a single target, and the Scrying / Greater Teleport is limited to a single location. That seems a rather stringent limitation to me, and the cost should drop even more if it is limited to one use per day and deals 2-5 Con dmg per use. Unless you make it a slotless item. Only then could I see it as 30k -40k gp in cost. It has been a while since I read the Amber novels. How were these cards typically used, and by the text did it seem to take a few moments to activate them? The idea of making them Charged items is quite nice also, and it makes the costs more reasonable, I think. Hmm, actually, the more I think of this, the more I think it should be priced as a Staff (only wondrous due to its shape and its highly specific target - oh, and its penalty for use). So it would be: Greater Teleport: (375 gp * 7 SpLv * 13 CL * 0.5 [2 charges used]) = [17,062.5] +Sending: (281.25 gp * 5 SpLv * 13 CL *1) = [18281.25] + Scrying: (187.5 gp * 4 SpLv * 13 CL * 1) = [9750] +Detect Thoughts: (187.5 gp * 2 SpLv * 13 CL *1) = [4875] Total = 49969 ~ 50,000 gpNow, this is quite powerful, but it presumes the spells can be used on any target. I would reduce the cost by perhaps one-quarter to half due to the highly specific target. This results in 25,000 to 37,500 gp, for an average of 31,250 gp - which sounds about right. And I note that Staffs do not normally take up body-slots, so there is no need to adjust the price for that. Of course, there is still the matter of the Con dmg, but I as I have already reduced the price to 2/3 that of a staff, I would simply presume it counted in with the prior cost reduction. Finally, I would round down to 30,000 for simplicities sake. As the item is slotless (innately, due to Staff cost patterns) I can readily accept the resultant cost of 30k gp (15k gp / 1200 xp to craft). Note that due to the spells required the caster must be no less than 13th level to create such an item (thus the price above). Higher casters will result in higher prices.</blockquote>

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