Upgrading Magic Items?

[Knightfall]

Okay, in my campaign, I've allowed the players the ability to upgrade their armor and weapons, which I'm pretty sure is normal. However, I don't allow wondrous items, rings, rods, staffs, and the like to be upgraded. Thus, they can't upgrade their rings of protection from +2 to +3, which two players really want to do.

So my question is, what exactly are the rules for upgrading magic items? Can player's upgrade anything? I might house rule my decision, but I want to know the official answer.

Later,

Knightfall1972

 

[Stalker0]

In general, anything with a straight up +X can be upgraded. Use the same rules for upgrading a sword.

+2 ring of protection, 8k, +3 is 18k
upgrade cost: 10k

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Basically, you can upgrade anything by paying the cost difference between what you want and what you have.

Take a Ring of Protection +1.

You want to make it a Ring of Protection +2.

The RoP +1 costs 2,000gp market price.

The Rop +2 costs 8,000gp market price.

Therefore, the player needs to basically create a 6,000gp item; this costs him 3,000gp in raw materials and 240 XP.

 

[Legildur]

Therefore, the player needs to basically create a 6,000gp item; this costs him 3,000gp in raw materials and 240 XP.

And takes 6 days.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Bien sur!

 

[Graf]

I though there was an additional cost:

i.e. half the original cost + all the difference…

I prefer the system people are suggesting though; I’ve always thought the “magic-item-trade-in-system” was a headache.

 

[Knightfall]

I though there was an additional cost:

i.e. half the original cost + all the difference…

I prefer the system people are suggesting though; I’ve always thought the “magic-item-trade-in-system” was a headache.

There is another restriction, that I found, regarding upgrading wondrous items that don't have +n bonus. It is in the DMG. Basically, upgrading slippers of spider climbing to, say, slippers of spider climbing and striding and springing has a much higher cost than simply upgrading a +2 ring to a +3 ring.

Thanks everyone, for your input.

Cheers!

KF72

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I though there was an additional cost:

i.e. half the original cost + all the difference…

Not that I'm aware of.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

There is another restriction, that I found, regarding upgrading wondrous items that don't have +n bonus. It is in the DMG. Basically, upgrading slippers of spider climbing to, say, slippers of spider climbing and striding and springing has a much higher cost than simply upgrading a +2 ring to a +3 ring.

Keep in mind that, when adding spell-based special abilities, you'll need to account for any change in caster level.

Take, for instance, an item that costs 1,800gp (it's a slotted command-word activated item, spell level 1, CL 1).

You want to add another ability from an item which usually costs 10,800gp (it's a slotted command-word activated item, spell level 2, CL 3).

What you'd need to do is calculate the price of the new, "total" item.

Ability: Spell Level * Caster Level * 1,800gp
Ability 1: 1 * 3 * 1,800gp = 5,400gp
Ability 2: 2 * 3 * 1,800gp = 10,800gp

Then, because it's a slotted item and you're adding an additional ability, the cheapest power (in this case, it's the first) has its cost increased by 50% (maybe this is what the previous poster was referring to?).

Ability: Spell Level * Caster Level * 1,800gp
Ability 1: 1 * 3 * 1,800gp = 5,400gp * 1.5 = 8,100gp
Ability 2: 2 * 3 * 1,800gp = 10,800gp

Total: 18,900gp

So, if your player wanted to upgrade this item, it'd be the equivalent of creating a 17,100gp item. This would take 8,550gp in raw materials, 684xp, and 18 days.

 

[Notmousse]

One stat boosting item is a bit harder to upgrade than others. Gauntlet's of Str into a belt of Str makes for a very odd upgrade, and has been forbidden in the LGCS (and by some DMs I know).