Using Magic Item Pricing Rules - Boots of Freedom

[Nail]

My PC has finally become wealthy enough to have some custom magic boots made. I've priced 'em, but I thought a second opinion (and third, and fourth, and fifth.... ) would be a good idea. I'm using the magic item creation rules in the back of the DMG 3.5e.

And no, I don't need to be told either "The formulas only provide a starting point", or "check with your DM".

New Magic Item: Boots of Freedom

• Dimensional Slide, Augmented (CL 9, Mv action to activate, 2/day) [32,400gp]
• Blink, Improved (Complete Divine) (CL 9, Std Act to activate, 1/day) [16200 x 1.5= 24300gp]
• Freedom of Movement (Spl Lvl 4, CL 7, Immediate Act to activate, 70 min) [11200 x 1.5= 16800gp]
• Fly (CL 5, Free act, 5 min duration over course of each day) [6000 x 1.5= 9000gp]
• Expeditous Retreat (CL 1, Continuous) [4000 x 1.5= 6000gp]
• Total Market Price = 88,500gp

Does this look reasonable?

 

[Infiniti2000]

No, it does not look reasonable.

 

[Nail]

Okay.

What problems do you see?

 

[Saeviomagy]

Okay.

What problems do you see?

Most likely that immediate action freedom of movement with 70minutes of use per day is pretty much exactly freedom of movement (always on).

And thus, according to a certain ring at least, costs 40,000 all on it's lonesome.

Also expeditious retreat, always on is significantly more powerful than the 3000gp or so charged on boots of springing and striding. It's at least triple the benefit, but typically these things don't use a linear scale, so it should probably be nine times the cost.

Combining psionic and magic powers in a single item is probably a no-no too.

I'm pretty sure that the second and subsequent enchantment on an item is doubled in price.

Finally - what sort of cost modifier do you have on "free action" and "immediate action" to activate??

 

[Infiniti2000]

Okay.

What problems do you see?

Saeviomagy answered well enough. I'd have provided more feedback, but you specifically asked not to be told anything like it. Instead, I answered the only question I could.

 

[Nail]

Some of those questions can be answered by "deconstructing" Boots of Speed.

Boots of Speed (CL 10, Free act, 10 rounds distributed through the day) [12,000gp]

....that price works out by the formulas, so long as you assume a 2000gp base and a 1/day activation: 3(Spl Lvl) x 10(CL) x 2000gp(Cont. Use Base Price) x 1/5 (once per day). Apparently the higher base price represents the ability to split up the duration as a free action.

Given that, the price and use of the Fly ability followed easily. The only difference is that Haste is measured in rounds, and Fly is measured in minutes.

.....and the Freedom of Movement follows too. Still, you're right: we need to compare it to the Ring of Freedom of Movement (40,000gp), as the power I list is functionally almost identical. I underpriced it. What about 7 rds per day, a la Boots of Speed?

As for the Ex. Retreat: The Boots of Striding and Springing have two functions (+10 Enhance Mv, +5 Competance on Jump skill). My Boots use only half of that combo, and use a better 1st level spell to do it (rather than using the inferior Longstrider spell, as the Boots of S & S do. <Shrug>)

And finally: There is some rule about not mixing Psionic magic and other magic within a magic item? Hmmmmmm.......

 

[Nail]

Saeviomagy answered well enough. I'd have provided more feedback, but you specifically asked not to be told anything like it. Instead, I answered the only question I could.

Errrr????

Okay, let's try this again: Anyone have any constructive feedback?

 

[Crothian]

I'd make it at least double or triple that becasue the rules are jhust a starting point. Sometimes, going just by ther formuilas does not create fair and balanced items for the cost.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Some of those questions can be answered by "deconstructing" Boots of Speed.

Boots of Speed (CL 10, Free act, 10 rounds distributed through the day) [12,000gp]

....that price works out by the formulas, so long as you assume a 2000gp base and a 1/day activation: 3(Spl Lvl) x 10(CL) x 2000gp(Cont. Use Base Price) x 1/5 (once per day). Apparently the higher base price represents the ability to split up the duration as a free action.

Given that, the price and use of the Fly ability followed easily. The only difference is that Haste is measured in rounds, and Fly is measured in minutes.

I'm not sure it's legitimate to halve the caster level on the boots of speed in order to get more favorable pricing. To claim to be following the boots of speed formula, you should use caster level 10 for 10 minutes throughout the day (probably in 1 minute intervals since 10 minutes that can be split up into round intervals is basically all day). That would put the price for that ability at 18,000gp. Still pretty cheap for what you get but not as cheap as you started out with.

Comparing the ability to the price of boots of flying, of course, indicates that the cost should be even higher (since you're getting the ability as a free action and can split up the duration).

.....and the Freedom of Movement follows too. Still, you're right: we need to compare it to the Ring of Freedom of Movement (40,000gp), as the power I list is functionally almost identical. I underpriced it. What about 7 rds per day, a la Boots of Speed?

As a DM, I'd be tempted to give you the original ability--but priced at clvl 15 and an 8th level spell for quickened freedom of movement. That sounds like it's what you were initially shooting for.

As for the boots of speed style 7 rounds splittable duration, I don't think that would work--especially since you want the power as an immediate action rather than as a free action. Especially in this case*, immediate action activation is FAR more advantageous than free action.

*In this case, freedom of movement is a defensive ability that is usually activated in response to something--a grapple attempt, hold spell, blasphemy spell, acid fog, etc.

As for the Ex. Retreat: The Boots of Striding and Springing have two functions (+10 Enhance Mv, +5 Competance on Jump skill). My Boots use only half of that combo, and use a better 1st level spell to do it (rather than using the inferior Longstrider spell, as the Boots of S & S do. <Shrug>)

I don't think that changes the fact that the price structure you are proposing blows the boots of striding and springing away in terms of price for effect. (Especially since you DO actually get a bigger jump bonus with your proposed boots than with the boots of striding and springing since increasing movement increases your jump score). For items that provide a continuous bonus, you should use the price of the bonus rather than the price of the spell that you use to get it. Otherwise, you'd get swords of continuous use activated true strike or helms of protection from evil for 4,000gp. And you don't need to be a game designer to figure out that a +20 bonus to hit and the ability to ignore concealment is worth slightly more than 4000gp. Likewise a 30 foot movement bonus is worth more than 4000gp as is evidenced by the boots of striding and springing.

And finally: There is some rule about not mixing Psionic magic and other magic within a magic item? Hmmmmmm.......

I don't know of any such rule, but I think you'd need someone with both craft universal item and craft wondrous item in order to do it. And multiclass psion/mages specialized in item creation don't exactly grow on trees.

 

[IanB]

For a constant effect I would definitely charge more for expeditious retreat than for longstrider. It should definitely cost more to make a short duration spell continuous than a long duration spell, and expeditious retreat is 1/60 the duration of longstrider normally.

I'd think 5 to 10 times more expensive would not be out of line. Constant +30 speed is an extraordinarily powerful effect.