SWAT said:
So the DMG says a necklace of fireballs is worth 150 for every die of damage, at a DC of 14. Is there a rule anywhere to determine the price of a similar necklace, but at a higher DC? The necklace is just an example, I'm looking for something I could apply to most magic items.
The cost for the necklace of fireballs is based on the cost for a "single-use" item: caster level * spell level * 50 gp. Since each caster level adds one die, the cost per die becomes spell level * 50 gp = 150 gp for a fireball. If you use a higher-level version of the fireball, that would increase the DC by 1.5 per level increase (1 for the actual level, and 0.5 because save DC is based on the minimum stat which is equal to level+10, which in turn means a stat bonus of level/2).
For general use, you could use a similar reasoning, at least for items based on direct spell use. Remember that if you increase the spell level, you also increase the minimum caster level, so the cost is effectively based on spell level squared (give or take).
Also, I'm trying to determine the relative power of stunning. Is there a spell anywhere that basically just stuns people within a radius, and allows a save?
Sound burst is a 2nd level cleric/bard spell with a 10' radius that does a minimal amount of damage (1d8) and stuns for one round on a failed Fort save. I'd probably peg a spell that just did the stunning part but didn't have the non-deaf restriction as 2nd level too, higher if you give it a larger radius.
Also, if looking into psionics, there's Energy Stun: a 2nd level power that does 1d6 damage of any energy type except acid in a 5' burst, and if they fail their Reflex save for half they also have to make a Will save or be stunned for one round. In its basic version, it's a lot weaker than Sound Burst, but it can be pumped for more damage and a higher DC. And of course, there's Psionic Blast, which is 3rd level, a 30' cone, and stuns those within the cone for one round if they fail a Will save. It can also be pumped for a higher duration, which makes it rather nasty (though the augmentation doesn't affect DC, which makes it less useful at higher levels).
