Wishing a magic item unbroken

[tylermalan]

It seems to me that there is a difference between broken and destroyed. Broken seems like it implies that whatever is broken no longer works. Destroyed seems more like not only does it no longer work, but it also hardly exists - the subject of disintegrate for instance. Damaged is just damaged, injured.

So, if a magic item is damaged, it still functions but is worse for wear. If it is broken then regardless of the physical condition of the item, it no longer works or functions like it once did. If it is destroyed, it no longer works, and can no longer be said to exist like it once did.

That being the case (if anyone agrees with me), if a staff is, say, chopped in half, you could rule that it isn't destroyed, merely severely damaged, and only physically so. And since it isn't destroyed, it never loses its magical properties. You could also rule that if something is broken, it no longer functions the way it once did, and though it is not usable, it doesn't lose its magical properties because it isn't totally destroyed. Then, if the staff is "broken" in half or something, it won't work until it has been made physically whole again, and not broken.

 

[mvincent]

It seems to me that there is a difference between broken and destroyed.

Not per D&D's usage

 

[tylermalan]

Not per D&D's usage

Where do they use them interchangably?

 

[mvincent]

Where do they use them interchangably?

In both of the above mentioned quotes, broken and destroyed mean the same thing. The rules as written do not support your asserted differentiation between broken and destroyed (it seems fine to use as a house rule though).

Also note that a magical staff that is broken in half cannot be "remagicked" for half the original price (like wondrous items, rings and arms/armor can).

 

[Nadaka]

its well well within the power of a wish to restore 1, 10 or dozens of magical items with a single casting at no additional xp cost. After all, a wish can undo the damage of a disjunction, fixing a single item is well within that power.

 

[Deset Gled]

That is for mundane items.

Good catch. That changes the costs given in my origninal post, but I believe the conclusion is still supported.

 

[mvincent]

Good catch. That changes the costs given in my origninal post, but I believe the conclusion is still supported.

The conclusion "you can repair magic items the same as others" does not appear to be supported. Repairing a magic item (when possible) is almost like creating a new one, just that the prices are halved. Also, many items (like staffs) cannot even be repaired that way.

 

[Deset Gled]

The conclusion "you can repair magic items the same as others" does not appear to be supported. Repairing a magic item (when possible) is almost like creating a new one, just that the prices are halved. Also, many items (like staffs) cannot even be repaired that way.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough there. The process for repairing a magic item is different than repairing a mundane item, but can be done without a Wish spell in most cases. Wish can also "create a magic item, or add to the powers of an existing magic item". I would say that fixing one either falls into the category of adding powers (i.e. working powers) to an existing one, or creating a new one from the broken pieces, so it is well within the range of an acceptable Wish.

 

[tylermalan]

In both of the above mentioned quotes, broken and destroyed mean the same thing. The rules as written do not support your asserted differentiation between broken and destroyed (it seems fine to use as a house rule though).

Also note that a magical staff that is broken in half cannot be "remagicked" for half the original price (like wondrous items, rings and arms/armor can).

I'm only seeing quotes that use the words "damaged" and "destroyed" - Where am I missing broken?

 

[Stalker0]

The weird thing about wish is it states you can create 25,000 gp worth of nonmagical items...but then it gives no value for a magical one. I would say that since repairing a magic item normally costs half of what the actual value is...then mending a broken item could do twice the gp amount you would normally allow a wish to create.