The Robe of the Archmagi has the following abilities:
*+5 Armor Bonus to AC
*+4 Resistance bonus to saving throws
*Spell Resistance 18
*+2 enhancement bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance
One of my players wanted to increase the resistance bonus to a +5, via the Craft Wondrous Item Feat. How much should I charge him to do so?
He also wanted to increase the armor bonus (as per Bracers of Armor), but I told him that the Robes were the not same as Bracers (no special bonus vs. incorporeal touch attacks, for example) and instead functioned like magic armor. So now he wants to know if he can add special armor properties (such as light fortification or energy resistance) to the robes?
I haven't decided on that yet--but if I do allow him to do so, what would the cost be?
I'd appreciate any insight from the gurus.
Master Arminas
He's spending too much money on robes for more ac when he should be getting items that give him a miss chance and the ability to turn invisible.
What about the special armor properities? Should I allow them on the robe or not? If I do, I'll follow Morgen's advice and charge the difference x 1.5.
MA
dont see why not. you're not upgrading any of the tricky parts.
What about the special armor properities? Should I allow them on the robe or not? If I do, I'll follow Morgen's advice and charge the difference x 1.5.
I think of the robe of the archmagi as a +5 robe with extra properties. So I would allow any flat gp cost enchantment, and any +X armor ability provided the total bonus did not exceed +10-- so to add light fortification, you would calculate the cost of improving a +5 armor to a +6 armor.
I agree with Morgen concerning the cost of improving the saving throw bonus.
Except that in that context, it already has a +10 bonus. +5 AC, and +5 Special armor properly for SR18 (you could argue +4, since SR17 is a +4 enhancement and SR19 is a +5 enhancement) so theoretically, you cannot upgrade the AC more than it already has been. You could swap out special armor properties, but not upgrade.
Sorry if that counteracts my previous advice, i actually sat down and took a look today. a +5 Breastplate with SR19 is a +10 equivalent item.
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You know, I think you just figured out the key to how this item was priced, Weables.
The +5 armor bonus and SR 18 are equal to a +9 armor property (81,000 gp).
The +4 resistance bonus is 16,000 gp, + 8,000 gp for secondary.
The +2 bonus on caster level checks is 10,000 gp (about the same as a feat in 3.5), +5,000 gp for secondary.
Final cost is 120,000 gp. You get a 30% reduction in the price of an item for either a specific class or a specific alignment. Which would be 80,000 gp. Book price is 75,000 gp, so I guess they just added that extra cut since the robes require a specific class (well, one of two specific classes) and a specific alignment!
So, to make it a +5 armor, +5 resistance RothAM the final price should be around 85,000 gp. And if we added another +1 special ability, that would add another 20,000 gp (approximately) for 105,000 gp.
Right?
MA
Hmm. So you think you could reduce the price of the robes by getting rid of the ridiculously over-priced SR?
By my calculations, getting rid of the SR (if it works how I think it works) and boosting the resistance bonus to +5 would result in a final price of 55,000 gp. 25,000 gp for the +5 armor bonus, another 25,000 gp for the +5 resistance bonus, 10,000 gp for the spell penetration bonus, 12,500 gp for the secondary resistance bonus, 5,000 gp for the secondary spell penetration bonus: for a total of 77,500 gp. After the 30% reduction in cost, that winds up at 54,250 gp, which we will just round off to 55,000 gp.
If the you kept the robes exact as written (+5 armor, +4 resistance, +2 spell penetration), but only removed the SR, price would drop to 64,000 gp base, with a reduction of 19,200 gp for the alignment/class restrictions, giving a final cost of 44,800 gp--which we will round to 45,000 gp.
That what you were looking for Viktyr?
Master Arminas
The math seems right on to me.
Actually, I was just asking if you thought it would be legitimate to do so-- but I sure appreciate you doing the math for me in advance. :)
provided its a custom magic item, its already up to your DM whether its feasible. We can't answer that for you.
I'd disallow it personally, but only because it has the -30% cost decrease in it, and I hate those. Theres no disadvantage to using it, since whoever is crafting the item for themselves isnt likely to find themselves suddenly disqualified from using it. I'd force them to make it from scratch, without that cost discount, if they wanted to change the item.
It would still be 11,000 gp cheaper than the original, even without the 30% price break, by dumping the SR 18, though. Might be enough of a difference to make it worthwhile.
Master Arminas
Charge him the cost difference between a Cloak of Resistance +5 and a Cloak of Resistance +4 plus another 50%.
(CoR5-CoR4) * 1.5
That should give you a good price for that upgrade effectively treating it like it's a combined magic item and your upgrading just the resistance part.
I agree that this value should not get any discount, because it is for himself.
As to the armor upgrade, I note that you do not need CMA&A like you do for bracers. But it does use the mage armor spell, so I think upgrading the AC might be OK, but remember the bracers cap at +8 equivalent. With +5 already spoken for, you only have +3 to work with.
Personally, I would call it a named item you cannot increase except for flat cost magic.
/cevah