Hi all,

I'm new to Pathfinder so please bear with me.

I have a player that's interested in crafting a wondrous item that enables him to have access to more cantrips. I don't have an issue with it, but the problem I have is how to cost it. Since the 0-level spells would effectively negate the cost, how would i go about detailing the creation of an item that gives, say, 2 extra cantrip slots?

Thanks

Hi all,

I'm new to Pathfinder so please bear with me.

I have a player that's interested in crafting a wondrous item that enables him to have access to more cantrips. I don't have an issue with it, but the problem I have is how to cost it. Since the 0-level spells would effectively negate the cost, how would i go about detailing the creation of an item that gives, say, 2 extra cantrip slots?

Thanks

Personally, I would just charge 1/2 the price of a similar item for 1st level spells.

Thanks FH,

Thats the direction i was thinking, just wanted someone else's perspective.

Actually, look at Hand of the Mage. That's a necklace that gives you unlimited use of a Mage Hand.

An extra cantrip slot that can be repurposed is more valuable, and not something I think that should be done with an item. However, there are feats that will let you get extra spell slots, so I see nothing wrong with a feat that gave you extra cantrip slots.

I also personally rule that cantrip slots scale up with level and get bonuses for high stats, the same as other spell slots, so that might fix the problem too.

But anyway, I'd say if you don't want to do either of those, just make items for other cantrips based on Hand of the Mage.

You could also save some cost by limiting the item. Perhaps to activate that amulet of Light, you have to have Light on your spell list, you have to concentrate for a full-round action, and the Light only comes from the amulet itself, in which case the item probably shouldn't cost a heck of a lot more than an Everburning Torch...

Since the 0-level spells would effectively negate the cost, how would i go about detailing the creation of an item that gives, say, 2 extra cantrip slots?

No, 0 level = 1/2 the cost of 1st level.

As for the item, don't. Or at least, make it limited to 3/day or 5/day.

As for the item, don't. Or at least, make it limited to 3/day or 5/day.

What do you see as the abuse, especially in the limited form? (Must be able to cast cantrips and have the cantrip on your spell list.)

There are a few cantrips that I can see a caster wanting to continually spam (Guidance, Detect Magic, Resistance before everyone has a cloak). Those will go into the normal slots if there's a usage restriction. The rest are much more situational, so I don't see the need for a limit.

The closest item would be the rings of wizardry since they give actual spell slots. The one for first level spells costs 20,000 and doubles your available spell slots for that level, to knock it down to 0 level id cut the price in half to 10,000 (A level 2 ring is twice the cost of a level 1) So now we have a ring valued that would give 4 extra spell slots to any wizard above level 1. So lets just cut that in half to 5k and there ya go, ring that gives two more cantrip slots.

One important thing I'd stick with though is to keep any sort of item like this as one using an item slot. It's a way to make the 'costs' of using it abit more. If they really don't want it as a worn item then I'd multiply it by 2 for having 'No space limitation'

If you feel thats too costly as a gm for 2 more 0 slot spells, feel free to knock 1k off the price since rings of wizardry doubles spell slots including ones from a high stat modifier and cantrips don't get bonus slots from high stat modifiers.

I personally love cantrips, and so 500gp for a Pearl of Power lvl 0 would be a whole necklace for one of my casters. Not that it would break the game or anything. I just tend to use them gratuitously.

Light, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, and, of course, Prestidigitation, are great spells to spam with little to no game influence...

I personally love cantrips, and so 500gp for a Pearl of Power lvl 0 would be a whole necklace for one of my casters. Not that it would break the game or anything. I just tend to use them gratuitously.

Light, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, and, of course, Prestidigitation, are great spells to spam with little to no game influence...

unfortunately pearls of power don't give extra slots, they let you recall a previously expended spell. With infinite/day cantrips 0 level pearls of power are only useful for adepts. Looking at the ring of wizardry is the better choice for this type of item.

unfortunately pearls of power don't give extra slots, they let you recall a previously expended spell. With infinite/day cantrips 0 level pearls of power are only useful for adepts. Looking at the ring of wizardry is the better choice for this type of item.

Oops! I get those confused a lot. Right, ring of Wizardry.

10k seems like a lot for just 4 more cantrips, though.

grasshopper_ea wrote:

unfortunately pearls of power don't give extra slots, they let you recall a previously expended spell. With infinite/day cantrips 0 level pearls of power are only useful for adepts. Looking at the ring of wizardry is the better choice for this type of item.

Oops! I get those confused a lot. Right, ring of Wizardry.

10k seems like a lot for just 4 more cantrips, though.

8 cantips is half the wizard's spell list. I'd say that was acceptable. It's expensive but doubling spell slots is a very powerful effect, even for cantrips.

grasshopper_ea wrote:

unfortunately pearls of power don't give extra slots, they let you recall a previously expended spell. With infinite/day cantrips 0 level pearls of power are only useful for adepts. Looking at the ring of wizardry is the better choice for this type of item.

Oops! I get those confused a lot. Right, ring of Wizardry.

10k seems like a lot for just 4 more cantrips, though.

I agree. I would suggest scrolls, at 12.5gp a pop he should do quite fine in having some extra cantrips if they are necessary from time to time. You could modify the price of the item since cantrips don't tend to scale up well, and are far inferiour to even level 1 spells. I would suggest looking at more useful items that already exist however.

8 cantips is half the wizard's spell list. I'd say that was acceptable. It's expensive but doubling spell slots is a very powerful effect, even for cantrips.

I'm not so sure. I once played in a game (supposed to be very high magic) where you could use any cantrip all the time. We still couldn't find very many uses in combat after level 2 or 3. Mostly we just used them to cool drinks, damage items, and throw a lot of stuff around unnecessairly.

If cantrips scaled more, or you got bonus cantrips from int, or if the effects were more potent, I would agree that 10k would be all right.

Just for comparison, if you take the magic item creation rules of making cantrips cost the same as 1st level spells (which is absurd), then it would cost 8000 for an item that gave you 4 cantrips continuiously at CL1. That indicates to me that a RofWiz 0 should cost somewhat less than that (since a RofWiz would still take an action to activate, and the pricing for cantrips is overrated).

I would probably price a full RofWiz 0 at 5k.