Time to start gearing up!
So, here's a question: I'm looking at Table 15-29: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values because I know that one of the many failings of my entry last season was that I arbitrarily assigned a gp value to it without even so much as glancing at the table to price it properly... and that was probably the very least of what was wrong with it.
Still, upon review, I can't get even an idea of how it should have been priced.
My question lies under the Spell Effect section. My item channeled a character's "rounds of usage per day" power - in this case, a bard's Performance - into a different usage, effecting a summoning spell. Which exact spell effect would be created is determined by a skill check against Perform.
Can anyone give me an idea of how to go about pricing such an item?
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka JoelF847
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First off, round 1 is supposed to be anonymous, so you probably shouldn't be revealing so much about your item in a post like this.
As to your question, it sounds like you have something that doesn't fit any of the formulas very well, since it's not creating an affect, but altering a class ability. Therefore, I'd suggest looking for items that do something similar and use those as a guide, maybe a pearl of power since that effectively adjusts a spellcaster's spellcasting ability.
You also have the problem of a variable effect based on the skill check, which will make it more of a challenge to price. This just makes your item something that you'll have to show your design chops with and make a good decision on pricing. There was a top 32 item last year that did something similar mechanically, Richard Hunt's Needles of the Ebon Strand, so you could look to that for some guidance...but you also might want to think of something different if your item is too similar.
While there might not be a hard and fast formula to use for this one, that's where the art part of pricing comes into play. If the judges read the item and the price is either way too high or way too low, they'll be able to tell just by eyeballing it. No one's going to penalize your entry if it's close to the price they might have put on the item.
<edit> Vic got there on me. Thanks, Vic!
By the way, sir, since you're online, are the judge's notes still available? I'd sure like to review mine, though I know I putz'ed by not asking for them previously.
My question lies under the Spell Effect section. My item channeled a character's "rounds of usage per day" power - in this case, a bard's Performance - into a different usage, effecting a summoning spell. Which exact spell effect would be created is determined by a skill check against Perform.
I'm going to hit the wall with a same same, but different conundrum when I get up to raising my item... seems a bit hazy :)
Chief Technical Officer
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<edit> Vic got there on me. Thanks, Vic!
By the way, sir, since you're online, are the judge's notes still available? I'd sure like to review mine, though I know I putz'ed by not asking for them previously.
I actually looked it up when I first saw your post, just to see if the judges had anything to say regarding your pricing. They didn't—Clark liked the idea, but didn't like the execution (and didn't say why not) and Sean didn't like your mixing charms and summons (he didn't explain further).
I actually looked it up when I first saw your post...
Thanks a ton for looking it up, Vic!
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Star Voter Season 6
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"They're more guidelines than hard and fast rules."
Seriously, when pricing non-standard items, you have to use ad hoc a lot and eyeball. I got grief for including the formulae in my bracelet of shields so don't do that, but it is an example of how I calculated a non-standard cost.
For your 'rounds per use' mechanic, I guess you just have to guestimate how much each of those rounds are worth.