Hands, Slots, and Pricing

[Mynameisjake]

If an item has to be held in hand to be used, but doesn't otherwise take up an item "slot," how would that affect the pricing?

Edit: And just to be clear, this won't identify my item. I've just always wondered about that particular situation.

[The Grandfather]

Mynameisjake wrote:

If an item has to be held in hand to be used, but doesn't otherwise take up an item "slot," how would that affect the pricing?

Edit: And just to be clear, this won't identify my item. I've just always wondered about that particular situation.

It does not affect pricing. Hand held items in a sense take up a slot; a "hand slot".

With only two hands, most characters often need to make hard choices when carrying/wielding items.

For non-slotted items the price is ussually doubled.

[Pedro Coelho]

The Grandfather wrote:

It does not affect pricing. Hand held items in a sense take up a slot; a "hand slot".

I´m not sure this is correct.

Gloves of Dueling use a hand slot, but someone wearing them can still use their hands to manipulate other items, like a Bag of Holding. Although it requires the use of the hands, it does not count against the hand slot, since the gloves continue to function.

I would say an item that has to be held in order to work but is not worn on the hands is a slotless item.

Help, anyone? :)

[Matthew Morris]

There's some discussion on the topic here.

But I'm sure you've already read that thread, right? ;-)

[Pedro Coelho]

From the thread Matthew referenced:

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

I wouldn't double it. Think of it as "this item requires me to hold it in my hand to activate it," and "hand" is a quasi-slot. "Slotless" items are really those that you don't have to manipulate in any way to gain the bonus (luckstone, ioun stone, etc.).

[Seth White]

I think Matthew played it right by pricing his tankard of the cheerful duelist as if it took up a slot (a held item "slot"), but not listing a slot in the description.

[Andrew Christian]

However, if as in the gloves example, the person still has use of the hands, then it doesn't take up the quasi-"hands" slot.

[Seth White]

Andrew Christian wrote:

However, if as in the gloves example, the person still has use of the hands, then it doesn't take up the quasi-"hands" slot.

Referring to held items as using the "hands" slot is a little confusing.

In the case of gloves, they most likely will use the actual hands slot, since you cannot normally wear multiple magical gloves and gauntlets. So you have gloves, which generally occupy the hands slot, which refers to things worn on your body.

And then you have items that may need to be held. These don't technically occupy any slots, but they handicap you by requiring you to hold them to be used. Since they deprive you of the opportunity to wield a shield, or use potions, the rule of thumb seems to be that they are not considered slotless in regards to pricing.

EDIT: As an example, a character can wear gloves of dueling, which occupy his hands slot. In addition, he can also wield the tankard of the cheerful duelist and a magical sword. This causes no conflicts.

[The Grandfather]

Pedro Coelho wrote:

The Grandfather wrote:

It does not affect pricing. Hand held items in a sense take up a slot; a "hand slot".

I´m not sure this is correct.

Gloves of Dueling use a hand slot, but someone wearing them can still use their hands to manipulate other items, like a Bag of Holding. Although it requires the use of the hands, it does not count against the hand slot, since the gloves continue to function.

I would say an item that has to be held in order to work but is not worn on the hands is a slotless item.

Help, anyone? :)

When I use citation marks, it is to emphasize that it is not a real slot, but what Sean K. Reynolds calls a quasi-slot.

The item is in deed slotless in the sense that you do not wear it, but since you have to carry it, it limits the number of items you can ready not to mention use.

[Curaigh]

Can we call it a Hand-but-not-a-hand slot?.

hmmm... How long ago was it that 'held' was a slot? 3.5?, 3.0?

[Hassan Ahmed]

A chime, horn or pipes are such items I would think... maybe we can use them as reference.

Funny, how they all make sound. I'm sure there are others.

Is that the type of item you mean?

[Mynameisjake]

Matthew Morris wrote:

But I'm sure you've already read that thread, right? ;-)

Yup, but clearly forgot about it. My bad. In my defense, I've reread ALL the threads, from every single year. That may have...affected...my retention of some of the details.

Thanks for the reference.

[Matthew Morris]

Mynameisjake wrote:

Matthew Morris wrote:

But I'm sure you've already read that thread, right? ;-)

Yup, but clearly forgot about it. My bad. In my defense, I've reread ALL the threads, from every single year. That may have...affected...my retention of some of the details.

Thanks for the reference.

No problem. I likely had too much snark in there because of my current job at work. The infamous help skill.

"Ok, let's check online help. Of course the answer isn't in there, since I'm sure you checked all your resources before calling me, like you're supposed to."

"Um.... no?"