Disenchanting Magic Items

[David Gibson]

I'm working on a mechanic for stripping magic from unwanted items and using it to enchant new items. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or if they knew the location of an existing mechanic.

I'm running a pre-written adventure path, and am already updating the monsters and NPCs from 3e to PF. I'd like to do minimal work on the treasure, so I'd prefer leaving the choice of magic items to the players, letting them craft what they want, upgrading existing items rather than replacing them with a series of new items.

What's a good percentage of the cost to be salvageable? Should there be a cost?

[Diego Rossi]

The "material cost" of making a magic item is half of the sell price.
We could assume half of that are actually expendables components used during the enchanting process and half effective material.

So if wish to allow your player to convert magic items to other similar items you could reduce the construction cost of the new item by 50%.

Eexample: converting a +1 rapier would cut in half the cost of making a +1 scimitar.

On the other hand building something completely different will have a 0 discount.

Example: converting a +1 rapier will have no effect on making a set of wing of flaying.

[selios]

I'm doing that currently. I just give half the base price of a magic item to enchant a new one. Since the base materials are never named of decribed in the rules, they can be used for any type of items.
I prefer to house rule like that, than have the item sold for half price. It's more flavorful.

[Sleep-Walker]

Diego Rossi wrote:

Example: converting a +1 rapier will have no effect on making a set of wing of flaying.

I want wings of flaying.

Enemies beware. :)

[Diego Rossi]

Sleep-Walker wrote:

Diego Rossi wrote:

Example: converting a +1 rapier will have no effect on making a set of wing of flaying.

I want wings of flaying.

Enemies beware. :)

Sadly, it is a cursed item.

They seem to be a regular set of wing of flying, but when you are more than 1000' in the air they fail and you start a very fast descent, so fast that the buffeting winds tear the wings and your skin away, flaying you alive.

The visual effect is similar to a meteor entering the atmosphere, with the meteor burning and pieces falling away from it.

[Slime]

selios wrote:

I'm doing that currently. I just give half the base price of a magic item to enchant a new one. Since the base materials are never named of decribed in the rules, they can be used for any type of items.

I prefer to house rule like that, than have the item sold for half price. It's more flavorful.

Same here. If you take the settings system as is crunch-wise you could sell the original item at 1/2 base price and buy the material for the one to build (in sufficient sized markets or the right plug).

So to keep it more fluffy in my games I allow an item's enchantment to serve as material for a "similar" (DM gaged) enchantment with a value of the craft-cost of the original enchantment.
We even have some items in the group that are carrying the mark of many acquired treasure as the source of their growing enchantments, we have taken the notes and the items now have histories around their powers.