SaddestPanda |
This seems to me to be an offshoot of the debate on whether specific armors and weapons can be upgraded. Unfortunately, on most items cost breakdowns are difficult. In that, how do you judge what counts as a plus one versus a flat cost. However, in this case if I was to judge I would allow it as bracers of armor just in the form of a mask and the special ability be a bonus with a flat cost. Just remember that your DM has final say on whether you can do it or not.
Mabven the OP healer |
There are rules for this under magic item creation, which is in the back of the magic item section. In any case, armor bonus is a slotted bonus (bracer), so to add an armor bonus to a head-piece is double. So, armor bonus is bonus squared x 1000 = 4000 x 2 = 8000. That is the cost of the +2 armor bonus. The original item is 3700, 2000 of which is the armor bonus, so the other ability of the mask is 1700. Add that to the 8000 for the +2 armor bonus, and the +2 version of the mask costs 9700. A +3 version costs 19700, +4 costs 33700, +5 costs 51700, +6 costs 73700, +7 costs 99700, +8 costs 129700.
This is all in the realm of house-rules, as any magic item that is custom made is not RAW or allowed in PFS play. Plus the original item is not a pathfinder RPG item, but a dnd 3.5 item designed by paizo.
Foghammer |
There are rules for this under magic item creation, which is in the back of the magic item section. In any case, armor bonus is a slotted bonus (bracer), so to add an armor bonus to a head-piece is double. So, armor bonus is bonus squared x 1000 = 4000 x 2 = 8000. That is the cost of the +2 armor bonus. The original item is 3700, 2000 of which is the armor bonus, so the other ability of the mask is 1700. Add that to the 8000 for the +2 armor bonus, and the +2 version of the mask costs 9700. A +3 version costs 19700, +4 costs 33700, +5 costs 51700, +6 costs 73700, +7 costs 99700, +8 costs 129700.
This is all in the realm of house-rules, as any magic item that is custom made is not RAW or allowed in PFS play. Plus the original item is not a pathfinder RPG item, but a dnd 3.5 item designed by paizo.
@Mabven: I'm under the impression that that the PC in question HAS the mask already and simply wants to upgrade it, not buy a new one. Upgrading an item that already is RAW, as long as it follows RAW calculations, should still be RAW. If that isn't RAW, it damn well should be.
I would call shenanigans on any DM who told me I couldn't improve something that was already magical - you can upgrade a magic sword or shield, but nothing else? Have you read this somewhere, and can you link me to a citation?
@OP: Mabven's calculations sound good to me, but only for creating a new mask. I would subtract the cost of the original from each total to get the upgrade price, which essentially is removing part of the equation. Those calculations are for the cost of a new item created with those bonuses.
Foghammer |
It did seem that upgrading an item should be totally within RAW. I am just unsure how to go about it.
The cost to add additional abilities to an item is the same as if the item was not magical, less the value of the original item. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal sword minus the cost of a +1 longsword.If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character's body, the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection 2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.
MacGurcules |
The item is priced more or less like a standard wondrous item. It casts a spell effect once per day and has an armor bonus. It'd be priced as follows:
Most expensive effect first:
Cast scare once per day.
Spell level x caster level x (uses per day/5) x 1800 = 2x3x(1/5)x1800 = 2160
Then add the less expensive effect at 150% cost:
Armor bonus^2 x 1000 x 1.5 =1^2x1000x1.5 = 1500
2160 + 1500 = 3660, call it 3700 and you get the free action activation as a freebie.
If it had more armor, the armor would be the most expensive effect, then. So it would look like:
Armor bonus^2 x 1000 = 2^2 x 1000 = 4000
Spell level x caster level x (uses per day/5) x 1800 x 1.5 = 3240
Total: 7240 - the original item price = 7240-3700 = 3540 to upgrade it.
MacGurcules |
3,700 gp is the original item cost. I am not sure what you are saying.
What I'm saying is that you can look at the original item price and see that it falls within the guidelines for crafting a general purpose wondrous item. So upgrading it would just involve calculating the price of the upgraded item and then subtracting the price of the original.