Creating a magic item that emulates a creature template

[Maester Jun Ixnar]

All,

One of my players threw a curve ball at me today. He is playing a magic item crafter, and he wants to create an item that gives its user a creature template - like half-dragon, vampire, etc. - for a limited amount of time, something like 10 rounds per day.

I have yet to see a spell that really duplicates what the player wants to do. Do such spells exist, or should I just make the spell requirement a wish or miracle spell? On top of that, what would such an item cost to make?

[Bandw2]

there aren't spells like this, because templates tend to do things like give new abilities or just outright change someones CR, while most in class abilities don't.

I would instead tell them to have it mimic form of dragon/elemental/beast, etc. where they just gain stats and some abilities.

[Starglim]

The monstrous physique or undead anatomy series might be appropriate examples for its effects, or you could cost it for the combination of things that it actually does. Either way, it would be best to write out all the effects it has, rather than "grants template X" which has no cost guideline.

[Suichimo]

I don't have access to it at the moment but, in Tome of Magic, from 3.5, there is a neck slot item that gives the Shadow Creature template to its bearer temporarily and a greater version of it that gives it permanently.

That would seemingly be the best place to start.

[Diego Rossi]

Pricing it is very hard. Probably the player is trying to circumvent the need to pay for each component effect, but that is exactly the way to go, with the added cost os it being a single item with multiple effects.

For simplicity sake, lets say that the template he want would grant a constant +4 to constitution and strength. It would be priced as a Belt of Physical Might +4, 40.000 gp.

A version that give that effect for 3 minutes would be priced as a item with similar powers or using the guidelines in the magic item creation chapter.
As I don't recall anything with that kind of effect, here is a tentative pricing:

Command word version
Bull strength, spell level 2 caster level 3 = 2*3*1.800= 10.800
Bear endurance, spell level 2 caster level 3, x 1.5 for sharing the same slot of the other spell = 2*3*1.800*1.5= 16.200

Total 27.000

Edit: for 5 uses/day

And that is even a generous pricing, as the two spells are activated at the same time, so it could be reasonable to say that one of the two count as a quickened spell.

- * -

Starglim solution is another good way to do this. You can find some example of item granting the effect of one of the different Beast shape spell, with a transformation in a specific form only, if you search the magic items lists.

[the David]

What's wrong with using a polymorph spell such as Form of the Dragon instead? You could limit the item to a single kind of dragon which would lessen the price somewhat.

There was a spell like that in D&D 3.5. Greater Visage of the Deity allowed you to become a Half-Fiend or Half-Celestial. (Based on your alignment.) This is a 9th level spell however. Probably not what your player is looking for.

[Diego Rossi]

Cloak of Form of the Dragon I

Form of the Dragon I wrote:

You become a Medium chromatic or metallic dragon. You gain a +4 size bonus to Strength, a +2 size bonus to Constitution, a +4 natural armor bonus, fly 60 feet (poor), darkvision 60 feet, a breath weapon, and resistance to one element. You also gain one bite (1d8), two claws (1d6), and two wing attacks (1d4). Your breath weapon and resistance depend on the type of dragon. You can only use the breath weapon once per casting of this spell. All breath weapons deal 6d8 points of damage and allow a Reflex save for half damage. In addition, some of the dragon types grant additional abilities, as noted below.

Compare with:

PRD wrote:

Wings of the Gargoyle

Price 72,000 gp; Aura moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Weight 3 lbs.

These cloth shoulder straps have many pebbles stitched into them. The wearer of the straps can command them to unfurl a pair of wings made from a hard gray stone. These wings grant her a fly speed of 60 feet and average maneuverability. When these wings are present her skin also takes on a noticeable stone-like appearance and she gains DR 10/adamantine. The wearer can furl and unfurl these wings as a swift action. The wings can be used for up to 5 minutes each day. The duration need not be continuous, but it must be used in 1-minute increments.

Construction Requirements

Cost 36,000 gp

Craft Wondrous Item, fly, stoneskin

You don't get the DR but you get several powerful effects.

A item like that would have a price in over 100.000 gp.

[Suichimo]

I just remembered the name of the item I was talking about. It is the Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis. I was wrong about the template it gave, though. It actually gives you the Dark template which gives +8 Hide, +6 Move Silently, +10' to all forms of your movement, resist cold 10, darkvision 60', superior low-light vision, and the Hide in Plain Sight ability while not in daylight.

The regular version of it is 10,800GP and it lasts for 10 minutes. There is a continuous version that costs 22,000GP and the effect is permanent as long as you're wearing it.

[the David]

An item that would allow you to use Form of the Dragon I 1/day with a command word would cost 47.520 gp. If it was a slotless item it would double in price. It would last 11 minutes though, and technically allow you to change into any kind of chromatic or metalic dragon. If you'd only allow a single kind of dragon you'd lose some versatility which should lower the price a bit.

[Diego Rossi]

I suppose you have priced it on the basis of the Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values table.
That is the last resort. You must first compare the item to existing items.

PRD wrote:

Pricing New Items

The correct way to price an item is by comparing its abilities to similar items (see Magic Item Gold Piece Values), and only if there are no similar items should you use the pricing formulas to determine an approximate price for the item. If you discover a loophole that allows an item to have an ability for a much lower price than is given for a comparable item in the Core Rulebook, the GM should require using the price of the Core Rulebook item, as that is the standard cost for such an effect. Most of these loopholes stem from trying to get unlimited uses per day of a spell effect from "command word" or "use-activated or continuous" descriptions.

A cloak that give you form of the dragon I is better than the Wings of the Gargoyle (72.000 gp) or the Cloak of the Bat (26.000 gp). You should price it on the basis of those items or other items that allow transformations and give comparable powers.

[Trogdar]

The problem is that I can't imagine anyone taking wings of the gargoyle to use. Its effects are not proportional to the cost. Its the same price as a +6 weapon. The effects that it grants aren't even that hard to get and it prevents you from increasing your saves, which matter far more at the levels that this kind of item become feasible to pay for.

In effect, its cost makes it vender loot.

[taldanrebel2187]

I wouldn't allow it. It breaks the game. Consider if a Monk character crafts an item that lets him act as a Hellcat Devil-bound Template for X rounds a day. That grants him a free grapple attack on all his melee strikes (granted, with an additional CMD roll), two free feats, ability score increases and the coveted Pounce and Grab special ability. And that's just getting started with +1 templates.

[Trogdar]

I think the only way to approach it is through the polymorph rules. If the effects are limited to one shape, then I could see the cost being consistent with the crafting rules for custom items. It won't be as awesome as the spell, but will give some of the special abilities that the player covets without having to sell their soul.

[Bandw2]

taldanrebel2187 wrote:

I wouldn't allow it. It breaks the game. Consider if a Monk character crafts an item that lets him act as a Hellcat Devil-bound Template for X rounds a day. That grants him a free grapple attack on all his melee strikes (granted, with an additional CMD roll), two free feats, ability score increases and the coveted Pounce and Grab special ability. And that's just getting started with +1 templates.

monks do need love though.

[boring7]

One meeeellion gold pieces.

Okay, let's say I gotta make something up because reasons, let's do vampire...

Combining spell effects to approximate all the abilities, ignoring a few abilites as "balanced by the negatives" and making stuff up I got 120 thousand gold. It functions for 10 rounds and requires the blood of a vampire lord (intelligent and above 12 hit dice) to make. Also, while it doesn't have an immediate alignment problem it has a curse, the tainted spirit of the lord who was used in it's creation attempts to control you. On first use, the cloak attempts a Dominate Person (will save DC 14) effect. If the save is failed, the character using the cloak becomes the willing thrall of the vampire lord and will either seek him out (if still un-living) or simply become taken over by the vampire lord's spirit if it was destroyed. Each successive day of using the cloak increases the DC by 1, and only by not wearing it for a week does the DC reset.

It might be too strong, it might be too weak, but it's interesting and sometimes it's fun to experiment.

[Trogdar]

If you want a vampire, then you may want to consider the undead anatomy 2 polymorph spell and restrict the form to vampire only. It will grant some of the benefits of being a vampire without getting out of hand.

Im not a huge fan of cursed items to be honest. Well, that's not entirely true, they can be interesting plot points, but I wouldn't say that a magic crafter should be forced to craft cursed items.