The intent here is to turn an item into a weapon for ranged attacks usable by casters, providing more flavor than crossbows and slings.
Some properties of these weapons:
-Uses caster's casting stat for ranged attack bonus, instead of dexterity. Melee attacks still rely on strength.
-'Charged' with the caster's spell slots for use.
-Weapons enhanced in this way are still usable by non-casters, but can only be charged by a caster sacrificing specified spell slots, and using the ranged attack still uses the wielder's stat that matches the last charger's casting stat.
(Essentially, say Wizard A makes a casting weapon and hands it off to Fighter B, if Fighter B wants to use the casting ranged attack he uses his INT modifier for determining ranged attack bonus)
-Materials used are gemstones worth specified amount, weapon must be able to have this stone magically grafted somewhere on it (pommel-stone, tip of quarterstaff, etc.)
-No critical hit multipliers for casting weapon cast attacks, HOWEVER if a melee weapon enchanted in this manner is used, and successfully lands a critical hit when used in melee, expend one charge and unleash one charge worth of energy and associated damage. This extra damage does NOT get a critical multiplier.
Basic Cast
-Type-less, generic, 'magic energy' attack
-10 Charges provided per 1st level spell slot sacrificed
-Weapon expends 1 charge per attack to do 1d6+1 damage
-Initial investment of 100 gp worth of materials and 24 hour ritual for enchanting weapon
Basic Elemental Cast
-Attacks with elemental energy, selected at charging
-10 charges provided per 2nd level spell slot sacrificed
-Weapon expends 1 charge per attack to do 1d6+1 damage of specified element
-Base weapon must be masterwork quality
-Initial investment of 500 gp worth of materials and 24 hour ritual for enchanting weapon
Advanced Cast
-Attacks with non-elemental, force magical energy
-10 charges provided per 3rd level spell slot sacrificed
-Weapon expends 1 charge per attack to do 1d8+1 force damage
-Base weapon must be masterwork quality
-Initial investment of 1,000 gp worth of materials and 24 hour ritual for enchanting weapon
Advanced Elemental Cast
-Attacks with elemental energy, selected at charging
-10 charges provided per 4th level spell slot sacrificed
-Weapon expends 1 charge per attack to do 1d8+1 damage of specified element
-Base weapon must be masterwork quality
-Initial investment of 2,000 gp worth of materials and 24 hour ritual for enchanting weapon
Expert Cast
-Attacks with non-elemental, force magical energy
-10 charges provided per 5th level spell slot sacrificed
-Weapon expends 1 charge per attack to do 2d4+1 force damage
-Base weapon must be masterwork quality
-Initial investment of 4,000 gp worth of materials and 24 hour ritual for enchanting weapon
Expert Elemental Cast
-Attacks with elemental energy, selected at charging
-10 charges provided per 6th level spell slot sacrificed
-Weapon expends 1 charge per attack to do 2d4+1 damage of specified element
-Base weapon must be masterwork quality
-Initial investment of 5,000 gp worth of materials and 24 hour ritual for enchanting weapon
The low front-end cost for the most basic cast is to make this accessible to low-level casters, that and you are essentially always making a down-payment on it, by having to sacrifice spell slots to use it.
So, that is my idea, let me know what you all think.
Thoughts:
I think wizards already have enough nice things. No need for them to have a fall back attack that is dependent upon their primary stat.
What I do: Allow ray of frost to be ray of any element and let them fire away with rays if they are saving their big spells. Beef it to 1d4 if you like that better (I do its not a huge power increase and is faster playwise)
As for your things the basic one is okay. The others are way underpowered. Maybe make a spell "imbune item" rather than letting it be a spo tanious aacrafice a spell thing.
Force is better than elemental damage as fewer things resist it.
The intent was for any caster class (Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, oracle, etc.) If they have spell slots they can channel some of their raw magical energies into a weapon and then use that to make ranged attacks more in the flavor of 'magic' than generic ranged weapons that are more suited for martial classes. The idea came to me, primarily from Dragon Age, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought a primarily magic using character firing a crossbow looked silly, in my opinion.
I like the ray of whatever idea, though, will have to pull that for my group. My basic concept here though is just to give a flavorful weapon, not a particularly powerful one. Magic users already have their magic. I get force is considered more powerful than elements, but the elements are there, again, just for flavor.
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Yah maybe just mini metamagic rods? Like 100gp gives +1 damage to ray of fire spell. 500 gp +1 damage and range is increased to 50ft. 1200 all the above plus use Int instead of Dex for the ranged touch attack.
I have low level focus items that are wands rods or staves that give minor bonuses to magic spells or abilities to try and encourage wizards to carry staves.