Creating magic items with different slots?


Rules Questions


I read into the magic item creation and had some questions about the slots. If a character takes the craft wondrous items feat, he can ... well, craft wondrous items. Say he wants to make a hat of disguise, but, he already has a cool hat (or magical headband), can he craft an amulet of disguise instead (same powers, but different slot)? Is there a restriction in place? I saw that the item costs more if it doesn't take a slot at all, so this is ok?
What if the character has the forge ring feat too? Can he create a ring of disguise?


Ultimate Campaign has a short section on magic item creation, where it touches on creating items for different slots: PRD

Personally I allow it in my home game, but others might rule differently for their games.


Huh, didn't know about that^^ Thanks


The rules don't cover it too much.

Quote:

Some Abilities Are Assigned to Certain Slots: Some of the magic items in the Core Rulebook are deliberately assigned to specific magic item slots for balance purposes, so that you have to make hard choices about what items to wear. In particular, the magic belts and circlets that give enhancement bonuses to ability scores are in this category—characters who want to enhance multiple physical or mental ability scores must pay extra for combination items like a belt of physical might or headband of mental prowess.

If there is a trend of all Core Rulebook items of a particular type using a particular slot (such as items that grant physical ability score bonuses being belts or items that grant movement bonuses being boots), GMs should be hesitant to allow you to move those abilities to other slots; otherwise, they ignore these deliberate restrictions by cheaply spreading out these items over unused slots.

The last part I've bolded is the main thing.

Personally, I think it's a bad idea and sets a bad precedent.

Instead, the rule I use is the multiple different abilities rule. So he can have his original hat, and add the funciton of a hat of disguise to it. It just costs him a little more to do so. 1.5 times the cost of the cheaper ability. Personally I've found this to be the most balanced approach rather than reslotting. While certain cases of reslotting might not be an issue, in my experience once you start allowing it players often will take great liberty with and start trying to reslot physical and mental enhancement bonus which is a big no no.


I generally use reslotting, except where it's an item gained by a class feature that allows you to add features to it - then I'll allow all the stacks you want on it, at the 1.5x cost for all but the most expensive. It's entirely GM discretion.

Do recall the slotless cost increases for things, though.


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I usually run it like this:
If you want to make it slotless then that is acceptable as long as you pay twice the normal cost.
If you want to move it to a different slot then that is acceptable as long as you pay 1.5 times the normal cost.
If you want to add different abilities to an existing magic item then that is acceptable as long as you pay 1.5 times the cost.

Notice how adding to existing magic items and moving it to a different item slot cost the same? The reason I allow reslotting is if the player want it for styling purpose, and if that is the case he shouldn't get off cheaper.


The idea behind my way of running things is to avoid limiting players with a cool idea, without handing them ways to get reduced prices beyond what is normally allowed.


I talk with the player in question, and if there is a good reason, I think I will go with the 1.5 times of the normal cost version.

I will have to be careful with the balancing by slot things... I guess adding magic powers to existing things is ok for 1.5 times the price.

Thanks for your answers


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I would suggest x1.25 instead of x1.5.

They are actually using up a slot that could be used for other items instead of stacking the ability on an already existing slotted item.

The loss of the slot makes it not quite as valuable as stacking enchantments, IMO.


I would avoid it. In the long run, if your players get out of hand with their items it might be hard to backtrack.

If they really need to, I think 1.5x cost is pretty lenient, I would go 2x. And no stat boosters in other slots, for sure!


Part of the awesome involved with "multiple abilities" instead of other-slot is that you end up with really neat unique items. A headband of X, Y, and Z is follows the rule-of-cool more than three different items providing X, Y, and Z.


Dragonsbane777 wrote:

I would avoid it. In the long run, if your players get out of hand with their items it might be hard to backtrack.

If they really need to, I think 1.5x cost is pretty lenient, I would go 2x. And no stat boosters in other slots, for sure!

Why would any player pay x2 to move it to a different slot, when they could pay x2 and have it slotless?


Lifat wrote:
Dragonsbane777 wrote:

I would avoid it. In the long run, if your players get out of hand with their items it might be hard to backtrack.

If they really need to, I think 1.5x cost is pretty lenient, I would go 2x. And no stat boosters in other slots, for sure!

Why would any player pay x2 to move it to a different slot, when they could pay x2 and have it slotless?

Presumably, since he's so hardline about that, he wouldn't allow that, or would triple-cost it or something.

I figure if a player actually picks up a craft feat he's welcome to do most things.


PDR link: Altering Existing Items

PF does not have slot assignments for magic. The GM must guess.

3.5 had the Magic Item Compendium:

MIC p234:
Table 6-11: Adding/Improving Common Item Effects
Effect .. Body Slot [#] .. Prerequisites [1] .. Price
AC, +1 deflection bonus .. B, R,S .. shield of faith .. 2,000 gp
AC, +1 to +2 deflection bonus .. B, R,S .. shield of faith .. 6,000 gp
AC, +2 to +3 deflection bonus .. B, R, S .. shield of faith .. 10,000 gp
AC, +3 to +4 deflection bonus .. B, R, S .. shield of faith .. 14,000 gp
AC, +4 to +5 deflection bonus .. B, R, S .. shield of faith .. 18,000 gp
AC, +1 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 1,000 gp
AC, +1 to +2 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 3,000 gp
AC, +2 to +3 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 5,000 gp
AC, +3 to +4 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 7,000 gp
AC, +4 to +5 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 9,000 gp
AC, +5 to +6 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 11,000 gp
AC, +6 to +7 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 13,000 gp
AC, +7 to +8 armor bonus [2] .. A, B .. mage armor .. 15,000 gp
AC, +1 enhancement bonus to natural armor .. B,To .. barkskin .. 2,000 gp
AC, +1 to +2 enhancement bonus to natural armor .. B, To .. barkskin .. 6,000 gp
AC, +2 to +3 enhancement bonus to natural armor .. B, To .. barkskin .. 10,000 gp
AC, +3 to +4 enhancement bonus to natural armor .. B,To .. barkskin .. 14,000 gp
AC, +4 to +5 enhancement bonus to natural armor .. B, To .. barkskin .. 18,000 gp
Charisma, +2 enhancement bonus .. Hd,S .. eagle's splendor .. 4,000 gp
Charisma, +2 to +4 enhancement bonus .. Hd, S .. eagle's splendor .. 12,000 gp
Charisma, +4 to +6 enhancement bonus .. Hd,S .. eagle's splendor .. 20,000 gp
Constitution, +2 enhancement bonus .. Th, To, W .. bear's endurance .. 4,000 gp
Constitution, +2 to +4 enhancement bonus .. Th, To, W .. bear's endurance .. 12,000 gp
Constitution, +4 to +6 enhancement bonus .. Th, To, W .. bear's endurance .. 20,000 gp
Dexterity, +2 enhancement bonus .. A, Ft, Ha .. cat's grace .. 4,000 gp
Dexterity, +2 to +4 enhancement bonus .. A, Ft, Ha .. cat's grace .. 12,000 gp
Dexterity, +4 to +6 enhancement bonus .. A, Ft, Ha .. cat's grace .. 20,000 gp
Intelligence, +2 enhancement bonus .. Fa, Hd .. fox's cunning .. 4,000 gp
Intelligence, +2 to +4 enhancement bonus .. Fa, Hd .. fox's cunning .. 12,000 gp
Intelligence, +4 to +6 enhancement bonus .. Fa, Hd .. fox's cunning .. 20,000 gp
Strength, +2 enhancement bonus .. A, Ha, W .. bull's strength .. 4,000 gp
Strength, +2 to +4 enhancement bonus .. A, Ha, W .. bull's strength .. 12,000 gp
Strength, +4 to +6 enhancement bonus .. A, Ha, W .. bull's strength .. 20,000 gp
Wisdom, +2 enhancement bonus .. Hd,Th .. owl's wisdom .. 4,000 gp
Wisdom, +2 to +4 enhancement bonus .. Hd,Th .. owl's wisdom .. 12,000 gp
Wisdom, +4 to +6 enhancement bonus .. Hd,Th .. owl's wisdom .. 20,000 gp
Resistance to energy, 5 .. B, R, S, To .. resist energy .. 4,000 gp
Resistance to energy, 5 to 10 .. B, R, S, To .. resist energy .. 8,000 gp
Resistance to energy, 10 to 20 .. B, R, S, To .. resist energy .. 16,000 gp
Resistance to energy, 20 to 30 .. B, R, S, To .. resist energy .. 16,000 gp
Saving throws,+1 resistance bonus .. S, To .. resistance, CL 3 x bonus .. 1,000 gp
Saving throws, +1 to +2 resistance bonus .. S,To .. resistance, CL 3 x bonus .. 3,000 gp
Saving throws, +2 to +3 resistance bonus .. S, To .. resistance, CL 3 x bonus .. 5,000 gp
Saving throws, +3 to +4 resistance bonus .. S,To .. resistance, CL 3 x bonus .. 7,000 gp
Saving throws, +4 to +5 resistance bonus .. S, To .. resistance, CL 3 x bonus .. 9,000 gp
[#] A = Arms; B = Body; Fa = Face; Ft = Feet; Ha = Hands; Hd = Head; R = Ring; S = Shoulders; Th = Throat; To = Torso; W = Waist.
[1] The character performing the crafting must also have the item creation feat appropriate for the item to which the effect is added.
[2] Cannot be added to any item that already provides a (nonmagical) armor or shield bonus to AC.

/cevah

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