I'm trying to find item-creation rules for non-combat magic items, but I can't remember where they are (Possibly in DnD but I don't have those books with me).
What I'm talking about are items that PC's would rarely - if ever - take.
Examples:
Farming tools enchanted to help with the harvest
Crafting tools enchanted to improve crafting
A nobleman's necklace that makes him always appear refreshed.
One or all of those might be somewhere in the books, but I can't find them right now =P
I seem to remember reading something about it in one of the books (GM's Guide I think) ... Any ideas?
Edit: What I'm really looking for here isn't a list of items, it's a reference to how I'd come up with my own items to add into the game. Whether that's just a vague suggestion or actual crafting mechanics and spells, any help would be appreciated.
Boots of the cat?
Boots of the cat?
Hhaha, that's a cool Item, and it's *Kind of* what I'm looking for.
The idea is this: In a world where magic is everywhere, people can conjure something from nothing and control the weather & Bring back the dead. People enchant weapons and armour to help them in war, What would they do in times of peace?
Pretty much everything the PC's can buy helps them kill people.
What if they want to help with the local brewery? Can they build a magic Tavern that brews the beer itself? Or makes +1 Beer? Not really the +1 beer thing, but could they magically enchant it to brew the beer faster? Or brew more of it? Or brew it using the wrong materials? Or brew it better quality (+1 beer =D)?
It breaks the verisimilitude if the only things you can make with magic are pointier sticks and harder hats.
I'm trying to find item-creation rules for non-combat magic items, but I can't remember where they are (Possibly in DnD but I don't have those books with me).
What I'm talking about are items that PC's would rarely - if ever - take.
Examples:
Farming tools enchanted to help with the harvest
Crafting tools enchanted to improve crafting
A nobleman's necklace that makes him always appear refreshed.One or all of those might be somewhere in the books, but I can't find them right now =P
I seem to remember reading something about it in one of the books (GM's Guide I think) ... Any ideas?
In the chapter with magic items, there is a pricing table.
The farming and crafting tools you mentioned would simply give a bonus on a skill check. That is worth (bonus squared) x 100gp.
Prestidigitation can clean objects, so an Amulet of Prestidigitation at will can make a nobleman look clean and tidy (though it won't help with his actual appearance, so if he looks tired it won't help). That is also covered by the table (900 gp, same as a Hand of the Mage).
Pretty much its a lot of skill boost items. I'm not that well versed in the making of magic items but it requires a masterwork tool (shovel) and then enchant with say profession farmer or whatnot. Same thing with the beer (creates it faster or gives the employees higher chance and makes more expensive (masterwork) beer).
With your pomp nobleman, that sounds like a prestidigitation enchantment. Which I think there might be an item.
But for the everyday stuff, a skill bonus will be the cheapest route, although still more expensive than a normal farmer, butcher, smith can probably afford unless they have some heft contracts or owners.
Check the CRB, I believe it has item creation in there, if not, there is a revised version in Ultimate campaign, and I think descriptions in ultimate equipment along with some examples (cloak of elvenkind is +5 stealth for 2500g, or 1250g if you craft it, as an example).
With the tavern, you might have something that does Enhance Water to create the low quality ale. Just add water. It would take forever to pay for it, but I could see someone deciding to get one made.
Assisting Gloves, Handy Haversack, Flying carpets, Traveller's Any-Tool, and a few more items are in the books.
There are several cantrips that would likely get used for various everyday magical items: Prestidigitation, Mage Hand, Create Water, Know Direction.
Most any rich paranoid merchant or noble is likely to have an item with Detect Poison.
Anyone who does a lot of foot travel (such as with a caravan) would love some boots with Longstrider.
Instead of tools enchanted to help with harvesting, you'd probably rather have something that just cast plant growth once per day/week.
Imagine if all your farms produced 33% more produce. Also, animated plows. Imagine if plows just ploughed the dirt themselves.
Those would be animated items, a subset of construct.
Greater Hat of Disguise was my favorite non-combat magic item. It basically turns you into a shapeshifter.
The endless bag of dung helps with growing crops because you can use the dung as fertilizer.
Thanks everyone, I still haven't found the text I was looking for (I think it was an old DnD book or something, meh) but skill items work for what I was looking for.
As for the price, it depends on your setting.
If there's a wizard/sorcerer/witch/etc in every village, I'm sure every village would have some enchanted ploughs or the smith would have a spell-forge or whatever.
But if magic's actually rare, maybe only the rich lords can afford to hire druids to control the weather. (although that's an interesting idea for some high intrigue plotlines: The rains aren't coming coz the rival lord is hiring witches to keep them away ... getting way off topic now).
As always I'll probably get way too caught up in theory-crafting about this now =P
Thanks to everyone who contributed, I'll now spend the next 6 hours of "work" putting your ideas to the test.
=D
The item creation rules are the same for combat items and non-combat items. The price doesn't depend on setting, it depends on how you make the item. If it is a constant effect for example, it'll be more expensive than a mug that can once a day make a drink alcoholic.
As for ideas, I've started writing down a few myself here.
Thanks everyone, I still haven't found the text I was looking for (I think it was an old DnD book or something, meh) but skill items work for what I was looking for.
I'm guessing that you are thinking of The Book of Marvelous Magic. It was filled with hundreds of magical buttons, pipes, rakes, needles, plates, saws, etc. that were mostly for out of combat use.
As for ideas, I've started writing down a few myself here.
Some nice ideas, I'll check them out more thoroughly later.
I'm guessing that you are thinking of The Book of Marvelous Magic. It was filled with hundreds of magical buttons, pipes, rakes, needles, plates, saws, etc. that were mostly for out of combat use.
Never heard of that book, but it sounds marvellous.
I have stacks of random books at my house that my old house-mate left behind, so it could be any random book from any system (It actually might be The Book of Marvelous Magic). I'm way more familiar with DnD/Pathfinder though, so I just assumed it was one of those.
The Gamemasters Guide does mention non-adventuring magic items on page 111, though its so small that most might not remember it.
I'm trying to find item-creation rules for non-combat magic items, but I can't remember where they are (Possibly in DnD but I don't have those books with me).
What I'm talking about are items that PC's would rarely - if ever - take.
Examples:
Farming tools enchanted to help with the harvest
Crafting tools enchanted to improve crafting
Magic of Faerun [3.0] p152:
Hammer of the weaponsmith 2055 for +10 circumstance Craft(weaponsmithing)Knife of the bower 2055 for +10 circumstance Craft(bowmaking)
Tongs of the armorer 2055 for +10 circumstance Craft(armorsmithing)
A nobleman's necklace that makes him always appear refreshed.
Cloak of the Hedge Wizard 2500 for Prestidigitation and one cantrip at will and a pair of 1st level spells 1/day.
One or all of those might be somewhere in the books, but I can't find them right now =P
I seem to remember reading something about it in one of the books (GM's Guide I think) ... Any ideas?
Edit: What I'm really looking for here isn't a list of items, it's a reference to how I'd come up with my own items to add into the game. Whether that's just a vague suggestion or actual crafting mechanics and spells, any help would be appreciated.
Pretty much its a lot of skill boost items. I'm not that well versed in the making of magic items but it requires a masterwork tool (shovel) and then enchant with say profession farmer or whatnot. Same thing with the beer (creates it faster or gives the employees higher chance and makes more expensive (masterwork) beer).
Masterwork to enchant is only required for armor and weapons.
You cannot enchant with a profession, but rather with skill in a profession/craft/whatever. This gives a competence bonus. If you have a masterwork tool, that gives a circumstance bonus. Doing both gives both./cevah
The Gamemasters Guide does mention non-adventuring magic items on page 111, though its so small that most might not remember it.
Yep, I'm pretty sure that's what I was remembering. Thanks =)
And yeah, what I really meant was "Non-Adventuring Magic Items". "Non-Combat" was a bit vague, sorry about that.To everyone else who posted, thanks a bunch, I think I have everything I need to create useless magic items to my heart's content. Given that a +1 skill item only costs ~100gp to make, I'm sure they'd be fairly common in any high-fantasy setting.
Those would be animated items, a subset of construct.
Thank you for that and especially this.
A castle full of animated rich people's objects would be a great module.
Those would be animated items, a subset of construct.
Thank you for that and especially this.
A castle full of animated rich people's objects would be a great module.
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