Achilles's page

If I add Speed ability to Boots of striding and springing, what total move bonus do the boots add? Do I treat them as most similar bonus types (for movement) and just add the highest movement rate bonus, or do they stack? If I add Elvinkind to the boots, is the competence bonus +10 or only +5?

Does the fighter charge you to intercept that ogre that's coming at you? Does the cleric charge you for cures? Does the rogue steal from you? Are you in fact, merely being greedy?

...As for people complaining about optimization I think you have a hole in your logic. Not only does it cost time and money to make items but also feats and skills. The world around you doesn't just wait for you to finish making your belt. Perhaps your enemies have already won because you wasted so much time making a magic item. They might even be stronger then before. Characters aren't static and neither is their environment.

The bad guys won when you took 4 days off? Every time? Ok... Characters can easily find more than enough time between adventures to make many items and not skip a beat in a campaign, unless you insist on railroading them into not staying put for two weeks. It's been my experience, unless the Players (not their characters, per se) are total fools, A character with very limited magic items are more than a match for 90% of the standard encounters they will experience, especially if you're running an AP with most of the encounters being as written.

Making magic items without considerable risk just leads to uber characters who the smart player has ensured have just the items they need to cover any precieved weaknesses. So it's pretty much out of character play that will lead to IC abuse. Just handwaving and saying the IC are fine merely means you've accepted that this is inevitable, maybe even desirable. If you think magic is a mere tool with no mystery, and is as predicatable as math, maybe that's fine for your game. But it holds little resemblance to traditional ideas in novels, stories, etc. How very bland.

I think the rules as written are fine. The developers are assuming a generic fantasy baseline; it's IMPOSSIBLE to get it "right" for everyone. So, of course, some DM's are going to complain about items being too common.

Well, why bother with a dice roll then? Just assume they make the items, because the success rate is not far from guaranteed.

Hmm I mentioned quite a while ago about possibly using the Eye and the Hand from "Vecna Lives!" as a good encounter, maybe crashing the party in the Mind Flayer's lair in HoHR...might be just the thing to 'save' the party ehehhe....for any DM's intrested, here's the Eye's stats (quite fun converting him, I might add)...I'll post the Hand soon...

The Eye (Medium Sized Aberration)

CR 10; HD 12d8; hp 54; Init +9; Spd 30 ft.; Face/Reach: 5’/5’; AC 23 (+4 Natural, +5 Dex, +4 Insight), T: 19, FF: 14**; Full Atk MW Two Handed Sword +12/+7 Melee (2d6+3/19-20) or 2 MW daggers +13/+13/+8 (1d4+2 and off-hand 1d4+1/19-20); Grapple: +11/+6; Str 15, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 18; AL LE;

Saves: Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +15;

SA/SQ: Detect Illusions, Precognition**, Psychic Tracking, Sense Target, Spell-like abilities, Telepathy, Trap the Soul*

Feats: Alertness, Dodge (NOT added), Improved Initiative, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse

Skills: Concentration +10, Disguise +9, Gather Information +14, Intimidate +9, Knowledge: Religion (Vecna) +18, Listen + 4, Sense Motive +12, Search +12, Spot +13

Possessions: MW Two Handed Sword, 2 MW daggers, Green Robes

*One target per round. DC 20 Will save or have soul sucked into Eye.

** Due to this supernatural ability, the Eye cannot be flanked or sneak attacked, and it is never caught flatfooted.

The Eye has a +4 Racial Bonus to Spot and Search checks.

The Eye is one of the chief lieutenants of the Cult of Vecna
Although only one has ever been seen, it is impossible to be certain that there is only one of these creatures. The Eye is a creation of Vecna’s and, thus, it is entirely possible that more than one exists.

The Eye stands seven feet tall. Once it was human, but to become the Eye it has been transformed. Its head replaced by a giant eyeball. Its body is slender and moves with quick, light grace. The Eye normally dresses in long green robes trimmed with red. Eyes, embroidered in golden thread, decorate the hems. In public, it covers its robes with a gray cloak, and its head is concealed by a deep hood.

Combat: The Eye’s main purpose is not to fight, but to gain information. It is not, however, without combat ability. The Eye normally fights with a two-handed sword. It also keeps two masterwork dirks hidden, one strapped, hilt down, to each arm. In situations in which it cannot use the sword, it crosses its arms, then whips out the two daggers to fight two-handed. It is lightning quick (20 Dexterity) and astoundingly graceful. The Eye has several powers derived from its transformation. The least of these is that it cannot be surprised, as long as it is awake. It gains a +4 Insight bonus to all initiative rolls (the Improved Initiative feat) and armor class due to a limited form of clairvoyance.

It is the gaze power of the Eye that is most fearsome. The Eye no longer eats in the normal sense, but it feeds on the souls of others drawn in by its gaze. Each round, the Eye can use its gaze attack on one target. Unless previously said to be avoiding the Eye’s gaze, the victim must roll a Will saving throw DC 20. Those who succeed suffer no ill effect that round: those who fail are claimed by the Eye. Their life force is drawn into the Eye and held there. (This is seen by others as a ghostly form being sucked into the Eye.) The victim’s body falls inert. The Eye cannot consume its metaphysical prey until the body is destroyed, but once that is done, the trapped life-force is devoured and can never be recovered by any means short of divine power. If the Eye is slain, those life forces it has trapped but not devoured instantly return to their proper bodies. The Eye can voluntarily release any un-devoured life forces. As a side effect, the Eye gains access to all the memories of those it traps.

Habitat/Society: The Eye is a creation of the wizard-priests of the Cult of Vecna, possibly through the intercession of Vecna himself. The process of creating the Eye is unknown to all but the highest ranking members of the cult, but it involves wish and other high-level spells. Because the process is difficult, time-consuming, and dangerous, there is believed to be only one Eye at a time.

Whatever the process is, it strips the Eye of all humanity. The Eye feels no emotional bonds or noble virtues, and it displays several peculiar mannerisms. Limited precognition causes the Eye to finish the sentences of others before they have a chance to say them. The Eye surrounds itself by mirrors and is fascinated by reflections. Sadistically cruel, the Eye purges its own pain and frustrations on helpless victims. According to the cult priests, the Eye’s purpose is to be Vecna’s senses on the Prime Material plane. The Eye has a limited precognition (as described in the combat section) that is constantly in effect. It can use Clairvoyance, Detect Magic, and Find traps at will, like a 10th level Sorcerer. The Eye automatically detects all illusions.

The Eye’s primary purpose is as psychic tracker for the priests of Vecna. Once the Eye has seen an intelligent being-either directly or through scrying-it can sense that creature’s aura over large distances. The range depends on the abilities of the player character. Those with no spell casting ability can be detected only within a one-mile radius. Those with any spell casting abilities are detectable at a radius in miles equal to their spell level. Thus a 12th level wizard (who is able to cast spells up to 6th level) is detectable within a six-mile radius. The Eye’s tracking ability is not infallible. Large
concentrations of magical energy can shield a target‘s aura. Artifacts, stockpiles of magical items, or even areas with a high preponderance of spell casters all have this effect. For example, simply entering the Guild of Wizardry is enough to block the Eye’s tracking sense. In doubtful cases, the Eye must roll a successful Will saving throw DC 15 to retain the “scent.” The Eye is able to communicate telepathically with whomever it wishes.
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