1. Do you have them/make them in your game?
2. If yes, are they crafted by the PCs?
3. If yes again, do the players typically start with an idea that they try to fit spells/rules to, or spells/mechanics they try to fit an idea to?
I'm asking because our home game has hit an interesting event horizon. Our PCs are as follows: NG Halfling warpriest (archetype: Divine Commander) 4/hunter 3; changeling arcanist 7; 1/2 minotaur (homebrew) shaman 7; dwarf fighter 7. The arcanist chose a couple item creation feats, namely Scribe Scroll and Craft Wondrous Items.
I've got ideas for items, but they're pipe dreams; scenes I want to see happen because I have the gear to MAKE them happen. I have no idea if the rules exist to allow these things or if those rules are there, whether or not we're high enough level to make them a reality.
I just thought it'd be cool to open a discussion on unique, custom wondrous items.
1) yes/yes
2) yes/no... GM's can make them as well. NPC can make them for players too.
3) both can work. It all falls down to what a GM will allow.
An adventure can be all about finding the parts for Epic item creations.
I use custom items in my games, both as loot and for characters to make.
I'm most likely to use/approve slot change (Like boots of gloves of Dex), and combining features of existing items using the +50% cost (Amulet of natural armour with a resistance bonus added on). I'll consider most other items.
I find that I come up with more ideas for it than my players, but sometimes a player has a unique idea. An example of one of my favourites I made was for a dervish bard, boots of spider climb that also gave a +2 Dex and +5 to perform (dance). I called them Dancing Spider's Legs.
1) Yes to both.
2) Yes, sometimes.
3) Either.
One very important thing to keep in mind: Do not allow abuse of the "Use activated or continuous" line for spell effects in Table 15-29 Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values. If the spell effect grants a bonus (i.e., mage armor granting an armor bonus) price it with the appropriate bonus line at the top of the table instead*.
*- Note, I have re-priced the bracers of falcon's aim from Ultimate Equipment in my campaign to 28,350 gp (as they are much more powerful than lesser bracers of archery, they shouldn't cost less)
Custom items are allowed in my game but, no matter who creates them (I've created a howler or two myself), they are on probation.
If, in the opinion of the current GM, it is too powerful/is not working it gets pulled, no questions asked.
I will over price rather than under price an item. If it turns out not as good as the price originally set, it is far easier to add more goodies to the game than to remove goodies.
Don't be afraid to tweak things after it has been played a bit.
Crafting magic items is as much art as science, if the rules (guidelines really) give you a result that is way too good the rules are wrong and price it accordingly.
Dragonhunterq, I couldn't agree more. Crafting anything other than consumables is as much art as science. What I find most often though in my games (and this is anecdotal so not true of everyone) is that my players tend to craft items specific to numbers, bonuses.
They go through the hassle of getting Craft Magical Arms and Armor in the party somehow then obsess over squeezing out the most +'s for their money.
I feel like a lot of "special effects" or niche spells go unused but could make interesting and unique magic items. Take Call Animal for example.
The spell itself compels an Animal with a CR equal or less than your level to make it's way to you, sometimes from up to miles away. It can't be an animal under the handling of others. You have to select a specific type of creature you hope is close enough at the time of casting. Once the animal arrives it is Indifferent towards you but if maintained at that level or better it follows you around for the duration of the spell which is hours/level.
I have a guy in a campaign that is a Halfling warpriest (Divine Commander) 4/hunter 3. He has access to Call Animal and could cast this at CL3 to draw out, say, a Bristle Boar or something if he thought it lived nearby. But I've never used this spell in three levels of having access to it even though I want to command subordinates once in a while.
Instead, what if I bound the idea of this spell - calling a specific kind of animal to serve me, into an item? What would that look like?
I thought immediately of a hunting horn. The thing would send a clarion call to an animal I find prevalent in the region of the campaign. Hopefully one is nearby and answers the call. This opens up a whole list of other items I'd want, like something to make the animal trust me, items I can use to quickly buff the animal to a level where it'll survive in combat at this level and something to allow me to communicate with it.
Just from envisioning that one item I find myself daydreaming a whole array of gear working in concert to make my guy the "beastmaster" or something.
I find it more interesting using such less-used spells or special effects to design unique items than the standard +1 Flaming sword with a custom background.
Dragonhunterq, I couldn't agree more. Crafting anything other than consumables is as much art as science. What I find most often though in my games (and this is anecdotal so not true of everyone) is that my players tend to craft items specific to numbers, bonuses.
They go through the hassle of getting Craft Magical Arms and Armor in the party somehow then obsess over squeezing out the most +'s for their money.
I feel like a lot of "special effects" or niche spells go unused but could make interesting and unique magic items. Take Call Animal for example.
(keeping it anecdotal - obviously not universally true) A lot of that is that flat numbers are easy to understand, you can immediately see how it helps you. Something like animal call the uses are not immediately obvious. Likely the first thing you think of is what obstacles your GM will throw in your way to make it useless, or certainly not as useful as another +1.
I imagine its due to most peoples first experiences are with a similarly inexperienced GM, and dealing with conditional effects like animal call are hard to GM well.
It's like a more obscure 'charm person' dilemma where some GMs say it's overpowered because they let it act as mind control and some players think it does nothing because the GM doesn't let it do anything. Sometime later nobody uses charm person even in a different group.