Another step towards number 10000

[Christopher Utley]

I had an idea for a new feat, adding to the glut that are already out there. Since 1xp=5gp, I was thinking of a feat that allows a spellcaster to spend additional xp to reduce the amount of gp he must spend to create magic items, to a minimum of 10%-20% of the base price. Any thoughts?

[Tequila Sunrise]

I'm not sure anyone would use it. XP is more valuable than gold, in a way that no equation can represent. Even that tiny 1/25 XP cost for making items is a hit.

My 2 XP,
TS

[Ungoded]

I think it might set a bad precedent. My players would immediately want a feat that allowed you to spend more gold and reduce the XP cost.

[Moff Rimmer]

Ungoded wrote:

I think it might set a bad precedent. My players would immediately want a feat that allowed you to spend more gold and reduce the XP cost.

Either way takes some of the control away from the DM even more than normal. If the DM gives out more treasure than xp, then it's a way to get exactly what you want without a true sacrifice. If the DM doesn't give out much treasure, then it makes it possible for the player to get more treasure for little to nothing.

Truthfully, however, I don't know that it would really make that much difference in game terms. It just ultimately requires the DM to be more aware of what the players have and might be able to create.

[Black Baron]

Ungoded wrote:

I think it might set a bad precedent. My players would immediately want a feat that allowed you to spend more gold and reduce the XP cost.

Well, they can ultimately pay all gold and no xp for buying the item. All this would do is further scale the gp vs. xp cost of items.

While I don't think this creates a balance issue, I think it greatly complicates things in exchange for very little benefit.

[Fatespinner]

Eberron has a whole slew of Item Creation-related feats that reduce the XP and GP costs associated with creating magical goods. I think Forgotten Realms has a couple too. Perhaps you should take a look at those?

[Boxhead]

Moff Rimmer wrote:

Ungoded wrote:

I think it might set a bad precedent. My players would immediately want a feat that allowed you to spend more gold and reduce the XP cost.

Well, in theory, at a rate of 5gp to 1xp, they would eventually just be buying their equipment at market value, which the rules support.

I can't see a real balance issue with a feat that allowed a straight 1xp=5gp trade either way, but I know which one would get used more often. Like it has already been stated, xp tends to be more valuable than gp.

Really though, I can't see using gp for 75% of the cost and xp for 25% being any worse than straight up item creation...

[The Black Bard]

Sean K. Reynolds adressed something similar to this on his website. Personally, I find his musings to be very interesting.

I beleive he adressed the abuse issue by having the player keep track of all the "extra" XP used in place of GP, and then if the item were ever destroyed, it dealt damage to the item creator. Kind of a "Sauron's power is in the One Ring" type of deal.

[Valegrim]

well, hopefully you do not have a static ecomony in your game; to save money the pc's should be able to go to a country or area of more depressed economy and perhaps get things done cheaper; kinda like we all do with Mexico and China.