I am making a unique magical item I call a "sequester box" and would like help on finding an appropriate market price for it.
Essentially, it's a magical chest that, when closed, becomes sequestered, thereby protecting all contents within as per the spell. The chest does not function with a living creature inside.
How much do you think such a thing is worth? The guidelines in the book (91,000gp for a use-activated item) seem much too high to me. I was thinking more like 10,000 or 20,000gp.
I am making a unique magical item I call a "sequester box" and would like help on finding an appropriate market price for it.
Essentially, it's a magical chest that, when closed, becomes sequestered, thereby protecting all contents within as per the spell. The chest does not function with a living creature inside.
How much do you think such a thing is worth? The guidelines in the book (91,000gp for a use-activated item) seem much too high to me. I was thinking more like 10,000 or 20,000gp.
Ok, so some bad news, and then more news that is a little bit better but still bad. :(
Use activiated items are SL x CL x 2000gp (not 1000) So for a "sequester box" as you describe it would actually spec out at 182,000gp. However, I have a small problem with this item. How do you find it once it is closed? I really think that a command-word activated item would be more appropriate. (You could even have the command word to activate be closing the lid, because the pricing is set up to balance out in the combat action-economy which, I believe, is a non-issue here.) Command Word Activated items are SL x CL x 1800gp, or 163,800 in this case.
Ok, but you have stated that this item doesn't function when living creatures are inside. And a big part of the sequestered spell is that it renders living creatures unconscious. This is a spell power that we are not going to realize, so why pay for it? Mage's Private Sanctum (Sor/Wiz 5) and Invisibility (Sor/Wiz 2) will work just fine for the described desired function. ((5 x 9 x 1800)+((2 x 3 x 1800)1.5))= 97,200gp.
Still pretty pricey. The only way I see to get it down to the price range you are talking about is to go with invisibility only. Could argue that it would price out like a ring of invisibility (command word activated invisibility spell with infinite charges) 20,000gp. But that price was derived based on the bonus to skill check it provides. I think the custom item table for spell level is more appropriate because the box wont be making stealth checks. 2 x 3 x 1800 = 10,800gp.
So that is the cheapest I can figure out to make it. It takes away a lot of the power of the item but I believe retains the game flavor. On the other hand, this isn't a combat or stat buffing item. I honestly don't believe it would be game breaking to give the 97,200gp version to a party of 4 level 8 to 10 character's to share even though it would really bump their wealth per level out of line.
You missed the footnote that says to halve the price if the spell's duration is longer than 24 hours. Since sequester is measured in days, I think it qualified.
In any event, you seem to be thinking of the guidelines as actual rules and as such don't believe there is any real way to reduce the price. There is: Just pick a number that seems fitting and balanced. Generally this is done by comparing it to similar existing items and making an educated guess.
I still don't believe such a device would be worth more than 10 or 20k, but I would like some more input from others to see what they think such a thing would be worth.a
You missed the footnote that says to halve the price if the spell's duration is longer than 24 hours. Since sequester is measured in days, I think it qualified.
In any event, you seem to be thinking of the guidelines as actual rules and as such don't believe there is any real way to reduce the price. There is: Just pick a number that seems fitting and balanced. Generally this is done by comparing it to similar existing items and making an educated guess.
I still don't believe such a device would be worth more than 10 or 20k, but I would like some more input from others to see what they think such a thing would be worth.a
You are 100% right, I missed the spell duration when I looked it up to refresh my memory. Same with Mage's Private Sanctum. Redoing the math (5 x 9 x 1800)/2 + (2 x 3 x 1800)x1.5 = 56,700.
Alternatively I looked for a similarly powered item. Based on the idea that protection from / countering abilities are the same power as the source ability (ie enlarge / reduce person , darkness / continual flame) Crystal Ball with See Invisibility would be an appropriate analog. 50,000gp.
I think that you are discounting the power of the scrying protection, probably because divination magic isn't prominent in your games. The 10-20,000gp value you are talking about in only enough to cover the invisibility effect (as the ring of invisibility from my first post 20,000gp)
Saying you don't believe such an item would be worth so much (and I will add the caveat, "in your game") Was the point I was alluding to when I said that I didn't feel this item was out of line for a group of 8 to 10th level characters.
Anyway, thanks for catching my miss on the duration guideline, and given that I believe this item is well priced between 50-57,000gp.
Interesting. I was comparing it to container type items such as a bag of holding.
In hindsight, comparing it to something like an amulet of proof against detection and location would have been better.
Concealing an object isn't quite as powerful as concealing oneself however, so I'm thinking 20k, rather than the 35k of the amulet.