Query: If a character begins crafting a magic item (let's say it's a +1 sword because he only has 1000 gold and doesn't know how long they will be out) and is adventuring at the time. This sword should take him eight days because he's adventuring. So he manages to get back from the adventure with a ton of cash on day 4 and realizes that he's going to be in town for a while. Can he just extend his time crafting for two more days and go for a +2 sword assuming he is the right level and can afford the cost difference?
Query: If a character begins crafting a magic item (let's say it's a +1 sword because he only has 1000 gold and doesn't know how long they will be out) and is adventuring at the time. This sword should take him eight days because he's adventuring. So he manages to get back from the adventure with a ton of cash on day 4 and realizes that he's going to be in town for a while. Can he just extend his time crafting for two more days and go for a +2 sword assuming he is the right level and can afford the cost difference?
I would make him stop and start. I am assuming there is some fundamental difference between making a +1 and a +2. Is there an advantage to not stopping?
PS:There is not a written rule for this, most likely because the developers did not think of this occuring. It seems to be a DM call.
I would have them finish the sword as a +1 and then upgrade it to a +2. It would have the same effect in cost and time, but would have a better flow for me.
Upgrading magic items costs the difference between the items. So the difference between a +1 sword (2000 gp) and a +2 sword (8000 gp) would be 6000 gp (6 days if done while not adventuring).
I would have them finish the sword as a +1 and then upgrade it to a +2. It would have the same effect in cost and time, but would have a better flow for me.
Upgrading magic items costs the difference between the items. So the difference between a +1 sword (2000 gp) and a +2 sword (8000 gp) would be 6000 gp (6 days if done while not adventuring).
What if it was a cloak of minor displacement to a cloak of major displacement? Same thing?
Query: If a character begins crafting a magic item (let's say it's a +1 sword because he only has 1000 gold and doesn't know how long they will be out) and is adventuring at the time. This sword should take him eight days because he's adventuring. So he manages to get back from the adventure with a ton of cash on day 4 and realizes that he's going to be in town for a while. Can he just extend his time crafting for two more days and go for a +2 sword assuming he is the right level and can afford the cost difference?I would make him stop and start. I am assuming there is some fundamental difference between making a +1 and a +2. Is there an advantage to not stopping?
PS:There is not a written rule for this, most likely because the developers did not think of this occuring. It seems to be a DM call.
Just the time he already invested. It's effectively only one day so it doesn't matter in this case. If he was going from a +3 to a +4 sword, and he had done 7 days already, it could make a difference.
What if it was a cloak of minor displacement to a cloak of major displacement? Same thing?
I wouldn't have a problem with it.
Thought I would be more inclined to add in elvenkind (x1.5 cost). It's cheaper and I rather like the always active 20% miss chance vs the short duration 50% miss chance.
This is not an actual issue in my games. It's just something I was thinking about while on the can and I was looking for a conversation.
I am not sure if I understand your question...
Bob, Enchanter du Jour decides to make a marvelous new weapon for 'self defense' (He keeps getting attacked when he 'innocently' investigates Orc homes!)
He Isn't sure what he wants to do, and being very busy simply starts at the bottom: +1 Longsword. It costs him 1,000 gold in ingredients and 315 for the Masterwork Longsword that can only hope to contain the Awesome That Is Bob. As the enchantment's base cost is 2,000 it will take him two days. Bob gets his goods together and is ready to begin, but he will wait 'til tomorrow.
Late that night he gets a Crytal Ball Message (he sunscribes to Seer-Mobile, so it's a good network ;) ) that his bestest buddy, Shorty McBadcall needs his help! Bob gathers his gear, including the Enchnatment Goodies for his new weapon. He spends the next four days chasing damsels and saving dragons so only has a couple of hours to spare to get his new weapon completed. However, the last slain damsel had quite the horde of treasure!
Bob decides to sit down and improve his creation, he wants to have a really "cool" sword, so he decides to make it a +1 Frost Long Sword.
***
From that description, Bob is making a 1k gold, 2 days required +1 Longsword. If he spends the first four days 'on the road' he is only spending 2 hours per day towards his goal: each full day is 8 hours; his four 2hr days accrue to be one full day. Bob still needs to spend one day (8 hours) to complete his new sword. Now, Bob finishes his Sword (and rolls Craft-Weapon, or Spellcraft against a DC 8) and has a completed +1 Longsword.
Bob then takes his hard earned cash (that damsel was definitely tough!) and spends 3,000 gold to buy the ingredients for his planned upgrade. (A +2 Weapon would cost 8,000 and he has already invested 2,000. He must pay half the difference in supplies to further enchant his blade). He also has to spend six more days (the cost to improve the weapon is 6k, so six days) and then roll a DC 13 skill check.
***
Stage 1:
spend two hours per day for four day to accrue "one" day of work.
Stage 1(a):
spend one day (8 hours) to complete the +1 weapon
Stage 2:
Spend six days (eight hours each) to complete the add-on Frost effect
***
You can "speed up" the process by making each full day of work in 4 hours (so, two 'adventuring' days) by increasing the DC of your Skill Roll by 5. As you can only make one item each day, this only really seems to help when crafting and adventuring simultaneously.
Here is the relevant text from the PRD:
The creator also needs a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items. Creating an item requires 8 hours of work per 1,000 gp in the item's base price (or fraction thereof), with a minimum of at least 8 hours. Potions and scrolls are an exception to this rule; they can take as little as 2 hours to create (if their base price is 250 gp or less). Scrolls and potions whose base price is more than 250 gp, but less than 1,000 gp, take 8 hours to create, just like any other magic item. The character must spend the gold at the beginning of the construction process. Regardless of the time needed for construction, a caster can create no more than one magic item per day. This process can be accelerated to 4 hours of work per 1,000 gp in the item's base price (or fraction thereof) by increasing the DC to create the item by +5.
The caster can work for up to 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer each day, but the days need not be consecutive, and the caster can use the rest of his time as he sees fit. If the caster is out adventuring, he can devote 4 hours each day to item creation, although he nets only 2 hours' worth of work. This time is not spent in one continuous period, but rather during lunch, morning preparation, and during watches at night. If time is dedicated to creation, it must be spent in uninterrupted 4-hour blocks. This work is generally done in a controlled environment, where distractions are at a minimum, such as a laboratory or shrine. Work that is performed in a distracting or dangerous environment nets only half the amount of progress (just as with the adventuring caster).
I hope I got close to what you were asking ;)
GNOME
From that description, Bob is making a 1k gold, 2 days required +1 Longsword. If he spends the first four days 'on the road' he is only spending 2 hours per day towards his goal: each full day is 8 hours; his four 2hr days accrue to be one full day. Bob still needs to spend one day (8 hours) to complete his new sword. Now, Bob finishes his Sword (and rolls Craft-Weapon, or Spellcraft against a DC 8) and has a completed +1 Longsword.
Bob then takes his hard earned cash (that damsel was definitely tough!) and spends 3,000 gold to buy the ingredients for his planned upgrade. (A +2 Weapon would cost 8,000 and he has already invested 2,000. He must pay half the difference in supplies to further enchant his blade). He also has to spend six more days (the cost to improve the weapon is 6k, so six days) and then roll a DC 13 skill check.
Close. I'm thinking that he never makes the first check. He decides part way through the process that he wants something better and is willing to pay the extra cost.
In that case, I would say it depends on whether or not you see it as a process, or if it can be a done in one big *bang* as it were. From a player's perspective, I would rather do it in stages-that way I at least get a useable item for the interim. I don't think there is a restriction on using an item, mid craft. As in the example I gave, he could *adventure* with his +1 Longsword and make it cooler by night ;)
If the *specific* case were he was making a +1 Longsword, he bought and paid for the goods, and is working to that end. I would rule he has to roll to make his +1 Longsword and complete the Frost effect later. (that is two seperate 'enchantments' rolls and purchases.)
In any event, it is not a big deal; the end rusult is the same and it doesn't seem that it's a ploy to get more out of the system :D
GNOME
I didn't think it would be a scam of the system. Like I said, it was just something that popped in my head while on the can. I was hoping that it wouldn't be game breaking. I didn't think it would but I wanted to see if others thought the same thing.