Hello, my mage got scared by his first encounter with some vampire spawn, and is afraid their is worse on the horizon. He has the Craft Wondrous Item feat, and I was thinking this may be a reasonable first self-designed magic item.
Only is it reasonable? I don't know if having a continuous detect undead is breaking things, but I did cut some abilities out and figure the DM can get around it if he really wants too.... Comments welcome.
Obsidian Earing
Aura faint divination; CL 1st
Slot –; Price 5600 gp; Weight –
Description
This earing appears as a polished obsidian stone set in a gold or silver setting. Any good-aligned creature that wears the earing will hear whispered warnings when the undead are near and will become immediately aware of the presence of undead within 60’. Additional information is available should the wearer of the ring concentrate as described below. The whispers of the earing are in the wearers mind and not audible to others.
1st round: When the user spends a full round action to concentrate, he can determine the number of undead auras and the strength of the strongest undead detected as per the table at the bottom of this entry. If the strongest undead aura’s strength is overwhelming, and the creature has HD of twice the wearer’s HD, the wearer is stunned for 1 round and subsequently can no longer use the benefits of the earing for 24 hours.
2nd round: Should the wearer maintain concentration, requiring a standard action every subsequent round, he can determine the direction of the undead aura’s, and whether they are moving closer or further away. Concentrating in this manner is similar to concentrating on a cast spell, which is subject to interruption if the user takes damage or any other appropriate circumstance as described in the standard rules. Users add their intelligence modifier + 1 when making saves to continue concentrating. While concentrating the wearer can move and talk normally, but cannot take standard actions.
HD - Strength
1 or lower - Faint
2-4 - Moderate
5-10 - Strong
11 or higher - Overwhelming
1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt can block the detection abilities of the obsidian earing. The wearer gains no benefit until after having worn the earing for 24 hours. If a non-good creature wears the earing it is silent and behaves like an ordinary earing.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic; Cost 2800 gp
(Cost detail: Continuous use spell – spell level (1) x caster level (1) x 2000 gp x 2 for 1 min/level spell; requires user to be of good alignment reduces cost by 30%; no space limitation = entire cost doubles.)
No slot items generally cost double.
Since it's a 1 minute per level spell price should double from that too.
Beyond that I think it would be fine, especially since it doesn't get rid of the need to concentrate to use the ability.
No slot items generally cost double.
Since it's a 1 minute per level spell price should double from that too.
Beyond that I think it would be fine, especially since it doesn't get rid of the need to concentrate to use the ability.
Thanks for the comment, I did put the x2 multiplier in there but I can see why it isn't easy to find.... :)
I see it now -- generally I don't assume that there will be a deduction for alignment items unless there is an actual drawback for anyone else trying to use it (such as gaining a negative level while it is there) and if I'm a PC I definitely assume anything that I make that I can use I won't get any deductions for (especially on class, race or alignment restrictions) as most GMs just see them as a cheap means of reducing costs without any ill effect to the player.
Wouldn't detect undead make more sense than detect magic for the spell requirements?
Since both spells are the same level, it doesn't make a difference for the cost.
I agree the alignment-restriction discount shouldn´t be used...
Really, just because an alignment restriction doesn´t make sense for the item itself,
Detect Undead isn´t more or less relevant to Good or Evil characters.
Otherwise, good job on the item, it seems like something such a character would like to make after that type of encounter.
I'll just +1 the removal of the alignment restriction and the double of cost, unless you have it count as either the face or head item.
Hello, yes, that should be a detect undead spell in the requirements, I mistyped.
I think I will go with making it use a slot, probably the head or neck slot. I agree with the Admiral, that this would be abusive slotless... you could create dozens of low level effects and carry them around.
The alignment restriction IS a cheap way to reduce cost, and honestly that is the only reason I used it. (Though I am not sure what spell effects would naturally indicate alignment restrictions.) If I factor that out I come up with:
(Cost detail: Continuous use spell – spell level (1) x caster level (1) x 2000 gp x 2 for 1 min/level spell)
That equals 4000 base, 2000 construction.
A very minor note: "Earring" has 2 rs.
Just in case you submit it somewhere.