Command Word Uses Per Day

[GreenLanternMike]

I am a little unclear on magic item creation and I have a player wanting to make an item and I want to give a correct ruling on it.

He is a wizard wanting to make a glove that has a command word to activate the 1st level spell "shield" on the wearer, giving them a +4 shield bonus to AC for the duration of the spell.

Now with command word, the cost to create this item would be Spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp (so 1 x 1 x 1800).

He wants to use command word to activate it because he does not want a continuous bonus, but he is saying that this would be able to be activated an unlimited number of times per day with a duration each activation of 1 minute. Is this correct?

[meowstef]

a command word magic item could be unlimited times a day or for the same cost it could be 5 times each day or double the cost if you want it useable 10 times

in short the rules for creating custom magic items are something that often needs to be sanity checked per DM

[Starglim]

A command word item should also apply the adjustment for charges per day. The example of a command word item, the cape of the mountebank, functions once per day and has a cost of (spell level 4 x caster level 7 x 1,800gp x 1/5).

Most likely, an item that works an unlimited number of times per day should be costed as continuous, depending on what its effect actually does if activated numerous times.

[mdt]

Starglim wrote:

A command word item should also apply the adjustment for charges per day. The example of a command word item, the cape of the mountebank, functions once per day and has a cost of (spell level 4 x caster level 7 x 1,800gp x 1/5).

Most likely, an item that works an unlimited number of times per day should be costed as continuous, depending on what its effect actually does if activated numerous times.

Yes, if it's command word activated, but it can be activated an unlimited number of times per day, then it's priced as a continuous effect. He can still say it's activated/deactivated whenever he wants to. A continuous item effect is not 'Always On', it's 'Always on when you want it to be on'.

However, for your specific item, you should instead price it off an existing item. Ring of Force Shield, 8,500. Call it a glove, takes up the hands slot instead of the ring slot, and is usable at will.