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Hello. Building simple magic items is no problem, but I have an item in my game that I would like some help pricing out.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter how much it costs, its a special item for the campaign and each PC has one. Still, I am curious. And I would like the tutoring/help with design more complex items.
Here it is:
Amulet. (CL10)
* +1 Deflection to AC
* +2 to Diplomacy with Good & Neutral Fey
* -2 to Diplomacy with Evil Fey
* 3/day Light spell
* 1/Use Heal (If used, the item becomes non-magical)
* 1/Use Resurrection (This takes THREE amulets used in concert, all three become non-magical)
Notes/Thoughts:
* Basically I wanted the amulet to give the PCs a bonus for interacting positively with goodly fey and a penalty/intimidation factor with evil fey. Goodly fey are going to want to listen to, help and be friendly to the PCs, where as evil fey are going to want to attack. Is there a better way to reflect this than what I have above?
Thanks for your help in this.
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Hmmm, is the +/- to Diplomacy magical or does the amulet represent something to the Fey that they would know about in your campaign, so having one is like wearing a symbol of friendship for the good fey or something like that? Could be interesting as it'd still have those bonuses even if it was non-magical.
Price wise I'd say you've got about 3400 for the 1/3rd of the resurrection, maybe another 2 grand for Deflection to AC in a neck slot and the light. I'd price it maybe 4500-5500 depending on what you want.
* +1 Deflection to AC: 2000
* +2 to Diplomacy with Good & Neutral Fey
* -2 to Diplomacy with Evil Fey: 400, but you could probably cut this down since it's incredibly specific
* 3/day Light spell: 600
* 1/Use Heal (If used, the item becomes non-magical: 3000
* 1/Use Resurrection (This takes THREE amulets used in concert, all three become non-magical): Assuming the amulets were made together, and each has a part of the material requirement, 4500
So, you're looking at a grand total of about 10100 gold. If I did the math right, and I'm fairly certain I did.
* +1 Deflection to AC: 2000
* +2 to Diplomacy with Good & Neutral Fey
* -2 to Diplomacy with Evil Fey: 400, but you could probably cut this down since it's incredibly specific* 3/day Light spell: 600
* 1/Use Heal (If used, the item becomes non-magical: 3000
* 1/Use Resurrection (This takes THREE amulets used in concert, all three become non-magical): Assuming the amulets were made together, and each has a part of the material requirement, 4500
So, you're looking at a grand total of about 10100 gold. If I did the math right, and I'm fairly certain I did.
Okay I'd love for you to show me how that math comes out, because as I've been wracking my brain all afternoon, I come up with completely different number and I'll show you my exact math.
+1 Deflection = bonus squared x 2,000 = 2,000
+2 Diplomacy = bonus squared x 100 = 400 (as you say could be lowered because of the balancing negative)
3/day light = spell level (1 because zeros get rounded up to 1) x caster level (10 as per OP) x 1,800 (because every member of the party has to be able to use it which makes it a command word because any other kind requires the wearer to have that particular spell on their list) = 18,000
1 Use Heal = spell level (6) x caster level (10) x 1,800 (again because everyone needs to be able to use it, even though it is just single use) = 108,000
1 Use Resurrection (in consort with two other items) = spell level (7) x caster level (10) x 1,800 (again so everyone can use it) = 126,000 which gets divided by 3 for it's one-third part of the spell for a total of 42,000
All of this then gets divided by 1.6 (5 divided by 3) which I round up to 2, for the charges per day for the light spell (if that's how that actually works, which I've never been sure of when your talking about a multiple use item).
In which case my math (as convoluted as it is) comes out to 85,200 gp.
I'd appreciate any and all help with where/if I screwed up because calculating magic item cost has always been one of my major downfalls as a GM.
3/day light = spell level (1 because zeros get rounded up to 1) x caster level (10 as per OP) x 1,800 (because every member of the party has to be able to use it which makes it a command word because any other kind requires the wearer to have that particular spell on their list) = 18,000
I did miss something in my original calculation, but that was recording numbers wrong. That 600 for light should have been 6000. Even using command word, your math is a little off. Light is a 0 level spell, which means you use half the value of a first level spell.
.5 x 10 x 1800 = 9000Then you do the uses on it.
9000 / (5/3) = 5400.
The uses only count for that part, not the whole item.
For the heal and Resurrection parts, I was using the rules for single use, use activated instead of command word.
Either way, magic item creation rules are stupidly complex. I try to ignore them when possible.
Deflection Bonus is simple: 2,000 gp
The diplomacy modifier, I'd personal handwave as an effect that is granted from *seeing* the amulet, and not have it be a magical effect at all
For the light effect, I know you say caster level 10, but I'd have this applied as a CL 1 effect, Use Activated. For that it would be 1,000 gp/5 (charges per day) for 200 gp, x3 (number of uses): 600 gp. Also, this is a secondary effect, so multiply it x1.5 for 900gp.
Now you've got a +1 Amulet of Deflection that casts light 3x/day for 2900 GP. That seems fairly reasonable.
A single use 'Heal' spell is a 6th level spell, so will require CL 11. For that, I'd call it a single use, use-activated ability that would cost: 6x11x50: 3,300 gp. In addition, there is a material component cost of destroying a 2,900 gp magical item to activate.
A single use 'Resurrection' spell is a 7th level spell. Making this a single-use, use-activated ability will cost 7x13x50gp: 4,550 gp. In addition, it needs 10,000 gp worth of diamond dust. So 14,550/3, or 4,850 gp per amulet. This requires the destruction of three separate 2,900 gp magic items to activate.
Because of the one-use/destroys the item functions of the heal and the resurrection, I'd charge those powers at a significantly lower rate. I would probably value this item at 7,000 or so GP... they take a neck slot, and you will never get to use both spell effects out of them, so it seems silly to 'charge you' for something you'll never use. With the actual rules, you'd end up with:
2,000 * 1.5 (deflection)
600 * 1.5 (light)
3,300 *1.5 (heal)
4,850 (1/3 of a rez)
For a total of 13,700 ... but you'd be better served by making separate items for more functionality AND a lower cost. So I'd give a break to this item because of that. I don't believe you'd need to use more expensive methods for the activations, personally.
Either way, magic item creation rules are stupidly complex. I try to ignore them when possible.
I totally agree. I've never used so much math in my life, and when I was done I felt dumber than when I started. Stupidly complex, is exactly how I'd describe them.