My DM asked our party to each design a unique magic item which would be so tailored to our characters as to seem to have been made especially for them. The price limit on the item is 9000 gold. (I am assuming this is market price, and not cost to create) My character is a fighter with two-weapon fighting, and specialising in daggers. (pretty evenly balanced between melee and ranged)
The item I came up with is a bandoleer which works much like the Efficient Quiver, except that it does not have a space for arrows or bows, but has one space which holds up to 40 daggers and dagger-shaped weapons, one which holds up to 18 weapons of approximately the same shape and size as a javelin, and one space which holds up to 40 potions and similar items, such as holy water, acid flasks and alchemist fire.
In addition, when a weapon is drawn from the bandoleer, it immediately has the spell Magic Weapon cast on it with a caster-level of 1. This is the part I need help with - The rules say that a spell effect which is use-activated and unlimited-use costs caster-level x spell level x 2000, but one which is constant, and based on a spell whose effect is minutes-per-level, costs double that much. The item will have other similar spell effects, depending on how expensive this effect is, so as not to exceed the 9000 gold price limit.
My question is: is drawing a weapon from a wondrous item designed to hold weapons like a scabbard or quiver a valid way to use-activate the item? It seems to me that such an activation may break the RAW, as a character with the quick-draw feat and/or two-weapon-fighting could draw more than one weapon per round, (and of course this is the intended use of the item) and I seem to remember that the rules say an item with spell-like abilities can not reduce the casting time of the effect below the casting time listed in the equivalent spell description.
If this is a violation of the rules for use-activated spell-like abilities on wondrous items, would making it a constant effect, and doubling the price of the effect, solve the problem of being able to activate a spell-like ability, which would normally take a standard action, as a free-action?
Ok, so it seems that so far the people who have replied think that it is fine for a use-activated effect to be triggered more than once in a round, ignoring the casting time requirement of the spell Magic Weapon, which this item is duplicating the effect of. So, let me give a breakdown of the cost of the item in two different versions, one which is use-activated, and one which is constant effect:
Bladestorm Bandoleer V 1:
2/day Bless Weapon when weapon is drawn -
caster level 4 x spell level 1 x 2000 = 8000
divide by 2.5 because only 2 uses per day
3200
1/day Align Weapon when weapon is drawn -
caster level 3 x spell level 2 x 2000 = 12000
divide by 5, because only one use per day = 2400
multiply by .75 because this is the second most
expensive related effect
1800
unlimited uses per day Magic weapon when weapon is drawn
caster level 1 x spell level 1 x 2000 = 2000
divide by 2, because this is the third most
expensive related effect
1000
3 types of extra dimensional spaces for specifically
sized items, essentially identical to Efficient
Quiver = 1800
multiply by 1.5 because effect is unrelated to most
expensive effect
2700
Total Cost: 8700
Bladestorm Bandoleer V 2:
constant effect Magic Weapon when weapon is drawn
caster level 1 x spell level 1 x 2000 = 2000
multiply by 2 because it is a constant effect which
duplicates a spell with a duration of minutes/level
4000
2/day Bless weapon on command (once per round max)
caster level 4 x spell level 1 x 2000 = 8000
divide by 2.5 because only 2/day = 3200
multiply by .75 because second most expensive
related effect
2400
3 types of extra dimensional spaces for specifically
sized items, essentially identical to Efficient
Quiver = 1800
multiply by 1.5 because effect is unrelated to most
expensive effect
2700
Total Cost: 9100
So, which of those two sounds like it is correct according to RAW, or do both seem like munchkin shenanigans to anyone?
Moderator: please don't move this to House Rules section, this is a thread specifically about Rules as Written
The magic item rules are really guidelines, and not rules. Even some of the official items don't match up price wise if you use the formulas in the book.
Many people don't feel comfortable saying use the book as written for that reason, and that might be why no suggestions are here.
Now if you want the RAW price, and you don't care if it is under or over priced then I would put that disclaimer in there.
As to your question about activation, there is no RAW answer because it is up to the creator of the item to decide how it works. Once you(the creator) decides how it works that should factor into the price. This is especially true with custom-made items like the one you are listing.
My suggestion:
If the weapon becomes magical every time it is drawn I would use the constant formula.
If you intend for an action to be used I would say it is use activated.
Wraithstrike,
You cut to the heart of the question. I agree with you that the constant formula should be used, but I want opinions (or even a canonical answer from devs if they feel like it) because this is for my character, so if I am wrong, and use-activated is fine for weapons having Magic Weapon cast on them when they are drawn, then I want to know, because that means I can add another effect for the same price and give myself an even nicer item :)
This thread has been moved, because it is not a rules question. Creating new magic items that are not in existing books is homebrew.
As is pricing of said items, because it is an art as much as a science.
This thread is locked. Please use the original thread on this topic.