Instant Fortress modifying...

[Manilas]

Hey all,

As the title says, I'd like to modify the Instant Fortress wondrous item.

I love the item but it's size does not fit what I have plan for my character in a friends game (18th level sorcerer incase some are wondering, so epic spells are not that far away also).

I'm ready to loose the Adamantine walls and go with lesser materials.

I was thinking along the way of using Wall of Stone and/or Wall of Iron to build it's structure.

Use Mage's Magnificient Mansion for the Instant growing/reducing effect (or another spell if one of you has a suggestion).

And why not add some cool utility spells like Alarm, Sanctuary, Consecrate and the other similar utility spells that would affect my Stronghold when it is activated.

So, how would you guys/girls would price it's creation (the structure, the growing/reducing effect and the utility spells).

I don't plan on buying it outright fully builded, I would build it over time (same as adding new abilities to existant magical items).

[Turin the Mad]

Instant Fortresses are a fun item. So far I've seen one official variant published.

I would figure that the best thing to add accomodations would be the magnificent mansion to do the furnishing and expanding the useable area within. Additional furnishings would probably warrant fabricate and major creation along with the necessary Craft and perhaps Profession skills to integrate the features into the fortress.

I'd absolutely allow a PC to trick out an instant fortress, they're fun items and are an excellent "gold sink". :)

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Something along the lines of a

Sandstone Redoubt:

Aura strong conjuration; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 121,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

DESCRIPTION

This small sandstone sculpture depicts a finely detailed fort. When activated by speaking a command word, it grows to form a small redoubt. The walls are a 40 x 40 feet square and 15 feet high with a crenellated battlement around the top. Each corner has a tower measuring 10 foot wide, 25 feet high and opens into the courtyard inside the wall. The sandstone walls and towers extend 10 feet into the ground, rooting it to the spot and preventing it from being tipped over. The wall has a huge iron door which can be secured with a bar. The sandstone inner sanctum is 20 x 20 foot square, 15 foot tall, and has an iron door that opens only at the command of the owner of the redoubt—even knock spells can't open the door. The location of the inner sanctum inside the wall is selected when the sandstone redoubt is activated.

The magically treated sandstone is two foot thick in all locations with 360 hit points and a hardness of 16. 5 cubic feet of the redoubt can be repaired or modified using sandstone with a DC 23 Profession (stonemason) check, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and costing 1000 gp.

The redoubt springs up in just 1 round, with the huge iron door in the wall facing the device's owner. The door opens and closes instantly at his command. People and creatures nearby (except the owner) must be careful not to be caught by the redoubt’s sudden growth. Anyone so caught takes 10d10 points of damage (Reflex DC 19 half).

The redoubt is deactivated by speaking a command word (different from the one used to activate it). All items inside the inner sanctum and towers or permanently mounted [DC 20 Knowledge (engineering) check] to the sandstone are stored when the redoubt is deactivated. It cannot be deactivated with any creatures inside.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, mage's magnificent mansion, secret chest; Cost 65,000 gp

[Dabbler]

We picked up what we thought was an Instant Fortress in an Eberron game. When we used it, it transpired we had an instant rest-room instead.

That DM was always good for a giggle...

[Manilas]

Cool item Thomas, thanks for the example.

But what I was looking for is for example, if I buy the wondrous item Instant Fortress and would like to add another floor or a 10 ft square building connected at the base, how would you calculate the pricing for the creation?

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Here is a stab in the dark for pricing then...

Spell Lvl x Caster Lvl x Command Word = Price
7th Lvl (mage's magnificent mansion) x 13th Lvl x 1,800 = 163,800 gp

At that caster level you should be able to create 39 ten foot cubes. Each ten foot cube then costs about 4,200 gp.

The instant fortress is about 12 cubes (not counting the underground walls) x 4,200 gp each = 50,500 gp. Adding another cube (broken down into pieces for the underground walls) adds another 4,200 gp bringing the total to 54,700 gp, rounding up neatly to 55,000 gp.

I lost a few SAN points on that one and need to seek a psyurgeon.

[Manilas]

Nice, now that is what I was looking for. It was just odd for me making that calculation of command word items and ending up at 163,800gp but the fortress costing 55,000gp. I was like, how did they ever calculate it.