Crafting a Robe of Useful Items

[Name Violation]

My search-fu failed me....

Robe of useful Items

info in question

"In addition, the robe has several other patches. Roll 4d4 for the number of other patches and then roll for each patch on the table below to determine its nature."

Does the crafter pick how many or what, or is it a a surprize to them too?

[HaraldKlak]

Name Violation wrote:

Does the crafter pick how many or what, or is it a a surprize to them too?

It kind of have to be random.

Otherwise you would see a lot people spending 3500 gp creating robes with 16000 gp worth of gems...

I expect the price of the robe to be based on the limited usefulness of the random items. Allowing the creator to choose, makes it much better.

[redd]

I know this is an older thread, however this is how I perceive the Robe of Useful Items.
When the Robe is created it is enchanted to suspend the duration of the Shrink Item Spell. From then on all a Wizard has to do is cast a shrink item on, say a 10x10x10 pit convert it to the cloth like patch and affix it to the robe.
The Robe isn't created with 4D4 patches. It's created with no patches and then the shrunken items are collected.

[LazarX]

redd wrote:

I know this is an older thread, however this is how I perceive the Robe of Useful Items.

When the Robe is created it is enchanted to suspend the duration of the Shrink Item Spell. From then on all a Wizard has to do is cast a shrink item on, say a 10x10x10 pit convert it to the cloth like patch and affix it to the robe.
The Robe isn't created with 4D4 patches. It's created with no patches and then the shrunken items are collected.

It's created with patches. If it was done as you said, then you'd be able to replace patches that you use, which is specifically contraindicated by the item text. The caster chooses how many patches there are and what they are, the variable dice reflect that when the robes are FOUND, they will vary in content and amount.

[redd]

I'm well aware what the book says, LazarX, I choose to work it this way in my world. When creating one, I clear it with the DM first.

[Pizza Lord]

The number of patches and their contents are random, otherwise any caster would just choose 10 gems (100 gp) each and even at a minimum of 4 patches would come out with 4,000 gp on a 3,500 gp robe. That's before selling the robe for half-price of whatever it might be worth with all the automatic patches still on it.

While an item like a helm of brilliance should require the adorning gems to be used in the manufacture of the item, I see no supporting rule that items which create other items need to have those items available at creation. Wall of stone items don't require being pre-loaded with actual stone and sustaining spoons don't require cauldrons of gruel to be prepared during crafting (although there's no reason such a ritual couldn't exist in any given DM's campaign) It's just not in the rules and not indicated or hinted at in the item's description, which is where it would have to be.

Otherwise, as noted by HaraldKlak, your first 10 robes would be 16 patches of 10 gems.