Ring of Enlarge Person + Shield

[Duskblade]

Okay, now that I've gotten into the habit of looking up 'custom magic items', I was hoping if someone could double-check my math.

Now, according to the chart for making magic items, I am trying to make a ring that grants the continuous effects (activated by a free action) of the Shield spell and the Enlarge Person spell.

If my math is correct, in order to put these two ability into a ring, I need to figure out their individual cost first.

So, for a magic item of continuous enlarge person, the cost would be 4000gp (CL 1 x SL 1 x 2000 x 2 for 1 minute per level).

Then, for an item of continuous Shield, the cost would also be 4000gp (CL 1 x SL 1 x 2000 x 2 for 1 minute per level).

Now, in order to combine effects, I multiply the lower item (in this case, either one of them) by 1.5.

so 1.5 x 4000 equals 6000gp.

After that, I add the 4000gp to 6000 gp...giving me this:

Ring of Gigantic Defense - As a swift action, the wearer of this ring gains the constant benefits of the Enlarge Person and Shield spell. These effects may be dismissed as a swift action.
Cost: 10000 gp

Again, is this correct? Or did I overlook something?

[Skylancer4]

Grossly underpriced. For swift action activation both effects should be factored in as quickened (both spell level and minimum caster level jumps for both).

Even then you should be using the math for adding to AC and then some for the 'shield' effect and then a STR increase plus some for the enlarge. Spells that grant similar effects typically come out cheaper which is why custom items are so tricky.

Honestly you should just work it out with the GM as they need to okay it and price it as they see fit for their game.

[Spacelard]

Yeah... a +4 shield is 16K and a Brooch of Shielding is 1.5K so why would something which is actually better than that be cheaper?

Creation rules are goofy. You need to talk it through with your GM and see what is already out there as a starting price guide.

[ryric]

The item design rules are there as guidelines, not as exact formulas. There is a reason that steps like "compare to existing items" are there. Honestly the guidelines are there so that GMs can create custom items for their games, not so players can go nuts making super powerful stuff. (not claiming your item here is super powerful, just underpriced)

Let's look at what you get:
+4 shield bonus to AC
immune to magic missile
+2 size bonus to Strength
-2 Dexterity
Large size(-1 to hit, -1 AC, +1 CMB/CMD, reach)
Can turn on/off as swift action (so the penalties of being large don't matter when you don't want them too)

Based on items that do similar stuff, I estimate:
32000 for the shield bonus (ring of force shield is 8500 for a +2 shield bonus)
3000 for the immunity (brooch of shielding that never wears out)
8000 for the Strength (standard for non-enhancement bonuses)
-2000 for the Dex penalty (half of what a +2 would cost seems reasonable)
4000 seems about right for Large size

So we get 32000+(3000+8000+4000)*1.5 - 2000
=52500 gp for your ring.

The last step is reality check - is that price way off the mark in terms of utility. This ring is a two-handed melee guy's dream item. Compare to a ring of protection +5, also at 50k, and any offence-oriented fighter I build would much rather have your ring here. So it's probably still a tiny bit under-priced, but 52500 gp seems like the right ballpark.

[Matt2VK]

You forgot to factor in the increase in weapon damage and reach, due to it's size increase. Which is why your 52500 gp price is still slightly underpriced.

I have no idea on what to price that at.

[Winterwalker]

Just my 2 cents here. Though as a player I try to get this past my GM all the time, when I DM I look for this and sometimes let innocent stuff pass, but gross violations are stamped out.

A general rule of thumb I like to follow when pricing them is what they recommend by comparing them to other items, which the books also recommend you do.

In the case of shield there are very clear examples of what a bonus of +1 to +4 should cost by comparing them to other items already premade that provide the same bonuses. Stuff like bracers or armor +1 though +4, etc.

There is wiggle room, but saying it costs only 2,000 gp market price for a constant level 1 effect that also provides a +4 ac bonus, and immunity to magic missiles, is grossly under priced to the point everyone in the game should have one, npcs and pcs alike.

I created a similar enlarge person item, though from the rules mine is a command word, which is a standard action to trigger. Making that a swift should definitely cost more as that's better than what you could normally do with the system.

[Ascalaphus]

As a ground rule, no custom item should be cheaper than an item with similar function that's equal or weaker in power.

Also, when determining pricing, check the formulas for bonuses; only if the effect does something not covered by those, use spell pricing instead.

[Ravingdork]

A ring of force shield grants only a +2 shield bonus and is 8,500gp, so no, you aren't getting a +4 shield bonus and other benefits for a mere 10,000gp.