Hello again,
I'm again confused by the "multiple abilities" in the Magic Item Creation rules. Can you tell me if the following data is correct?
1) "Similar" abilities mean abilities belonging to a single category among the following:
- Ability bonus
- Armor bonus
- Bonus spell
- AC bonus
- Natural armor bonus
- Save bonus
- Skill bonus
- Spell effect
- Spell resistance
- Weapon bonus
2) An item "that doesn't take space on a character's body" means slotless (including most if not all weapons, wands, staves, and rods).
3) Slotless item with similar abilities: most costly first + 75% second + 50% third and others
4) Slotless item with different abilities: first + 150% second and others
5) Pricing weapons has specific rules, where a fixed price is constant. Otherwise, we could infer from (2) and (4) that adding "Dueling" (for instance) would add 21k to the price (14k x 150%).
6) Slotted item with similar abilities: add all values together
7) Slotted item with different abilities: add all values together
8) Table vs. text: table says "Multiple different abilities : Multiply lower item cost by 1.5"; text says "additional power [...] has a 50% increase". If by RAW text overrides table, such items should be created with the most costly ability first.
There is a specific example in the following rules: add invisibility to a ring of protection +2, by paying the invisibility cost +50%. This gives a ring costing 18k to craft instead of 16k if I were to craft Invisibility first (or if I use the table data).
9) Intelligence is not an ability (pun not intented): all costs in the "Intelligent Item" section are fixed.
Thank you.
If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character's body, the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection 2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.
Multiple Similar Abilities: For items with multiple similar abilities that don't take up space on a character's body, use the following formula: Calculate the price of the single most costly ability, then add 75% of the value of the next most costly ability, plus 1/2 the value of any other abilities.
Multiple Different Abilities: Abilities such as an attack roll bonus or saving throw bonus and a spell-like function are not similar, and their values are simply added together to determine the cost. For items that take up a space on a character's body, each additional power not only has no discount but instead has a 50% increase in price.
10) what about slotless items with several sets of similar abilities? For instance, imagine a rod that can cast a level 1 spell once per day (1x1x1800/5=360gp... all the monetary amounts here are "base price").
- At one point, we add a +2 skill bonus (2x2x100=400gp). These are different abilities, and the the item would cost 360+400x150%=960gp. Not 400+360x150% since the skill bonus is crafted after.
- At one later point, we add another spell once per day (ability similar to the first) but it's level 2 with CL 3. It costs more than the first so the price of those spell abilities is now 2x3x1800/5 + 75% of 360 = 2430 gp. We are not adding a "different ability" so we won't multiply by 150% the difference in price with the first spell ability. The skill bonus price stays the same, and the whole item now costs 2430+400x150%=3030gp.
- Some time later, we add a +5 bonus to another skill (5x5x100=2500gp). Same as before, it's an ability similar to one that's already in the item, so we compute the most costly first: 2500+400x75%=2800gp, which we must increase by 50% since it's not the first ability in the item. The whole item has now a price of 2430+2800x150%=6630gp.
- And yet again, we add another property, giving the user a +1 save bonus when the item is held. This costs 1000gp x 150% since it's another different ability. The item has now a price of 8130gp.
Still with me so far? Now... is this correct?
You seem to have a pretty good grasp of the item creation guidelines. I'll admit right now that I have not crunched the numbers on all of your examples to make sure they're correct - there's really no need for me to, with what I want to say, which is two points:
1) Item costing is an art form, not a science. Always, always, always review the final cost you calculate and compare it to similarly priced items from the CRB to adjust the cost. It's generally better to price an item too high than too low.
2) Creating a new item is slightly different to adding a power to an already existing item. You've already identified that apparent discrepancy, in what you've said. It is NOT a discrepancy. When an item is created in one go, it is cheapest to apply the most expensive enchantment first, then the rest. But when adding to an already enchanted item, the cost works out a little differently (you spotted the text vs table difference). My only advice is "do it in order". But don't forget my first point.
1) Similar abilities: the "only" exemple is the staff
I don't think it would be a good thing to affect this to other magic items
see here
Have not seen that thread. Going through...
But I agree: just saw Belts/Headbands increasing stats, and the formula includes +50% for the second stat. So "multiple similar abilities" is very rare (except for Staves, as you said).
All this for two situations: following WBL when creating custom magic items for experienced players (you know them, those who have seen everything and read every rule in the book), and also crafting items with a limited budget (as a player who has a GM who doesn't have time to read the whole section on magic items).
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I wanted to chime in on this 'slotless' thing I keep seeing get thrown around.
This typically applies to the Wondrous Item created items... (though not always) ...not weapons, wands, staves, rods, etc. Those don't have 'slots' per say. Their function to be used, or activation, is typically held in your hand or wielded. If you look at the avialable slots under the magic item creation guide, there's no such slot as the things mentioned above. So don't apply slotless to a wand or sword, that's just silly. It'll also increase the cost by x2 for no reason, what does a slotless wand get you if it was legal? You didn't have a wand slot to begin with.
Do apply it to something like an ion stone, which just floats around your head, or a special pair of slim gloves that can still be worn under gauntlets, or a silk headband that can easily be worn under a magic helmet, etc.
I'd comment more, but this whole slotless thing is really throwing my mojo off when I try to understand what's trying to be made.
If you had some specific examples of items you were trying to build I could apply better feedback.
"Multiple similar abilities" and "multiple different abilities" are very confusing ways to phrase a simple concept: an item with two abilities might be better than two separate items, or it might be worse than two separate items.
For instance, a ring that can shoot either cold rays or fire rays is worse than two separate rings (one shooting cold and one shooting fire). Why? Because if you had two rings you could give one to your buddy and thus get twice the benefit by using them both at the same time.
On the other hand, a ring that protects the wearer from both cold and fire is better than two separate rings. Why? Because you can benefit from both at the same time (e.g. one wizard hits you with a fireball while another wizard hits you with a cone of cold) and yet it only takes up a single slot.
Maybe they should be labelled "one ability at a time" and "multiple abilities at once" instead. Cf. the idea of Multipowers and Elemental Controls in the Champions/HERO RPG.
Words of wisdom from Hogarth, there. However, the pricing guidelines don't cover it in those terms, so GM discretion is required. Generally speaking, however, if an item does more than one thing at any one time, it should cost more than separate items that do the same things, particularly for "slot items" ("non-slot items" have their big advantage eaten up in the increased cost, and are more vulnerable to being dispelled, so there's some leeway in them when it comes to hiking the price for more powers).