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There is something goofy about the war lance presented in Knights of the Inner Sea.
Aura moderate abjuration; Slot none; Price 10,310 gp; Weight 10 lbs.; CL 8th
Shorter and thicker than most lances, this +3 lance has a full-sized shield worked into the vamplate, though it is too heavy to count as a shield for shield bash and similar maneuvers, and does not automatically grant the wielder a shield bonus to AC. However, a war lance grants the wielder and her steed a +2 shield bonus to AC when the wielder is mounted.
So, it's basically a +3 lance with a shield stuck on it... except that it only costs 10,310. A +3 lance without a shield stuck on it runs you 18,310.
Seems like this has to be a mistake. Either the war lance should have no enhancement bonus (in which case it would be priced correctly), or it should be much more expensive.
I think the assumption with some magical items is that they are mass produced and thus cheaper. Something like this war lance is going to very desirable and thus common.
how is a lance with no enhancement bonus going to cost you 10 grand?????????????
Without the enhancement bonus, the lance gives you a +2 shield bonus to AC. Although the fluff description mentions a physical shield built into the vambrace, this is still clearly a magical effect (you have to work a shield spell into the construction of it).
According to magic item creation rules, crafting a non-deflection AC bonus into a magic item costs the bonus squared times 2,500 gp. That means a +2 shield bonus would cost 10,000 gp. Add in 300 to make it masterwork, plus 10 for the base price of the lance, and you get 10,310 -- the exact cost of the war lance as written.
So the real question is why adding an armor bonus to a +3 lance would subtract 8,000 gp from the price, which is what the war lance as written actually does.
again, likely because it is just a +3 lance that has an extra bonus when it is used while mounted. IT IS NOT a PERMANENT bonus.
Even if it is a temporary bonus, it is still something added to a standard +3 lance. It does more than a standard +3 lance. It is, to whatever slight degree you wish to argue, better than a standard +3 lance. And yet it only costs half as much as a standard +3 lance.
again, likely because it is just a +3 lance that has an extra bonus when it is used while mounted. IT IS NOT a PERMANENT bonus.Even if it is a temporary bonus, it is still something added to a standard +3 lance. It does more than a standard +3 lance. It is, to whatever slight degree you wish to argue, better than a standard +3 lance. And yet it only costs half as much as a standard +3 lance.
There has to be something missing, because as written you're right, it makes no sense.
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| 3 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Looking at the actual section in the book, it would seem that the problem is that the prices for the War Lance and the Knight Captain's Lance (which directly precedes it) are swapped. The Knight Captain's Lance is a +2 lance that is slightly more expensive than a +3, while the War Lance is a +3 that is slightly more expensive than a +2 (while being better than a +3 lance in every way).
If you are straddling a chair or table (mounted) can you use it at full capacity?
If you are straddling a chair or table (mounted) can you use it at full capacity?
Or if you are stuffed and mounted on someone's wall?
Stuffed animal mount?