I've been cooking up a few magic items for our campaign(I have the magic item creation feat) and was under the impression that the item would at least be only used by my party (save for if someone did like some sort of spellcheck to analyze it). Recently my GM told me otherwise, and had the full intention of using all of the items that i've created against my party. I only really worry that my character's nemesis will own ALL of the items that i have made in order to counter him.
My question to you guys, is how can i make it possible so that the items i have created are narrowed, as in less people can use them. Specifically, I need a way to make my items usable by Magus Kensais only, is there a way to do that in the rulebook? I apparently cant just add a stipulation in the item...
There's rules that exist for this already.
"Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use: Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the price by 30%."
It's a cheesy rule that can be exploited though. Why not make every item specific to yourself and save another 30% of cost.
The situation isn't entirely clear to me. Which of the following is it: - The character crafted several normal magic items and you are worried about an NPC stealing them and using them against you
- You (the player) invented several custom magic items and are worried about the DM stealing them and using them against you
If it's the former, use the magic item creation rules Khrysaor posted. If it's the latter, first talk to your GM expressing your concerns. Should talking with him fail, hitting him with a copyright-infringment lawsuit is your only option. ;)
It's the latter, and I my GM says for those rules to apply there must be a reason, like it only functions because of a specific aspect of the class(like a glove that would mimic spell recall to a lesser degree for Kensai) so he won't allow me to just slap on restrictions since he said enemies will just make copies they can use. I was hoping there might be some rule, exploit or restriction that I could use to reduce the amount of ppl able to use them.
The custom magic item section is noted, several times, that they are guidelines.
Not a cold, hard formula.
To clarify, you're saying that your character is making custom items, and the enemy is, possibly, going to make his own copies of these items, yes?
There's no real way to shut such a case down. Any items you make are subject to GM approval. If the GM wants to use them as well, he can, and if he wants to make any modifications to them, he can. Saying 'It only works for this specific class' means nothing if your GM makes a copy and says that one doesn't have the restriction.
Context on this might be important. What is the reason for you to worry (seemingly with good reason) about a nemesis using these exact same items? Are they spying on you or in some other way getting these items directly from your creating them in the first place (i.e. they actually can't just make them themselves and need to copy exactly what you made)?
If it's part of the story, then coming up with a way to foil your nemesis may be good. If the GM is just meaning he'll make use of them, then I don't know what to tell ya.
blackbloodtroll wrote: The custom magic item section is noted, several times, that they are guidelines.
Not a cold, hard formula.
Just to clarify on this, since everyone loves throwing around the term guideline when it comes to crafting, this is only in reference to Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values. The rule that I quoted above is a rule, but there is nothing to stop a GM from increasing the cost of an item with reference to the table to counteract the 30% decrease for class specific items.
If your GM won't allow you to make items with class restrictions, it is fiat and not rule based. This still doesn't mean your GM will allow the item as house rules are prevalent in most games.
Even with this rule, there's nothing stopping another item with the exact same properties only bound to a different class from being created. So any item you can think up, the BBEG could make the same.
I say the character should invent patent law and sic lawyers on his nemesis.
You do realize you misrepresented my post as an attack.
Some people are actually unaware that those tables are guidelines.
Creating balanced custom magic items is an art, not a science.
Don't worry about them using them against you. They're your items, you use them every session, your GM will use them once. Make stuff that is going to be two of a good thing, when you slay your enemies you have double.
Make a bunch of utility stuff too. Think about a bag of holding. What good is it in a single fight? None. How useful is it to the party in the long term? A lot.
Ok so, you make a rod of hurricane force web shooting....
You blast this at a few kobolds, and then travel down to road to find a wizard blocking your path, with a wand of hurricane force web shooting??
I'm not sure I get this.
How does the notoriety of this item get out that fast? Why/how would the enemy spend that kind of time reverse magic-eering your device only to make another replica? IF he wants it so bad, he can jump you and take it.
This just sounds weird, like meta Dming "dont make anything or I'll use it against you"
That's very out of game threatening in hopes of preventing you from doing something in game.....or 'punishing' you for it in game.
weird.
Mr. Smith goes to Washington. Simpsons style.
It's been said already, but the first point is to ask what's so special about your custom magic items that the enemy's access to their own copies would be such a terrible fate?
If the items are "must have" or "party killing", then your GM should be vetoing them outright as unbalanced. If they aren't, great! You invented them, you should be able to figure out how to counter them. Every custom item he has is one less +3 vorpal dancing longsword.
The second point to bring up with your GM is why he's saying the nemesis will have them?
If you're inventing them "first time", it stretches the suspension of disbelief to the limits that your foe has them the very next session. Maybe after he's fought you a time or two and realized they're great tools to use against you...
On the other hand, you may have misheard him, he might have been simply reminding you that once made, anyone can steal the "recipe", or complete the same research, as you have. After all, someone somewhere created the first portable hole. Now everyone's got one...
blackbloodtroll wrote: You do realize you misrepresented my post as an attack.
Some people are actually unaware that those tables are guidelines.
Creating balanced custom magic items is an art, not a science.
I didn't say you attacked anyone with your comment and that wasn't my intent with clarification. Your statement was specifically related to item costs and I chose to elaborate on it in reference to the term guideline. People confuse a lot about crafting and the term guideline gets thrown around a lot on these boards.
Sorry if you think I took offense or you take any from mine.
Like stated earlier, my GM is hella metaGMing, he specifically said that they would just automatically be able to make them, no reverse engineering, nothing. The items aren't to OP, but they were designed to give my character a boost, like the glove that replicates spell recall since I'm a kensai and a mask with unending true seeing that emits an aura of impenetrable deeper darkness for a 50% dodge chance.
Nothing stops anyone from knowing the items you can come up with. If you can think it up, anyone can think it up. This is a game with super geniuses. High level wizards would have more intelligence than your PCs and would have that many more spells to think up combinations.
As for your gloves, what do they do. Spell recall requires arcane points. Cant remember if theres an item to give arcane points but there is pearls of power that do the exact same thing without the arcane point.
That mask is a little over the top as an item. Do you cripple your allies with the darkness as well? It seems like it'd be a high level PC item.
The gloves are made to absorb pearls so that multiple can be used as a swift, the mask is mainly the reason I don't want other ppl using them
The fact your GM let you make these items shows he's a braver man than I. How'd you price them? Multiple pearls at the same time is of huge value. That's a bunch of standard actions reduced to a single swift action.
Would you mind posting a breakdown on cost and mechanics for these?
The mask is like 200k and the gloves are like 100k, the gloves allow for two sets of five pearls to be switched, 1swift to use any number of the five, then another swift to switch the set. Sry I don't have the mechs on me atm
|
