Hello,
So, I wanted to modify some aspects of item creation, and I was wondering what the community thinks of these ideas:
Cost of adding additional powers to an existing item.
Typically, if I want to create a magic item that occupies a specific spot on the character's body, but combines the abilities of two items, then the cost of the additional power is 1.5 times the base price, right? So if I want to add the power of boots of speed to my boots of the winterlands, I pay 1.5x the base cost of boots of speed. The problem is, which power gets this cost penalty? If it is always the second power added to the item that gets the penalty, then it would often be cheaper to make the item from scratch than it would be to add a high cost power to a low cost item.
Instead, how about paying 1.25x the base cost of both magical abilities, removing the cost of the existing enchantment at the end, so that adding abilities always works consistently? It is a smaller penalty, but is assessed to all previous enchantments. This also scales up nicely, so that further added abilities become punishingly costly. (since you would then be paying the 1.25 penalty on the two previous enchantments, then three, then four, etc.) It makes the math a little bit more complicated, but I think it works well.
Item Creation Feats.
I've never really liked the item creation feat system. The difference between a ring and a wonderous item seems really arbitrary to me. The relative merits of Craft Wonderous and Brew Potion seem absurdly unbalanced, with the first being necessary, and the latter being not worth the feat.
I propose a different system, based on caster level. Create Item Caster Level (N) would be the item creation tree. The first feat would be caster level 1, and would enable the creation of scrolls, potions, items and wands with a caster level of 1. The next feat would enable the creation of items up to caster level 3, and would have the first as a prerequisite. Each subsequent feat would be available in three level increments, 6,9,12,15 etc., similar to the progression on magic arms and armor creation. As long as you had enough feats to create an item of that caster level, it could be done, whether it was a rod, wand, scroll, sword, or whatever.
The only real problem that I forsee would be that the 18th and 20th level ones would probably not come up very much, so it is a small reduction on the total number of feats that would be needed to make most items.
About the adding of additional abilities - it is always 1.5 price of cheaper - so that it is always consistent with the price to create item anew. While making it 1.25 will make it unbalanced - nobody will ever make a ring with 2 abilities. They will make it with one and then add another as second tast and will make it 25% cheaper. Which is totaly WBL screwy stuff:) (as all item creation feats are - i just usually give those feats to caster who wants to craft for free at appropriate levels as a houserule).
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Why not just combine similar item creation feats into newer, broader feats? For instance:
Magic crafting - brew potion, scribe scroll, & craft wand
Wondrous crafting - craft magic arms and armor, craft wondrous item
Master Artifice - craft rod, craft staff, forge ring
In order to make an item of any given type they still have to meet the prerequisites for the "sub-feat" which covers that item (CL 7, 9, or 11 for rings, rods, or staffs, respectively using Master Artifice) but otherwise they may select the feat as soon as they would be able to select any feat available through that list.
This system also has the added benefit of grouping items by how they function (limited use items, worn/carried items, and powerful unlimited/rechargeable items). It also presents a much smaller feat tax to crafters.
And note that craft construct was deliberately left out. It just feels that much different since it is a magic item which doesn't need activation & can essentially function as another character under your control.
I removed the item creation feats a couple years back for my campaign and rolled them into ranks in skills (each former feat required ranks in 2+ applicable skills and a specific caster level) as the minimum required to craft the magic item in addition to a formula, found or researched.
Formula/"schematics" for items are a potential "treasure reward" and research is required to create an item without the appropriate "found" formula.
Scrolls require no formula and a caster with the brew potion class feature (or hex) automatically know a number of formulas equal to their relevant stat (randomly determined).
The research method for a formula is similar to spell research.
The system is something I'm constantly tweaking (definitely still a work in progress), but ultimately has been more rewarding.