Can you make a magic item that only someone of a certain faith can use? If so, what would the restriction be and how would it be implemented? Or is it rule 0 time?
For example a magic item that only works in the hands of a faithful worshipper of Sarenrae. They don't have to be any specific class or alignment but they do have to actually be a faithful worshipper of Sarenrae. Yes I realise that is a huge GM judgement in most cases, I am good with that.
I see modifiers for 'must be a specific class', 'must be a specific alignment' or 'requires a specific skill to function' but nothing with a restriction based on religion.
If this belongs in the home brew section instead I apologize.
I see modifiers for 'must be a specific class', 'must be a specific alignment' or 'requires a specific skill to function' but nothing with a restriction based on religion.
I would use skill type (profession: religious Sarenrae) or knowledge religion: Sarenrae as the skill requirement and follow those rules.
I would apply the same restrictions on activating such an Item as if the skill Use Magic Device were being used to trigger the effects:
FROM "Use Magic Device" SKILL specifically "Other Spell Trigger Item": DC from the Table is 20
"Use a Wand, Staff, or Other Spell Trigger Item: Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand's spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill allows you to use a wand as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. Failing the roll does not expend a charge.
Action
-None. The Use Magic Device check is made as part of the action (if any) required to activate the magic item.
Try Again
-Yes, but if you ever roll a natural 1 while attempting to activate an item and you fail, then you can't try to activate that item again for 24 hours.
Special
-You cannot take 10 with this skill.
-You can't aid another on Use Magic Device checks. Only the user of the item may attempt such a check."
PERSONAL NOTE:
I honestly feel that this aspect of magic item creation is one of the pivotal points in the game where magic item creation can be easily broken by players with too much loot. Especially if you allow players to combine restrictions such as Alignment Good/Evil (x0.7), Alignment Chaos/Law (x0.7), Class (x0.7), and Skill Restriction (x0.9) it reduces the price to simply too little for a balanced item.
It must be a cumulative multiplication of the cost reduction and not an additive sum of percentages because (0.3+0.3+0.3+0.1 = 1 or 100%) in other words a free magic item to create. Still with the multiplicative method every 2000gp in cost becomes 617gp and 4 silver, or about 885gp if you do not count the difference in alignment bases and just consider one specific alignment to be the restriction.
I wouldn't allow it in my game but there is no RAW that says it cannot be done, not that I have come across anyway. If you are just allowing the skill restriction its only 10% and if the DC is significant then it should be manageable.
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PERSONAL NOTE:
I honestly feel that this aspect of magic item creation is one of the pivotal points in the game where magic item creation can be easily broken by players with too much loot. Especially if you allow players to combine restrictions such as Alignment Good/Evil (x0.7), Alignment Chaos/Law (x0.7), Class (x0.7), and Skill Restriction (x0.9) it reduces the price to simply too little for a balanced item.It must be a cumulative multiplication of the cost reduction and not an additive sum of percentages because (0.3+0.3+0.3+0.1 = 1 or 100%) in other words a free magic item to create. Still with the multiplicative method every 2000gp in cost becomes 617gp and 4 silver, or about 885gp if you do not count the...
Actually I am not looking for a way to reduce the cost of the item in any way. I am looking to limit an items use (any kind if item) to the actual faithful worshippers of a single deity.
Using Knowledge Religion or proffesion would not do it since anyone can throw a point into the skills and not actually be a faithful worshipper of the deity.
I am thinking this will have to end up being a Rule 0 I have to work out with my DM. I was just hoping there was a way already in the rules.
I am the one making the item. The Character is a Warrior Cleric making a variant Rod of Lordly might. Fewer but more powerful/focused functions. He wants to make sure that only faithful members of his religion can use the item.
You can adapt from D&D 3.5 special kind of magic items know as relics - their functions were very limited when used by people not being faithful worshipers of a specific deity, requiring the user to be worshipper of the deity and having either access to divine spells of a specific level or enough HD and a special feat. So for example a holy sword could require access to 4th level spells or 7 HD and the feat.
You can adapt from D&D 3.5 special kind of magic items know as relics - their functions were very limited when used by people not being faithful worshipers of a specific deity, requiring the user to be worshipper of the deity and having either access to divine spells of a specific level or enough HD and a special feat. So for example a holy sword could require access to 4th level spells or 7 HD and the feat.
Yeah I thought of relics too but they make the end item SEVERLY too cheap and they limit the use too much. They require you to either burn a feat to use or have Divine Casting ability to some degree. This item is aimed at being usable by any class as long as the user is a truly faithful worshipper. So a fighter can pick it up and use it if he is a real worshipper as well as any other class.
I am thinking of adding spell Geas/Quest and 'Faithful Worshipper of X' to the crafting requirements and making them a non optional component (cannot use a +5 Spellcraft DC to skip them) and that should represent the restriction.
If it helps. there are several magic items in Gods & Magic that are restricted by the gods you worship:
Dawnflower Sash
etc.
Any magic item could be made. The GM will have to decide the price though since. You cant really get a price by the rules. I would mark the item up or down by 25 percent from its normal price depending on whether it was beneficial to the creator, and yes it is rule 0 time.
I believe I've seen some items (in another game) have enhanced effects / stats when wielded by someone of a particular faith. Perhaps while its a +1 Dagger for anyone it may be a +3 Keen Dagger that let's its wielder cast Dimension Door 1/Day as an SLA if wielded by anyone that worships X Deity.
The first book (IIRC) of the Kingmaker AP has the Stag Helm, which grants extra uses of its power to "worshippers of Erastil" without any clarification as to what worshipper means.
Anyway, as a GM, you have carte blanche to create whatever magic items will further your campaign. Just like the monster CR rules, the magic item creation rules are intended as guidelines, not contract law.
Thanks everyone for your responces. Seems like there is no set RAW way to enact this so it will be Rule 0/Home rule time.
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The only ways I've seen worship-locked items work is they function at severely reduced capacity for non-believers, as with the Dawnflower Sash above. If you want to make it more difficult for non-believers to use, then add in the properties that opposition alignments (Evil users for a Sarenrae item) suffer a negative level while wielding the item in question. I forget which property causes that effect, but it is a known effect from some of the pre-created magic items (sun blade, etc.).
Thanks everyone for your responces. Seems like there is no set RAW way to enact this so it will be Rule 0/Home rule time.From another thread
I'd apply the 30% price reduction to the restricted to worshippers abilities cost.
Those rules should only penalize you when selling an item, and never when buying an item.
Being able to buy an item using the 30% discount violates the item creation rules themselves by providing an item that works better for one class/religion/etc than another.
In the 3.5 world, with the WotC FAQ, it was clear those reductions (10 & 30%) were not ways to buy/build items less expensive and only effected looted items the party wants to sell.
So more than likely, the price will be as if the light/esplend worked for everyone despite the fact it doesn't.
So more than likely, the price will be as if the light/esplend worked for everyone despite the fact it doesn't.
Correct.
When building an item, you calculate the cost to create it as if it were in the hands of an optimal user. Otherwise it's basically cheating. Observe:
Ezren makes a headband of vast intelligence +6. Cost to create: 18,000 gp
vs.
Ezren makes a headband of vast intelligence +6, but it only works for male humans (discount!) named Ezren (discount!) who are at least "old" age (discount) and were born in Absalom (discount!). Cost to create: ridiculously cheap, even though it works exactly like a standard headband +6.
For the OP's question:
Eagle’s splendor 2*3*1800/5 = 2160
Burning hands SL1 x CL3 x 1800/5 = 1080
Using the "multiple different abilities" guideline, we multiply the cost of the burning hands ability by 1.5 to get 1620
2160 + 1620 = 3,780Glowing with light at will is pretty insignificant--it's not as good as being able to cast light at will (because only the orb lights, rather than being able to cast it on a coin you can throw, an ally's weapon, etc.), so I didn't use the standard SL .5 x CL 3 x 1800 for an on-command unlimited cantrip. Furthermore, the caster level of an unlimited-use light cantrip has a negligible effect (the effect on the duration is irrelevant because it's an at-will ability, and the increased resistance to a dispelling attempt is essentially irrelevant). Plus, the option to light at will is something you get for free in magic weapons, so throwing it in here at something than the formulaic cost is fair. As the mathematical price of the item so far is a non-simple number, I rounded the price up to 3,900 gp (1) to take into account the cost of the light ability, and (2) to make the final gp price nicer.
I am the one making the item. The Character is a Warrior Cleric making a variant Rod of Lordly might. Fewer but more powerful/focused functions. He wants to make sure that only faithful members of his religion can use the item.
If you are willing to pay the full price for the items creation and accept that it will be less useful to a mixed party and have less resell value to boot then your GM should be good with it. I would.
Unfortunately anyone with a high enough use magic device skill will be able to use it even if you place restrictions on it during creation. As that is a primary part of the skill.
In any case you will have to work it out with your GM, but be wary if a house rule is put into place that UMD can no longer be used to "Trick" a magic item that may impact your group in a future session or future games.