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I know part of costing a Wondrous Item is more art than science,
but are their any good guidelines or examples?
Specifically I'm trying to reverse engineer the Expedition Pavilion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/expe dition-pavilion) so I can modify it for my game.
Thanks
what are you looking for when you say reverse engineer? a rundown of different qualities and how they affect cost? Like:
+ extra dimensional space
+ weather protection
+ detection protection
- setup/take-down time
- only 1 usage per day
-- only works when setup (not a "portable house")
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what are you looking for when you say reverse engineer? a rundown of different qualities and how they affect cost? Like:
+ extra dimensional space
+ weather protection
+ detection protection- setup/take-down time
- only 1 usage per day
-- only works when setup (not a "portable house")
We'll more like if I were to try to build this item from scratch (designing this ooc not ic) how do you get to the cost? For other magic items it is easy but I don't see how you do it for wondrous items.
You wing it.
There is no simple way to look on a chart, cross-index with almost identical items, and break down the exact cost for each component piece that makes up the whole item. Not for this item.
So, you do one of two things:
1. YOU break each component down yourself. DonDuckie gave you a good head start. Then YOU assign prices to each thing however you want, so that it adds up to the total price of the item. Then you're done. Apply these prices to similar/modified versions however you want.
2. You don't bother with the hassle of option 1. If you or a player in your game want to make a modified version of this item, YOU simply compare the modified version to the existing one and raise the price however much you want if the modified one is better, or lower the price however much you want if the modified one is not as good. Easy Peasy.
I could just be guessing but here is how I see the formula for the Expedition Pavilion:
Hide from Animals: 1st Level Spell X Caster Level 1 X 2000gp (Continuous)
Tiny Hut: 3rd Level Spell X Caster Level 5 X 2000gp (Continuous)
That nets out to 32,000gp. If you did not adjust either of those numbers for the duration of the spells (technically the Hide From Animals should be multiplied by 1.5 as it is a 10 minute per level spell, but there is no guideline for a 2 hour per level spell like Tiny Hut).
Anyway, then assume it is a one time per day continuous item so you would divide by the quotient of 5 divided by the number of uses per day, or 5 divided by 1. So you divide 32,000gp by 5 and the answer is 6,400gp.
That just happens to be a route were the answer is 6,400gp and it follows the path laid out in the guidelines. However, I agree with DM Blake that there is more art and finesse in it than just follow a formula to an outcome.
Even my path makes a few assumptions about the guidelines so you see how the art comes into play.
For example, I have had players come to me saying they want a Ring of Enlarge Person and the figure it will cost 4,000gp (1st Level Spell X Caster Level 1 X 2000gp and since it is 1 minute per level with no limits on usage per day then it is multiplied by 2). I think that may be a little too cheap. However when you look at a comparable item like a Ring of Invisibility that has all the same general characteristics but is a 2nd level spell and a Caster Level 3 ([2 X 3 X 2000] x 2) should be 24,000gp but is 20,000gp.
The guidelines breakdown a little a caster level 1 and spell level 1 and they quickly get out of control at high spell levels and caster levels so it will require some bit of manipulation and finesse.
I hope this helps!