Custom Item Costs

[Letariel]

So, I'd like to make an item that lets the wielder cast a spell N times per day. I've read the creation rules, but they don't seem to make sense for this type of item. Is this a "command" item? A "charge per day" item? I would have said "charge per day", but that's an adjustment, though I don't understand what it's modifying. I've seen elsewhere that someone used the continuous cost and divided that by five, but there are many spells where continuous doesn't even make sense (e.g. fireball or teleport), so I don't know how this applies. Is it a command with charges? If so, why would we be dividing the cost? *shakes head* I'm just confused.

In any case, based off of things in the spell effect column, I assume that the cost equation would look something like this:

Total = C * N * caster lvl * spell lvl

But what is that elusive constant "C"?

[Drakkiel]

What spell?

Do you want it to be charges per day or do you want it to be a set number of charges (50) and then its a big hunk of nothing? What slot are you wanting it to be?

If your GM is allowing g you the freedom its up to you to decide what you want it to do...so tell us the things I asked and we (the community) will help

[DonDuckie]

if it's command word item with N charges per day:
1800 * caster level * spell level * N / 5

I think...

times 2 if slotless

[James Risner]

Letariel wrote:

So, I'd like to make an item that lets the wielder cast a spell N times per day. I've read the creation rules, but they don't seem to make sense for this type of item.

This is because you don't price things by items that cast X spell N times.

You price by power.
You price by similar items.

Then you price by charts if no other items are the same power or similar working.

[Letariel]

James Risner wrote:

Letariel wrote:

So, I'd like to make an item that lets the wielder cast a spell N times per day. I've read the creation rules, but they don't seem to make sense for this type of item.

This is because you don't price things by items that cast X spell N times.

You price by power.
You price by similar items.

Then you price by charts if no other items are the same power or similar working.

I was really hoping for a generalized formula, because there are all kinds of things I'd like to do. :-) But for the immediate goal, I was trying to create an item that can be used to heal between battles, but doesn't become a lump of uselessness after it's charges are expended. The only thing I could find for this was the regeneration ring, but I don't want constant regeneration effect (way overkill). So I figured something that casted CLW some number of times per day would do the job. As far as I can tell, there's no similar item. The closes I could come was things that cast a spell a certain number of times per day, like the mounteback cape or boots of teleportation but paizo isn't consistent in their costs (ranges anywhere between C being 300 and 1000 depending on the item).

DonDuckie wrote:

if it's command word item with N charges per day:

1800 * caster level * spell level * N / 5

I think...

times 2 if slotless

So, that makes C = 360 for slotted items, and 720 for slotless. I guess I should make it slotless, as it feels a bit cheesy (though it may be legal) to have a cape/headband/whatever that you only put on after a battle, invoke to cast a spell once or twice, and then take it back off. So, for a slotless item that casts a lvl 1 spell (e.g. CLW) once a day at clvl 1, it would be 720 G, which is about the price of a wand version. I wonder if that's intentional. Most adventures don't have 50 adventuring days anyway (and you typically don't need to heal during downtime), so the wand will be used more times and be more flexible (can use multiple times a day). Summary: It's not worth it; just buy a wand. :-(

For the purpose of healing between battles, perhaps it's better to make an item with a constant "Infernal Healing" effect? So, if I priced it out as the table, then it would be a constant effect (2000x) of a spell with a minute duration (2x), so it would be:

2k * 2 * 1 * 1 = 4k

Of course, this is close to the regeneration ring, but without the immunity to bleed and regrowing lost limbs. The ring of regeneration costs 90k. If I instead reversed engineered it, how much would immunity to bleed and regrowing limbs cost? Once again, I can't find any examples of that in the existing items, but I'm guessing those wouldn't be worth the 86k difference, and that this item would cost much more than 4k gp. :-) I'm guessing because the "fast healing 1" effect is too powerful when it's constantly on? How would you guys price something like that out?

[blackbloodtroll]

The custom item guidelines are just that.

Guidelines.

The formula presented, is there to help estimate the final cost.

Not even all the published magic items follow the formula.

It goes out to note this in the custom magic item creation section, but many seem to miss it.

[ryric]

Eberron in 3.5 had an item type called "eternal wands" that instead of 50 charges had 2/day uses. They cost the same as a normal wand and were still spell trigger items. Something like that might be reasonable for what you want.

The ring of regeneration costs so much because always being at full hp (effectively) without spending charges or actions is a really nice ability.

[James Risner]

Letariel wrote:

generalized formula

heal between battles ... casted CLW some number of times per day

Generalized formulas are explicitly not something the item creation rules provide. The formulas are only used as a fall back.

Your example is an example of an item that:
1) Has no similar items.
2) Is significantly more powerful than it appears.

For example, ring of invisibility by the formulas should be 12,000 gp but it costs 20,000 gp. It costs 70 % more because it is a powerful item. A magic item that provides X / day uses of CLW is also significantly more powerful than the formulas would predict. In 3.5 late days (MIC) they downplayed the power of this. Mostly because their way of thinking had changed. They were close to cutting over to 4E where healing is trivial. Unless you move to a 4E style game, healing can not be trivial.