An idea I am kicking around...
I am using the Cloak of Resistance as a guide. The prices to increase the save bonus match exactly the bonus/price of increases AC in Craft magic Armor.
If we use Craft Magic Weapon as a guide to go the other way...
Going to use Craft Rod to do this.
Casting Rod
The bonus on a rod is added to attack rolls made with spells and increases the DC of spells cast while wielding it by its bonus.
Price 2,000 gp (+1), 8,000 gp (+2), 18,000 gp (+3), 32,000 gp (+4), 50,000 gp (+5);
The question is "Why not?"
If anyone has done something similar and has experience with this please let me know.
The question is "Why not?"
Because casters are already the most powerful thing in the game? Because no caster has a reason not to drop their cash on a +x to all their DCs and attack rolls? Because AC and saves scale differently?
Its a great idea in a game that scales differently. I know legend by rule of cool has weapons with an [arcane] tag for example, just not so hot for pathfinder I don't think.
I know legend by rule of cool has weapons with an [arcane] tag for example, just not so hot for pathfinder I don't think.
What's Legend?
I hear what you’re saying MrSin. But your statements are questions. And good ones.
Magic (and Casters) are powerful but I am not sure that is not a reason to try this. Money spent on a +x item would take away from Scroll/Wand/Staff maybe pulling the versatility of casters back and possibly reigning in some of their power. Is flexibility and quantity better than focus and accuracy?
I question if AC and Saves really scale that differently. First off I will admit Save DC is an Offensive process and AC is Defensive, but the relation between the two is similar.
Quick theory work here:
AC = 10 + Armor + Bonuses
Save DC = 10 + Spell Level + Bonuses
Armor is front loaded like the fighter. You could have the highest base armor at first level.
Spell level grows as the wizard does. You cannot have highest level spell until later in the game.
It's the bonuses that could sway it. Size bonus on AC will be negated by how many can be affected and two what effect. A fireball hits an X size area containing 8 tiny creatures or 4 small/medium or 2 large. Hitting a goblin with dominate is less effective than the ogre. So Size is a wash.
Stats can be boosted equally through Leveling, Enhancement, and Wishes.
Natural Armor, Deflection, Luck, most other bonuses vs Spell resistance.
This is a complicated mess. I need more time to analyze.
But Armor has and Enhancement bonus that doesn’t seem to be answered by a corresponding DC booster. The Defensive side of DC has a resistance bonus that helps overcome the DC but there is no corresponding device to make it so spells are harder to overcome.
I need to check the balance on the other bonus-to-ac vs spell resistance to confirm my theory but I have a feeling the numbers will show a correlation.
Thank you MrSin, I really do appreciate the help in thinking this through.
I know legend by rule of cool has weapons with an [arcane] tag for example, just not so hot for pathfinder I don't think.What's Legend?
It's not really needed as saves scale differently than AC and base attack bonuses.
I'm working on a caster weapon that's a weapon special ability that increases the DC of Reflex saves using the weapon's enhancement bonus and adds the enhancement bonus to spells that require an attack roll. This is a "safer" option balance-wise because nearly all Reflex save spells do damage rather than outright disable a target. I haven't quite decided if it will cost a +1 or +2.
Legend.
Awesome! Thanks Petty Alchemy.
Ah, I see part of the issue now after running some numbers.
The Casting stat affects the DC on three different Saves (Fort, Refl, Will) while the Saves are affected by three separate stats (Con, Dex, Wis) a stat boosting caster item essentially plays against three other stats which are unlikely to be boosted.
If a caster focus his boost on his caster stat and a opposing target has a "average (10)" Stat, even with a +5 cloak of resistance, he only has a 50% chance to pass his good save. 20% on the bad.
Those are already bad numbers providing another +X bonus to DC will only make this worse.
Assuming a player starts with a 16 stat after level boost and has a stat booster item they should be around a 27 (+8 bonus). Each save would have to find a way to boost (Stat+bonus) to the same +8 or the save will and does fall behind.
I need some more time in development with the idea. Thank you all.