I read somewhere that the GM should respect each magic item crafting feat's niche. For example, you don't want to allow wands with deflection bonus or a ring with with cure light wounds charges. Doing so would diminish the value of the feat Craft Wands and so on.
So what would be the line between Forge Ring and Craft Wondrous. In particular, what makes Forge Ring desirable given that craft wondrous seems to impede its niche? For example, you can Forge a ring of swimming or you could craft gloves of swimming and climbing. Both are +5 competence bonus.
Perhaps deflection bonuses are unique to Rings. There are the classic rings of invisibility or freedom of movement or sustenance. So, on a case by case basis, I could figure out the powers that should be within Forge Ring's niche.
Are there more general guidelines or does anybody have advice to prevent craft wondrous from overlapping to much on Forge Ring?
You could probably accomplish similar results with both. The main difference is that you can't create ring slot items with craft wondrous item.
There's not much else. Items that store power seem to be rings or occasionally weapons or armour but not wondrous items. Otherwise it seems to conceptually be a subset of CWI.
rings just don't have as many options available, and that's okay. Not every feat is equal, nor should it be. It's hard to overcome the sheer value of craft wondrous items due to it's vast array of options. It's hard to get more cost benefit than craft arms/armor since that's where all the money goes for physical damage players.
Craft ring has a few niches, but the best one is simply allowing the player to stack different ring properties together per the rules on adding different enchantments to the same item (additional enchants cost +50%). This allows someone to have a Ring of Wizardry I and II, which you can imagine adds a lot of value.
Of course rings are expensive, and this might not be ideal, but I would say the ability to add spell reflection or protection to an expensive ring you found *is* worth it. That is where this feat can be of benefit.
Forge Ring has great niche uses as Lastoth pointed out (For instance you can cheaply add "Sustenance" to each new/higher ring of protection you find, getting your money back when you sell it).
It can also be a big money saver if you decide the whole party needs to have powerful rings of protection (and you don't find too many in loot (fewer NPCs fought) or not high enough). Multiple arcane casters could benefit from rings of wizardry. A high level group with time can get a huge bang for their buck if everyone wants a ring of elemental command.
It was nice that Pathfinder reduced the caster level required for Forge Ring (from 12th to 7th), but most of the big money saver options will be at the higher levels when everyone wants to burn 25k for a ring of protection +5 (instead of 50k). Adding tons of smaller effects to rings can be fun and useful as well, if not that cheap (75% of normal if there is a slotted wondrous item that does something similar).
Thanks for the replies. You can't get away from the similarities between Craft Wondrous and Forge Ring. Also, I agree Craft Wondrous has the edge over Forge Ring because of the options.
I can see that the biggest benefit is that the powers can be stacked on powerful rings. I do think that in order to uphold the value of Forge Ring you have to prevent Craft Wondrous from making a "Helm of Invisibility" that works exactly like the Ring unless you attach limitations like those found in the Dust of Disappearance.
Thanks again for the advice
