Okay, I'm having some trouble with the math here.
Looking over the staff pricing rules, I found this
"The materials cost is subsumed in the cost of creation: 400 gp × the level of the highest-level spell × the level of the caster, plus 75% of the value of the next most costly ability (300 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster), plus 1/2 the value of any other abilities (200 gp × the level of the spell × the level of the caster). Staves are always fully charged (10 charges) when created."
And then I tried to reverse engineer the price of a Staff of Size Alteration, but my math just isn't matching what it says the price is.
In addition, I can't tell where to determine how many charges from a staff a spell should take.
This is both to help me understand crafting as well as for future custom staff creating endeavors.
Not all magic items follow the pricing formulas. Some have their prices raised/lowered or even just given a price that sounded right.
As for the number of charges a spell requires (Should be the paragraph right after the one you quoted):
If desired, a spell can be placed into the staff at less than the normal cost, but then activating that particular spell drains additional charges from the staff. Divide the cost of the spell by the number of charges it consumes to determine its final price. Note that this does not change the order in which the spells are priced (the highest level spell is still priced first, even if it requires more than one charge to activate). The caster level of all spells in a staff must be the same, and no staff can have a caster level of less than 8th, even if all the spells in the staff are low-level spells.
AS for the pricing of that staff, it is correct. The numbers you quoted above are for determining the crafting price, which by my calculation is 13,067 gp. The cost to buy is double that, or 26,134. The book says 26,150. Close enough.
Could I get the equations for how you came to that result? I want to make sure I was doing it right as well
Could I get the equations for how you came to that result? I want to make sure I was doing it right as well
The equations are from your first post:
Highest spell level: 400gp x spell level x caster level
2nd highest spell level: 300 gp x spell level x caster level
Everything else: 200 hp x spell level x caster level
Divide the cost of the spell by the number of charges to determine its final price.
So the Mass Enlarge Person and Mass Reduce Person spells are both 4th level (the highest). Since they both have the same highest spell level, choose 1. Lets say Mass Enlarge Person. That would make it cost 400 gp x 4 (Spell level) x 8 (caster level of the staff), or 12,800 gp. As it requires 3 charges to use, that price is divided by 3 for a final cost of 4267 gp.
Mass Reduce Person would therefore be the 2nd highest level spell. Cost would then be 300 gp x 4 (Spell level) x 8 (caster level) = 9600 gp, divided by 3 (because it requires 3 charges) for a final cost of 3200 gp.
Everything else uses the same formula: 200 gp x spell level x caster level
Shrink Item (3rd level spell, 2 charges); 200 gp x 3 (spell level) x 8 (caster level) = 4800 gp / 2 (number of charges) = 2400 gp
Enlarge Person (1st level spell, 1 charge); 200 gp x 1 (spell level) x 8 (caster level) = 1600 gp / 1 (number of charges) = 1600 gp
Reduce Person (1st level spell, 1 charge); 200 gp x 1 (spell level) x 8 (caster level) = 1600 gp / 1 (number of charges) = 1600 gp
Total all of the prices up (4267 + 3200 + 2400 + 1600 + 1600) and you get 13,067 gp. That is the cost to make the staff. The price to buy the staff in a store is double the price it cost to make. (The actual staff in the book has had its price rounded to a nice even number).
Aaaah okay, yeah I just didn't divide by the charges
Alrighty, thanks for all the help!