Custom magic items, what slot is for what?

[powerdemon]

Is there a list anyone can point to for which magic item slot is intended for which type of items?

I know headband slot is intended for mental abilities (Int, Wis, Cha), and that the belt is meant for physical abilities (Str, Dex, Con). I can't find a list of the others. Any help would be appreciated.

[bitter lily]

I can't point you to a list -- but I'll be peeking in the hopes that you get an answer!

[powerdemon]

It may just be hearsay at this point.

In the crafting rules it says that slots are meant for certain things, but does not list them. It just says to check other items that are in those slots.

For this specific question I am most interested in bonuses to Craft (weapons) and (armor).

I think gloves and maybe chest (a smith's apron).

[pocsaclypse]

theres a case to be made that a head slot would work just as well for a crafting magic item. honestly, since there doesnt seem to be a specific list id be inclined to say put whatever bonuses in whatever slot you want since the bonuses cant stack anyway.

[Milo v3]

Use the body slots affinity table from 3.5e. Bottom of this page.

[powerdemon]

Milo v3 wrote:

Use the body slots affinity table from 3.5e. Bottom of this page.

I KNEW I SAW THAT TABLE BEFORE!!

Thank you, Milo! I'm not quite as crazy as I thought.

[GM Rednal]

That's... a pretty good list, actually, and I think it sums it up pretty well. XD I'd probably add that Rings tend to be Defensive/Utility (block energy damage, raise AC, make it so you don't have to eat...). As a whole, it's usually best to avoid cross-slot effects, although I'm willing to permit it in custom crafting if it blocks off use of that slot. (For example, if someone crafts the effect of a Swarmbane Clasp into their sword so they can hit swarms with it, they couldn't wear and get the benefits of any other amulet.)

[Anguish]

I had to research this recently and I couldn't find any posts or threads that concluded Pathfinder has slot affinity. 3.5e clearly did, but it seems Paizo did away with that particular detail when rebuilding to Pathfinder.

I think the point of the changes they made support that. In 3.5e, the iconic stat-boosters were mostly different slots, which collided with other essential/popular/important items. With Pathfinder, I think they basically showed off basic +2 items (belts & headbands), and showed off how to price stacked multiple boosters. Given the lack of rules defining affinity, boots of vast intellect +2 appear completely legal.

That all said, personally I kind of like the affinity as a concept, so when I build custom items I try to stay at least close. Case in point, the result of my research was an amulet of wisdom +6. I could've put it in some other slot, like the body slot, but chose something that at least feels reasonable.

[GM Rednal]

Well, it's stated outright in the item creation rules. I don't think there's much debate on this. XD

Quote:

Some Abilities Are Assigned to Certain Slots: Some of the magic items in the standard rules are deliberately assigned to specific magic item slots for balance purposes, so that you have to make hard choices about what items to wear. In particular, the magic belts and circlets that give enhancement bonuses to ability scores are in this category—characters who want to enhance multiple physical or mental ability scores must pay extra for combination items like a belt of physical might or headband of mental prowess.

If there is a trend of all items of a particular type using a particular slot (such as items that grant physical ability score bonuses being belts or items that grant movement bonuses being boots), GMs should be hesitant to allow you to move those abilities to other slots; otherwise, they ignore these deliberate restrictions by cheaply spreading out these items over unused slots.

[Devilkiller]

I've saved a copy of that 3.5 table Milo v3 linked to. The slot names have changed a little though. I think maybe "Robe" from the table is "Body" in Pathfinder and "Shirt" has become "Chest". For 3.5 Robe was listed as "multiple effects", which seems kind of ill defined, and Shirt was "Physical Improvement" just like Belt though I don't recall seeing many shirts in 3.5 or Pathfinder which offer physical ability boosts like belts do.

Maybe having an ill defined purpose could be one reason there are so few generally useful items available for these slots. I find that I often leave those slots empty even deep into higher level play. Perhaps custom items could help here though I suspect many DMs would rule there's no chance of finding them available for sale and they'd always need to be commissioned and crafted (basically using lack of downtime to restrict item availability)

[GM Rednal]

That's also intentional. Several slots (belts, headbands, amulets, etc.) are intended for the most powerful and desirable items. The 'lesser' slots are basically for minor effects, especially once you have the money to easily fill them. XD

[Drahliana Moonrunner]

There is no slot affinity, just an observed pattern at what types of effects are intended for what slots. i.e. mental stat boosts headband, physical stat boots belt, etc.

[Fistbeard McBeardfist]

It's a 3.5-ism, but it's obviously still being used by Paizo.

[Drahliana Moonrunner]

Fistbeard McBeardfist wrote:

It's a 3.5-ism, but it's obviously still being used by Paizo.

But not so much in a declarative rules sense but mainly in a 3.5 compatibilty style sense.

There is no Paizo rule about slot affinity, just inertia in how magic items are being created.

Keep in mind that Paizo has added slots that were not present in 3.5.

[bitter lily]

I'm going to try and post that table. It looks to me like Pathfinder has fewer slots, actually -- at least in some cases.
For instance, Bracers, Bracelets, Gloves, & Gauntlets all got condensed down to two slots, didn't they? (Hands & Wrist.)

I'd say "Quote" except that I'm re-formatting it. But I got the first table here.

Table: Body Slot Affinities
Body Slot ~~~~~~~ Affinity
Headband, helmet ~~ Mental improvement, ranged attacks
Hat ~~~~~~~~~~~ Interaction
Phylactery ~~~~~~~ Morale, alignment
Eye lenses (...) ~~~~ Vision
Cloak, cape, mantle ~ Transformation, protection
Amulet, (...) ~~~~~~ Protection, discernment
Robe ~~~~~~~~~~ Multiple effects
Shirt ~~~~~~~~~~~ Physical improvement
Vest, vestment ~~~~ Class ability improvement
Bracers ~~~~~~~~~ Combat
Bracelets ~~~~~~~~ Allies
Gloves ~~~~~~~~~ Quickness
Gauntlets ~~~~~~~ Destructive power
Belt ~~~~~~~~~~~ Physical improvement
Boots ~~~~~~~~~~ Movement

Proposed Pathfinder Body Slot Affinities
Body Slot ~~~~~~~ Affinity
Armor ~~~~~~~~~~ ?? Not listed in 3.5 chart
Belts ~~~~~~~~~~~ Physical improvement
Body ~~~~~~~~~~~ Multiple effects
Chest ~~~~~~~~~~ Physical & Class ability improvements
Note: in 3.5, mantles had shared w/ cloaks & capes (now Shoulders); in PF, mantles are moved to Chest slot w/ shirts & vests
Eyes ~~~~~~~~~~~ Vision
Feet ~~~~~~~~~~~ Movement
Hands ~~~~~~~~~~ Quickness, Destructive power
Head ~~~~~~~~~~~ Interaction
Headband ~~~~~~~~ Mental improvement, Morale, Alignment
3.5 also lists "ranged attacks" here -- did PF really keep that? Is it reasonable for a GM to move them to Eyes? The others are clustered concepts
Neck ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Protection, Discernment
Ring (up to two) ~~~~ ?? Not listed in 3.5 chart
Shield ~~~~~~~~~~ ?? Not listed in 3.5 chart
Shoulders ~~~~~~~~ Transformation, Protection
Wrist ~~~~~~~~~~~ Combat, Allies

I'd very much appreciate it if someone here proofs this to see if I missed something. I'd also love it if someone very experienced filled in a notion for rings, although we have a list of abilities for armor & shields. (Curiously, Weapons isn't on the PF list, although we have abilities for those, too.) And I dropped "ranged attacks" from Headband because I couldn't believe they'd put something so different there -- can someone tell me if it has to be put back? Finally, if someone very experienced notices a trend in the published Wondrous Items that doesn't correspond to this chart, please, please mention it!

[GM Rednal]

Rings? Protection and Utility.

[Jader7777]

Magic items can go anywhere, they can even go into your eyes or whiz around your head.

But never pants. Never ever. Don't you even dare making magical pants, it just won't work.

[Java Man]

For an item boosting a craft skill slot is not too important, you're not likely to use it in combat.

[powerdemon]

Java Man wrote:

For an item boosting a craft skill slot is not too important, you're not likely to use it in combat.

Fair point.

[Java Man]

For out of combat skills I like actual tools for the magic item, in this case I waive the slotless cost increase.

[Devilkiller]

@Jader7777 - I've seen several PCs who don't wear pants, but all of them wore magic belts. In a game which I DM I had "Gobar the Half-Orc Tailor" create Cargo Pants which work like the side pockets of a Handy Haversack. Like the Haversack, the Pants are "slotless".

[bitter lily]

Oghren in Dragon Age II knew about the danger of Magic Pants: some of them turn into that horror, schleets. "After they're done with you, they just...wander off on their unnatural pant-legs!" I can see why the enchanters of PF want to play it safe. :)