New GM needing help with magic item balance

[Dragnrage]

First off thanks in advance for any and all help.

I've currently started to run a campaign which focuses on a secret order whose motto is "Triumph through Sacrifice" to show this I'm trying to create their swords which could use fighters strengh to enhance it's abilities.

Something like: +1-3 costs 1 Con damage per enhancement point.
+4-5 cost 2 Con damage each
Effect lasts for 10mins or until sword is sheathed,
ability damage can not be healed while weapon is weilded.

I want the items to be balanced but have a physical cost for using them more often. I noticed a +5 weapon is 50,000gp and it cost 36,000gp for a belt of mighty constitution, which is the prices I was going off of.
any help, advice, or balancing is much appreciated

[Matthew Downie]

So this is a weapon that normally counts as masterwork but not magic if you don't sacrifice Con? And you can take 7 Con damage to turn it into a +5 weapon for 10 minutes?

It seems like how useful this is depends a lot on (a) character build - someone with 10 Con is going to be at a relative disadvantage, (b) availability of Lesser Restoration - at low level Con damage is a serious threat, while at high level you can probably get wands to quickly heal the attribute damage after any battle, and (c) frequency of combat - if you have a few days to rest between battles the attribute damage isn't such a serious threat.

I'd say a value of 14,000gp (50K - 36K, using the items you suggest) isn't too far off.

I wonder if it might be simpler to use regular damage instead of Con damage? For example, it costs 1HP to use it as a +1 weapon for one round, or 5HP to use it as a +5 weapon for one round.

[Dragnrage]

The characters are 9th level right now but are coming on the keep where the order resided. I was thinking about HP at first as well but then thought that just didn't seem enough since we're talking about a possible +5 weapon, plus I kinda like the fact that the weapons make them stronger weapon wise but their resistance to fatigue and that goes down, which is why I was thinking 10min duration instead of doing it in rounds or minutes, but want to make it balanced so they don't slaughter everything here on out or die next session :) any additional help you have Thanks

[Lady-J]

make it a +5 weapon but give it a hinderence in another way like have a -3 to hit and damage atached to it so their only getting +2 to hit and damage but they can bypass most dr types with it and give it a gold price of a +3 weapon or some other slightly hindering effect like can only be used in x situation or if requirement y is met

[Dragnrage]

That might work, thanks, my original intent was to give them weapons that could be used now even if just +2 but was still worth it end-game, by letting their life force power the swords or special abilities, like a warpriest's Sacred Weapon (divine power) ability but paying with con?.

P.S. the weakest character has a 14 con, we use a homebrew OP roll system, roll stats 3 times and reroll 1's

[Lady-J]

eh still on the low end for stat generation in my opinion.

but paying abilities with con damage will go south super fast unless some one has the ability to be immune to it thus counteracting the penalties of the weapon plus theres a ring that blocks like the first 6 ability damage and while expensive it would make the penalties pointless for the weapon

[Dragnrage]

Ohh, didn't know about the ring or that, could say that if the damage isn't paid the sword doesn't work but... can you think of a better way to even out the gains without ability or the like?

[Lady-J]

make the bonuses situational is probably the easyest (this weapon is only +x while in the hands of a lawful good character otherwise its +y were y is greatly reduced from what x is or is only +x in the hands of a raging barbarian, only+x when fighting a sertain creature type(one example would be my home brew swarm slayer its a 2h flyswatter the size of a great sword that does 1d4+normal bonuses when attacking not swarm things and becomes 3d6+normal bonuses + an extra +10 vs swarms)

[Rerednaw]

Just a thought, pricing is difficult assuming you have crafting. Does the campaign have crafting? Because you could have a +5 weapon for 15k since it is half cost to craft less 30% for specific alignment / class -and that's before factoring crafting traits etc.

As a fighter I'd rather have +5 all the time...plus from a practical standpoint less maths :)