Craft a Wondrous Item that enhances a skill

[mardaddy]

I believe it is enhancement squared x100gp for the price (or cost, I am not sure which), x2 again if it is slotless.

And I believe the subject item is CL4(?), with that determined by the relevant stat-boosting spell needed for the item.

EXAMPLE - Bracers of Climbing +2 would give +2 to Climb Checks, CL4, 400gp (but is that price or cost?), with the requirement being Craft Wondrous Item and the Bull Strength Spell.

How far off am I?

AND what form of bonus is that, so I can ensure I do not stack things that should not stack?

(Don't get hung up on the climb example, I just want to know the formula)

[Tinalles]

Skill items generally give competence bonuses. You can change the bonus type, but if you do so you should probably increase the price because it will stack more easily.

There is a formula given for skill bonus items in the section on magic item creation. It is:

Bonus squared × 100 gp = price

So, (5*5) * 100 = 2,500 gp for a Cloak of Elvenkind (+5 competence bonus to stealth).

So your example of Bracers of Climbing +2 would be priced at (2*2) * 100 = 400 gp. That's the PRICE is the market price for a finished set. The COST would be 200gp worth of material for crafting them yourself.

There's no hard-and-fast rule for the caster level of the item. The Cloak of Elvenkind has CL 3rd; a Ring of Swimming has CL 2nd. Both give a +5 competence bonus to one skill. Why the different CL? Who knows? It's really only used to set the DC for dispelling the item. For yours, since it only gives a very small bonus, I'd set it at CL 1.

[skizzerz]

If you are following the chart, the only type of bonus available for skills is a competence bonus.

For pricing magic items, step 1 is to find a similar item and price commensurate to that. Only if you cannot find such an item should you consult the chart. However, every item I know of that grants a competence bonus to a skill (and nothing else) follows the chart pricing. Typically existing items grant a +5 competence bonus.

[mardaddy]

Thank you especially for locating the source of the formula.

[Diego Rossi]

Note that most printed magic items that enhance skills don't apply the bonus to all uses of the skill, but instead they apply it only to some of its uses.

Look Goggles of Minute Seeing or Eyes of the Eagle.

Generally I would limit the use of custom made skill enhancing items somewhat, how much will depend on the usefulness of the skill.

A set of horse reins that give you a bonus to Profession (driver) would give you a bonus to all driving skills check, but it will not help with handling the horses when not driving a chariot, nor in skill checks to repair a wagon.

On the other hand, even if they don't use a body slot fo the character, I will not double the price as they use a slort of the horse or horses and have a limited use.

A item that enhance perception would be more limited (see the examples above).

Another GM can rule differently.

[_Ozy_]

That isn't true at all.

Cloak of Elvenkind +5 stealth
Boots of Elvenkind +5 acrobatics
Gloves of Elvenkind +5 spellcraft (not limited) and +5 concentration (limited)

Gloves of Larceny +5 sleight of Hand
Healer's gloves +5 Heal

and I'm not sure why you included Eyes of the Eagle, since they provide a straight +5 perception bonus, or eyes of minute seeing since they provide a straight +5 disable device bonus.

Where do you get the idea that most magical skill bonus items are limited?

There are examples of items that include a limited skill bonus along with other powers, but every single +5 bonus, 2500gp item I've found just provides a basic +5 bonus with no limitations.

[Diego Rossi]

_Ozy_ wrote:

That isn't true at all.

Cloak of Elvenkind +5 stealth
Boots of Elvenkind +5 acrobatics
Gloves of Elvenkind +5 spellcraft (not limited) and +5 concentration (limited)

Gloves of Larceny +5 sleight of Hand
Healer's gloves +5 Heal

and I'm not sure why you included Eyes of the Eagle, since they provide a straight +5 perception bonus, or eyes of minute seeing since they provide a straight +5 disable device bonus.

Where do you get the idea that most magical skill bonus items are limited?

There are examples of items that include a limited skill bonus along with other powers, but every single +5 bonus, 2500gp item I've found just provides a basic +5 bonus with no limitations.

"When placed over the eyes of the wearer, the lenses enable her to see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less, granting her a +5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks."

+5 bonus, 2,500 gp

Plenty of disable device checks are made a more than 1' of distance.

[_Ozy_]

Diego Rossi wrote:

_Ozy_ wrote:

That isn't true at all.

Cloak of Elvenkind +5 stealth
Boots of Elvenkind +5 acrobatics
Gloves of Elvenkind +5 spellcraft (not limited) and +5 concentration (limited)

Gloves of Larceny +5 sleight of Hand
Healer's gloves +5 Heal

and I'm not sure why you included Eyes of the Eagle, since they provide a straight +5 perception bonus, or eyes of minute seeing since they provide a straight +5 disable device bonus.

Where do you get the idea that most magical skill bonus items are limited?

There are examples of items that include a limited skill bonus along with other powers, but every single +5 bonus, 2500gp item I've found just provides a basic +5 bonus with no limitations.

"When placed over the eyes of the wearer, the lenses enable her to see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less, granting her a +5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks."

+5 bonus, 2,500 gp

Plenty of disable device checks are made a more than 1' of distance.

You are confusing fluff for mechanics.

The mechanics say what they say. A +5 competence bonus to disable device checks. There are no limitations on that or any of the other items I listed.

So, once again, what gave you the idea that 'most' skill bonus items had limitations to them? They most certainly do not. If they did, they wouldn't cost 2500gp.

[Garbage-Tier Waifu]

So, wait, you mean you won't allow this to be applied to trap disable checks because you'd need to be in a trap's trigger range to apply? That seems...like that's not the intent of that magic item. Straight up, that seems like a 'gotcha' scenario to prevent characters getting the most from their purchases.

Also, as Ozy pointed out, those are straight up +5 bonus items. Exactly what is the limiting factor on Eyes of the Eagle?

Edit: Oh wait, it's sight based perception checks, isn't it?

[Stephen Ede]

Diego Rossi wrote:

"When placed over the eyes of the wearer, the lenses enable her to see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less, granting her a +5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks."
+5 bonus, 2,500 gp

Plenty of disable device checks are made a more than 1' of distance.

Seriously?

Outside of Ranged Ledgermain when do you make Disable Device checks when not in the adjacent/same square?

PS. Before you say the adjacent square is 5' away, if you are working on a door way adjacent to you you are presumed to be within 1' of the trap unless stated otherwise of your GM is a jerk.

[Diego Rossi]

Garbage-Tier Waifu wrote:

So, wait, you mean you won't allow this to be applied to trap disable checks because you'd need to be in a trap's trigger range to apply? That seems...like that's not the intent of that magic item. Straight up, that seems like a 'gotcha' scenario to prevent characters getting the most from their purchases.

Also, as Ozy pointed out, those are straight up +5 bonus items. Exactly what is the limiting factor on Eyes of the Eagle?

Edit: Oh wait, it's sight based perception checks, isn't it?

I was thinking of a old text that said that it applied to spot check at a distance, but that hasn't no value in Pathfinder.

[Diego Rossi]

Stephen Ede wrote:

Diego Rossi wrote:

"When placed over the eyes of the wearer, the lenses enable her to see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less, granting her a +5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks."
+5 bonus, 2,500 gp

Plenty of disable device checks are made a more than 1' of distance.

Seriously?

Outside of Ranged Ledgermain when do you make Disable Device checks when not in the adjacent/same square?

PS. Before you say the adjacent square is 5' away, if you are working on a door way adjacent to you you are presumed to be within 1' of the trap unless stated otherwise of your GM is a jerk.

When you meet some of the magical traps. As an example the statue that will entrance people within 20' to go there and touch it. A person with the appropriate skills can try to disarm it from 25' away, but he will not benefit from the goggles.

@_Ozy_ You are seriously saying that when you have a phrase that say "When placed over the eyes of the wearer, the lenses enable her to see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less, granting her a +5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks." you read it as "You have a +5 to disable device, all other text is fluff?

[Garbage-Tier Waifu]

I do. Like, it doesn't say 'granting a +5 competence bonus on Disable Devices checks within 1 foot or less', it just says '+5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks.' Full stop. I think your interpretation of these rules are kind of inaccurate.

[_Ozy_]

Diego Rossi wrote:

@_Ozy_ You are seriously saying that when you have a phrase that say "When placed over the eyes of the wearer, the lenses enable her to see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less, granting her a +5 competence bonus on Disable Device checks." you read it as "You have a +5 to disable device, all other text is fluff?

Are you seriously arguing otherwise?

Being able to 'see much better than normal at distances of 1 foot or less' has no mechanical translation. If it did, you would:

get a bonus on appraise checks, you don't
get a bonus on perception to notice fine detail, you don't
get a bonus on linguistics checks for creating/noticing forgeries, you don't
get a bonus on disguise checks, you don't
get a bonus on any number of detail-oriented craft/profession checks, you don't

so, that 'other text' is most definitely 100% fluff.

Furthermore, Pathfinder is nowhere near granular enough to support partitioning which disable device checks would benefit and which would not.

Picking locks has jack-all to do with visual acuity, would it apply?
Are traps in APs and modules really detailed enough for a GM to judge when to grant (or not) the bonus? Of course they are not.

And finally, if the item did have 'limits' on it, as you seem to insist, why would it cost the same as all of the other 2500gp skill items which have no such limits (despite your earlier claim otherwise).

Couldn't it be that Pathfinder just has a bunch of straight, +5 bonus, 2500gp skill items, and individual flavor text is just that?

Regardless of how we resolve this particular item, surely you have to admit that your earlier assessment that 'most' skill items have some limitations is actually incorrect.