So I designed an item for my home game, which should be especially useful for casters who like to use scrolls: The Bloodmage's Library. Before you start reading through the accompanying wall of text, I'd like to ask you to PLEASE read the text carefully. I already posted it on the Pathfinder_RPG reddit yesterday and people there seem unable to post any actual advice, maybe due to not reading carefully enough, or maybe just because its's reddit. So before I start ranting about reddit, let's get to it:
DISCLAIMER: Anything of the following, especially the item's pricing, may still be subject to change and this is exactly why I am asking for your advice :)
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BLOODMAGE'S LIBRARY
Aura moderate conjuration, moderate transmutation, faint divination, CL 11th, Slot none, Price 33000 gp, Weight 16 lbs.
This gold-inlaid 24x16x4 inch box is mostly crafted from darkwood with a total of ten pockets of djezet placed equidistantly on its four sides. Its front side is a thin sheet of magically reinforced blood crystal which is attuned to the user at the time of creation by saturating it with at least a litre of his own blood. Inside the box, there is a flexible extradimensional space adapting to the number and shape of any items stored inside. The box can be used to store, read and protect any kind of magical and nonmagical writing. In order to use a Bloodmage's Library, the user needs to place his hand on top of the screen, so that the crystal may authenticate him by assuming a deep red hue. After successful registration he may lay a piece of writing atop the screen which then gets magically absorbed by the box and is placed inside its extradimensional space. Alternatively, he may think of any item stored inside and its writing will magically appear on the blood screen. If the displayed writing is from a scroll, he may use it as if he held the scroll in hand. The scroll is automatically removed from the archive upon being used up. If the writing contains multiple pages, he may display the desired page by mere concentration. Authenticating and displaying nonmagical writing is a free action, while displaying one scroll takes a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, or a swift action, if the user passes a concentration check as if casting defensively. If the check fails, a random piece of nonmagical writing stored in the archive appears on the screen. When turned horizontally, the screen may display two pieces of writing at once, but the user may not use scrolls displayed this way, as their magic violently interferes with one another and causes the screen to become blurred for 1d4 rounds as soon as one of the scrolls is used. Additionally, he may opt to remove a piece of writing from the archive by covering the entire screen with his own blood, so that the crystal may use its power to transfer the writing through the magical protection back to the surface. Doing so deals one point of CON damage to the user. A Bloodmage's Library protects its contents against the elements and all kinds of energy damage while possessing hit points and hardness as an adamantine +3 breastplate. It does not need to be carried and can not be used as a shield or cover, as the enchantment prioritizes protecting the library. The box follows its attuned user wherever he goes, assuming a comfortable reading position whenever it is needed.
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CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS:
Craft Wondrous Item, Animate Object, Secret Chest, Arcane Sight, Resist energy, Mage Armor, Blood Money, Cost 13500 gp
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COST CALCULATION:
6000 gp material equivalent of four blood crystal weapons,
2000 gp for ten doses of Djezet,
1000 gp for the case,
4500 gp for crafting a +3 armor bonus
Total
13500 gp multiplied by two
+6000 gp because of the complex magic involved
→ 33000 gp base price
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So, before you fell your judgement on this, let me explain what it exactly does:
- It provides infinite storage for any kind of writing.
- Security: Only the attuned character can access it.
- It protects all its contents from any kind of harm unless someone really tough tries to sunder it.
- It follows your character around WHEREVER he goes, which also implies flying, diving and burrowing as well as other kinds of movement.
- It is comfortable: Always hovers at a position well-suited for reading unless the user wishes otherwise or doing so would endanger its contents. Also, it can display two pages at once, but this mode does not like to be used with scrolls.
- Once you are "logged in", the item does not require any hands to use.
- You can cast scrolls without actually having them in hand (see above point), which effectively gives you an extra arm when dealing with scrolls.
- Displaying scrolls or other magical writing is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity (similar to a handy haversack) or a swift action, if the user succeeds at a concentraion check as if casting defensively. While this sounds harsh, there are many ways to improve your concentration checks and it effectively frees up your move action at later levels, which is rather strong.
- Finally, you can retrieve your physical version of any stored writing by taking one point of CON damage, since the blood crystal screen needs the power of your blood to overcome the protective magic surrounding core archives.
I am open to any kind of constructive criticism and hope that you can help me in balancing this item. Feel free to discuss! :)
So its basically a Handy Haversack on crack for scroll users. I like it.
If you are using the strict cost analysis of the armor part (the +3 adamantine breastplate), then the cost of creation for that bit should be 9600, not 4500 (9000 for the +3, 10000 for adamantine, and 200 for the breastplate = 19200/2 = 9600)
So its basically a Handy Haversack on crack for scroll users. I like it.
If you are using the strict cost analysis of the armor part (the +3 adamantine breastplate), then the cost of creation for that bit should be 9600, not 4500 (9000 for the +3, 10000 for adamantine, and 200 for the breastplate = 19200/2 = 9600)
The original version included the case even being made out of adamantine, but I instead opted for the gold-inlayed wood look using the Mage Armor spell as an armor substitute. I did not want to make it even more expensive. Even thought about leaving out the additional 6000 gp in the base price, since it is already so expensive.
I agree it seems expensive for what it does. Thematically it is really cool but mechanically I don't think it offers that many benefits over a Handy Haversack, so something around 30k is probably fair for this item. Also if this item is for a specific game and it is some kind of artifact the players are going to find you don't have to worry too much about making a price tag for it. Or are you intending to have this be a craftable item in all your future games?
I agree it seems expensive for what it does. Thematically it is really cool but mechanically I don't think it offers that many benefits over a Handy Haversack, so something around 30k is probably fair for this item. Also if this item is for a specific game and it is some kind of artifact the players are going to find you don't have to worry too much about making a price tag for it. Or are you intending to have this be a craftable item in all your future games?
I wanted it to be an invention of my next character which is a former Razmiran Priest and item inventor. If my GM approves of this item, we may agree on using it in future games as well. Since Djezet and Blood Crystal are not exactly common materials, the GM still has possibilities to restrict crafting of this item.
A friend of mine also just told me that it would be way easier to just command your familiar to fetch the scrolls fom your Haversack, which would not eat up any actions on your turn.
In view of this possibility, do you think it would be alright to omit the concentration check on displaying a scroll?
Also, somone suggested to make it 18000 gold base price instead. What do you think about this?