Have you ever allowed Scaling Items before? How did you handle their scaling gp price?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


So the rules for Scaling Items from Pathfinder Unchained recommend a few different ways to handle this, for example, less wealth (so out of character understanding that the player would get less of the loot to accommodate the increase in price of the scaling item), or some of the wealth being replaced with a new item of some sort, like crystals, that can only be used in a ritual to enhance the scaling item to the next level when you level up.

So basically, I wanted to know, how do/did you handle this when you allow(ed) scaling items in your games?


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So funny story. Player in a game I was running made a mad prophet type of Groetus cleric. I got a bit too much into it and gave him a minor artifact that looks an awful lot like a bronze moon with a face on it (as a heavy flail). At the time he got it the special abilities made it a rather powerful weapon. But it was only +2.

Flash forward to near the end of the campaign and I realize his level 14 cleric still has a +2 weapon. Oops. It isn't like he can get rid of what amounts to an artifact that depicts his god. He's been a good boy, though he's a bit too choosy about what he destroys. Still, he preaches Groetus' word and that goes a long way with convincing an artifact to grow.

So I started giving the very mad cleric visions that urged him to give platinum to the artifact. The money was slowly offered. And the Groetus-faced flail ate the platinum. After enough platinum was sacrificed the entire bronze moon gained a silvery-platinum sheen and became a +4 weapon.

So basically I had the artifact itself remove treasure from the party to pay for the upgrade. A quest to do the same would be appropriate, with the upgrade being figured into the rewards.


It was in a "no magic mart that wasnt scrolls and potions" campaign so the magic item availability was tightly planned and controlled by the gm unless you chose to invest in crafting.

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