Return to Identifying Magic Items - Clarifying the DCs for Spellcraft

[PerditaCantabile]

Salut! I'm a sophomore GM and new to this forum. After winging it for the primary campaign I am running, I am looking for clarification on generating DCs for magic items. I haven't found anything specifically explaining this in either the Core Rulebook or the GMG, though I certainly may have overlooked it. (If I have overlooked a specific rule, please provide the page number!)

The Spellcraft to identify items using Detect Magic formula is

15 + the item's caster level = Spellcraft DC

My first question is this: are the bonuses cumulative?

Using the bonuses granted through Greater Magic Weapon, for example, I started generating a table to quickly generate the DCs for items up to +5. But, as we know, an item can have up to +10 value of bonuses, though never exceeding +5 att/dmg.

I came up with a matrix like this:

+1 enhancement DC 20
+2 enhancement DC 23
+3 enhancement DC 27
+4 enhancement DC 31
+5 enhancement DC 36

So, tabulating the DC to identify, for example, a +5 weapon with Ghost Touch (+1 equivalent bonus) would it be DC 40?

My second question is this: Would a cursed item be tabulated as a "net bonus"?
I mean, in theory one could generate a cursed item with a deviation between att/dmg to a maximum net of +5, like -2 att/+7 dmg, if I understand the rules correctly.

Merci beaucoup.

[PerditaCantabile]

Update: It seems this is explained further in the sections for creating magic armour and weapons on pages 550 and 551. Creating magic armour and weapons has the "special prerequisite: The creator's caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus [of the item]. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met."

Back to my charting... :- D

[Name Violation]

PerditaCantabile wrote:

Salut! I'm a sophomore GM and new to this forum. After winging it for the primary campaign I am running, I am looking for clarification on generating DCs for magic items. I haven't found anything specifically explaining this in either the Core Rulebook or the GMG, though I certainly may have overlooked it. (If I have overlooked a specific rule, please provide the page number!)

The Spellcraft to identify items using Detect Magic formula is

15 + the item's caster level = Spellcraft DC

My first question is this: are the bonuses cumulative?

Using the bonuses granted through Greater Magic Weapon, for example, I started generating a table to quickly generate the DCs for items up to +5. But, as we know, an item can have up to +10 value of bonuses, though never exceeding +5 att/dmg.

I came up with a matrix like this:

+1 enhancement DC 20
+2 enhancement DC 23
+3 enhancement DC 27
+4 enhancement DC 31
+5 enhancement DC 36

So, tabulating the DC to identify, for example, a +5 weapon with Ghost Touch (+1 equivalent bonus) would it be DC 40?

My second question is this: Would a cursed item be tabulated as a "net bonus"?
I mean, in theory one could generate a cursed item with a deviation between att/dmg to a maximum net of +5, like -2 att/+7 dmg, if I understand the rules correctly.

Merci beaucoup.

For every +1 you need 3 caster levels for weapons and armor. That formula is in the magic item chapter.

CL = 3x the enhancement bonus so a +5 requires CL 15, dc 30 to identify

[Azothath]

right.

I'll add in that those DCs are the standard for standard items. As a GM you can vary it a bit as sometimes custom items get creative and/or discounts, advantages and disadvantages are added in. You should consider if that makes them easier or harder to Identify.

One thing with alchemical & magic items you want to do is always note on the item description: spell({activation method/command}):{school} spell level @ caster level, save {F|R|W DC (Neg,dmg/2,...)}, [{charges/uses}] {Craft:DC} GP Price. This way that information won't get lost and the numbers are handy (not everything is crafted at a minimum!). Secondly, once the item is identified hand the player a printed copy so it doesn't get lost (usually quarter page or 4 per page document) with a little background description.

There are webpages and excel spreadsheets out there (on the web) that help with encounter CRs, Treasure, etc. Search the Advice forum.

[Belafon]

PerditaCantabile wrote:

Update: It seems this is explained further in the sections for creating magic armour and weapons on pages 550 and 551. Creating magic armour and weapons has the "special prerequisite: The creator's caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus [of the item]. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met."

Back to my charting... :- D

Feel free to chart if you want to. The numbers are pretty straightforward once you found that sentence for reference, though.

+5 ghost touch longsword:

+5 is (3 x 5) = CL 15
Ghost touch is (checks ability description) = CL 9
CL 15 > CL 9, use the higher.

Identify DC = 15 + 15 = 30

Similarly, if a weapon has multiple special abilities they don't stack when determining the DC. The highest CL sets the DC of the Identify check