Level Limits on Potions, Psionic Tattoos, Dorjes, and Wands

[Endarire]

Why are there power/spell limits on these items?  It seems like the level spell/power 3 or 4 limit were where WotC stopped playtesting thoroughly.  Is this the main reason?  If not, what?

[Tequila Sunrise]

I think it's just tradition. Potions and wands aren't as cool as staves and other items, so you can only enchant them with whimpy magic.

[steventirey1985]

As far as I can tell, 1st and 2nd edition had no such limits. They are something that WotC added in on their own for some reason. Existing potions are already made with caster levels of 20 (the greater magic fang, greater magic weapon, and magic vestment potions all need a CL of 20 to give a +5 bonus). So if potions can be made with a CL of 20, why not allow all spell levels as well? Are potions of 9th level spells really that big of a problem? They already cost 7,650 gold each. Wands of 9th level spells cost 114,750gp to buy fully charged (making each charge cost 2,295 gold), and staves already allow the same ability (but greater, as you can use your own feats to generate the save DCs).

[Lycanthromancer]

RAW dorjes are limited to 9th level powers and less.

The others are a bit more limited.

[steventirey1985]

And as Lycanthromancer said, dorjes (which are nothing but psionic wands) already allow 9th level spells. No reason wands can't do the same. The psionic version of potions though (tattoos) still has the cap.

[awaken DM golem]

4e abandoned the whole slightly different action economy for items,
and the supposed crafting costs too. And most of the "level" limits.
Personally I have found it boring.

But certainly 3e Custom Magic Items can get around any of those limits,
and yet still be an almost exact copy of a preexisting item.


Their motivations for doing that or anything else in 3rd edition , were as cotton candy at a carnival.