Help! Optimizing the process of Identifying items? Our party needs help!

[Gavinfoxx]

Hi there, for a by-the-book (except for actual character wealth, which is LOW in this campaign) DM, what ways of Identifying magical items require the least expenditure of party resources, namely GOLD and Character options like Skill Ranks, Classes, Skill Tricks, and Feats? We don't have a Wizard, just a Sorcerer.  Scrolls of Identify are 125 gp, which is expensive in this low wealth game.  What are the most useful ways for a low level party (2nd, 3rd level mostly, with one character in fourth level or so), to fully identify strange magic items when in town? How about when in the field? Are there any guides to doing this anywhere? If there are, I couldn't find them. Thanks!

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Well, a kobold sorcerer can pick it up as a SLA

A higher level item, the artificer's monocle, can get you it in exchange for a casting of detect magic.

I think there's an identification skill trick, but it probably requires too many ranks for you to get.

The divine version of identify doesn't have a material component, so a cleric with the magic domain can cast it for free.  The cost for hiring a NPC caster is caster level * spell level* 10 gp, and 60 gp is significantly better than 125.

[Shadowhunter]

1 level in Dragonfire Adept could give you an Invocation that fits the bill.
At-will Detect Magic, end duration to cast Identify as a standard action.
Then re-cast the invocation.

[Invictus1988]

Make an Artificer lol

[Invictus1988]

what i mean is, a lvl 1 artificer has the "Artificer knowledge" class skill that allows them to know the magical properties of the item (not the exact powers of it).  Which is why i have the artificers monocle.  it basically gives the artificer a free Identify cast without do anything more than spending an extra min studying the item.  I believe it costs 2000g, but it's well worth the investment.  of course if you craft it, it costs 1000g 80xp and 2 days.

[lianightdemon]

That little gem is 1500gp and is found in the MIC on page 72. It also works for someone with detect magic. So you could hire a mage to cast a permanencied detect magic on someone with 5 ranks of knowledge arcana.

That works right?

[Nunkuruji]

That little gem is 1500gp and is found in the MIC on page 72. It also works for someone with detect magic. So you could hire a mage to cast a permanencied detect magic on someone with 5 ranks of knowledge arcana.

That works right?

That's what my PCs usually use.

Additionally, MIC p.217 lists means of identifying items.

[Endarire]

A Psion can learn psionic identify as a level 2 power.  A Cleric with the Magic domain can cast identify as a L2 spell with no component.

[LargePrime]

Hi there, for a by-the-book (except for actual character wealth, which is LOW in this campaign) DM, what ways of Identifying magical items require the least expenditure of party resources, namely GOLD and...  

Identify, cast by a cleric.  Magic 2.  Free.

Anyone see that Ninja?

[jojolagger]

Eternal wand of identify. 2 times per day, identify the item. It's 820 gp, but will last forever.

[Widow]

Eternal wand of identify. 2 times per day, identify the item. It's 820 gp, but will last forever.

Although techniquely the eternal wands don't specifically state that spells with material components cost more, usually spells with expensive material components have much higher costs when placed in items (50 x the material component for typical charged items, 100x for daily items).  Plus the wands are arcane so they cannot perform the material free divine version of the spell. 

[Littha]

Eternal wand of identify. 2 times per day, identify the item. It's 820 gp, but will last forever.

Although techniquely the eternal wands don't specifically state that spells with material components cost more, usually spells with expensive material components have much higher costs when placed in items (50 x the material component for typical charged items, 100x for daily items).  Plus the wands are arcane so they cannot perform the material free divine version of the spell. 

Get a cleric to make it?

[Phoenix00]

Eternal wand of identify. 2 times per day, identify the item. It's 820 gp, but will last forever.

Although techniquely the eternal wands don't specifically state that spells with material components cost more, usually spells with expensive material components have much higher costs when placed in items (50 x the material component for typical charged items, 100x for daily items).  Plus the wands are arcane so they cannot perform the material free divine version of the spell. 

Get a cleric to make it?

Eternal Wands can't be divine only arcane.  That said Eternal Wands are based off the price of a custom magic item that is 2 a day.  So you should be able to go to your DM and ask for it...nicely.

[Hallack]

Have to agree that Artificers Monocle is my favorite as well. 

Cloistered Clerics also get Identify on their spell list and don't have to use the pearl in the casting.

[Daedalus]

divine magician, cloistered cleric

[ksbsnowowl]

An Archivist who makes nice with a Cleric of Magic. 

[Saeomon]

A 4th level Psion with the Linked Power feat from CPsi could manifest Detect Psionics and link Psionic Identify for a total expense of 4 PP. No tangible resource costs.

[Daedalus]

also:

pay low lvl caster to do it (NPC) a couple of times, kill him & take everything back, skip town...

[jojolagger]

also:

pay low lvl caster to do it (NPC) a couple of times, kill him & take everything back, skip town...

This is turning out to be one of those plans.