Author Topic: Constant-Use Spell Items and You  (Read 7958 times)

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Lycanthromancer

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Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« on: January 09, 2011, 07:06:46 PM »
An item with an always-on 1st level spell costs a mere 2000 gp. Adding multiple spells to an item costs 2000 gp for the first and 3000 gp for each additional spell.

Some 1st level spells are incredibly powerful and useful.

Here's a few to consider:

Protection from Good/Evil/Law/Chaos: A constant +2 deflection bonus and +2 resistance bonus to saves vs opposite-alignment creatures, and blanket protection against summons, possession, and mind-controlling effects? For 2k gp? Wow.

Shield: +4 [force] shield bonus, and immunity to magic missiles. Nice.

Mage Armor: +4 armor bonus that applies to ethereal and incorporeal critters. This makes bracers of armor obsolete in a big way.

Obscuring Mist: Constant full-concealment, unbreachable by illusion-piercing spells and effects. Doesn't work well unless you have some form of blindsense/blindsight/touchsight/etc. Add free Invisible Spell metamagic to screw over true seeing!

Comprehend Languages: The epic Polyglot feat for 2000 gp. Nice.

Detect Secret Doors: Good for those entering the World's Largest Dungeon module.

Detect Undead: This is useful for everyone. Even more useful (in its own way) to characters with Mindsight and Life Sense.

True Strike: Yeah. Constant +20 to attack rolls? This one's been a long-known abuse, and no one would allow it, but...

Shocking Grasp: +1d6 electricity damage to all of your unarmed and natural attacks. I like it.

Disguise Self: Suck it, hat of disguise.

Silent Image: Incredibly nifty, but is it only one image, or can you control what it shows round to round? See: obscuring mist for more details.

Chill Touch: See shocking grasp, PLUS possible Strength damage!

Animate Rope: Constant animated rope. Good for utility.

Enlarge Person: +1 LA boost for 2000 gp? Whoo!

Expeditious Retreat: Doubles the base speed of most humanoids (and grants a nice Jump bonus), and is quite affordable.

Feather Fall: Yeah, there's a ring for that.

Jump: Add 10' to all Jump checks.

Magic Weapon: Yeah, +1 enhancement bonus to a weapon is standard, but make a ribbon to tie to the weapon's hilt, and you can transfer from weapon to weapon. Niiice.

Reduce Person: Best if you're already Small or Smaller. Especially nice for initiators and spellcasters.


...And that's just the wizard/sorcerer list. There are more on the cleric and druid lists, and yet more on the psionic powers lists.

Good stuff.
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X-Codes

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2011, 07:37:09 PM »
Note that the magic item pricing guidelines are just that: GUIDELINES.  If memory serves, there are even specific exceptions called out in the text for Mage Armor and True Strike.  Also note that there are other changes dependent on the duration of the spell in question.

As for some of the others:

Obscuring Mist- as you said, it's useless if you don't have your own extraordinary senses.  Also, costs 4k, not 2k.

Comprehend Languages- Doesn't let you speak or write in whatever language you want.  Tongues is closer to Polyglot than Comprehend Languages is, but I don't think Tongues lets you write, either.  Also, costs 3k, not 2k.

Detect Secret Doors- Costs 4k, not 2k.  Also note that you still have to concentrate (standard action) to get the benefits.

Detect Undead- Costs 4k, not 2k.  See above.

True Strike- Will never be allowed.

Shocking Grasp- While cheaper than the Shock weapon enhancement, it still sucks.

Disguise Self- Costs 3k, not 2k.  Hat of Disguise is cheaper.

Silent Image- This either works two ways: one, you have to concentrate to gain the effect, or two, you create an item that constantly projects a single image.  In any case, you can't make it continuous

Chill Touch- Costs 8k, not 2k.  Wounding is better.

Animate Rope- Costs 8k, not 2k.

Enlarge Person- Costs 4k, not 2k.  Is really about on-par with Gauntlets of Strength +2.

Expeditious Retreat- Costs 8k, not 2k.

Feather Fall- Worst idea ever.  There are cheap little tokens costing <100gp that do this automatically, with no action and no item slot requirements.

Magic Weapon- LOL! 4k, not 2k, and doesn't count as the +1 to add enhancements, either.  Way to go, big spender!

Reduce Person- Again, 4k, not 2k, and it's best use will probably be for the net +5 hide mod, which a Cloak of Elvenkind does better.

Next time try reading the guidelines, and then understand that they're guidelines, not rules.  DMs are free to reject any of these items on a whim, and don't even have to resort to rule 0 to do so.

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2011, 07:45:05 PM »
True Strike: Yeah. Constant +20 to attack rolls? This one's been a long-known abuse, and no one would allow it, but...
its not a constant +20tohit
its either a permanent true strike, which means a +20 on your next attack and after that it does nothing but giving the item a magic aura or its an at will item and then it takes a standard action to activate

Maat_Mons

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2011, 07:50:15 PM »
Magic Weapon- LOL! 4k, not 2k, and doesn't count as the +1 to add enhancements, either.  Way to go, big spender!

It should be 8,000 gp, since it doesn't occupy a body slot.  A +1 dragonshard pommel stone (The Forge of War 121) does the same thing for 2,500 gp and can be upgraded to transfer additional enhancements (for 125% cost). 

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2011, 07:51:44 PM »
True Strike: Yeah. Constant +20 to attack rolls? This one's been a long-known abuse, and no one would allow it, but...
its not a constant +20tohit
its either a permanent true strike, which means a +20 on your next attack and after that it does nothing but giving the item a magic aura or its an at will item and then it takes a standard action to activate
Use-activated is the typical argument

Anyway, magic traps are far less arguable, and almost as useful.
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nijineko

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2011, 04:38:36 AM »
in this vein... it is quite useful to use the cursed items from arms and equip guide +6 to 5/6 stats for only 1300gp each? =D the only catch is that there are certain things you can't do... if you do, then the bonus flips to a -6 to the stat. still, quite useful. just don't let the dm manipulate you into taking the proscribed action(s). ^^
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2011, 05:31:49 AM »
As X-Codes mentioned, your prices are off. Continuous spell effect magic items also have an additional multiplier on cost (hidden in a footnote of the table) based on the spell's duration. Here's the relevant text.

Quote from: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm
3.   If a continuous item has an effect based on a spell with a duration measured in rounds, multiply the cost by 4. If the duration of the spell is 1 minute/level, multiply the cost by 2, and if the duration is 10 minutes/level, multiply the cost by 1.5. If the spell has a 24-hour duration or greater, divide the cost in half.
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2011, 06:53:46 AM »
Duration in rounds: 8K
Duration in minutes: 4K
Duration is 24+ hours normally: 1K
Other durations: 2K
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2011, 09:10:52 AM »
For the shorter duration items it might be better to get command word if they're utility.
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2011, 07:44:56 PM »
True Strike ... has a problem. There's a rule that states
the bonus to attack number requires a x3 Caster Level,
IF the item is blah blah blah.
I don't remember at this point exactly where in core it is,
but I did make a thread of it late on the old T.O. board.

So anyway the +20 needs a 60 CL.
Besides the obvious hard to come by without big CO-ing,
it increases the price accordingly.
1*60*2000 = 120 000 gp.
I like it in late game.

Lycanthromancer

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2011, 02:35:13 PM »
Duration in rounds: 8K
Duration in minutes: 4K
Duration is 24+ hours normally: 1K
Other durations: 2K
Still, 4000 gp for complete protection from mind control (ie, protection from good/evil/law/chaos) is pretty amazing.
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2011, 03:02:11 PM »
Duration in rounds: 8K
Duration in minutes: 4K
Duration is 24+ hours normally: 1K
Other durations: 2K
Still, 4000 gp for complete protection from mind control (ie, protection from good/evil/law/chaos) is pretty amazing.
It's also total DM fiat whether you can get it.

Compare with the Dracanite Helm from Ghostwalk.  12000 gp, +2 deflection bonus to AC, protects the wearer from all forms of possession.
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2011, 03:50:03 PM »
Since that's a non-aligned +2 deflection bonus, I can see that being substantially more expensive.

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2011, 04:13:35 PM »
Duration in rounds: 8K
Duration in minutes: 4K
Duration is 24+ hours normally: 1K
Other durations: 2K

2k is for hour duration spells. 10 min/level duration would be 3k

A character of mine used enlarged person on a ring, 4k, for one campaign from about level 8 all the way to the end at 19. Very handy, but not broken as such.

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #14 on: January 13, 2011, 04:16:08 PM »
Since that's a non-aligned +2 deflection bonus, I can see that being substantially more expensive.
If you're good guys, you're going to be fighting evil more often than not.  The helmet also doesn't offer protection from summons, mental control that isn't possession, or save bonuses.
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #15 on: January 13, 2011, 04:44:54 PM »
A banner of law (Heroes of Battle 133) gives the whole part a continuous protection from chaos effect for 8,000 gp.  The down side is, someone has to hold it in two hands, but a trained monkey, skeleton, or hireling would suffice. 

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #16 on: January 13, 2011, 04:49:48 PM »
I've had characters get Gloves of Master's Touch to have proficiency with weapons.
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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #18 on: January 13, 2011, 10:53:30 PM »
Since that's a non-aligned +2 deflection bonus, I can see that being substantially more expensive.
If you're good guys, you're going to be fighting evil more often than not.  The helmet also doesn't offer protection from summons, mental control that isn't possession, or save bonuses.
If we're going to assume the alignment of the item's user, then we should apply the recommended 30% cost cut to the helm, dropping it to 8,400 gold.  Now, if the custom item's protection applies half the time then the helm and the custom item are actually very close to the same price.  At this point, it becomes a better deal while working under the assumption that you're playing a stereotypical Good vs. Evil kinda campaign.  Now lets say you're running an Evil campaign to take over the world: You're going to be fighting all kinds of other creatures.  Good guys will want to stop you (good vs. evil), Lawful guys will want to stop you (status quo vs. revolution), Chaotic guys will fight you (sounds like a good idea to them), Neutral guys will want to stop you (disrupting the balance of the world), and other Evil guys will want to stop you (they want to conquer the world, too, you know!).  If your custom item is only going to be applicable to about 20% of the battles you go into, then it's really not going to be all that useful.

The item doesn't really protect against summons, either, given that said effect allows for SR (remember, this is a CL 1 item) and promptly ends as soon as the wearer attacks said summoned creature.  It also has gaping holes in what kind of mental control it protects from, including what I consider to be the best mind control spells in the game: Suggestion.

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Re: Constant-Use Spell Items and You
« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2011, 09:26:43 AM »
Found it ---> http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#creatingMagicWeapons

Theres actually no wiggle room at all, the enhancement limit has no bearing at all on the insight bonus granted by True Strike.
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