Price for a compass [Archive] - Wizards Community

Price for a compass [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TwiddleStootch
10-10-07, 04:44 PM I am trying to figure out the best price for a non-magical, alchemical compass (the kind that finds north :P ).

By the rules for magic items, an unlimited item of Know Direction would be 1000 GP, but an unlimited item of Mage Hand is only 900 GP officially, so there is a start.
However, I would like to have a balanced Item of a lower price.

One balancing factor I though of was requiring the compass to be held still for 1 full round so it could align to north.
This would make it a bit less useful, but not much since it will rarely be used in time-constraints.

Any input will be appreciated.
Heros_Backpack
10-10-07, 06:37 PM According the Arms and Equipment Guide, a small magnet (which is all you really need for a compass) costs 10gp, and a roll of twine to tie onto it so it can swing freely will cost you another 1sp.

Any use?
TwiddleStootch
10-10-07, 06:45 PM Hmm, thanks for the info, but I am just wondering what others think is a balanced price for a compass, not what it would actually cost to make.

I don't see it being game breaking, and an intelligent DM can trump it easily enough, so I don't think it needs to be very invisible.
Sildatorak
10-10-07, 09:20 PM Considering that it is only a DC 15 survival check to find true north, I don't think that 10-15 gp is at all unreasonable for a loadstone compass.
Mock26
10-10-07, 11:43 PM I think that 2,000 gp is a fair price for a compass. Of course, that is assuming that the players want a traditional compass with the lodestone floating in water and that it is housed in a hand carved box of some exotic wood and inlaid with small diamonds and other precious stones. If they want something similar such as a primitive box compass and they want it plain, then as was already said 10-15 gp is a fair price.
Colmarr
10-15-07, 11:46 PM A spyglass (a.k.a telescope) costs 1,000gp as per the PHB.

Without doing any research on the topic, I would have thought that a compass represents the same level of technology as a spyglass. As such, it would be similarly rare in D&D and I would peg the price at 1,000gp.

No one with moderate ranks in survival is going to want one, but Lord Doderick van Dweeble III might just want one to show how much of an "explorer" he is...
Wih
10-16-07, 12:04 AM Compass: Survival Tool (Masterwork).

Tool (Masterwork) costs 50gp.

Compass costs 50gp.

Remember, not everyone knows how to use a compass. Just make it an item that gives a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival. And those cost 50gp. 50gp is, after all, quite expensive.
Mock26
10-16-07, 12:46 PM A spyglass (a.k.a telescope) costs 1,000gp as per the PHB.

Without doing any research on the topic, I would have thought that a compass represents the same level of technology as a spyglass. As such, it would be similarly rare in D&D and I would peg the price at 1,000gp.

No one with moderate ranks in survival is going to want one, but Lord Doderick van Dweeble III might just want one to show how much of an "explorer" he is...

Spyglasses involve grinding lenses, which is a lot more complicated than suspending a small piece of magnetized material in water.
Colmarr
10-16-07, 11:51 PM A compass, at least within the usual sense of the word, is not just a "small piece of magnetized material in water" (http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.204).

A lot more effort and craftsmanship than that is required to create a reliable magnetic compass.

Let the OP charge what he wants. The purpose of this post was not to argue with Mock that I was "right" but simply to provide a counter-point to his argument for the OP's benefit.
Mock26
10-17-07, 05:00 PM A compass, at least within the usual sense of the word, is not just a "small piece of magnetized material in water" (http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.204).

A lot more effort and craftsmanship than that is required to create a reliable magnetic compass.

Let the OP charge what he wants. The purpose of this post was not to argue with Mock that I was "right" but simply to provide a counter-point to his argument for the OP's benefit.
And even a 15th century box compass is a lot simpler to make than a telescope/spyglass. When you talk about simpler compasses from centurires before that you are talking of even simpler technology. To make the most simple of compasses all you need is a lodestone and a string. If you have a small lodestone, you can attach it to a board and float the board on water. That is the basics of a box compass. One used primarily on land does not have to be gimbaled to protect it against the rocking of a ship. And, given that this is D&D, chances are that it isn't going to be used on a ship. And, as mentioned in the article linked to, a thin magnetized pin attached to a thin card and attached to a needle sounds a LOT more simple than the precision grinding of two lenses.
eamon
10-18-07, 11:11 AM I'm with the 15 gp camp. This isn't anything like as complex as grinding lenses. You could make is simple and simply provide Masterwork Tools for 50gp as suggested, and include a primitive compass as part of a package.
Suspect_Unusual
10-23-07, 11:40 PM See if you can get your sword magnetized, then tie a string to IT...

If it's good enough for Wolverine, it's good enough for the lot of ya! :D
pigknight
11-02-07, 09:18 PM 1000 gp for the good kind, 10 gp for the kind that if you shake, they break.
Salla
11-02-07, 09:31 PM I'd go with the 'part of a masterwork tool set for Survival' idea, myself. An elegant solution if ever there was one.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TwiddleStootch 10-10-07, 04:44 PM	I am trying to figure out the best price for a non-magical, alchemical compass (the kind that finds north :P ). By the rules for magic items, an unlimited item of Know Direction would be 1000 GP, but an unlimited item of Mage Hand is only 900 GP officially, so there is a start. However, I would like to have a balanced Item of a lower price. One balancing factor I though of was requiring the compass to be held still for 1 full round so it could align to north. This would make it a bit less useful, but not much since it will rarely be used in time-constraints. Any input will be appreciated.
Heros_Backpack 10-10-07, 06:37 PM	According the Arms and Equipment Guide, a small magnet (which is all you really need for a compass) costs 10gp, and a roll of twine to tie onto it so it can swing freely will cost you another 1sp. Any use?
TwiddleStootch 10-10-07, 06:45 PM	Hmm, thanks for the info, but I am just wondering what others think is a balanced price for a compass, not what it would actually cost to make. I don't see it being game breaking, and an intelligent DM can trump it easily enough, so I don't think it needs to be very invisible.
Sildatorak 10-10-07, 09:20 PM	Considering that it is only a DC 15 survival check to find true north, I don't think that 10-15 gp is at all unreasonable for a loadstone compass.
Mock26 10-10-07, 11:43 PM	I think that 2,000 gp is a fair price for a compass. Of course, that is assuming that the players want a traditional compass with the lodestone floating in water and that it is housed in a hand carved box of some exotic wood and inlaid with small diamonds and other precious stones. If they want something similar such as a primitive box compass and they want it plain, then as was already said 10-15 gp is a fair price.
Colmarr 10-15-07, 11:46 PM	A spyglass (a.k.a telescope) costs 1,000gp as per the PHB. Without doing any research on the topic, I would have thought that a compass represents the same level of technology as a spyglass. As such, it would be similarly rare in D&D and I would peg the price at 1,000gp. No one with moderate ranks in survival is going to want one, but Lord Doderick van Dweeble III might just want one to show how much of an "explorer" he is...
Wih 10-16-07, 12:04 AM	Compass: Survival Tool (Masterwork). Tool (Masterwork) costs 50gp. Compass costs 50gp. Remember, not everyone knows how to use a compass. Just make it an item that gives a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival. And those cost 50gp. 50gp is, after all, quite expensive.
Mock26 10-16-07, 12:46 PM	A spyglass (a.k.a telescope) costs 1,000gp as per the PHB. Without doing any research on the topic, I would have thought that a compass represents the same level of technology as a spyglass. As such, it would be similarly rare in D&D and I would peg the price at 1,000gp. No one with moderate ranks in survival is going to want one, but Lord Doderick van Dweeble III might just want one to show how much of an "explorer" he is... Spyglasses involve grinding lenses, which is a lot more complicated than suspending a small piece of magnetized material in water.
Colmarr 10-16-07, 11:51 PM	A compass, at least within the usual sense of the word, is not just a "small piece of magnetized material in water" (http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.204). A lot more effort and craftsmanship than that is required to create a reliable magnetic compass. Let the OP charge what he wants. The purpose of this post was not to argue with Mock that I was "right" but simply to provide a counter-point to his argument for the OP's benefit.
Mock26 10-17-07, 05:00 PM	A compass, at least within the usual sense of the word, is not just a "small piece of magnetized material in water" (http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.204). A lot more effort and craftsmanship than that is required to create a reliable magnetic compass. Let the OP charge what he wants. The purpose of this post was not to argue with Mock that I was "right" but simply to provide a counter-point to his argument for the OP's benefit. And even a 15th century box compass is a lot simpler to make than a telescope/spyglass. When you talk about simpler compasses from centurires before that you are talking of even simpler technology. To make the most simple of compasses all you need is a lodestone and a string. If you have a small lodestone, you can attach it to a board and float the board on water. That is the basics of a box compass. One used primarily on land does not have to be gimbaled to protect it against the rocking of a ship. And, given that this is D&D, chances are that it isn't going to be used on a ship. And, as mentioned in the article linked to, a thin magnetized pin attached to a thin card and attached to a needle sounds a LOT more simple than the precision grinding of two lenses.
eamon 10-18-07, 11:11 AM	I'm with the 15 gp camp. This isn't anything like as complex as grinding lenses. You could make is simple and simply provide Masterwork Tools for 50gp as suggested, and include a primitive compass as part of a package.
Suspect_Unusual 10-23-07, 11:40 PM	See if you can get your sword magnetized, then tie a string to IT... If it's good enough for Wolverine, it's good enough for the lot of ya! :D
pigknight 11-02-07, 09:18 PM	1000 gp for the good kind, 10 gp for the kind that if you shake, they break.
Salla 11-02-07, 09:31 PM	I'd go with the 'part of a masterwork tool set for Survival' idea, myself. An elegant solution if ever there was one.