Grasp of The Emerald Claw Artifact [Archive] - Wizards Community

Grasp of The Emerald Claw Artifact [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The Debonair Swordsman
05-20-05, 06:14 PM So the party's not going to use that Giant tooth thing and it's going to be sold. How much do you think it's worth?

Damn Modules are pretty skimpy on the treasure side.
Luni
05-20-05, 09:04 PM You can always add treasure to the modules. :)

As for the price of the item. I don't think Identify works on artifacts, so it would probably sell for 25 000 gp (50 000 gp base). I'm probably on the low end though.
Junkyard Dog
05-21-05, 08:53 PM So the party's not going to use that Giant tooth thing and it's going to be sold. How much do you think it's worth?

Damn Modules are pretty skimpy on the treasure side.It's problematic, because you can't quite use the DMG rules (p. 285). First, if you do, you're going to come up with a base price in the range of hundreds of thousands of gp, which is clearly out of line with what a party of this level should have. Not only that, but the DMG prices are based on a formula of caster level times spell level. That's fine in most cases, but with this item, a continuous tongues ability with caster level 20th is no better than a continuous tongues ability with caster level 5th. It may have cost more to manufacture, but it wouldn't be worth more on an open market. On the other hand, the word of chaos ability depends almost entirely on the caster level, so in this case the full price is warranted. The DMG provides guidelines for items which allow uses per day, but not for uses per week, such as with the word of chaos ability. In addition, you've got the equivalent of a curse, that is, the permanent Cha loss. There are no guidelines for the effect of that on price, but clearly it should cost less because of it. The other respondent is correct in that it won't necessarily be easy for the party to identify the item, since identify and analyze dweomer don't work on an artifact. Finally, the Sharn: City of Towers book makes it clear that to sell an item from Xen'drik in Sharn, you've got to have a letter of marque or something of the sort authorizing you to do so, something which the party doesn't have, since its trip to Xen'drik was a secret one arranged by Lady Elaydren. Assuming the party can still somehow get the item identified (with a sage or something of the sort), based on all the above and the guidelines in the DMG, I think a fair selling price would be about 40,000 gp. The spell-like abilities are worth over 100,000 gp in my judgment, but then I reduced it somewhat for the Cha loss and assumed the party could sell it for half. I hope that helps.
Neofish
05-21-05, 09:02 PM the Giant's tooth is priceless (ooo's and ahhh's)...
BloodyRoots
05-22-05, 03:18 PM It's problematic, because you can't quite use the DMG rules (p. 285).

Im really hoping that the DMGII helps with pricing of magic items.

As for the Tooth. its awsome. The frenzied berserker dwarf in our group snatched it right up. I wouldnt let them sell it out of play, an artifact like that requires negotiations and contacts to be made. Perhaps a double cross by a desprate scholar. In return perhaps they could recive have a nice artifact. Something they could use. Of course this to should not be given to them. An anciant map to follow or another mysterious agent that could only be reached by crossing dangerous teritory. The sisters of Sora Kell maybe.
KP91
05-22-05, 05:03 PM Im really hoping that the DMGII helps with pricing of magic items.

DMG already tells how to price items, except for artifacts which are so incredibly powerful no one knows how to make them except deities, and maybe some dragons and giants.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Debonair Swordsman 05-20-05, 06:14 PM	So the party's not going to use that Giant tooth thing and it's going to be sold. How much do you think it's worth? Damn Modules are pretty skimpy on the treasure side.
Luni 05-20-05, 09:04 PM	You can always add treasure to the modules. :) As for the price of the item. I don't think Identify works on artifacts, so it would probably sell for 25 000 gp (50 000 gp base). I'm probably on the low end though.
Junkyard Dog 05-21-05, 08:53 PM	So the party's not going to use that Giant tooth thing and it's going to be sold. How much do you think it's worth? Damn Modules are pretty skimpy on the treasure side.It's problematic, because you can't quite use the DMG rules (p. 285). First, if you do, you're going to come up with a base price in the range of hundreds of thousands of gp, which is clearly out of line with what a party of this level should have. Not only that, but the DMG prices are based on a formula of caster level times spell level. That's fine in most cases, but with this item, a continuous tongues ability with caster level 20th is no better than a continuous tongues ability with caster level 5th. It may have cost more to manufacture, but it wouldn't be worth more on an open market. On the other hand, the word of chaos ability depends almost entirely on the caster level, so in this case the full price is warranted. The DMG provides guidelines for items which allow uses per day, but not for uses per week, such as with the word of chaos ability. In addition, you've got the equivalent of a curse, that is, the permanent Cha loss. There are no guidelines for the effect of that on price, but clearly it should cost less because of it. The other respondent is correct in that it won't necessarily be easy for the party to identify the item, since identify and analyze dweomer don't work on an artifact. Finally, the Sharn: City of Towers book makes it clear that to sell an item from Xen'drik in Sharn, you've got to have a letter of marque or something of the sort authorizing you to do so, something which the party doesn't have, since its trip to Xen'drik was a secret one arranged by Lady Elaydren. Assuming the party can still somehow get the item identified (with a sage or something of the sort), based on all the above and the guidelines in the DMG, I think a fair selling price would be about 40,000 gp. The spell-like abilities are worth over 100,000 gp in my judgment, but then I reduced it somewhat for the Cha loss and assumed the party could sell it for half. I hope that helps.
Neofish 05-21-05, 09:02 PM	the Giant's tooth is priceless (ooo's and ahhh's)...
BloodyRoots 05-22-05, 03:18 PM	It's problematic, because you can't quite use the DMG rules (p. 285). Im really hoping that the DMGII helps with pricing of magic items. As for the Tooth. its awsome. The frenzied berserker dwarf in our group snatched it right up. I wouldnt let them sell it out of play, an artifact like that requires negotiations and contacts to be made. Perhaps a double cross by a desprate scholar. In return perhaps they could recive have a nice artifact. Something they could use. Of course this to should not be given to them. An anciant map to follow or another mysterious agent that could only be reached by crossing dangerous teritory. The sisters of Sora Kell maybe.
KP91 05-22-05, 05:03 PM	Im really hoping that the DMGII helps with pricing of magic items. DMG already tells how to price items, except for artifacts which are so incredibly powerful no one knows how to make them except deities, and maybe some dragons and giants.