Bead of Rust [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bead of Rust [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Darkxarth
06-23-06, 07:29 PM Okay, I have an idea for a Wondrous Item called a Bead of Rusting. When it hits a metallic object, it rusts it away. As soon as the Bead of Rust is activated, it rusts away itself.

Bead of Rust
This small, marble sized steel ball is covered in rust. When it touches an iron object, it rusts it away. If the iron object is larger than 3 cubic feet, then only 3 cu ft of it is rusted away. If it hits a ferrous creature, it deals 3d6 damage. If this damage is enough to destroy said creature, it dissolves into a pile of rust. As soon as the Bead of Rust affects an iron object of ferrous creature, it rusts away itself.

Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, Rusting Grasp; Price 1,400 gp

Single use, use-activatedYes, so-
Spell level x caster level x 50 gp4 x 7 x 50 = 1400 gp

Does this look right to everyone? I'm not really good at this whole pricing thing. All the items I make are unique, so they don't have a price.
shruggar
06-23-06, 10:05 PM I might give it an extra multiplier since it could potentially be used as a thrown weapon (increasing the range of the spell). But logically the spell itself is activated at a range of touch, so either way.
If it turns out to be too unbalanced in the game, you could arbitrarily give it another multiplier and say it is difficult to create since ordinary tools become damaged during creation. I would doubt this neccessary since the price already seems high for a single-use item.

Nothing looks unbalanced about it, and the rules-as-written multipliers seem okay.

The only problem is the description is under 20 pages long ;D
Darkxarth
06-23-06, 10:38 PM I might give it an extra multiplier since it could potentially be used as a thrown weapon (increasing the range of the spell). But logically the spell itself is activated at a range of touch, so either way.
If it turns out to be too unbalanced in the game, you could arbitrarily give it another multiplier and say it is difficult to create since ordinary tools become damaged during creation. I would doubt this neccessary since the price already seems high for a single-use item.

Nothing looks unbalanced about it, and the rules-as-written multipliers seem okay.

The only problem is the description is under 20 pages long ;D
Thanks for the comments! If it becomes unbalanced, I'l do what you suggested.
HobbitGuy1420
06-24-06, 01:49 AM might want to specify the cubic footage of iron this thing can rust away and destroy, just in case some schmo decides to rust out the BBEG's gigantic iron fortress.

Other than that, looks good to me
Darkxarth
06-24-06, 02:13 AM 3 cubic feet of ferrous material. But if it finished off a ferrous creature, it dissolves it into rust, no matter how big.
WhiteHarness
06-24-06, 04:40 AM Why not just make it deal 3d6 damage to iron objects? Objects have hitpoints, too. Simply saying "3 cubic feet of iron are instantly zapped out of existence" is arbitrary and boring. I like the excitement of rolling dice for damage.
bgt
06-24-06, 07:12 AM Why not just make it deal 3d6 damage to iron objects? Objects have hitpoints, too. Simply saying "3 cubic feet of iron are instantly zapped out of existence" is arbitrary and boring. I like the excitement of rolling dice for damage.

If it deals damage to objects, it would have to be able to deal 1,080 damage to dissolve a 3 foot cube. That's about 308 dice of damge. I don't know about you, but rolling dice get's pretty boring around the twentieth dice, and utteraly unbearable around the fiftieth. 3d6 of damage will get you about an inch and a half into an iron object.

Darkxarth, the only change I'd make is to have it dissolve a 5 foot cube of iron, as that brings it in line with the size of the squres on a grid.
shruggar
06-24-06, 10:17 AM all that "cubic feet", "3d6", etc, can be avoided with the magic words: "As the spell Rusting Grasp". Anything rusting grasp can do, this can do. Anything it can't, it can't.
Darkxarth
06-24-06, 11:21 AM All that "cubic feet", "3d6", etc, can be avoided with the magic words: "As the spell Rusting Grasp". Anything Rusting Grasp can do, this can do. Anything it can't, it can't.
That's where I got the idea from. :D
shruggar
06-24-06, 12:46 PM I know that's where you got the idea from, you specifically said that's where you got the idea from. The point is you didnt say "As the spell". Those three words tend to get rid of a lot of ambiguity, and are not always implied since items tend to have the ability to go a little beyond the base spell's limitations (Glove of Storing, based on Shrink Item, makes things so small they are invisible, for example)

I realize there is disagreement about prerequisite spells being a source of rules vs being just for flavor, but I'll act like there isnt because I'm always right :D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Darkxarth 06-23-06, 07:29 PM	Okay, I have an idea for a Wondrous Item called a Bead of Rusting. When it hits a metallic object, it rusts it away. As soon as the Bead of Rust is activated, it rusts away itself. Bead of Rust This small, marble sized steel ball is covered in rust. When it touches an iron object, it rusts it away. If the iron object is larger than 3 cubic feet, then only 3 cu ft of it is rusted away. If it hits a ferrous creature, it deals 3d6 damage. If this damage is enough to destroy said creature, it dissolves into a pile of rust. As soon as the Bead of Rust affects an iron object of ferrous creature, it rusts away itself. Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, Rusting Grasp; Price 1,400 gp Single use, use-activatedYes, so- Spell level x caster level x 50 gp4 x 7 x 50 = 1400 gp Does this look right to everyone? I'm not really good at this whole pricing thing. All the items I make are unique, so they don't have a price.
shruggar 06-23-06, 10:05 PM	I might give it an extra multiplier since it could potentially be used as a thrown weapon (increasing the range of the spell). But logically the spell itself is activated at a range of touch, so either way. If it turns out to be too unbalanced in the game, you could arbitrarily give it another multiplier and say it is difficult to create since ordinary tools become damaged during creation. I would doubt this neccessary since the price already seems high for a single-use item. Nothing looks unbalanced about it, and the rules-as-written multipliers seem okay. The only problem is the description is under 20 pages long ;D
Darkxarth 06-23-06, 10:38 PM	I might give it an extra multiplier since it could potentially be used as a thrown weapon (increasing the range of the spell). But logically the spell itself is activated at a range of touch, so either way. If it turns out to be too unbalanced in the game, you could arbitrarily give it another multiplier and say it is difficult to create since ordinary tools become damaged during creation. I would doubt this neccessary since the price already seems high for a single-use item. Nothing looks unbalanced about it, and the rules-as-written multipliers seem okay. The only problem is the description is under 20 pages long ;D Thanks for the comments! If it becomes unbalanced, I'l do what you suggested.
HobbitGuy1420 06-24-06, 01:49 AM	might want to specify the cubic footage of iron this thing can rust away and destroy, just in case some schmo decides to rust out the BBEG's gigantic iron fortress. Other than that, looks good to me
Darkxarth 06-24-06, 02:13 AM	3 cubic feet of ferrous material. But if it finished off a ferrous creature, it dissolves it into rust, no matter how big.
WhiteHarness 06-24-06, 04:40 AM	Why not just make it deal 3d6 damage to iron objects? Objects have hitpoints, too. Simply saying "3 cubic feet of iron are instantly zapped out of existence" is arbitrary and boring. I like the excitement of rolling dice for damage.
bgt 06-24-06, 07:12 AM	Why not just make it deal 3d6 damage to iron objects? Objects have hitpoints, too. Simply saying "3 cubic feet of iron are instantly zapped out of existence" is arbitrary and boring. I like the excitement of rolling dice for damage. If it deals damage to objects, it would have to be able to deal 1,080 damage to dissolve a 3 foot cube. That's about 308 dice of damge. I don't know about you, but rolling dice get's pretty boring around the twentieth dice, and utteraly unbearable around the fiftieth. 3d6 of damage will get you about an inch and a half into an iron object. Darkxarth, the only change I'd make is to have it dissolve a 5 foot cube of iron, as that brings it in line with the size of the squres on a grid.
shruggar 06-24-06, 10:17 AM	all that "cubic feet", "3d6", etc, can be avoided with the magic words: "As the spell Rusting Grasp". Anything rusting grasp can do, this can do. Anything it can't, it can't.
Darkxarth 06-24-06, 11:21 AM	All that "cubic feet", "3d6", etc, can be avoided with the magic words: "As the spell Rusting Grasp". Anything Rusting Grasp can do, this can do. Anything it can't, it can't. That's where I got the idea from. :D
shruggar 06-24-06, 12:46 PM	I know that's where you got the idea from, you specifically said that's where you got the idea from. The point is you didnt say "As the spell". Those three words tend to get rid of a lot of ambiguity, and are not always implied since items tend to have the ability to go a little beyond the base spell's limitations (Glove of Storing, based on Shrink Item, makes things so small they are invisible, for example) I realize there is disagreement about prerequisite spells being a source of rules vs being just for flavor, but I'll act like there isnt because I'm always right :D