Cloak of the Serpent’s Grip [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cloak of the Serpent’s Grip [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Beholderbob
11-18-06, 11:46 PM I'm looking for feedback on a magic item I am making. Does it look balanced? Is the price reasonable? Any suggestions for changing it?

Cloak of the Serpent’s Grip Made from green and brown snake skins, it has the perpetual musty scent of serpents and is waterproof. The cloak grants the wearer +4 Hide, +4 to Animal Handling checks with reptiles, and a +4 bonus to the wearer’s grappling checks.

Cost 5000 gp
Requires: Spider Climb, Alter Self, Bull Strengh
Andion Isurand
11-18-06, 11:53 PM I think this item might do better as a belt or collar, since they can wrap around you like a snake does... but of course that's just considering body slot affinity.

It depends on whether you want to emphasize the Hide bonus or the grapple bonus... however, the current name of the item... contains the word Grip.

Besides, it would take fewer snakes to make a belt or collar as well.
Beholderbob
11-19-06, 12:01 AM I haven't entered the descriptive text yet, but the idea was that while you grapple your foe, the cloak does too. When you make a grapple roll to escape, the cloak pushes your foe away. Now, the bonus to animal handling checks with reptiles is due to your smelling 'familiar' to them. The bonus to hide was simply a benefit of the coloration. I did think about making it a bonus to climb instead of hide - in which case the cloak would be 'gripping' the surface you climb to assist you, but so far I've been leaning towards the hide bonus.

Does the price seem reasonable?
DarkRhystar
11-19-06, 12:04 AM I'm looking for feedback on a magic item I am making. Does it look balanced? Is the price reasonable? Any suggestions for changing it?

Cloak of the Serpent’s Grip Made from green and brown snake skins, it has the perpetual musty scent of serpents and is waterproof. The cloak grants the wearer +4 Hide, +4 to Animal Handling checks with reptiles, and a +4 bonus to the wearer’s grappling checks.

Cost 5000 gp
Requires: Spider Climb, Alter Self, Bull Strengh

Bull Strength has two t's.
Your bonuses are unnamed, put a type on them. I recommend competence.
This item is under priced, especially with the +4 to grapple checks which is a huge bonus.
Also consider adding a requirement for ranks in Hide and Animal Handling.
Andion Isurand
11-19-06, 12:11 AM It costs 1,600 gp for a +4 competence bonus to a single skill, on a single slotted item.
So the skill bonuses alone are worth more than 3,200 gp because they share the same item.

--------------------------------------------

It just depends on how much a +4 to grapple checks should cost...

You might want to consider having the cloak grant the Improved Grapple feat to enable the wearer initiate grapples using the cloak's help, without provoking an attack of opportunity.

And if they already have the Improved Grapple feat, perhaps give them only a +2 bonus to grapple checks that stacks.
Beholderbob
11-19-06, 12:18 AM Competence bonus: ok, sounds good.
Underpriced with +4 grapple checks: hmm, perhaps I should drop it to +2.

The item is for a 4-5th level game, and I do not want this to be THE big item. Also, except in the hands of a grapple focused warrior, the item provides a motly assortment of benefits.

Requirements: I was hoping the alter self spell requirement would account for the +4 hide and handle animals (reptiles) - since no actual skill is related to this, are there specific spells you think should be applied instead?

The spider climb spell requirement is a leftover from when the cloak gave a climb bonus instead of hiding.

Bull strength was intended to reflect the strength of the cloak that allows it to aid grapple checks.
Beholderbob
11-19-06, 12:25 AM I figure the hide bonus is worth 1600, but the animal handling only effects reptiles, so I figured it was worth 800, for 2400 gp.

Since a bonus feat via a magic item is worth about 5000, and this item does not grant the ability to avoid attacks of opportunity (about 1/2 the feats benefit), it should be about 2500.

2400 + 2500 = 4900, round up to 5000 gp.

I considered increasing the cost due to multiple bonuses, but the abilities are all thematicaly related but and do not offer a synergy of effects (such as multiple enhancements to offense or defense). Also, the benefits offered seemed sub-optimal, so raising the price would make it a worthless item. Even at 5000 gp, how many PCs would want one if they could buy one?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Beholderbob 11-18-06, 11:46 PM	I'm looking for feedback on a magic item I am making. Does it look balanced? Is the price reasonable? Any suggestions for changing it? Cloak of the Serpent’s Grip Made from green and brown snake skins, it has the perpetual musty scent of serpents and is waterproof. The cloak grants the wearer +4 Hide, +4 to Animal Handling checks with reptiles, and a +4 bonus to the wearer’s grappling checks. Cost 5000 gp Requires: Spider Climb, Alter Self, Bull Strengh
Andion Isurand 11-18-06, 11:53 PM	I think this item might do better as a belt or collar, since they can wrap around you like a snake does... but of course that's just considering body slot affinity. It depends on whether you want to emphasize the Hide bonus or the grapple bonus... however, the current name of the item... contains the word Grip. Besides, it would take fewer snakes to make a belt or collar as well.
Beholderbob 11-19-06, 12:01 AM	I haven't entered the descriptive text yet, but the idea was that while you grapple your foe, the cloak does too. When you make a grapple roll to escape, the cloak pushes your foe away. Now, the bonus to animal handling checks with reptiles is due to your smelling 'familiar' to them. The bonus to hide was simply a benefit of the coloration. I did think about making it a bonus to climb instead of hide - in which case the cloak would be 'gripping' the surface you climb to assist you, but so far I've been leaning towards the hide bonus. Does the price seem reasonable?
DarkRhystar 11-19-06, 12:04 AM	I'm looking for feedback on a magic item I am making. Does it look balanced? Is the price reasonable? Any suggestions for changing it? Cloak of the Serpent’s Grip Made from green and brown snake skins, it has the perpetual musty scent of serpents and is waterproof. The cloak grants the wearer +4 Hide, +4 to Animal Handling checks with reptiles, and a +4 bonus to the wearer’s grappling checks. Cost 5000 gp Requires: Spider Climb, Alter Self, Bull Strengh Bull Strength has two t's. Your bonuses are unnamed, put a type on them. I recommend competence. This item is under priced, especially with the +4 to grapple checks which is a huge bonus. Also consider adding a requirement for ranks in Hide and Animal Handling.
Andion Isurand 11-19-06, 12:11 AM	It costs 1,600 gp for a +4 competence bonus to a single skill, on a single slotted item. So the skill bonuses alone are worth more than 3,200 gp because they share the same item. -------------------------------------------- It just depends on how much a +4 to grapple checks should cost... You might want to consider having the cloak grant the Improved Grapple feat to enable the wearer initiate grapples using the cloak's help, without provoking an attack of opportunity. And if they already have the Improved Grapple feat, perhaps give them only a +2 bonus to grapple checks that stacks.
Beholderbob 11-19-06, 12:18 AM	Competence bonus: ok, sounds good. Underpriced with +4 grapple checks: hmm, perhaps I should drop it to +2. The item is for a 4-5th level game, and I do not want this to be THE big item. Also, except in the hands of a grapple focused warrior, the item provides a motly assortment of benefits. Requirements: I was hoping the alter self spell requirement would account for the +4 hide and handle animals (reptiles) - since no actual skill is related to this, are there specific spells you think should be applied instead? The spider climb spell requirement is a leftover from when the cloak gave a climb bonus instead of hiding. Bull strength was intended to reflect the strength of the cloak that allows it to aid grapple checks.
Beholderbob 11-19-06, 12:25 AM	I figure the hide bonus is worth 1600, but the animal handling only effects reptiles, so I figured it was worth 800, for 2400 gp. Since a bonus feat via a magic item is worth about 5000, and this item does not grant the ability to avoid attacks of opportunity (about 1/2 the feats benefit), it should be about 2500. 2400 + 2500 = 4900, round up to 5000 gp. I considered increasing the cost due to multiple bonuses, but the abilities are all thematicaly related but and do not offer a synergy of effects (such as multiple enhancements to offense or defense). Also, the benefits offered seemed sub-optimal, so raising the price would make it a worthless item. Even at 5000 gp, how many PCs would want one if they could buy one?