Magic item Compendium [Archive] - Wizards Community

Magic item Compendium [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Drevik
06-12-07, 05:21 AM So one of my players today wanted to use his "Amber Amulet of Vermin" from this book called the Magic Item Compendium. A book published by wizards. The cost for the item was 700gold and it allows the user to summon a HUGE MONSTEROUS scorpion one per day, every day. I dont know about you, but that seems like a rather large typo. A spell that costs 910 gold to get cast by a mage... a spell that is 7th level and requires a caster level of 13 being put into a once per day item for only 700 gold? isnt that more like 70,000 gold?

Was just hoping to get some ruling on this, because my player is feeling like I "cheated" him. A link to any errata would be helpful.
EytanBernstein
06-12-07, 05:59 AM You're absolutely right. It should have been large instead of huge.
CuttinCurt
06-12-07, 01:28 PM even a large monsterous scorpion is a nice creature for only 700gp and can be summoned 1/day. The reason your player is so infatuated with this item is because of the power it gives at his (and I am assuming here) low level.

I mean at 3rd lvl with a few good finds, you can have one of those baby's for 700gp and still have some extra cash to spare. And a huge one? hehe, I would be happy with a large for 700.

If it is so desired, up the price to something that he will have to still quest for, have him make a 700gp down payment, then when he gets back, have him drop off another 700 and let him have the large version.

If he has a prob with that, allow the scorpion to be a fiendish large scorp. This keeps the size down and the CR only goes up 1 instead of 4 like a large to huge transformation does.

Or give him the large fiendish scorp and be done with it at 700. It is up to you, and all you have to do is tell the player that a cr7 crit 1/day for 700gp does not fit in your campaign, however, you will be willing to compromise for the amount of "-----" <---- insert you price here.

If it were me, I would do the Fiendish Large for 1000gp. but that is me, and we are all different are we not? :D

CC
Drevik
06-12-07, 02:40 PM Yeah, thats exactly how I feel. The 1000 gold for the large. I know in the DMG you can buy elemental gems for about that much to grab out a large elemental, and thats one time use. So thats just what i'll do.
Breetai
06-13-07, 02:47 PM The more I dig into the MIC the more problems I see with basic Item pricing throughout.

I don't think the Items are broken just the prices.
MarkusTay63
06-13-07, 07:23 PM Players should not be allowed to BUY items.

To me thats just cheap mechanic borrowed from video games. I would say those are the prices players could SELLL said items for if found, and that they would have to go through quite a bit more and pay at least 10x that to BUY that item.
Snarkbone
06-13-07, 08:36 PM Players should not be allowed to BUY items.

To me thats just cheap mechanic borrowed from video games.
So standard video game mechanics = bad.

I would say those are the prices players could SELLL said items for if found, and that they would have to go through quite a bit more and pay at least 10x that to BUY that item.
So standard video game mechanics = good.

I don't see what's the problem with buying, Red Wizards are selling, so do others, especially items like staffs, trinkets, and potions.
captaincarot
06-14-07, 08:31 AM if magic items can't be bought anywhere, how would you go about selling one.
Tseramed
06-17-07, 02:09 PM I personnaly don't allow the buying of many magic items in my games. If a town is incredibly known for it's market places and the goods they provide, like Waterdeep or Sundabar for exemple, then there might be some small bazaar with a couple of magic item in there or some smithy with some enchented weaponry but nothing really big... I just don't think magic items should be that accessible and that they should be found rather than bought... But well, that's just me.

I think the Magic Item Compendium is great because it gives a lot of choices to choose from but as it was pointed out, the cost are horrible. There was an article on the WotC mainpage by the author telling how they changed the pricing of magic items for that book. They wanted them to be more accessible.

I guess we just have to get everything approved as DMs... I almost got skrewed up 3 weeks ago when one of my players wanted to take the Flame Whips spell from the Spells Compendium. When I read the rules I just though the thing was waaaaaay too powerful for a 4rd level spell. I mean, 6d6 damage at a 15 feet range for a lvl 7 character is pretty strong. And the effects lasts for 7 rounds! I said the player no for him to take that spell. I mean, some of the spells in the Spell Compendium are unbalanced and I made a houserule saying that I must approved of all of them before a PC can select them. The same must be done with magic items.
Stigger
06-17-07, 04:22 PM 15' range for a spellcaster isn't that great usually... I think damage for lack of stand-off range is a fairly decent trade personally. Not found too much unbalanced really, if you take into account all the tradeoffs you're doing for X, Y, and Z qualities.
DoubleDeuce3173
06-24-07, 11:39 PM For one I would make the item in question a single-use item & keep it at 700gp. But if you want to look more closely to the beginning of the book it states on page 3 "Combining hundreds of revised & repriced items from previous sources...etc,etc". Also on page 4 "that yes they did change either the price, activation, effect or even its body slot" & again it goes on to say " the revisions here are designed to create a better overall game experience". Just remember what it states in the beginning of the DMG, that these books are to be used as guidelines & we are to change, use or alter them any way we see fit. This item was initially released in a FR accessory & was a sigle-use item as well so why change the flavor of the original. New Coke or Coke Classic, yea thats what I thought.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Drevik 06-12-07, 05:21 AM	So one of my players today wanted to use his "Amber Amulet of Vermin" from this book called the Magic Item Compendium. A book published by wizards. The cost for the item was 700gold and it allows the user to summon a HUGE MONSTEROUS scorpion one per day, every day. I dont know about you, but that seems like a rather large typo. A spell that costs 910 gold to get cast by a mage... a spell that is 7th level and requires a caster level of 13 being put into a once per day item for only 700 gold? isnt that more like 70,000 gold? Was just hoping to get some ruling on this, because my player is feeling like I "cheated" him. A link to any errata would be helpful.
EytanBernstein 06-12-07, 05:59 AM	You're absolutely right. It should have been large instead of huge.
CuttinCurt 06-12-07, 01:28 PM	even a large monsterous scorpion is a nice creature for only 700gp and can be summoned 1/day. The reason your player is so infatuated with this item is because of the power it gives at his (and I am assuming here) low level. I mean at 3rd lvl with a few good finds, you can have one of those baby's for 700gp and still have some extra cash to spare. And a huge one? hehe, I would be happy with a large for 700. If it is so desired, up the price to something that he will have to still quest for, have him make a 700gp down payment, then when he gets back, have him drop off another 700 and let him have the large version. If he has a prob with that, allow the scorpion to be a fiendish large scorp. This keeps the size down and the CR only goes up 1 instead of 4 like a large to huge transformation does. Or give him the large fiendish scorp and be done with it at 700. It is up to you, and all you have to do is tell the player that a cr7 crit 1/day for 700gp does not fit in your campaign, however, you will be willing to compromise for the amount of "-----" <---- insert you price here. If it were me, I would do the Fiendish Large for 1000gp. but that is me, and we are all different are we not? :D CC
Drevik 06-12-07, 02:40 PM	Yeah, thats exactly how I feel. The 1000 gold for the large. I know in the DMG you can buy elemental gems for about that much to grab out a large elemental, and thats one time use. So thats just what i'll do.
Breetai 06-13-07, 02:47 PM	The more I dig into the MIC the more problems I see with basic Item pricing throughout. I don't think the Items are broken just the prices.
MarkusTay63 06-13-07, 07:23 PM	Players should not be allowed to BUY items. To me thats just cheap mechanic borrowed from video games. I would say those are the prices players could SELLL said items for if found, and that they would have to go through quite a bit more and pay at least 10x that to BUY that item.
Snarkbone 06-13-07, 08:36 PM	Players should not be allowed to BUY items. To me thats just cheap mechanic borrowed from video games. So standard video game mechanics = bad. I would say those are the prices players could SELLL said items for if found, and that they would have to go through quite a bit more and pay at least 10x that to BUY that item. So standard video game mechanics = good. I don't see what's the problem with buying, Red Wizards are selling, so do others, especially items like staffs, trinkets, and potions.
captaincarot 06-14-07, 08:31 AM	if magic items can't be bought anywhere, how would you go about selling one.
Tseramed 06-17-07, 02:09 PM	I personnaly don't allow the buying of many magic items in my games. If a town is incredibly known for it's market places and the goods they provide, like Waterdeep or Sundabar for exemple, then there might be some small bazaar with a couple of magic item in there or some smithy with some enchented weaponry but nothing really big... I just don't think magic items should be that accessible and that they should be found rather than bought... But well, that's just me. I think the Magic Item Compendium is great because it gives a lot of choices to choose from but as it was pointed out, the cost are horrible. There was an article on the WotC mainpage by the author telling how they changed the pricing of magic items for that book. They wanted them to be more accessible. I guess we just have to get everything approved as DMs... I almost got skrewed up 3 weeks ago when one of my players wanted to take the Flame Whips spell from the Spells Compendium. When I read the rules I just though the thing was waaaaaay too powerful for a 4rd level spell. I mean, 6d6 damage at a 15 feet range for a lvl 7 character is pretty strong. And the effects lasts for 7 rounds! I said the player no for him to take that spell. I mean, some of the spells in the Spell Compendium are unbalanced and I made a houserule saying that I must approved of all of them before a PC can select them. The same must be done with magic items.
Stigger 06-17-07, 04:22 PM	15' range for a spellcaster isn't that great usually... I think damage for lack of stand-off range is a fairly decent trade personally. Not found too much unbalanced really, if you take into account all the tradeoffs you're doing for X, Y, and Z qualities.
DoubleDeuce3173 06-24-07, 11:39 PM	For one I would make the item in question a single-use item & keep it at 700gp. But if you want to look more closely to the beginning of the book it states on page 3 "Combining hundreds of revised & repriced items from previous sources...etc,etc". Also on page 4 "that yes they did change either the price, activation, effect or even its body slot" & again it goes on to say " the revisions here are designed to create a better overall game experience". Just remember what it states in the beginning of the DMG, that these books are to be used as guidelines & we are to change, use or alter them any way we see fit. This item was initially released in a FR accessory & was a sigle-use item as well so why change the flavor of the original. New Coke or Coke Classic, yea thats what I thought.