Magic Item Creation [Archive] - Wizards Community

Magic Item Creation [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rogerd
12-22-06, 06:00 PM The campaign documentation has improved so much in the last two years that I think we're down to the tweaks and adjusts now. Here are my pet peeves:

1. Please rethink the campaign's handling of Craft magic item feats. They allow a PC to greatly overstep the campaigns intended wealth level and, worse, circumvent the access rules. I've been in the campaign a long time. I've seen the cert days. I've seen the "magic mart" days. The current system is much much improved but I think one more tweak is in order. My suggestion: Only allow PCs to craft items they currently have access to purchase and only if the access is in the "Items Found During this Adventure" box. If a PC sells an item s/he crafted, that PC only gets 1/2 the gp spent (i.e., 1/4 of the market value).

2. Please rethink the caster level exception for crafting Pearls of Power. As written, a wizard with Craft Wondrous Item can effectively keep his excess cash stored in pearls of power since selling them at "half" price is the actual price in gp that he spent to make them. (In other words, see #1 above.) As a result, it's not very gratifying to play a sorcerer in Living Greyhawk becase a wizard with CWI will have more spells per day. A quick scan of the lgchardiscussion list (on Yahoo) will show that "Craft Wondrous Item" is an essential part of every twinky cleric or wizard build. I love the quantity vs. quality trade off with wizards and sorcerers and mourn the fact that it's been hijacked this way. =( I recommend a return to the core rules that require a 17th level caster to craft pearls (i.e., make them uncraftable outside of the high level campaign).

:AMN:

I like item creation. A lot. I don't think it should be nerfed, as you clearly do. It requires an investment of feats that could have gone elsewhere, plus an investment of experience. I have thought about devising a system to keep track of a player's effective level, but I don't think in practice it works out that it is a significant effect - at most, it is a one level bump.

The core rules do not make the caster level a requirement. LG is already more restrictive than core, so no adjustments are required. Unless it's to lift the CL requirement - but I don't expect that!

I think sorcerors still have more flexibility than wizards in that they can choose any spell they know and they can apply metamagic on the fly.

Unless stated specifically, items never have a minimum
caster level as a prerequisite. (The “CL” entry is the default
caster level of the item, not a requirement for creation.)
Japangirl
12-22-06, 06:45 PM I agree, don't nerf CWI. That said, it gives casters a HUGE advantage when it comes to gear, both for access and for gold to XP ratio. A fighter or monk or rogue has no options to craft magical items and can't get someone to craft them. This isn't going in the suggestion forum because I don't think it'll ever happen, but I think it would be great if not only could other PCs fix your gear for you, but craft it as well. Both people pay the TU cost, the person who wants the item pays the gold, and the crafter pays the XP cost. The crafter also has to have gotten access to the item, not just the person who wants it. The person who wants it must have current access (for example if the item is Adventure access only, they have only 3 mods to find someone who will make it for them). That seems restrictive enough not to break it while still allowing non-casters to benefit from reduced costs for crafted items.
budleiser
12-22-06, 09:59 PM I don't like the pearl of power part of the argument, because it says this gives wizards more spells per day. True but their really only gaining more level 1 spells per day. Whereas sorceror's get more spells per day 2+.

If anything that kind of statement would be more inclined to banning pearls of power.
Jay_Ibero_911
12-22-06, 10:26 PM I don't like the pearl of power part of the argument, because it says this gives wizards more spells per day. True but their really only gaining more level 1 spells per day. Whereas sorceror's get more spells per day 2+.

If anything that kind of statement would be more inclined to banning pearls of power.

Uh...with the PoP's, Wizards gain more spells of whatever PoP's they can craft...1 is just they most mass produceable at 5 per TU...Not that I think PoP's are broken, the higher level ones get VERY costly...18k to craft a PoP 6 at 15th level, and that's assuing you have access...At 15th CL you automatically can craft all pearls from level 5 down.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rogerd 12-22-06, 06:00 PM	The campaign documentation has improved so much in the last two years that I think we're down to the tweaks and adjusts now. Here are my pet peeves: 1. Please rethink the campaign's handling of Craft magic item feats. They allow a PC to greatly overstep the campaigns intended wealth level and, worse, circumvent the access rules. I've been in the campaign a long time. I've seen the cert days. I've seen the "magic mart" days. The current system is much much improved but I think one more tweak is in order. My suggestion: Only allow PCs to craft items they currently have access to purchase and only if the access is in the "Items Found During this Adventure" box. If a PC sells an item s/he crafted, that PC only gets 1/2 the gp spent (i.e., 1/4 of the market value). 2. Please rethink the caster level exception for crafting Pearls of Power. As written, a wizard with Craft Wondrous Item can effectively keep his excess cash stored in pearls of power since selling them at "half" price is the actual price in gp that he spent to make them. (In other words, see #1 above.) As a result, it's not very gratifying to play a sorcerer in Living Greyhawk becase a wizard with CWI will have more spells per day. A quick scan of the lgchardiscussion list (on Yahoo) will show that "Craft Wondrous Item" is an essential part of every twinky cleric or wizard build. I love the quantity vs. quality trade off with wizards and sorcerers and mourn the fact that it's been hijacked this way. =( I recommend a return to the core rules that require a 17th level caster to craft pearls (i.e., make them uncraftable outside of the high level campaign). :AMN: I like item creation. A lot. I don't think it should be nerfed, as you clearly do. It requires an investment of feats that could have gone elsewhere, plus an investment of experience. I have thought about devising a system to keep track of a player's effective level, but I don't think in practice it works out that it is a significant effect - at most, it is a one level bump. The core rules do not make the caster level a requirement. LG is already more restrictive than core, so no adjustments are required. Unless it's to lift the CL requirement - but I don't expect that! I think sorcerors still have more flexibility than wizards in that they can choose any spell they know and they can apply metamagic on the fly. Unless stated specifically, items never have a minimum caster level as a prerequisite. (The “CL” entry is the default caster level of the item, not a requirement for creation.)
Japangirl 12-22-06, 06:45 PM	I agree, don't nerf CWI. That said, it gives casters a HUGE advantage when it comes to gear, both for access and for gold to XP ratio. A fighter or monk or rogue has no options to craft magical items and can't get someone to craft them. This isn't going in the suggestion forum because I don't think it'll ever happen, but I think it would be great if not only could other PCs fix your gear for you, but craft it as well. Both people pay the TU cost, the person who wants the item pays the gold, and the crafter pays the XP cost. The crafter also has to have gotten access to the item, not just the person who wants it. The person who wants it must have current access (for example if the item is Adventure access only, they have only 3 mods to find someone who will make it for them). That seems restrictive enough not to break it while still allowing non-casters to benefit from reduced costs for crafted items.
budleiser 12-22-06, 09:59 PM	I don't like the pearl of power part of the argument, because it says this gives wizards more spells per day. True but their really only gaining more level 1 spells per day. Whereas sorceror's get more spells per day 2+. If anything that kind of statement would be more inclined to banning pearls of power.
Jay_Ibero_911 12-22-06, 10:26 PM	I don't like the pearl of power part of the argument, because it says this gives wizards more spells per day. True but their really only gaining more level 1 spells per day. Whereas sorceror's get more spells per day 2+. If anything that kind of statement would be more inclined to banning pearls of power. Uh...with the PoP's, Wizards gain more spells of whatever PoP's they can craft...1 is just they most mass produceable at 5 per TU...Not that I think PoP's are broken, the higher level ones get VERY costly...18k to craft a PoP 6 at 15th level, and that's assuing you have access...At 15th CL you automatically can craft all pearls from level 5 down.