Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Harmor 08-07-04, 08:49 PM	From the SRD:—Item Requires Skill to Use: Some items require a specific skill to get them to function. This factor should reduce the cost about 10%. —Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Use: Even more restrictive than requiring a skill, this limitation cuts the cost by 30%. When I read this I was thinking to myself, "Hmm, what other types of restrictions could you add to a magical item to make it cheaper?" Here's a couple I'm considering: —Item Requires a Full-round action to Activate: This requirement can only be placed on an item that has a command word. If at any time the wearer is damaged or interrupted they must make a Concentration check just as if they were casting the highest level spell from that item (i.e. Someone was attempting to use a Cape of the Mountebank's Dimension Door ability. The wearer would be considered casting a 4th level spell.) This limitation cuts the cost by 10%. —Item Requires a Somantic component to Activate: This limitation requires that the wearer gesture to activate the item. This requirement is the same as a caster who needs a free hand to gesture a spell. This limitation can only be placed on item which had a spell that has a somantic component (i.e. the spell Magic Missiles, but not Teleport). This limitation cuts the cost by 10%. —Item Requires a Material component to Activate: This limitation requires that the wearer have the material component necessary to activate the item. This limitation removes the requirement that the creator of the item pay the material cost (i.e. a Wand of stoneskin normally would require 12,500gp worth of diamond dust at the time of creation. A wearer activating a Wand of stoneskin with this limitation would require 250gp of diamond dust, just as a caster would when casting the Stoneskin spell). —Item Requires an XP to Activate: This limitation requires that the wearer use their XP to activate the item. This limitation removes the requirement that the creator of the item pay the XP cost, not the gp cost though (i.e. a Ring of three wishes normally would require 15,000 XP at the time of creation. A wearer activating a Ring of three wishes would use 5,000 XP of their own just as a caster would when casting the Wish spell). NOTE: The 5gp per XP per charge: if the item is continuous or unlimited then the creator saves 500gp per XP point required. If the item had some daily limit the creator would save 250gp per XP point required. —Item only activates during the day or night: This limitation only allows an item to activate during the day or night - the creator chooses at the time of creation. If the item that could only be activated during the daytime and the wearer was underground it is upto the GM to keep track of when the item would able to be activated. This limitation cuts the cost by 20%. —Item only activates while illuminated by full moon: This limitation only allows an item to activated while illuminated by full moon. This limitation cuts the cost by 75%. —Item must be underwater while activated: This limitation requires the item be underwater to be activated. This limitation cuts the cost by 20%. —Item can only be activated by a specific person: This limitation means that no other person, except whoever the creator designates, can activate the item. Only a clone of the designated user could activate this item. Creating an item as such is an evil act since the creator needs the blood from the designated user. Any spell that requires a material component of the blood of their target this item would substitute as a Focus. Also dinvination spells like Scry are more accurate when attempting to pin-point the designated user. This limitation cuts the cost by 50%. (NOTE: This item cannot be sold like normal items since its worthless to anyone except the designated wearer.) —Item activates after a full 8-hour uninterrupted rest period: This limitation activates the item after the wearer has rested for a full 8-hour uninterrupted rest. In the case of races that require less than 8-hours of rest like elves or someone wearing a Ring of Sustanance they still must rest for 8-hours doing nothing strenuous before the item will activate. This limitation cuts the cost by 30%. —Item activates only when within a certain terrain: Items with this type of restriction only work when in a certain terrain type. Such terrain types could be: aquatic, desert, forest, hills, marsh, mountains, plains, underground, fiery (planar), weightless (planar - astral/elemental plane of air/ethereal plane), cold (planar), shifting (planar - shifting planes), aligned (planar), cavernous (planar) and other (planar). When an item is outside its terrain it does not function. This limitation cuts the cost by 20%. —Item activates when paired with another specifc item: Items with this type of restriction only function when an specific item, determined by the creator, is in contact with this item. For example a gauntlet could be created that only functions when a wielder is wielding a weapon with the holy weapon property with the gauntlet - only then would the gauntlet bestow its properties on the wearer. This limitation cuts the cost by 40%. —Item activates when wearer is under a geas specific to the item: Items with this type of restriction only function when their wearer is under the effects of a geas that matches the restriction set by the creator. An example would be a dwarven belt that activates when its wearer is under a geas to destroy goblinoids or giants, otherwise the item is a normal belt. This limiation cuts the cost by 50%. Obviously a GM would have make the decision whether if makes sence for multiple limitations to be stacked so don't try to min/max. What do you guys think? Good for flavoring magical items?
Harmor 08-07-04, 09:58 PM	Anyone have any comments? Good or bad?
Heron_Marked_Blade 08-07-04, 10:00 PM	I'm not a fan of item cost reductions. And as a non-fan, I probably wouldn't allow PCs to implement them in item creation, although players might come across items that have restrictions. I think item cost reductions make item creation even more of a min/maxing process than it already is, and often lead to the creation of items that are technically "restricted" but not really restricted to the creator. The creator's mindset changes from "How can I make this item cool" to "How can I make this item cheaper but not less effective to me." Your restrictions, however, are pretty well balanced. They affect everyone across the board regardless of class/race/alignment, which I think is a good thing. Even the full moon reduction (75%) isn't too bad, although I'd probably limit the reduction to a maximum of 50%. As you have it, an item that can only be activated during the full moon as a full round action with a somatic component reduces the item's cost by 95%. That drops an Efreeti Bottle from 145,000gp down to 7,250gp. Pretty dirt-cheap way to get three wishes. Anyway, that's my take on item cost reductions.
Failut 08-07-04, 10:19 PM	I would not stack them at the begining like that, but add them into the price one at a time. example : Efreeti Bottle 145,000 +only full moon = 36,250 gp cost +full round action = 32,652 gp cost (only - 10% of last cost) +Somatic = 29,362.5 gp cost. this gives a little dimishing returns and helps against making an item 100% off in price (like if you had an item that needed a full round action, under water, during the day, and was keyed to only 1 person. If you go by Heron_Marked_Blade's idea on how this works, this becomes a free item). Harmor, not a bad set up, I might use this in the game that I am getting ready to run! If I find more to add, I will post it here.
Seeker95 08-07-04, 10:38 PM	Not a bad approach, except that I do not allow price reduction by players. I like the limitations you have created, but I would not lower the price for such items.
Harmor 08-07-04, 11:56 PM	Remember, a GM would need to approve stacking. As the default reductions based on class/race/skill suggest that they don't stack. These are just suggestions. If you or your DM think that they are not allowed to be used, don't use them. There's a fine line between making meaningful restrictions and reduction of costs for items. Sometimes, I would rule, that a restriction doesn't is not necessarily warranted, and thus the player should not gain the benifit if, as you noted, they tried to min/max the item creation. Although, as a GM, adding these restrictions to some of your items that you give you players would make the items a little more interesting. PC: Hey Jobe, what did that cloak identify as? Jobe: Well after careful study I determined that its a Cloak of Elvenkind. PC: Great, can I have it. Since I'm a rogue and all. Jobe: Well there seems to be some kind of enhantment on it. It seems to only work when in a woodland environment. PC: Crap. Here some more restrictions to consider: —Item activates only when within a certain terrain: Items with this type of restriction only work when in a certain terrain type. Such terrain types could be: aquatic, desert, forest, hills, marsh, mountains, plains, underground, fiery (planar), weightless (planar - astral/elemental plane of air/ethereal plane), cold (planar), shifting (planar - shifting planes), aligned (planar), cavernous (planar) and other (planar). When an item is outside its terrain it does not function. This limitation cuts the cost by 20%. —Item activates when paired with another specifc item: Items with this type of restriction only function when an specific item, determined by the creator, is in contact with this item. For example a gauntlet could be created that only functions when a wielder is wielding a weapon with the holy weapon property with the gauntlet - only then would the gauntlet bestow its properties on the wearer. This limitation cuts the cost by 40%. —Item activates when wearer is under a geas specific to the item: Items with this type of restriction only function when their wearer is under the effects of a geas that matches the restriction set by the creator. An example would be a dwarven belt that activates when its wearer is under a geas to destroy goblinoids or giants, otherwise the item is a normal belt. This limiation cuts the cost by 50%.
Harmor 08-08-04, 07:28 PM	What do you guys think? I'm still debating whether these should be allowed to be used by player characters. Perhap the DM could introduce the ones he thinks are ok in his campaign with a "Book of <something>", that explains the technique that allows a PC character to create an item with a particular restriction.
Seeker95 08-08-04, 07:33 PM	I'd allow them, but not with price adjustments. If anything, it would require more skill, time and money to customize a magic item to be functional in only limited circumstances.
Harmor 08-08-04, 07:39 PM	Some of these 'restrictions' are borderline curses...maybe they should be treated as such like the terrain one? The ones that make the wearer use material components or XP I think should be allowed because it makes it easier for the creator to make the item (they don't work as hard). At least that's how I would rule it.
Harmor 09-20-04, 09:02 PM	What skills would you suggest would be needed Seeker95 to add some of these restrictions?