Arcanocculum (new wondrous item) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Arcanocculum (new wondrous item) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
nick012000
04-30-04, 06:25 AM Arcanocculum: This item appears to be a pair of goggles on a leather band, inscribed with arcane runes. When worn, this item grants the wearer the ability to see magical auras. This duplicates the effects of a Detect Magic spell, starting as soon as the goggles are donned. No concentration is neccerary to maintain this, and it is maintained as long as the goggles are worn. In addition to this, the wearer may also Read Magic at will. Due to the enhanced sensitivity to (and awareness of) magic this item endows, the weare gains a +5 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks while worn.
Faint Divination; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic, read magic; Price 5,500 gp.

What do you guys think? Flavorful? Useful? Broken?
smrtgmp
04-30-04, 07:21 AM I wont comment on pricing, as its not my forte, but I do like the item itself. I'm not sure about the boost to spell craft checks, though. Not that its too powerful or unbalancing, but I dont know if you can achieve those effects with the spells used to make the item. Although, to tell you the truth, I would probably allow it if I was DM, since, as I said, its hardly unbalancing, and it makes sense flavor wise. Oh, and I like the name. Much better than goggles of blankedy blank.
Zherog
04-30-04, 10:15 AM Your item has nice flavor, but your cost seems too low.

For the Detect and Read Magic components, the formula is Spell Level (.5 for a 0 level spell) * Caster Level (3, in this case) * 2000. So each of those is 3000.

For the +5 to Spellcraft, the formula is bonus squared * 100, or 2500.

Additionally, for multiple different abilities, you should multiply the higher item cost by 2. We'll pick Detect Magic though we could have also picked Read Magic.

So...

We get 6000 (Detect Magic) + 3000 (Read Magic) + 2500 (Spellcraft bonus) = 11,500.

Really, there's no good reason to set the caster level to 3 on this item. You could drop it down to 1, and that would make the costs drop to 1000 for Detect Magic and 1000 for Read Magic, and bumping the cost of the skill boost to 5000 - giving a grand total of 8000.
nick012000
04-30-04, 06:52 PM The caster level for the spells was 1, the reason the overall CL was 3 was because of the +5 to Spellcraft checks. I used the same CL of a Cloak of Elvenkind.

By my calculations, I stuffed up and inflated the price of the item by 2,000 GP.

+5 to Spellcraft: 5 (bonus) ^2 x 100
Detect Magic: 2000 x .5 (SL) x 1 (CL) x 1.5 (different ability)
Read Magic: 2000 x .5 (SL) x 1 (CL) x 1.5 (different ability)

equals 5,500 gp.
Zherog
04-30-04, 07:35 PM Except the Caster Level of the item is 3, not 1. Therefore you should use three in the calculations.
nick012000
04-30-04, 07:45 PM You can have some of the effects at a lower caster level than the rest of the item, can't you?
smrtgmp
04-30-04, 07:56 PM According to the rules as written, no. I have encountered many house rules that change this, however.
nick012000
04-30-04, 07:59 PM Really? i could've sworn some staffs did... oh well.

Down it goes to CL 1.
nick012000
05-03-04, 12:22 AM :bump:
nick012000
05-04-04, 05:05 AM Is my item really that bad?
smrtgmp
05-04-04, 06:58 AM People usually only respond when they have something bad to say, hence the old adage "No news is good news." I'd say your item is fine as is.:D
NightScreamer20
05-04-04, 07:14 AM I agree with Gimpy, no news is good news, but no new is still annoying we all like praise for our good ideas (ecspecially egotistic guys like me that think they make some of the best stuff in the world :smirk: ). I also like the houserule of different CLs depending on item effect.

You're item is great, I see no problem with it at all it's definalty one of those 'must have' items for those PC 'horde raiders' that search out magic items like they were the elixir of life.
smrtgmp
05-04-04, 07:18 AM Originally posted by NightScreamer20
but no new is still annoying we all like praise for our good ideas (ecspecially egotistic guys like me that think they make some of the best stuff in the world :smirk: ).
I'm the same way.:cool:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
nick012000 04-30-04, 06:25 AM	Arcanocculum: This item appears to be a pair of goggles on a leather band, inscribed with arcane runes. When worn, this item grants the wearer the ability to see magical auras. This duplicates the effects of a Detect Magic spell, starting as soon as the goggles are donned. No concentration is neccerary to maintain this, and it is maintained as long as the goggles are worn. In addition to this, the wearer may also Read Magic at will. Due to the enhanced sensitivity to (and awareness of) magic this item endows, the weare gains a +5 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks while worn. Faint Divination; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic, read magic; Price 5,500 gp. What do you guys think? Flavorful? Useful? Broken?
smrtgmp 04-30-04, 07:21 AM	I wont comment on pricing, as its not my forte, but I do like the item itself. I'm not sure about the boost to spell craft checks, though. Not that its too powerful or unbalancing, but I dont know if you can achieve those effects with the spells used to make the item. Although, to tell you the truth, I would probably allow it if I was DM, since, as I said, its hardly unbalancing, and it makes sense flavor wise. Oh, and I like the name. Much better than goggles of blankedy blank.
Zherog 04-30-04, 10:15 AM	Your item has nice flavor, but your cost seems too low. For the Detect and Read Magic components, the formula is Spell Level (.5 for a 0 level spell) * Caster Level (3, in this case) * 2000. So each of those is 3000. For the +5 to Spellcraft, the formula is bonus squared * 100, or 2500. Additionally, for multiple different abilities, you should multiply the higher item cost by 2. We'll pick Detect Magic though we could have also picked Read Magic. So... We get 6000 (Detect Magic) + 3000 (Read Magic) + 2500 (Spellcraft bonus) = 11,500. Really, there's no good reason to set the caster level to 3 on this item. You could drop it down to 1, and that would make the costs drop to 1000 for Detect Magic and 1000 for Read Magic, and bumping the cost of the skill boost to 5000 - giving a grand total of 8000.
nick012000 04-30-04, 06:52 PM	The caster level for the spells was 1, the reason the overall CL was 3 was because of the +5 to Spellcraft checks. I used the same CL of a Cloak of Elvenkind. By my calculations, I stuffed up and inflated the price of the item by 2,000 GP. +5 to Spellcraft: 5 (bonus) ^2 x 100 Detect Magic: 2000 x .5 (SL) x 1 (CL) x 1.5 (different ability) Read Magic: 2000 x .5 (SL) x 1 (CL) x 1.5 (different ability) equals 5,500 gp.
Zherog 04-30-04, 07:35 PM	Except the Caster Level of the item is 3, not 1. Therefore you should use three in the calculations.
nick012000 04-30-04, 07:45 PM	You can have some of the effects at a lower caster level than the rest of the item, can't you?
smrtgmp 04-30-04, 07:56 PM	According to the rules as written, no. I have encountered many house rules that change this, however.
nick012000 04-30-04, 07:59 PM	Really? i could've sworn some staffs did... oh well. Down it goes to CL 1.
nick012000 05-03-04, 12:22 AM	:bump:
nick012000 05-04-04, 05:05 AM	Is my item really that bad?
smrtgmp 05-04-04, 06:58 AM	People usually only respond when they have something bad to say, hence the old adage "No news is good news." I'd say your item is fine as is.:D
NightScreamer20 05-04-04, 07:14 AM	I agree with Gimpy, no news is good news, but no new is still annoying we all like praise for our good ideas (ecspecially egotistic guys like me that think they make some of the best stuff in the world :smirk: ). I also like the houserule of different CLs depending on item effect. You're item is great, I see no problem with it at all it's definalty one of those 'must have' items for those PC 'horde raiders' that search out magic items like they were the elixir of life.
smrtgmp 05-04-04, 07:18 AM	Originally posted by NightScreamer20 but no new is still annoying we all like praise for our good ideas (ecspecially egotistic guys like me that think they make some of the best stuff in the world :smirk: ). I'm the same way.:cool: