Magic Weapons Cost Query - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Magic Weapons Cost Query

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
rhensilverwing
May 14, 2008 15:39:10 I'm really rather confused about how to price magic weapons (and armour for that matter). For the purposes of reducing confusion I will concentrate on magic weapons for the moment. In the DM Guide (we're talking V. 3.5 here) It puts the impression across that a plain +1 magic weapon (the most basic, lowest type of enchanted weapon) costs no lower than 2301gp (2000 for the +1 base price enhancement, 300 for the masterwork weapon status, and at least 1 gp for the cost of the type of weapon). And +1 ammunition (for 50) would cost no lower than 2350gp. The DM Guide gives very little direction and no example (compared to the brilliant and useful examples spread throughout the book for other complex issues) of working out the price for this. I assume this '+1 bonus' means, +1 to attack Bonus, and +1 to Damage

My doubts come from the the sheer height of the price in comparison to PC wealth, and the price of weapons on D+D games such as Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale II (which is V. 3) which are far below this price (especially ammunition). Also, the prices range quite severly depending on what weapon type it is (which according to the DM Guide should only be about a 300 gp difference) from what I have seen

Am I right in my original calculations or was I right to doubt what I had worked out? Or is V. 3.5 different?

Can anybody shed light upon this? My thanks
#2
Stigger
May 14, 2008 16:41:34 The cost stuff was reworked in the Magical Item Compendium for 3.5 to remove that sort of confusion I believe... not something I worry about most of the time, but it might help picking up that particular book to see if it makes more sense to you.
#3
Diffan
May 14, 2008 18:54:53 The pricing of items is fairly simple. A magical weapon, for example has to have an enhancement bonus of +1 before it can have any property (keen, holy, vorporal, etc..) plus the masterwork cost of the weapon. So, if I wanted to have say a +1 holy keen vorporal longsword it would cost 162,315 gp. The 315 is from the masterwork longsword and the 162,000 is from the +9 bonus (+5 vorporal, +2 holy, +1 keen, +1 enhancement). The +1 enhancement really only applies to damage, seeing as how a masterwork weapon already provides a +1 bonus to attack. The weapon type might increase the cost considerably if it's a two-headed weapon such as a two-bladed sword or an orc double axe. Both ends of the weapon must be enhanced separately. So a +1/+1 orc double axe would cost 4,660 gp. 4,000 from the double +1 enhancement and 660 for the double masterwork item. Same applies to armor, though with less cost. As for PC wealth, many DMs don't really provide PCs with wealth suitable for most encounters. For example, take the Wealth Comparsions table from the DMG (p.54). With a party level of say 3rd, your expected wealth gain is 2,700 gp BUT you should have somewhere around 3,000 in treasure. The difference is because of expected spending such as potions, scrolls, spells, food, ammo, etc. Total money gained, for a lvl 3 party, should equal to somewhere around 11,997 (or 12,000). So by this chart, by at least 3rd level you should have a magical item such as a weapon or armor and masterwork everything else.

P.S.- video games really aren't that good of a source for table top rules and/ or comparsions.
#4
rhensilverwing
May 15, 2008 5:16:24 hmmm so basically my original calculations were correct...?

And thanks stigger, i might pick that up ;)
#5
Khaelieth
May 15, 2008 10:22:58 Has anyone noticed how good a +1 longsword that casts true strike when activated is?
#6
Diffan
May 15, 2008 17:45:56
Has anyone noticed how good a +1 longsword that casts true strike when activated is?

yeppers, though I prefer wraithstrike myself
#7
Khaelieth
May 15, 2008 19:12:11 A player once tried making it - promptly told him he couldn't.
#8
Diffan
May 16, 2008 7:33:36
A player once tried making it - promptly told him he couldn't.

See, I don't see it as that bad. If a weapon has a spell-like ability (like True Strike) is still a standard action to activate. On the next attack, then he would add the +20 to his attack roll but still, even a roll of 1 makes the attack a critical miss. Now, adding the spell Wraithstrike (a swift action) a certain number of times per day to a weapon is a bit much, basically making it a Brilliant Energy weapon that also hits constructs and undead.
#9
Khaelieth
May 16, 2008 17:14:28 This was activate on striking or something - he's a real metagamer and he found out how to do it.
#10
Diffan
May 17, 2008 7:06:07
This was activate on striking or something - he's a real metagamer and he found out how to do it.

Oh, then ew. While I attempt to make characters that have a very potent effect game/rules wise, I try not to 'break' it with silly combo's through loop holes in the rules.
#11
Khaelieth
May 17, 2008 9:31:51 Yeah, because a +20 on every strike is silly. i mean, you can hunt gods with it after a while.
#12
Diffan
May 17, 2008 22:20:31 yea i hear that, damn god hunting PCs shenanigan's.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rhensilverwing May 14, 2008 15:39:10	I'm really rather confused about how to price magic weapons (and armour for that matter). For the purposes of reducing confusion I will concentrate on magic weapons for the moment. In the DM Guide (we're talking V. 3.5 here) It puts the impression across that a plain +1 magic weapon (the most basic, lowest type of enchanted weapon) costs no lower than 2301gp (2000 for the +1 base price enhancement, 300 for the masterwork weapon status, and at least 1 gp for the cost of the type of weapon). And +1 ammunition (for 50) would cost no lower than 2350gp. The DM Guide gives very little direction and no example (compared to the brilliant and useful examples spread throughout the book for other complex issues) of working out the price for this. I assume this '+1 bonus' means, +1 to attack Bonus, and +1 to Damage My doubts come from the the sheer height of the price in comparison to PC wealth, and the price of weapons on D+D games such as Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale II (which is V. 3) which are far below this price (especially ammunition). Also, the prices range quite severly depending on what weapon type it is (which according to the DM Guide should only be about a 300 gp difference) from what I have seen Am I right in my original calculations or was I right to doubt what I had worked out? Or is V. 3.5 different? Can anybody shed light upon this? My thanks
#2 Stigger May 14, 2008 16:41:34	The cost stuff was reworked in the Magical Item Compendium for 3.5 to remove that sort of confusion I believe... not something I worry about most of the time, but it might help picking up that particular book to see if it makes more sense to you.
#3 Diffan May 14, 2008 18:54:53	The pricing of items is fairly simple. A magical weapon, for example has to have an enhancement bonus of +1 before it can have any property (keen, holy, vorporal, etc..) plus the masterwork cost of the weapon. So, if I wanted to have say a +1 holy keen vorporal longsword it would cost 162,315 gp. The 315 is from the masterwork longsword and the 162,000 is from the +9 bonus (+5 vorporal, +2 holy, +1 keen, +1 enhancement). The +1 enhancement really only applies to damage, seeing as how a masterwork weapon already provides a +1 bonus to attack. The weapon type might increase the cost considerably if it's a two-headed weapon such as a two-bladed sword or an orc double axe. Both ends of the weapon must be enhanced separately. So a +1/+1 orc double axe would cost 4,660 gp. 4,000 from the double +1 enhancement and 660 for the double masterwork item. Same applies to armor, though with less cost. As for PC wealth, many DMs don't really provide PCs with wealth suitable for most encounters. For example, take the Wealth Comparsions table from the DMG (p.54). With a party level of say 3rd, your expected wealth gain is 2,700 gp BUT you should have somewhere around 3,000 in treasure. The difference is because of expected spending such as potions, scrolls, spells, food, ammo, etc. Total money gained, for a lvl 3 party, should equal to somewhere around 11,997 (or 12,000). So by this chart, by at least 3rd level you should have a magical item such as a weapon or armor and masterwork everything else. P.S.- video games really aren't that good of a source for table top rules and/ or comparsions.
#4 rhensilverwing May 15, 2008 5:16:24	hmmm so basically my original calculations were correct...? And thanks stigger, i might pick that up ;)
#5 Khaelieth May 15, 2008 10:22:58	Has anyone noticed how good a +1 longsword that casts true strike when activated is?
#6 Diffan May 15, 2008 17:45:56	Has anyone noticed how good a +1 longsword that casts true strike when activated is? yeppers, though I prefer wraithstrike myself
#7 Khaelieth May 15, 2008 19:12:11	A player once tried making it - promptly told him he couldn't.
#8 Diffan May 16, 2008 7:33:36	A player once tried making it - promptly told him he couldn't. See, I don't see it as that bad. If a weapon has a spell-like ability (like True Strike) is still a standard action to activate. On the next attack, then he would add the +20 to his attack roll but still, even a roll of 1 makes the attack a critical miss. Now, adding the spell Wraithstrike (a swift action) a certain number of times per day to a weapon is a bit much, basically making it a Brilliant Energy weapon that also hits constructs and undead.
#9 Khaelieth May 16, 2008 17:14:28	This was activate on striking or something - he's a real metagamer and he found out how to do it.
#10 Diffan May 17, 2008 7:06:07	This was activate on striking or something - he's a real metagamer and he found out how to do it. Oh, then ew. While I attempt to make characters that have a very potent effect game/rules wise, I try not to 'break' it with silly combo's through loop holes in the rules.
#11 Khaelieth May 17, 2008 9:31:51	Yeah, because a +20 on every strike is silly. i mean, you can hunt gods with it after a while.
#12 Diffan May 17, 2008 22:20:31	yea i hear that, damn god hunting PCs shenanigan's.