Help! For a by-the-book DM, what are the best ways for a party to ID magic items? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help! For a by-the-book DM, what are the best ways for a party to ID magic items?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Gavinfox
Jun 13, 2010 0:04:00 Hi there, for a by-the-book (except for actual character wealth, which is LOW in this campaign) DM, what ways of Identifying magical items require the least expenditure of party resources, namely GOLD and Character options like Skill Ranks, Skill Tricks, and Feats? We don't have a Wizard, just a Sorcerer. Scrolls of Identify are 125 gp, which is expensive in this low wealth game. What are the most useful ways for a low level party (2nd, 3rd level mostly, with one character in fourth level or so), to fully identify strange magic items when in town? How about when in the field? Are there any guides to doing this anywhere? If there are, I couldn't find them. Thanks!
#2
tr0llman
Jun 13, 2010 1:18:22 Page 217 of the Magic Item Compendium is your friend here. It lists (and introduces) several ways to identify magic items for free.
#3
siliconmage
Jun 13, 2010 1:22:12 Also in the MiC, page 72. Artificers Monocle. With the item, 5 ranks in Knowledge(Arcana) and casting Detect Magic, you can identify items without the expensive materials.
#4
cycada
Jun 13, 2010 23:40:03 A Least (or maybe it was Lesser) invocation that Dragonfire Adepts learn gives Detect Magic at will, and the ability to cast Identify without the material component. Probably doesn't help much if the part configuration is already set, though. :\

~Cy
#5
ananasii
Jun 14, 2010 2:37:30 Far from ideal, but a 3rd level cleric with the Magic domain is capable of casting Identify as a Devine spell (thus circumventing the expensive Arcane Material Component)

So, either persuade someone to pick up 3 levels of Cleric (or else gain access to 2nd level domain spells of the Magic Domain), or pop around to your local friendly Temple of Baccob/Vecna/Wee Jas, and pay someone 20*Caster Level to identify your items (hopefully your DM will rule in favor of "the minimum CL for what you want", thus cutting your outside costs to 60g)

Personally, I would go with an Artificers Monocle - 1500g for unlimited ID's providing you can provide the Detect magic spells (give it to a 2nd level warlock, and watch your DM weep)
#6
viletta
Jun 14, 2010 9:43:26
Far from ideal, but a 3rd level cleric with the Magic domain is capable of casting Identify as a Devine spell (thus circumventing the expensive Arcane Material Component)

The Oracle domain (SpC) gets it at first level. A scroll of divine Identify keyed off of the Oracle domain comes out to 25g, at market price.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Gavinfox Jun 13, 2010 0:04:00	Hi there, for a by-the-book (except for actual character wealth, which is LOW in this campaign) DM, what ways of Identifying magical items require the least expenditure of party resources, namely GOLD and Character options like Skill Ranks, Skill Tricks, and Feats? We don't have a Wizard, just a Sorcerer. Scrolls of Identify are 125 gp, which is expensive in this low wealth game. What are the most useful ways for a low level party (2nd, 3rd level mostly, with one character in fourth level or so), to fully identify strange magic items when in town? How about when in the field? Are there any guides to doing this anywhere? If there are, I couldn't find them. Thanks!
#2 tr0llman Jun 13, 2010 1:18:22	Page 217 of the Magic Item Compendium is your friend here. It lists (and introduces) several ways to identify magic items for free.
#3 siliconmage Jun 13, 2010 1:22:12	Also in the MiC, page 72. Artificers Monocle. With the item, 5 ranks in Knowledge(Arcana) and casting Detect Magic, you can identify items without the expensive materials.
#4 cycada Jun 13, 2010 23:40:03	A Least (or maybe it was Lesser) invocation that Dragonfire Adepts learn gives Detect Magic at will, and the ability to cast Identify without the material component. Probably doesn't help much if the part configuration is already set, though. :\ ~Cy
#5 ananasii Jun 14, 2010 2:37:30	Far from ideal, but a 3rd level cleric with the Magic domain is capable of casting Identify as a Devine spell (thus circumventing the expensive Arcane Material Component) So, either persuade someone to pick up 3 levels of Cleric (or else gain access to 2nd level domain spells of the Magic Domain), or pop around to your local friendly Temple of Baccob/Vecna/Wee Jas, and pay someone 20*Caster Level to identify your items (hopefully your DM will rule in favor of "the minimum CL for what you want", thus cutting your outside costs to 60g) Personally, I would go with an Artificers Monocle - 1500g for unlimited ID's providing you can provide the Detect magic spells (give it to a 2nd level warlock, and watch your DM weep)
#6 viletta Jun 14, 2010 9:43:26	Far from ideal, but a 3rd level cleric with the Magic domain is capable of casting Identify as a Devine spell (thus circumventing the expensive Arcane Material Component) The Oracle domain (SpC) gets it at first level. A scroll of divine Identify keyed off of the Oracle domain comes out to 25g, at market price.