Monday, December 31, 2007

Tuff Snuff - Potion

Tuff Snuff: Unlike a regular potion, this magical enhancer is a leathery leaf that is soaked in a mixture of drowish earth whisky, the blood of trolls, condensed unicorn breath, and shambling mound juice. When left in a mithril bowl under the light of a three night full moon, the leaves can be dried with alchemical salts and powdered in order to bring out their natural magic.

Tough snuff is usually kept in a small box and inhaled in pinches. Several pinches are often found together. A pinch of tough snuff takes a standard action to apply. One pich gives the user 3 temporary hit points, which are usually immediately removed in combat, but otherwise go away after the user next sleeps. Multiple pinches stack.

Also known as troll tobacco or blood snuff, a quadrupal dose of the raw red leaf (which costs 12 gp an ounce) can be chewed by trolls to increase their rate of regeneration by one. This effect takes at least a full minute of chewing to activate.

Weak necromancy; CL 1st; Brew Potion, vitality; Cost 25 gp

NPC Gear: Box of 3 pinches of tough snuff, 1st
Treasure Value: Box of 3 pinches of tough snuff, 1st

Math:

I treated this as a potion of a 0 level spell. One extra hit point probably isn't worth spending 25 gp on, so I modeled the effects on the cheap and often useless toughness feat.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Miscibility Flask - Minor Wondrous Item

Miscibility Flask: This flask of a silver mithril alloy uses a prism as a stop. It is covered with concentric circles enraved with astrological symbols, representing the influence of the stars. It can fit about 6 ounces of liquid, or two potions worth.

When two magical potions are poured into the flask, they can be drunk as one standard action. Both potions take effect on the drinker.

There is a 15% chance that one of the potions will be ruined by combining them, so that only one of the potions takes effect.

Weak transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, Brew Potion, must know 3 transmutation spells; Cost 6,400 gp

NPC Gear Value: 10th
Treasure Value: 11th

Math:

Drinking two potions at once would count as multiple similar abilities, I would think. So the weaker of two potions in such a combo should increase in value by 50% in such a concoction. The average value of such and increase would be 183 gp.

50+300+750 (usual price for first, second and third level potion) = 1,100 half again for multiple similar abilities = 1,650, difference (or increase) is = 550 gp. Averaged (/3) = 183 gp. *50 for unlimited = 9,150.

minus ((percentage of failure(.15))*(average value of a potion (1,100/3 = 366)))*50 = 2,745 to represent potential value of potions lost due to miscability failure.

= 6,400

Monday, December 24, 2007

Glowering Armor - Specific Armor

Glowering Armor: This suit of +1 full plate armor is beaten in designs of highly stylized faces inlaid with gold to highlight their expressions. Each half of the breastplate is usually a glowering, howling demonic face while the plate the protects the guts is a bas relief of a beatific man or woman. The shoulders, helmet, and other pieces of armor are like wise decorated.

When a character puts on the armor, they feel and hear barely audible whispers, as if the faces on the armor speaks to them. The feeling is encouraging and uplifting.

Glowering armor gives the wearer a +2 enhancement bonus to charisma. Once per day as a standard action, the wearer can command the faces to shout. This creates an effect equivalent to a shout spell cast by a 7th level sorcerer, directed by whichever direction the right hand gauntlet of the armor is pointing.

Moderate transmutation and evocationi; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Arms and Armor, eagle's splendor, shout; Cost 19,150

Treasure Value: 14th
NPC Gear: 13th

Math:

Shout 1/day = 4*7*1,800/5 = 10,080
+2 cha bonus = 2*2*1000 = 4000
+1 full plate = 2,650

16,650

armor bonus and cha bonus half again for multiple similar +2,500

Friday, December 21, 2007

Goggles of Ruination - Minor Wondrous Item

Goggles of Ruination: These goggles are made of leather that has an unwholesome oily sheen and fitted with lenses ground from a transparent crystal that makes objects refract and shimmer slightly when the wearer looks through them.

When the wearer is looking through the goggles, objects and sometimes creatures are illuminated with a shimmering line of blue light where their weakest point currently is.

The wearer of the goggles gains a +2 bonus to Disable Device skill checks.

Once per day, the wearer of the goggles can make an attack of opportunity when someone within their threat range makes a melee attack and misses.

Weak divination; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, true strike; Cost: 1,150 gp.

Treasure Value: 4th
NPC Gear: 3rd

Math:
Once per day, limited use attack of opportunity? 500 gp.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Jotun's Fist - Major Wondrous Item

Jotun’s Fist: This metal gauntlet is plated on the back and fingers with blue black adamantine. Of the first joint of each finger is an inset of polished metoric rock.

The first of these gauntlet’s was made by the Dwarf Hugli Skycracker,and his was unlimited in power. Over time, more were made by Dwarvish wizards to help them combat the giants with whom they competed for territory. They allowed Dwarves to use rocky elements of the terrain and even the giant’s own ammunition against them at a distance, where Dwarves did not have cannon, and were often more accurate than the giant’s own thrown rocks.

Three times per day, the glove allows the wearer to use a limited telekinesis effect as per the 5th level spell. There are three things the wearer can do with this effect, each costing a daily use of the gauntlet:

You can hurl one non-living object within range of 90 feet other toward any target within 90 feet. The object can weigh up to 225 lbs. You must succeed on an attack roll to hit the target with the object, using your caster level + Int modifier. Objects do damage as if they had been thrown by the telekinesis spell using a violent thrust (PH pg. 292).

You can perform a bull rush, disarm, grapple (including pin), or trip on a creature within 760 ft. Resolve this attempts as normal, except that they don’t provoke attacks of opportunity, your BAB is your caster level plus your Intelligence modifier, and a failed attempt doesn’t allow a reactive attempt by the target (such as for disarm or trip). No save is allowed, but spell resistance applies normally.

Last, a character that is not flat footed can can make a Reflex save to catch a thrown item of up to 225 lbs. as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium one, and 25 for a Large one. If the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount. When a boulder is caught like this, it can either be immediately dropped within ten feet of the glove’s user, doing damage as a falling object (DMG pg 303) if it lands on something (use the missing with a thrown weapon table, PH 158, to determine where it falls), or it may be held in the air until the character’s next action and hurled back as noted above. Dropping the object does not take one of the gauntlet’s daily uses. Throwing it back does.

Heavy transmutation; CL 9th; Craft wondrous item, telekinesis; Price 28,000 gp

Treasure Value: 16th
NPC Gear: 15th

An abbreviated version of this was a losing Paizo Next Superstar of Gaming entry.

Math:
5th level spell
5*9*2000 = 90,000

Average: 90,000/(5/3) for three uses per day
With 90,000/3 (spell prorated by possible duration of a telekinesis spell divided by limited uses allowed by this item)

Divided by 3 for limited scope of spell: cannot be used for sustained force, cannot move creatures)

At 28,000 gp, price might look to low. But this item is a 16th level treasure, and wizards will be doing 9d6 to multiple for three rounds (maximum damage for the spell) long before that. This should be a fun tactical item for a high level foe to use against PCs, or for PCs to use a couple of times in high level battles.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Stones of Kaaliphaan - Minor Wondrous Items

Stones of Kaaliphaan: The Pashak’s of Kaaliphaan have always been amongst the most gifted wizards of the Aeonic States. Early in the Twilight Years, they found a way to imprint stones with magical essence, in order to make their clave defenders more powerful warriors. The essences combined to make their wielder’s even more puissant.

The four most common stones were made of red, green, lavender, or yellow marble or precious stone. Each stone must be worn at the throat, on the forehead, or at the wrist, taking up a magic item slot. The Red stone grants a +1 bonus to initiative. The Green a +1 to Reflex saves, the lavender +1 to Fortitude saves, and the Yellow a +1 to Will saves.

Wearing the Red stone with any other stone provides a +2 skill bonus: combining the Red Stone with the Green stone gives a benefit to Hide, with Lavender gives a benefit to Disable Device, and with Yellow gives a benefit to Move Silently.

Combining two the other colored stones provides a +1 to hit with one kind of weapon: Green and Lavender combine to provide a bonus with slashing, Green and Yellow with piercing, and Lavender and Yellow with piercing.

Having a red stone and two other stones provides 2 points of resistance to the kind of weapon the other two stones provide a bonus with.

Having all three stones that grant saving throw bonuses provides a +1 Dodge bonus to AC.

Having all four stones provides their wearer with +1d6 sneak attack damage when used on an opponent who deprived of her dexterity bonus to armor class. This damage stacks with sneak attack damage gained from class abilities or other magic items.

The table below explains various combinations:

Red and Green: Grants a +1 bonus to initiative and a +2 bonus to Hide checks.

Red and Lavender: Grants a +1 bonus to initiative and a +2 bonus to Disable Device checks.

Red and Yellow: Grants a +1 bonus to initiative and a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks.

Green and Lavender: Grants a +1 bonus to Reflex and Fort saves, and +1 bonus to hit with slashing weapons,

Green and Yellow: Grants a +1 bonus Reflex and Will saves, and +1 bonus to hit with piercing.

Lavender and Yellow: Grants a +1 bonus to Fort and Will saves, and +1 bonus to hit with bludgeoning.

Yellow and Lavender and Red: +1 Init, +1 Fort, +1 Will, +1 hit and 2 resistance Bludgeoning, +2 Move Silently and Disable Devices

Yellow and Lavender and Green: +1 Init, +1 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 hit and 2 resistance slashing, +2 Disable Devices and Hide

Yellow and Red and Green: +1 Init, +1 Will, +1 Reflex, +1 hit and 2 resistance piercing, +2 Hide and Move Silently

Lavender and Red and Green: +1 to saves, +1 to hit with weapons, +1 dodge bonus to AC

All stones: +1 Init, +1 all saves, +1 hit with and 2 resistance against all weapon damages, +2 Hide, Move Silently, Disable Devices, +1 dodge bonus to AC, +1d6 sneak attack damage.

Light alteration; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, bear’s endurance, cat’s grace, or owl’s wisdom; Cost 750 gp each.

Treasure Value: 3rd
NPC Gear: 2nd

Math: pretty much all the bonuses are small, priced at 300 to 500 gp: limited save bonus, small skill bonuses, limited weapon bonuses, very limited damage resistance. The two bonuses that are hefy are the +1 dodge to AC and the sneak attack bonus, worth about 2 K each.

The combined bonuses of four stones are worth much more than 3,000 gp. I figured the fact that this would take up four magic item slots actually lowered their value, which I calculated at roughly (number of item slots taken squared)*2000 gp. It think these work as nifty scaling baubles.

If you use the new MI compendium pricing, which does not assume that stacking abilities scale up in value, then the loss of slots is probably more important. You might price the stones at 500 gp each.

If you don't use slots, they should probably be worth 2,100 or 3,000 gp each, post and pre magic item compendium.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Sneak's Vestments - Minor or Medium Wondrous Item

Cloak, Sneak’s Vestment: This dark gray cloak makes the wearer a little hard to focus on because they flicker just the tiniest bit in time and space.

It grants a +6 bonus to Sleight of Hand checks, +1d6 sneak attack damage to any wearer that has the sneak attack class ability, and the ability to cast Mage Hand at will, which the wearer can use to make Sleight of Hand checks at a distance.

Moderate Transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft wondrous item, blink, mage hand; Cost 9,100 gp

NPC Gear: 11th
Treasure Value:

Cloak, Sneak’s Vestment, Lesser: This dark gray cloak makes the wearer a little hard to focus on because they flicker just the tiniest bit in time and space.

It grants a +3 bonus to Sleight of Hand checks, +1d6 sneak attack damage to any wearer that has the sneak attack class ability, and the ability to cast Mage Hand three times a day, which the wearer can use to make Sleight of Hand checks at a distance.

Weak Transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft wondrous item, blink, mage hand; Cost 4,300 gp

NPC Gear: 8th
Treasure Value: 9th

Math:

+3 to skill =3*3*100 = 900
+1 d6 sneak attack = 1*1*2000 = 2,000
Mage Hand 3/day = 1*.5*2000/(5/3= 1.6) = 625
Mage hand and skill bonus are multiplied for multiple similar = 4,300 (rounded up) or 3,500 if you prefer post compendium

+6 to skill = 6*6*100 = 3,600
Mage Hand at will = 1*.5*2000 = 1000
Mage hand and sneak attack are half again for multiple similar = 9,100 or 6,600 if you prefer post compendium

I figure the added ability to make sleight of hand checks at a distance is balanced by the near uselessness of the cloak for anyone without levels in rogue.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Shoulders of the Earth - Major Wondrous Item

Cloak, Shoulders of the Earth: These heavy cold weather cloaks are sewn of leather and wool panels in earth tones (red, ochre, brown, and black) that resemble the strata adventurers often see in in the cliffs and escarpments of desert and mountain-scapes, and in the crevasses the underdark.

Whomever wears the shoulders of the earth feels more solid, as if they have the mass of rock and stone. They gain a +4 bonus to Fort saves, a +4 natural armor class bonus, a +12 bonus to their intimidation checks, and earth mastery +3, which means they get a +3 to hit and damage rolls made against any opponent if both of them are touching the ground. They gain the ability to cast earthquake once per day by bringing their fists together. They also have a -2 modifier to their dexterity score as long as they are wearing the cloak.

Strong transmutation; CL 15; Create wondrous item, bull’s strength, barkskin or stoneskin, earthquake; Cost 105,500 gp

NPC Gear: 21st
Treasure Value: 21st

Math:

+4 natural armor = 4*4*1000 = 16,000
+12 bonus to intimidate = 12*12*100 = 14,400
+4 limited save bonus = 4*4*300 = 4,800
Earth mastery +3: 3*3*1000=9000
earthquake 1/day (as command activated) = 8*15*1,800/5 = 43,200

everything except earthquake half again for multiple different = 109,500

-2 stat modifier = 2*2*1000 = -4,000 = 105,500

using new MI compendium guidelines = 83,500

Monday, December 03, 2007

Domain Rod - Major Wondrous Item

Domain Rod: A domain rod is a roughly foot and a half long sliver of unnaturally tough crystal. Each has a different color: Blue, Red, Gold, Clear, Yellow, Black, Green or Lavender. Some actually shade into one or more color. Each is illuminated by an interior glow.

Each rod is associated with one of the school based magic user domains. This effectively means that each domain rod knows the power to cast one spell of each level 0-9 from a given school. Other domains can be substituted or invented as the GM wishes.

Once per day, a character can use a domain rod as a spell trigger device to cast any spell it knows. In order to do this, the character must make a Use Magic Device or Spellcraft check equal to 15+twice the spell's level. If this check is failed, the rod may not be used again that day.

Sometimes a given domain rod knows more than one domain. This multiples the cost of a domain rod by the number of domains they know. They may still only be used once per day.

Strong magic of the type it knows; CL 17th; Craft Rod, knowledge of one spell of each level in a given school (or other domain); Cost 133,000

NPG Gear: 21st
Treasure Value: 22nd

Math:

Each Spell as one use per day item.
Every spell after 9th level granduated for multiple similar (8th is 3/4 value, 7 and below are half value).

-10% for the need to use a skill check

Note: Don't let PC's create rods that liberally mix and match combat spells.