Magic Items Gold Piece Values
| Calculating Magic Item Gold Piece Values | ||
|---|---|---|
| Effect | Base Price | Example |
| Ability enhancement bonus | Bonus squared x 1,000 gp | Gloves of Dexterity +2 |
| Armor enhancement bonus | Bonus squared x 1,000 gp | +1 chainmail |
| Bonus spell | Spell level squared x 1,000 gp | Pearl of power |
| Deflection bonus | Bonus squared x 2,000 gp | Ring of protection +3 |
| Luck bonus | Bonus squared x 2,500 gp | Staff of power |
| Natural armor bonus | Bonus squared x 2,000 gp | Amulet of natural armor +1 |
| Resistance bonus | Bonus squared x 1,000 gp | Cloak of resistance +5 |
| Save bonus (limited) | Bonus squared x 250 gp | Periapt of proof against poison +4 |
| Skill bonus | Bonus squared x 20 gp | Ring of climbing |
| Spell resistance | 10,000 gp per point over SR 12; SR 13 minimum | Mantle of spell resistance |
| Weapon enhancement bonus | Bonus squared x 2,000 gp | +1 longsword |
| Spell Effect | Base Price | Example |
| Single use, spell completion | Spell level x caster level x 25 gp | Scroll of haste |
| Single use, use-activated | Spell level x caster level x 50 gp | Potion of cure light wounds |
| 50 charges, spell trigger | Spell level x caster level x 750 gp | Wand of fireball |
| Command word | Spell level x caster level x 1800 gp | Cape of the mountebank |
| Use-activated | Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp | Lantern of revealing |
| Special | Base Price Adjustment | Example |
| Charges per day | Divide by (5 + charges per day) | Helm of teleportation |
| No space limitation~ | Multiply entire cost by 2 | Ioun stone |
| Charged (50 charges) | 1/2 unlimited use base price | Ring of the ram |
| Component | Extra Cost | Example |
| Armor, shield, or weapon | Add cost of masterwork item | +1 composite longbow |
| Spell has material component cost | Add directly into price of item per charge* | Wand of stoneskin |
| Spell has XP cost | Add 5 gp per 1 XP per charge** | Ring of three wishes |
| Spell Level: A 0-level spell is half the value of a 1st-level spell for determining price. *See Limit on Magic Items Worn. Basically, an item that does not take up one of these limited spaces costs double. **If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine cost as if it had 50 charges. | ||
| Summary Of Magic Item Creation Costs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spell Component Costs | ||||||
| Magic Item | Feat | Item Cost | Material² | XP³ | Magic Supplies Cost | Base Price* |
| Armor | Craft Magic Arms and Armor | Masterwork armor | Cost x 50 (usually none) | x 50 (usually none) x 5 gp | 1/2 the value in Armor | Value in Armor |
| Shield | Craft Magic Arms and Armor | Masterwork shield | x 50 (usually none) | x 50 (usually none) x50 gp | 1/2 the value in Armor | Value in Armor |
| Weapon | Craft Magic Arms and Armor | Masterwork weapon | x 50 (usually none) | x 50 (usually none) x 50 gp | 1/2 the value in Weapons | Value in Weapons |
| Potion | Brew Potion | - | Cost (usually none) | Cost (usually none) | 1/2 the value Potions | Value in Potions |
| Ring | Forge Ring | - | x 50 | x 50 x 5 gp | Special, see Rings | Special, see Rings |
| Rod | Craft Rod | 1 | x 50 (often none) | x 50 (often none) | Special, see above | Special, see above |
| Scroll | Scribe Scroll | - | Cost (usually none) | Cost (usually none) | 1/2 the value in Scrolls | Values in Scrolls |
| Staff | Craft Staff | Masterwork quarterstaff (300 gp) | x 50/(# of charges used to activate spell) | x 50 x 5 gp/(# of charges used to activate spell) | See Staff | See Staff |
| Wand | Craft Wand | - | x 50 | x50 x 5 gp | 1/2 x 375 x level of spell x level of caster | 375 x level of spell x level of caster |
| Wondrous Item | Craft Wondrous Item | *** | x 50 (usually none) | x 50 (usually none) x 5 gp | Special, see above | Special, see above |
| ¹ Rods usable as weapons, such as a rod of flailing, must include the masterwork weapon cost. ²This cost is only for spells activated by the item that have material or XP components. Having a spell with a costly component as a prerequisite does not automatically incur this cost. For instance, goggles of minute seeing uses true seeing as a prerequisite, but the goggles don't actually activate a use of the spell. ³ If purchasing a staff, the buyer pays 5 x the XP value in gold pieces. ** A character creating an item pays 1/25 the base price in experience points. ***Some items have additional value, such as the mattock of the titans. This additional value comes from an item cost such as that for the mattock's. masterwork warhammer. An item's market price is the sum of the item cost, spell component costs, and the base price. | ||||||
Behind The Curtain: Magic Item Gold Piece Values
Many factors must be considered when determining the price of magic items you invent. The easiest way to come up with a price is to match the new item to an item priced in this chapter and use its price as a guide. Otherwise, use the guidelines summarized above.
Multiple Similar Abilities: For items with multiple similar abilities that don't take up a limited space (see Limit on Magic Items Worn, use the following formula: Calculate the price based on the single most costly ability, then add 75% of the value of the next most costly ability, plus one-half the value of any other abilities. (The many spell-like powers of a staff of power are a good example of multiple similar abilities). However, abilities such as an attack or saving throw bonus and a spell-like function are not similar, and their values are simply added together to determine the cost. For items that do take up a limited space (such as a ring or a necklace), each additional power not only has no discount but instead has a 10% increase in price. A belt of Strength +4 and Dexterity +4 is more valuable than a belt of Strength worn with gauntlets of Dexterity, since it takes up only one space on a character's body.
When multiplying spell levels to determine value, 0-level spells should be treated as a half-level.
Other factors can reduce the cost of an item:
- Item Requires Skill to Use. Some items requite a specific skill (such as Scry for the crystal ball or Perform for a musical instrument) to get them to function. This factor should reduce the cost about 10%. Requiring a skill barred to most classes (such as Scry) is even more restrictive and might reduce the cost about 20%.
- Item Requires Specific Class or Alignment to Function. Even more restrictive, such a requirement cuts the price by 30%.
Prices presented in the magic item descriptions in this book are the market value, which is generally twice what it costs the creator to make the item. Since different classes get the same spells at different levels, the prices for them to make the same item might actually be different. Take hold person, for example. A cleric casts it as a 2nd-level spell, so a clerical wand of hold person costs him 2 (2nd-level spell) x 3 (3rd-level caster) x 750 gp, divided in half, or 2,250 gp. However, a wizard casts hold person as a 3rd-level spell, so her wand costs her 3 (3rd-level spell) x 5 (5th-level caster) x 750 gp, divided in half, or 5,625 gp. A sorcerer also casts hold person as a 3rd-level spell, but he doesn't get the spell until 6th level, so his wand costs 3 (3rd-level spell) x 6 (6th-level caster) x 750 gp, divided in half, or 6,750 gp. The wand is only worth two times what the most efficient caster can make it for, however, so the market value of a wand of hold person is 4,500 gp, no matter who makes it.
You'll notice, however, that not all the items presented here adhere to these formulas directly. The reasons for this are several. First and foremost, these few formulas aren't enough to truly gauge the exact differences between, say, a ring of fire resistance and boots of speed - two very different items. Each of the magic items presented here was examined and modified rated on its actual worth. The formulas only provide a starting point. Scrolls, potions, and wands follow the formulas exactly. Staffs follow the formulas closely, and other items require at least some DM judgment calls. Use good sense when assigning prices, along with the items here as examples.
Limit on Magic Items Worn
Characters are limited in their ability to use certain magic items, based on the item's type. Just as it doesn't make sense to wear multiple pairs of glasses or shoes simultaneously so too characters can't stack items meant to be worn on a particular part of the body. Only so many items of a certain kind can be worn and be effective at the same time. The limits include the following:
- 1 headband, hat, or helmet
- 1 pair of eye lenses or goggles
- 1 cloak, cape, or mantle
- 1 amulet, brooch, medallion, necklace, periapt, or scarab
- 1 suit of armor
- 1 robe
- 1 vest, vestment, or shirt
- 1 pair of bracers or bracelets
- 1 pair of gloves or gauntlets
- 2 rings
- 1 belt
- 1 pair of boots
Of course, a character may carry or possess as many items of the same type as he wishes. He can have a pouch jammed full of magic rings, for example. But he can only benefit from two rings at a time. If he puts on a third ring, it doesn't work. This general rule applies to other attempts to "double up" on magic items - for instance, if a character puts on another magic cloak on top of the one he is already wearing, the second cloak's power does not work.